Jim Ross finally got some good news in the middle of a brutal stretch of health problems. After doctors discovered a small mass on his kidney, the WWE Hall of Famer says his oncologist does not currently believe he has cancer—but the situation is not completely settled.
During Grilling JR, Ross revealed that he met with his oncologist after the mass showed up. The appointment had him fearing another serious diagnosis just days after undergoing brain surgery.
Ross said the first conversation with his oncologist was encouraging. His doctor does not currently believe the mass is cancerous, but more testing is needed before he gets a final answer.
“On Wednesday afternoon, I had my oncology appointment because they saw a mass on my kidney. I got good news on that. The oncologist thinks I don’t have cancer, but they’re not sure.”
Doctors still have to determine exactly what the lump is. Ross said that even if it turns out to be cancerous, it is currently small enough that doctors believe they could remove it.
“There’s a lump there. It may be cancerous, but it’s so small that they can operate on it and eliminate it.”
The possibility of another operation is the last thing Ross wants to deal with. He recently spent eight days in the hospital after doctors installed a shunt to drain excess fluid from his brain into his stomach.
“The last thing I want to do is get cancer surgery and then go back to the freaking hospital for a few days. This last stay was eight days.”
Despite that fear, Ross walked away from the oncology appointment feeling relieved. The initial assessment was far better than the diagnosis he had spent days worrying about.
“I got good news on that, so I’m blessed there and thankful. That was a good deal.”
Ross later corrected himself after initially referring to his liver and explained how much anxiety he experienced before meeting with the oncologist. He said the possibility of serious kidney cancer kept him awake at night.
“Thank God I found out that I didn’t have serious cancer on my liver—or kidney, rather, excuse me. That was great news because I hardly slept the week before that appointment. I was overwhelmed with worry because you’re going to find out what the story is.”
There is still no final diagnosis or timetable for what comes next. Ross said doctors must conduct additional tests and perform another MRI before deciding whether any procedure will be necessary.
“They’ve got to do tests and they’ve got to do another MRI, so I can’t give you a direct answer because I don’t have one.”
Ross isn’t sitting back and waiting around. He said he has pushed to get the remaining tests completed as quickly as possible so he can learn exactly what he is dealing with.
“I’ve accelerated all that stuff as best I’m able to move this thing along. My oncologist and I had a great meeting on Wednesday afternoon. I was very blessed.”
The kidney scare comes while Ross is already recovering from brain surgery, severe headaches, memory trouble and balance problems that recently caused another fall at home. He has spent more time with doctors in recent months than at any other point in his life, but he remains grateful that the first word on the kidney mass was encouraging.
Ross is not completely in the clear yet, and another MRI will determine what happens next. Still, after preparing himself for the worst, hearing that his oncologist does not currently believe he has serious cancer gave Good Ol’ JR a badly needed win.
What do you make of Jim Ross’ latest health update, and what message would you send him as he waits for the results of his next MRI? Leave your feedback in the comments.
