Scary story, Dave, and glad to hear that the cancer was isolated and your prognosis is good. Thanks for sharing. It's coincidental that you posted that today, because one of my co-workers sent out the following note late last week:
Since many of you would ask what’s up I thought I would let you know. Last Monday I had a CT Scan and learned I have a 9cm mass on my left kidney. About the size of a small apple. Certainly a surprise to me and not what I thought was causing grumbling intestines. A few weeks ago I had some pain which prompted a doctor visit and the scan. I have heard people say that pain is your friend and in this case that was true. I am scheduled for surgery on Monday. The plan is to remove the mass and my kidney. All tests so far show no other areas of concern which is good. I have 2 more scans this week to confirm this good news. The surgery should remove the problem and I will live many more years with one kidney. I am sure glad God gave me two of those.
Pretty similar story, drives home the importance of paying attention to what your body is telling you, and to get it checked out when it tells you something. This is a lesson I need to learn, because while I'm fortunate to be healthy, going to see a doctor is usually a last resort for me.