In his own words: Tyler Fletcher’s Kidney Cancer Story

(The following is written by Tyler Fletcher.)

On May 2, 2023, I came home from work and felt pain on my right side but didn’t think much of it and went to bed. But the pain woke me up. I decided to take a shower to feel better, but I threw up in the shower, at which point I knew something was wrong.

I went to the hospital and, after a few tests and scans, the doctors told me I needed to have both my gallbladder and appendix removed with emergency surgery in Fargo, North Dakota.

One of my sisters, Ashley, was with me and has a bit of a medical background. She noticed a small mass on my left kidney on my scans. Even though the doctor told me it was nothing to worry about, Ashley insisted I bring it up to the doctor in Fargo. That doctor also told me there was nothing to worry about and it definitely wasn’t cancer.

I was ready to forget all of this and move on after having my gallbladder and appendix removed but Ashley yet again insisted that I get another opinion because we have a high amount of polycystic kidney disease in our family. So, I scheduled an appointment with a general practitioner, Dr. Anderson.

Out of the three doctors I saw, she was the only one who took me seriously and wanted to figure out what was going on with my left kidney. She called me personally when the results of my renal ultrasound came to refer me to a urologist, Dr. Allen Medway of Alomere Health.

Finally, Dr. Medway told me there was a very high chance that it was kidney cancer and his biggest concern was how young I was – he barely ever sees people as young as me. He gave me a few options – biopsy to confirm cancer, surgery to remove part of my kidney, or observing it. I chose surgery – my anxiety was high enough and I just wanted it out of me.

Six months after I learned I might have kidney cancer, I had a left partial nephrectomy on October 2, 2023, which happens to be my late mother’s birthday.

A biopsy at the same time confirmed it was stage 1, grade 1, clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

My diagnosis left me in shocked and disbelief. I felt I was too young. I always assumed cancer was something that happened to an older population.

This may have been why it felt so difficult for doctors to take me seriously, as if they just didn’t think kidney cancer was possible because the simple fact is that most people that get diagnosed are older.

In addition to Ashley, my other sister, Tristan was a huge emotional support during this process. And I got a lot of support and learned a lot through several kidney cancer-related Facebook groups.

But my son, Darian, was my reason not to give up, and that was emotional support for me, too. Spending time with him brought me so much comfort while this was going on and he is the greatest joy in my life.

Recently, things are great and I only go for scans once a year. I learned I was 100% cancer-free on May 29, 2024, which is the anniversary of my mom’s passing. I truly believe that she was watching over me through all this, trying to tell me everything was going to be alright.

(The following is written by Dr. Allen Medway.)

Tyler, thank you for sharing your story so openly – it truly means a lot, and I know it will encourage others who are going through similar challenges. It has been an honor to be part of your care and to witness your strength and resilience throughout this journey. I was so genuinely happy when your scans came back cancer free- it was a great moment for all of us. I’m grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me, and I’m so glad to see how well you are doing. Please continue to take things one step at a time and stay strong for you and your son- you have handled this with remarkable courage.