Joshua Silva survived clear cell renal cell carcinoma | partial nephrectomy | appendectomy | kidney cancer

DESCRIPTION

Joshua Silva did not take lower back pains and gastrointestinal issues seriously until they worsened, forcing him to visit an emergency room.  A CT scan revealed inflammation of his appendix, necessitating an appendectomy.  A urologist said the scan also showed a problem in his left kidney, later diagnosed as clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer.  Joshua underwent a partial nephrectomy knowing before the procedure he may lose the kidney.  When he regained consciousness after the procedure, a nurse told him the kidney was spared.  Post-treatment medication and weekly visits to a therapist enabled him to get very close to his pre-diagnosis health.  Among other positive developments, Joshua Silva has resumed one of his major passions, that of playing golf.

Lots of people experience gastrointestinal problems and lower back pain, so when this happened to Joshua Silva of Houston, Texas, a man in his early thirties, he thought with time the problems would go away.  But that didn’t happen.  One night the pain became so bad that he couldn’t sleep, and he decided to go to the emergency room.

He underwent a CT scan which indicated an inflamed appendix but also showed problems with his left kidney.  What Joshua knew was that he would have to undergo an appendectomy.  What he didn’t know with certainty was just what was wrong with his kidney.  Some doctors said the problem might by a cyst or might be cancer.  Joshua prepared himself for the worst and began to think what life would be like if he was diagnosed with cancer and had to go forth with one kidney.

His appendix was removed, but he had to wait an excruciating four weeks to see a urologist, who said he didn’t need a biopsy to determine Joshua had clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. 

Because the diagnosis came shortly before the holidays, the urologist accelerated the timetable for a partial nephrectomy, seeking to form a care team before its members left for vacation.  The urologist said the margins around the tumor would determine whether he could spare the left kidney or have to remove it. 

Even though he was under anesthesia for the procedure, as soon as he regained consciousness, he wanted to know the status of his kidney.  A nurse told him the urologist was able to remove the cancer without removing the kidney.

Just when it seemed like Joshua was on his way toward survivorship, he received some bad news.  The incision point for the partial nephrectomy was very close to the incision point for the appendectomy.  The appendectomy incision had not fully healed, resulting in an infection.  His abdomen area began to swell and turn red.  Antibiotics prescribed after the partial nephrectomy did nothing to address the pain. It was a very difficult three weeks, as Joshua dealt with the pain and sudden uncertainty as to whether he could keep his left kidney.

He was put on a different medication regimen and after three more weeks, the pain and swelling went away.  A subsequent scan showed that he was cancer free.

Joshua Silva says his health is now about 98 percent of what it was prior to his back pains and GI issues, and back out on the links with a single-digit handicap.

Additional Resources:

Support Group:

The Kidney Cancer Association  https://www.kidneycancer.org

TRANSCRIPT

 Bruce Morton: This is the @CancerInterviews podcast.  I’m your host, Bruce Morton.  Our guest on this episode experienced stomach issues, then lower back pain that led to a diagnosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.  But he was proactive, sought medical attention, and he achieved survivorship.  He is Joshua Silva of Houston, Texas, and we are going to hear his story.  Joshua, welcome to Cancer Interviews.

Joshua Silva: Hey, Bruce, how are you?  Thank you for having me.

BM: Before we get started, Joshua, we would like to learn more about you and your life away from cancer, so, if you would, tell us about where you are from, what you have done for work and what you like to do for fun.

JS: Well, my name is Joshua Silva.  I am located here in Houston, Texas.  I am 33 years old.  For fun, I like to golf and stay active.  What I do for work is, I have actually been active in the nightlife scene here in the Houston area for almost a decade now and I do some sales as well. 

BM: For all of us diagnosed with cancer, there was that time when we noticed something unusual about our health, we went to a doctor, and soon we were diagnosed with cancer.  For you, what were those symptoms and how did they manifest themselves?

JS: I would say a year or two before I got diagnosed, I experienced some GI issues, and my anxiety was up a little bit more than usual.  My body was definitely telling me there was an issue going on.  I just had to pinpoint and find out what it was.

BM: Joshua, we have learned from our many interviews that when cancer patients initially experience symptoms, sometimes they seek medical attention right away and sometimes they don’t act on those symptoms right away.  In your case, what did you do?

JS: I did not act right away.  I think me, along with a lot of other people, we like to throw everything to the back burner and hope that with time it will get better.  It was not until he had to go to the ER, when I actually found out what was going on.

BM: By the way, we hope you will find time to like and subscribe to our channel.  If you click on the bell icon, you will be notified whenever we post an interview.  We also want to remind you that we at Cancer Interviews do not provide medical advice.  If you seek medical advice, please consult a licensed health care professional.

So, now you are to the point in which you had sought medical attention, you went to the ER.  Did that lead to an issue with your appendix?

