Patricia Nichols is a survivor of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. As a young single mother, she struggled with access to care and the fear and anxiety that go along with a cancer diagnosis. Today, because she found an exceptional care team, she’s free of cancer. This is her story.
“I am 29, years old with cancer.” I never thought I would have to say those words. Ever! I get check ups annually l and have always been in good health.
On November 29, 2017, I decided to go to the doctor, because I was having pain under my left rib cage. My primary doctor and a local urgent care center refused to examine me because of financial issues. I contacted another emergency room that agreed to a payment plan. When I arrived they did scans/blood work – and informed me that I had a softball size mass growing on my kidney. All I could do is think “I can’t have cancer! I’m too young!” “I’m a single parent!! What about my daughter?” “I don’t want to die!”
The doctor scheduled a follow up with a local urologist. This is when I officially found out what this thing was. He walked into the room, introduced himself and said, “Umm..I looked at your scans. It looks pretty solid…nothing I can do for you here so I’m referring you to a doctor in Dallas. They’ll have to take your left kidney and put you on chemo or radiation. You also have enlarged lymph nodes which means the cancer is spreading.” I sat there bawling, because I wasn’t expecting to hear that type of news. The way it was delivered didn’t make me feel any better.
I went to an appointment later that week at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas— BEST STAFF EVER!!! My surgeon was very direct, but made me feel confident. On January 15, 2018, I had a radical nephrectomy and 29 lymph nodes removed. Two weeks later the pathology report concluded the cancer was contained in the kidney. IT WASN’T SPREADING!! It’s also a rare subtype called Chromophobe RCC. Today, I’m free of disease.
The experience has taught me to LIVE life, LOVE hard, and to be MORE intentional. I wish I had time to tell my story in more detail. I have seen God throughout this entire journey, and I thank him for allowing me to see another day.
