Patient Stories

6 Lessons From My Patients, Who Prepared Me for Cancer

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Alena Guggenheim, N.D., Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University's School of Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Guggenheim was diagnosed with a malignant sarcoma in late 2024 after discovering a large mass on her kidney. Dr. Alena Guggenheim I had been feeling slightly off for a week, a…

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Growth Isn’t Scary, But It’s Okay If You Think It Is

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Sid Sadler. Sid was diagnosed with stage 2 kidney cancer in February 2024. He is married to his wife of eight years, Rachel, they have two loving pups Ollie and Penny, and a daughter named Parker. Sid is a member of the Kidney Cancer Association's Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council. Follow him at @theunremarkablekidney…

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Erin Sharp's Kidney Cancer Story

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Erin Sharp, 27, who was diagnosed with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma in 2025. Erin lives outside Denver, Colorado. Erin Sharp with her husband Austin and son Emmett. My experience with kidney cancer is one that is truly so unbelievable that it’s hard to put into words, but I felt like it would be worth…

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Marquita Spriggs's Kidney Cancer Story

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Marquita Spriggs, 44. She lives with her family in Waldorf, Maryland. Marquita Spriggs One evening while working out in 2015, I had a pain in my side that barely allowed me to walk. My husband insisted we go to the emergency room, and I am so grateful he did. I was thinking I pulled…

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Holding the Beast at Bay: My Journey with Kidney Cancer

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Julie Mulligan, 52. She lives in Burlington, Wisconsin with her family. Julie Mulligan with her husband Tim and sons Alex and Zack. In March of 2022, I went to the doctor after noticing blood in my urine—just once. I felt healthy and assumed it was nothing serious. At the time, I was a mom…

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Diagnosed with a Rare Hereditary Kidney Cancer

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Nicole Albor, 34. Nicole's husband Todd Allebach, 38, was diagnosed with a rare hereditary type of kidney cancer. They live with their two children near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Todd Allebach and Nicole Albor. Kidney cancer wasn’t something we ever thought about, until we had no other choice. My name is Nicole Albor, and my husband,…

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Dick Cardew's Kidney Cancer Story

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Dick Cardew, 51, who was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. He lives in Arizona. Jennifer and Dick Cardew I was diagnosed with kidney cancer at 48 years old after doctors discovered a 10-centimeter tumor incidentally on my kidney. Like many patients, I had no warning signs that suggested something so serious was happening.…

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Joshua Silva Featured on Cancer Interviews Podcast

Patient Stories

In a recent episode of the Cancer Interviews podcast, Joshua Silva of Houston, Texas, shared his journey as a survivor of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. Josh, 33, first noticed gastrointestinal issues and lower back discomfort but initially dismissed the symptoms. It wasn’t until a night of severe abdominal pain that he went to the ER, where a CT scan revealed…

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Ritchie Johnson, RMC Advocate, Featured in Bold Journey Magazine

Patient Stories

Ritchie Johnson, MBA, BSN, RN, founder and president of the Chris ‘CJ’ Johnson Foundation (CJF) and member of the KCA's Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council, was recently featured in Bold Journey magazine. CJF, a KCA Affiliate Partner, supports patients and families impacted by renal medullary carcinoma, a rare and aggressive type of kidney cancer often affecting adolescent and young adult…

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Oncology Pharmacist Explains Kidney Cancer Side Effect Management

KCA, Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Julia Stevens, PharmD, BCOP at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts and a member of the Kidney Cancer Association's Clinical Advisory Board. Julia Stevens, PharmD, BCOP Case Study: Jan's Angelic Voice Got Lost in Kidney Cancer Treatment My patient Jan was a vibrant 60-something year old woman diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The first time I…

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