Patient Stories

Kidney Cancer Unfiltered: Managing Emotions (Part 1)

KCA, Patient Stories

In Episode 2 of the Kidney Cancer Unfiltered podcast, “Managing Emotions (Part 1), host Annamaria Scaccia spoke with Steven and Lisia Edwards about the complexities of managing emotions during a kidney cancer diagnosis. Steven shared his journey as a kidney cancer patient, emphasizing how simple words like “I’m sorry to hear that” can offer profound comfort. Lisia discussed the crucial…

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Kidney Cancer Unfiltered: The Collective Cancer Experience

KCA, Patient Stories

In the debut episode of the Kidney Cancer Unfiltered podcast, host Annamaria Scaccia sat down with Tracy Poyneer, who shared her deeply personal journey following her kidney cancer diagnosis. Tracy’s story was one of resilience and strength, offering listeners a candid look into the emotional and physical challenges faced by those affected by this disease. The conversation between Tracy and…

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Heather Fought Through a Rare Diagnosis for Motherhood

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Heather Williams, 25, an ER nurse who was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma. She lives with her husband Josh and daughter Indy in North Carolina. Heather Williams with husband Josh and daughter Indy. In November of 2021 I married the love of my life. We had a great first year of marriage and hoped…

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My 2.5-year journey with translocation renal cell carcinoma

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Dawn Dyson, 37, who was diagnosed with translocation renal cell carcinoma in 2022. Dawn was a recent speaker at the KCA’s 2024 International Kidney Cancer Symposium: Europe in Sitges, Spain on April 18-20, sharing her own kidney cancer story. She lives with her husband and two sons in England. Dawn Dyson with her family.…

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Amanda hopes her cancer journey is a positive example for her kids

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Amanda Reitz, a mother of three children who were 13, 9, and 5 years old when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Amanda is also a newly graduated nurse and wife. My cancer journey started in December 2021 when I went to my primary care physician (PCP) for a regular checkup and medication refills.…

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How a gallstone may end up saving my life

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Kieran Smith, 55, a musician based in northern California. Late last year, a gallstone blocked a duct in my gallbladder, and I went to the ER. After an hour or two, with the help of an IV, the stone dislodged itself and I felt better. The ER staff was going to release me, but…

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Marcelo Vine's Story of Survivorship

Patient Stories

This story an excerpt from a blog post at City of Hope Orange County in California. Read Marcelo Vine's full story at City of Hope. Photo courtesy of Marcelo Vine. When you hear Marcelo Vine talk about his passions — flying the experimental plane he built himself, winning national car races in his Porsche 944 — it’s hard to imagine…

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One Year Cancer-Free

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Amy Homnick whose husband Brian Travalja has stage 3 renal cell carcinoma. This story originally appeared on Amy’s Instagram page in celebration of Brian being 1-year cancer-free. I still get goosebumps thinking back to September 20th, 2022. It is the day our lives changed forever. My husband Brian called me at 4:42pm to tell me the…

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Griff Inglee, My #1 Dad

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Reagan Inglee, 20, whose father, Clinton Griffin Inglee, died of kidney cancer in 2019. Growing up, I had a bond with my dad like no other. I was the definition of a "daddy's girl", and I was proud to hold that title. I was my dad's only daughter, so I was always termed his…

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Teri Brown-Walker's Kidney Cancer Story

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Teri Brown-Walker, a KCA Ambassador and a renal cell carcinoma survivor. In 2021 I was diagnosed with two cysts on my left kidney and was told it was filled with fluid. I was told back then that the cyst was so small and not to be too concerned. However, I was given options to…

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