Kidney issues - questions and concerns...

Thanks so much for getting back to me!
I should probably clarify one thing, though—I didn't explain myself very well before. He actually turned down the biopsy simply because he didn't have the time... I mean, I get it, life happens, but you really can't mess around when it comes to your health. He was also looking at a potential two-week hospital stay, and that's what ultimately made him bail on the whole thing. But, he's planning to get everything sorted out right after the New Year...

Thanks again

Anthony Wilson4 said:Thanks so much for getting back to me!
I should probably clarify one thing, though—I didn't explain myself very well before. He actually turned down the biopsy simply because he didn't have the time... I mean, I get it, life happens, but you really can't mess around when it comes to your health. He was also looking at a potential two-week hospital stay, and that's what ultimately made him bail on the whole thing. But, he's planning to get everything sorted out right after the New Year...

Thanks again

Your dad is dealing with glomerulonephritis—basically kidney failure—which is exactly why that kidney biopsy is non-negotiable if you want to pinpoint the actual cause of the insufficiency.
There’s a specific thread on glomerulonephritis where we all vent about our kidney issues; you can find everything there regarding the biopsy I'll eventually have to face myself, along with everyone else in that group.
Any kind of insufficiency can lead toward dialysis, but a lot of us manage quite well under control using high doses of corticosteroids, whether that's through an IV or orally—it really just depends on what they find during the procedure.
Honestly, your best bet is to head over to that dedicated topic. There's a wealth of info there about the disease, the treatments, and how some of us have managed to pull through successfully.
Hang in there. It’s definitely not ideal, but it’s not the end of the world either, especially since there's still enough time to get this handled before dialysis becomes a necessity.👍

I have a benign kidney tumor, and it looks like they'll have to remove my kidney. The doctors told me living with just one kidney is perfectly normal, I just need to be more careful. Can anyone tell me what that actually means in practice? What should I be watching out for?

A colleague of mine went through a very similar situation. However, since one of his kidneys had almost completely lost its function due to a tumor, removing it didn't actually make much of a difference in his day-to-day life. He just lived normally—no medications required, though he did start paying a bit more attention to his diet, and that was pretty much it.

My sister-in-law actually only has one kidney, and she didn't even realize it until she was about 30 years old—she was simply born that way. She lived her whole life just fine before finding out, and honestly, nothing has changed for her now that she knows she's working with just one.

A good friend of mine actually lives with just one kidney—he was born with two, but one was roughly twice the size it should have been, so they ended up removing it... he's been living a completely normal life for 22 years now.🙂

People can lead perfectly high-quality lives even with just one kidney. Look at organ donors who give a kidney to a family member... they do just fine. It wouldn't hurt to get some lab work done on your urine twice a year, though.

A single kidney houses about a million nephrons, which means having two gives you two million of those fundamental functional units
of the renal system. However, to maintain a perfectly healthy life, a person really only needs about
one million nephrons, making that second kidney somewhat redundant in practice.
So, there is truly no reason to be afraid; the biological odds are overwhelmingly in your favor...
If it offers any comfort, I should mention that the kidney is actually one of the most common organs donated by living donors, and
losing one today isn't some far-fetched scientific fantasy; it's a standard medical reality.
I wish you nothing but the best, and above all, steady health during this time!

But I will certainly try to avoid illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes...

Sam Hall15 said:But I will certainly try to avoid illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes...

So basically, don't eat anything salty or sweet. :-)

It isn't strictly necessary, but I suppose that could work... 😁

Benign kidney tumors are incredibly rare. Statistically, about 97 percent of such tumors turn out to be malignant. My husband just underwent surgery to have his kidney removed; even though he is a professor and the CT scan strongly suggested cancer, we were fortunate enough to find that it was actually benign.