JS: What happened was, I was out watching the Rangers-Astros game the night before.  Afterward, I could not get to sleep at all.  My stomach was giving me issues and I knew this was not just your average stomachache.  I was tossing and turning all night.  The next morning, I told my girlfriend this is something different and I need to go to the ER.  Mind you, before this, I did not have health insurance, so going to the ER was the last resort.  Getting that CT scan that day, that’s when I learned that not only was my appendix flared up, so I would have to have it removed, but I was told there was something on my left kidney that needed to be addressed.

BM: First things first.  Let’s talk about the procedure relating to your appendix.  What happened, and what was it like going through that?

JS: So, if anyone has been through an appendix issue, luckily mine did not burst, but mine was on the verge of bursting, but that pain on a scale of one to ten, was definitely a ten.  I had to get an appendectomy, but I couldn’t do it until the following morning, so it was just twelve hours of managing pain while being in the hospital room. 

BM: So, you had the appendectomy, but there was more that needed to be addressed because of what the scans had determined. So, for you, what was next?

JS: Whenever I was in that hospital bed before getting my appendix removed, I was not thinking about the appendix.  All my thoughts were to the future.  Nobody wanted to give me a precise answer on what the scans had revealed.  They said it could be a cancer with my kidney, or it could be a cyst.  So, following their telling me there could be something there, it was a struggle between the ER staff and meeting my urologist.  My mind was going worst case scenario.  I would rather know what it is instead of being told of multiple possibilities.  My body put itself in a protection mode to try to protect against what a worst-case scenario is, and I remember that time as being one of the most stressful times in my life.

BM: And eventually you did get that worst case scenario.  What were the circumstances that led to your diagnosis?

JS: It was a four-week span before I got to meet with a urologist.  It was me and my family, and immediately before doing a biopsy, he knew it was cancer.  With the holidays coming, he wanted to address it before people went on vacation for the holidays, so I needed to get it removed.

BM: You had spent weeks preparing for a worst-case scenario, and here it was, so your diagnosis did not catch you by surprise.  For all of us diagnosed with cancer, it is a horrific day when we get diagnosed, that much we know; but everyone handles this news a bit differently.  In your case, how did you handle the news?

JS: So, even leading up to this, one of the things leading up to my visits with doctors, was recording the visits, especially when I heard the words, “You have cancer,” you immediately turn white like a ghost.  You see yourself in almost a third-person view.  Everything zooms out, but you see yourself standing still and the room is just starting to spin.  You are trying to hear what people are saying and try to collect what he’s telling you, but in all honesty, it is going in one ear and out the other.  So, having those recordings, I was able to listen to it later on.  It also helped to have other people in the room with you to confirm what I thought I had heard.  I would definitely recommend anybody have friends or family accompany you on any doctor visits, that, or get an audio recording of the visit. 

BM: Next up for you was treatment, a partial nephrectomy.  For people watching and listening who may be candidates for kidney cancer and a partial nephrectomy, that procedure consists of what?

JS: Honestly, it was the best sleep of my life.  I think the worst part about it was just going into it, not knowing if I was going to come out of it with a kidney or not.  So, the fact that it was a partial nephrectomy, even going into it, speaking with my urologist, he said he would leave any cancer behind, so there is a possibility that when he takes the margins out that my kidney would not function properly and the left kidney would have to be removed.  That was a mental struggle as well.  I remember getting prepped for surgery and thinking I might lose my whole kidney.  I remember the first thing I asked the nurses when I woke up, were they able to save it and she immediately told me yes, they were.  After hearing those words, I felt a huge sigh of relief.  The surgery itself was not as painful as I thought, but there was still residual pain from my appendectomy.  They had to go through the same incision point from where they took my appendix out to take the cancer out as well.  What happened was, that incision site was not really healed, so the biggest thing that happened with me was I ended up getting an infection.  There was a delay in terms of recovery because of that. 

BM: What was that like, dealing with that infection, and the difficult time dealing with that infection, lasted for how long, post-treatment?

JS: Post-treatment, I am sitting in bed for at least four days and I noticed that my abdomen area is not getting better.  I am starting to see it get more swollen and more red.  After I was discharged, there was a point where I was having low grade fevers.  It was not until probably the second week when I realized I was already going through my antibiotics and the pain was not subsiding.  So, I went back to the doctor and got more medication, but that was a very difficult three weeks, the pain and not knowing if I would be able to keep the kidney.

BM: It sounds like after three weeks, the medication did the job.

JS: Yes, it did the job.  The swelling went down, the fevers were gone.  I was able to do some torso movement and twist around without feeling any pain. 

BM: Let’s talk more about the ensuing weeks after you were able to come home.  What were they like?

JS: That was when the mental struggle starts hitting you again.  I remember leaving the urologist and asking about the next steps.  He said for me to take care of myself, take care of my body, so suddenly I became very anal about what I was putting in my body, from what kind of toothpaste I was using to counting the amount of sodium with every meal, I caught myself changing my deodorant.  I overanalyzed everything, which caused even more stress.  That was beginning of some major anxiety for me. 

