I have always enjoyed being social and keeping busy with a handful of hobbies. At 68, I spent most of my time cycling with my husband Tom, going on walks, reading whatever I could find, and socializing with friends. Up until recently, those things had always been a regular part of my life. However, after being diagnosed with kidney cancer amid the COVID-19 pandemic, those activities had to take a back seat.
When the urologist did an MRI, he found that instead of a cyst, it was a tumor on the kidney and he suggested I have my kidney removed. I was not too sure about having it completely removed and a cousin who had been working for Fox Chase for over 40 years suggested I get a second opinion with a doctor there.
I never expected what I heard, that my cancer was aggressive. I went back to my primary care doctor and asked if I should get a second opinion. He told me I should, so I was referred to Dr. Alexander Kutikov, a surgical oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center. This was all during the time that COVID-19 was beginning to ramp up in the United States. I was concerned that my surgery would be rescheduled or even canceled.