The biopsy results just came back, and it turns out the tumor was actually malignant after all. The previous tests had flagged it as benign. It was quite a shock to find out—honestly, I'm almost relieved I didn't know it was cancer before they went ahead and removed the kidney. Maybe it’s better this way.
Best regards from the two of us—me and my one remaining kidney. 🙂

Sam Hall15 said:But I will certainly try to avoid illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes...

Managing DM is one thing, but trying to dodge hypertension on your own is a much tougher battle—about 90% of cases are essential hypertension, meaning there isn't even a specific underlying cause you can just fix.

placidranger6 said:The biopsy results just came back, and it turns out the tumor was actually malignant after all. The previous tests had flagged it as benign. It was quite a shock to find out—honestly, I'm almost relieved I didn't know it was cancer before they went ahead and removed the kidney. Maybe it’s better this way.
Best regards from the two of us—me and my one remaining kidney. 🙂

Unfortunately, most kidney tumors end up being malignant. I really hope yours was caught and removed early enough so that everything turns out okay. Best of luck.

Jesse Sanchez90 said:Managing DM is one thing, but trying to dodge hypertension on your own is a much tougher battle—about 90% of cases are essential hypertension, meaning there isn't even a specific underlying cause you can just fix.

The phrasing there is a bit clumsy. You might not be able to avoid hypertension entirely, but you can certainly catch it in time and keep it under control.

fadedmarlin402 said:Unfortunately, most kidney tumors end up being malignant. I really hope yours was caught and removed early enough so that everything turns out okay. Best of luck.

The phrasing there is a bit clumsy. You might not be able to avoid hypertension entirely, but you can certainly catch it in time and keep it under control.

Thanks! It hasn't metastasized; it was caught in the early stages... I have a follow-up with the oncologist in a few months, and I'm hoping for the best.🙂

A couple of years ago, Grandpa was in a minor accident that ended up crushing his kidney. He had surgery today, and they were supposed to stitch some vessels near the kidney, but they couldn't do it, so they just removed it entirely. Right now he’s in the shock room. I have no idea how this is going to play out. He’s already been through surgery for a hernia and an appendectomy before, but what's really eating at me is that this surgery happened over in Mexico. Dad kept telling him he should have gone to Germany or somewhere else where the doctors are actually better. Honestly, I'm spiraling right now and I'm terrified that something is going to go wrong with him. Has anyone dealt with something like this? Grandpa is 65. 😢

Rebecca Moore8 said:A couple of years ago, Grandpa was in a minor accident that ended up crushing his kidney. He had surgery today, and they were supposed to stitch some vessels near the kidney, but they couldn't do it, so they just removed it entirely. Right now he’s in the shock room. I have no idea how this is going to play out. He’s already been through surgery for a hernia and an appendectomy before, but what's really eating at me is that this surgery happened over in Mexico. Dad kept telling him he should have gone to Germany or somewhere else where the doctors are actually better. Honestly, I'm spiraling right now and I'm terrified that something is going to go wrong with him. Has anyone dealt with something like this? Grandpa is 65. 😢

Look, people live perfectly normal lives with just one kidney, and sometimes a nephrectomy can even be handled as an outpatient procedure in a sterile environment.
I don't see much reason to panic. Doctors in Mexico are just as capable of performing these types of surgeries as specialists anywhere else in the world. In fact, given their unique international status and the amount of humanitarian aid they receive, I wouldn't be surprised if their medical tech and medication supplies are actually superior to some neighboring countries.

Performing a kidney removal in an outpatient setting is a reckless move unless you have absolutely no other choice, and frankly, that logic applies to most surgeries. That said, the priority now is ensuring the wound heals properly without any infection and managing a solid post-op recovery. Provided there aren't any major underlying heart or lung issues, the recovery should proceed smoothly, allowing for a return to a high quality of life with just some extra precautions...

Before this surgery, he was physically exhausted. They told him he had some kind of kidney disease—they gave it a specific name, but I can't recall it right now—but they said everything was removed. Honestly, I haven't been able to sleep because I'm so anxious. Thanks for the help.