Lucas Howell

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for your prayers and all the well wishes we have already received. On March 18th, we were visiting Luc's parents in Galesburg. Luc was sitting with our daughter, Olive, on his lap. He leaned to grab something and Olive accidentally stuck her knee in his side. He got immediate excruciating pain all down his left side. After a couple of days of pain he woke up with blood in his urine. At that point I insisted he go to the doctor. Our family doctor sent him for a CT stone study, thinking he had a kidney stone or a possible kidney infection. We were told he had a hematoma on his kidney and that we were being referred to Dr Rashid with Peoria Urology. When we saw Dr Rashid he gave us the news that he actually has a large tumor inside his kidney, and that it was cancer. He sent Luc for a CT with contrast of his chest, abdomen, and pelvis so that they could get a better look at what is going on. We then met with Dr Rashid, and Dr MacVicar. Dr MacVicar is an oncologist that specializes in urology. The CT of his kidney showed a 12cm tumor in his left kidney. In the CT of his chest it showed a large mass as well as multiple nodules in both lungs. The worry is that this is metastasis of the kidney cancer. The most common place that kidney cancer metasticises is in the lungs. So they sent him for a CT guided biopsy of his lung. Now we just have to wait. They cannot do surgery to remove his kidney until they figure out what is happening in his lungs. We are praying and hoping that it's some kind of pneumonia or infection of some sort. Please continue to offer up prayers and good vibes that all is well in his lungs and that we can move forward with the surgery in his kidney soon.