Thanks for your reply. You are so close in age with my nephew, it gives me hope, and I will pass along your insights here.
He was seen for potential problems when he was 16. His mother had it, (still does and is doing quite well with her disease) and at that time, he only had cysts on one kidney. He did not keep up with his annual appts, and now, he has both kidneys infected.
It was found by accident. (I say accident, because he never saw his 16 yrs old diagnosis as a big deal...or doc and mom kept the seriousness away from him.) He went in for a hernia ultra-sound. As far as I know, he has had no symptoms besides occasional headaches and a poofy belly. No high blood pressure yet. From what I have read, it seems as if one can live a long life if you stay on top of this disease, is this correct? High blood pressure seems to be the worst culprit. I don't know if he drinks those energy drinks, but I'll inform him to steer clear.
My niece is the most upset of the 2. She see only "un-curable" and her emotions send her down dark paths. Dustin, my nephew, is taking this all in stride. His doctor told him to check back in a year so he see this as 'not all that bad'. He's not in denial, is he?
Anywho, thanks again for your reply. And, if anyone can answer the question of how long can an early detection give one in good years...I would really appreciate it.
