Guzel’s story began back in 2004, when she was 37. An ultrasound scan revealed a 3mm calcification in her left kidney. She was reassured that it was nothing to worry about and advised to drink plenty of water. Trusting the advice she was given, Guzel carried on with life, assuming it would eventually “wash out”.
In 2011, during another ultrasound for gynaecological reasons, Guzel asked whether the calcification was still there. It was, and it had grown to around 9–10mm. Again, no action was taken and no further investigation was offered.
By 2012, Guzel began to feel overwhelmingly tired for no clear reason. She was active and went to the gym three or four times a week, yet instead of feeling stronger, she felt increasingly exhausted. Blood tests showed slightly low vitamin D levels, so she was advised to take supplements. They made no difference.
At her next GP appointment, Guzel broke down in tears, frustrated and confused by how unwell she felt. She was told she must be depressed and was prescribed antidepressants. Although Guzel knew deep down that she wasn’t depressed, she trusted the medical advice and took the medication. She stopped going to the gym, believing stress might be the cause.
Between 2012 and 2015, Guzel repeatedly returned to her GP with the same complaint: constant, debilitating tiredness. She tried several antidepressants, but nothing improved. Each attempt to regain her fitness left her feeling worse.
In April 2015, blood tests showed that Guzel’s kidney function was low for her age. She wasn’t told the exact figure at the time, but years later discovered through her NHS app that her eGFR had been 59, at just 47 years old. Guzel raised concerns about her long-standing “kidney stone”, but because it wasn’t painful, it was dismissed. When she asked for another ultrasound, she was told instead to repeat blood tests in a few months.
Guzel began researching on her own and learned that combining fluoxetine with ibuprofen can be harmful to kidney function. She stopped taking fluoxetine immediately and drastically reduced her use of ibuprofen. Her headaches disappeared, and her next blood test showed her eGFR had improved to 74. She was told no further action was needed, unaware at the time that 74 was still low for someone her age.
In 2018, Guzel noticed one of her ankles had become noticeably more swollen than the other. A nurse at a minor injuries unit advised her to see her GP, but the following day she was examined, told she was “fit”, advised to raise her feet for a couple of days, and sent home.
By April 2019, Guzel began experiencing a strange, persistent pressure in her upper left abdomen. It wasn’t painful, just constantly there. She was going through a stressful period of life and post-menopause, so she sought reassurance. Blood tests, an ECG, and a chest X-ray all came back normal.
A few months later, a nurse practitioner examined her. Despite Guzel clearly pointing to her upper left abdomen, she was told the epigastric area felt inflamed and was referred for a gastroscopy. The results showed only minimal findings, a small amount of H. pylori and some fungal growth in her oesophagus. Guzel took antibiotics, even needing two courses, desperate for the pressure to ease.
It didn’t.
When Guzel returned and asked to be referred for an ultrasound or to a specialist, she was asked, “What specialist?” She suggested an endocrinologist or someone who could look at her pancreas. Her concerns were dismissed, and she was told the words that stayed with her:
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you.”
Guzel went home and tried to convince herself that this was true. Then the COVID-19 pandemic began.
During the pandemic, Guzel walked daily, spent more time outdoors, and lost around 10kg. The pressure in her upper left abdomen improved slightly but never fully disappeared. Sometimes she would wake during the night and still feel it there.
In October 2021, Guzel returned to the GP once again. This time, she was fortunate. A locum doctor listened carefully and took her concerns seriously. She was worried about Guzel’s high blood pressure, arranged an ECG straight away, and referred her to a gastroenterologist.
After another clear gastroscopy and further tests, the consultant suggested IBS. Guzel explained that she had lived with IBS for years and that this felt different, a constant pressure in one exact spot, unrelated to food. Despite this, she was prescribed IBS medication, which made her feel worse.
Eventually, the consultant agreed to refer her for both an upper and lower abdominal ultrasound. A few days later, Guzel received a letter saying the lower scan had been refused due to “lack of symptoms”, but the upper scan would go ahead.
After weeks of waiting and chasing the appointment, Guzel finally had the scan in mid-October.
A few days later, she noticed missed calls. Then, during her lunch break, her phone rang again. She answered.
It was the gastroenterologist.
He told her they had found a mass in her left kidney and that her care had been transferred to urology. He said he was sorry.
A CT scan soon confirmed the diagnosis: kidney cancer.
Guzel felt an unexpected sense of relief. She didn’t cry. After years of being dismissed, she finally had proof that something real had been wrong all along. She hadn’t imagined it. She wasn’t “just tired”. She wasn’t depressed.
Her first real tears came a month after her nephrectomy, on New Year’s Eve. The tumour measured 11.8 cm and was necrotic.
