When Tremaine Shinhoster learned he had a large mass on his kidney, he was shocked. “My mother died of cancer in 2018, but I never thought about me having cancer,” he says.
At times, Tremaine felt something wasn’t quite right, but he brushed the symptoms off. Finding blood in his urine was the tipping point; it convinced him to seek medical care. Tremaine went to the Emergency Department at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital where he received the diagnosis.
Due to the size of Tremaine’s renal mass, he was referred to Alberto Pieretti, MD, Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital urologic oncologist.
Expert physicians instill confidence and trust
Fortunately for Tremaine, Cleveland Clinic Florida’s board-certified and fellowship-trained urologists are experts in treating urologic cancers and drawing from the entire spectrum of surgical approaches based on their patients’ needs.
“We often receive referrals for very complex and meticulous surgeries like the one Tremaine’s diagnosis required,” say Dr. Pieretti. “An open nephrectomy was the best option in order to be able to remove all of the cancer while preventing injury to Tremaine’s other abdominal organs.”
“The care I received at Cleveland Clinic was amazing,” Tremaine says. “I felt so comfortable with Dr. Pieretti. I told him, ‘Do what you have to do, I trust you.’”
During his recovery, Tremaine vividly recalls an experience that truly demonstrated Dr. Pieretti’s dedication and caring.
“After the surgery, Dr. Pieretti made it very clear that I needed to be walking and exercising every day,” Tremaine said. “One day, he took it upon himself to come in my room, get me up and out of bed and walked the hallway with me! I had never seen that from a doctor before. That was a first.”
More than a year after surgery, Dr. Pieretti says Tremaine is doing extremely well. “He is able to work, enjoy his family and doing fantastic.”
“We’re able to get through anything together.”
Tremaine and his wife, Ariel, credit Dr. Pieretti with providing Tremaine with the best care possible.
Ariel appreciated Dr. Pieretti’s easy-going demeanor. “Dr. Pieretti was patient and informative, answering all of my questions and helping me understand what my husband was going to experience. When I look at Tremaine now, he’s very healthy and active. We’re happy to see another day knowing we’re able to get through anything together.”
The overall experience changed Tremaine’s life.
“I learned a lot about my mental strength,” he says. “It took a lot of work, but I came out stronger and better than I was before.”
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“Even though you may be afraid, it could prevent you from actually having to go through all of this, and the earlier you catch cancer, the better the response to treatment and the chance of survival.”
