Patient Stories

Fighting to be Heard, Fighting to Hold On thumbnail image

Fighting to be Heard, Fighting to Hold On

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Shayla Mitchell, 29, who has an unclassified type of renal cell carcinoma. Shayla lives in Missouri. For several months, I knew something wasn’t right. My body felt off — persistent back pain, discomfort, and an unshakable feeling that something was wrong. But every time I sought help, I was met with dismissals. Shayla Mitchell…

Jeff Kallis's Continued Story of Survivorship thumbnail image

Jeff Kallis's Continued Story of Survivorship

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Jeff Kallis, who was diagnosed with stage 3 clear cell renal cell carcinoma in 2023. https://www.kidneycancer.org/stories/jeff-kallis/ This is a follow up post to my post in January 2024. Now two years later, I am a "kidney cancer survivor"! Six months ago I graduated to the Kidney Cancer Survivorship Clinic at Mayo Clinic Rochester rather…

Finding Grace for Yourself thumbnail image

Finding Grace for Yourself

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Sid Sadler. Sid was diagnosed with stage 2 kidney cancer in February of 2024. He is married to his wife of eight years, Rachel, they have two loving pups Ollie and Penny, and a new daughter named Parker. Follow him at @theunremarkablekidney on Instagram. As I’m sitting here writing this, I can hear my…

Escaping to Find Community and Solidarity thumbnail image

Escaping to Find Community and Solidarity

KCA, Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Annamaria Scaccia, a kidney and thyroid cancer survivor, patient advocate, and member of the KCA's Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council. As a cancer survivor, I sometimes feel like an imposter. Even years after my diagnosis, I catch myself questioning if my experiences really “qualify” me to be in certain spaces. But in mid-January, something…

An Unexpected Chromophobe RCC Diagnosis thumbnail image

An Unexpected Chromophobe RCC Diagnosis

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Rachele Funes, 35. She and her family live in Florida. It was a week before my daughter’s first birthday. I’d finally gotten a referral to a pelvic floor therapist that felt my mass and got the ball rolling on what we now know is chromophobe kidney cancer. Being a first time mom I’d dismissed…

A Slip N’ Slide Saved My Life thumbnail image

A Slip N’ Slide Saved My Life

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Shayna Lowe, 26. She lives in West Virginia. Never would I have thought a Slip N’ Slide would save my life. On August 5th, 2024 I was at work and we were having a fun day for the kids at the juvenile detention center where I'm employed. One of the activities was a Slip…

Caregivers are

Caregivers are "Difference Makers"

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Nicole Scott, whose husband Keith is diagnosed with kidney cancer. Together, they organize “Keith’s Cause” to raise awareness about kidney cancer where they live in Ohio. I have been a caregiver in different capacities for my husband for over 20 years. On May 10, 2023 my husband, Keith was diagnosed with papillary RCC which…

Coping with the Aftermath of Diagnosis thumbnail image

Coping with the Aftermath of Diagnosis

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Nicole Scott, whose husband Keith is diagnosed with kidney cancer. Together, they organize “Keith’s Cause” to raise awareness about kidney cancer where they live in Ohio. I was on my ten-minute drive to work when it started happening again. My eyes filled with tears as I tried to think of something else but my…

Kidney Cancer Unfiltered: A Conversation with the Scaccia Family thumbnail image

Kidney Cancer Unfiltered: A Conversation with the Scaccia Family

KCA, Patient Stories

In this deeply personal final episode of season 2 of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered, host Annamaria Scaccia sat down with her partner Sam and son Kelly to reflect on their shared journey through her two cancer diagnoses: chromophobe renal cell carcinoma in 2020 and papillary thyroid carcinoma in 2023. Around the kitchen table, they have an open and emotional conversation about…

Kidney Cancer Unfiltered: Advocacy and Advancements with Katie Coleman & Dr. Pavlos Msaouel thumbnail image

Kidney Cancer Unfiltered: Advocacy and Advancements with Katie Coleman & Dr. Pavlos Msaouel

KCA, Patient Stories

In season 2, episode 9 of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered, host Annamaria Scaccia talked with Katie Coleman, a stage 4 kidney cancer survivor, and Dr. Pavlos Msaouel, a physician-scientist at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Together, they shared insights into navigating a rare cancer diagnosis, the challenges of advocating for oneself in the medical system, and the importance of research for better…

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