BM: As time went on, though, when did you sense you were trending toward survivorship?

JS: I actually went and found a therapist.  I did therapy for a year right after getting diagnosed.  I credit a lot to meeting with my therapist once a week to help me get out and kind of see that I can’t control everything, but the things I can control, it gave me a handle on things that helped alleviate my health anxiety.  It helped me to see those test results saying my cancer is gone, just seeing that on paper, I would look at that to remind me that I was indeed okay.

BM: Let’s talk about the here and now.  If prior to your diagnosis, your health was 100 percent, these days, how close are you to 100 percent?

JS: I would say I am about 98 percent, Bruce.  I changed my mindset on everything, a lot of lifestyle changes that I have made.  I am seeing a positive impact from those.  I am taking risks now because when you see news like that, your mindset shifts.  You realize your life could change at the flip of a dime and me being a young adult that was diagnosed with cancer, I starting thinking, if I want to do it to just do it.  You never know how long you are here, so just go for whatever dream you have, travel, get everything done as fast as you can because you don’t know when the time will come that you get some bad news.

BM: Now we want to talk about a source of support during this journey.  It is the Kidney Cancer Association.  If you would, tell us what it has done for you and what it can do for others.

JS: Anyone going through a cancer diagnosis, the first thing you do is hop on the internet and see if you can find someone who is going through and has gone through what you are going through.  So, I searched kidney cancer.  If you put in https://www.kidneycancer.org, you will find the Kidney Cancer Association and that is who I got in contact with.  Through them, I have found a sense of community and also, resources to find to help me going through this process.  I have met some wonderful people in there as well.  They hold virtual seminars and we can bounce questions off each other.  Everyone is there to help you, for sure.

BM: We’re about to wrap up now, Joshua, and we usually conclude with the same question.  If you had a one-on-one encounter with someone just diagnosed with kidney cancer, they might have a lot of questions and you a lot of answers; but if of all the things you said, there was one thing you wanted to make sure they remembered, what would that be?

JS: Tame your mind.  Do not allow yourself to get into these daunting scenarios.  I know your body is going through a traumatic experience, but please try to tame your mind because I cannot tell you how many sleepless nights that I went through after getting diagnosed because of the stress your body feels.  If you can get a handle on your mind and allow the process to take place, do you allow yourself to get to those places in your head, there is a greener side to all this, for sure.

BM: Outstanding.  Joshua, that is a wealth of information that can be of benefit to someone of a cancer journey or the verge of a cancer journey.  Thank you so much for passing this along.  Thanks for being with us on Cancer Interviews.

JS: For sure, Bruce.  Thank you for having me.

BM: And we want to remind you as we bring this episode to a close that if you are on a cancer journey, you are not alone.  There are people out there like Joshua Silva, organizations like the Kidney Cancer Association that can help.  So, until next time, we’ll see you on down the road.

Additional Resources:

Support Group: The Kidney Cancer Association  https://www.kidneycancer.org

SHOW NOTES

TITLE: Joshua Silva, Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Survivor – Houston, Texas, USA

Joshua Silva did not take gastrointestinal issues seriously until they worsened, forcing him to visit an emergency room.  A CT scan revealed inflammation of his appendix, necessitating an appendectomy.  A urologist said the scan also showed a problem in his left kidney, later diagnosed as clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer.  Joshua underwent a partial nephrectomy knowing before the procedure he may lose the kidney.  When he regained consciousness after the procedure, a nurse told him the kidney was spared.  Post-treatment medication and weekly visits to a therapist enabled him to get very close to his pre-diagnosis health.  Among other positive developments, Joshua Silva has resumed one of his major passions, that of playing golf.

Additional Resources:

The Kidney Cancer Association: https://www.kidneycancer.org

Time Stamps:

01:36 Joshua says prior to his cancer diagnosis, he experienced GI issues.

02:36 He didn’t take the issues seriously until he was forced to go to an emergency room.

04:04 A CT scan revealed he would have to get his appendix removed and that there was an undetermined problem with his left kidney.

05:30 He could not get a precise description of what was wrong with his left kidney.

06:09 Joshua had to wait four weeks before a urologist said Joshua had kidney cancer.

07:06 Learning of his diagnosis was aided by making audio recordings of his doctor visits.

08:29 Says after undergoing a partial nephrectomy, he learned he would not lose his left kidney.

09:55 Says he suffered a post-treatment infection.

11:23 Joshua says post-treatment medications successfully addressed his post-treatment complications.

11:55 Describes taking care of his body, post-treatment.

12:38 Weekly visits to a therapist helped him with the post-treatment phase.

KEYWORDS (tags):

kidney cancer

partial nephrectomy

clear cell renal cell carcinoma

joshua silva

appendectomy

bruce morton