My Wife Needs Major Surgery! :(
Mid-August 2018 my wife Briana Schrodt went to her doctor for some pain in her back with the idea that something may be wrong with her kidney perhaps a stone or infection. Her primary care sent her to have an ultrasound that showed what looked like an enlarged left kidney. The next day Briana was sent in for a CT scan to see what was causing the enlargement.
That's when it was discovered that it was actually a 14 cm (approx. 5.5 inches) mass where her kidney should be and the mass is displacing her kidney straight upwards. Typically the left kidney is a smidge lower than the right but in her case it is prominently higher. So a biopsy was the next step. Within the week CT guided biopsy told us what it was:
Ganglioneuroma - a rare, typically benign tumor of autonomic nerve fibers
Basically instead of it being the usual 'fatty' tumor, it is a tumor made from nerve and neuron cells. It grew from one of Briana's spine nerves and it's so dense that it actually made the biopsy difficult when trying to puncture it for a sample.
This also gave us good and bad news:
Good news, in my wife's case it is benign!
Bad news, it is so big that it's crushing and displacing multiple organs.
Like her stomach, kidney, and aorta which is the body's main artery for blood supply!
We've now been sent to MD Anderson in Houston, TX to have it removed. Surgery is currently set for October 19th 2018. It will take a team of surgeons and an all day open procedure. We have been informed that recovery may take while and probably include physical therapy.
MD Anderson is out of state for us and we don't know how long recovering is going to take, leaving her off work for months.
I'm trying to raise funds since we will both need to be off work for Briana to recover and for me to take care of her and our household during this time. Money raised will go towards all the expenses accrued like travel, food, medical bills, rent, and general life expenses.
Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers even if you don't have the ability to donate at this time.
