New here but concerned

Ed J
Ed J Member Posts: 34
edited October 2014 in Kidney Cancer #1

I had a radical Nephrectomy a year ago. I always had discomfort on my left side and a bump just under my rib cage. Anyone have any comment on this?

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Comments

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    Hi Ed.. welcome to the

    Hi Ed.. welcome to the club... the one nobody wants to join.  The good news is that most likely the worst is over.  The bump under the rib cage is most likely due to the surgery.. sometimes it goes away sometimes not.  Same with the discomfort or mild pain..  Most likely it is your new normal.

    Good Luck..

    Ron

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    GSRon said:

    Hi Ed.. welcome to the

    Hi Ed.. welcome to the club... the one nobody wants to join.  The good news is that most likely the worst is over.  The bump under the rib cage is most likely due to the surgery.. sometimes it goes away sometimes not.  Same with the discomfort or mild pain..  Most likely it is your new normal.

    Good Luck..

    Ron

    Hi Ed!
    I agree with Ron. It

    Hi Ed!

    I agree with Ron. It is your new normal. I also have a hard lump and a little bit of pain.  The doctor told me to massage it daily and that has reduced the lump somewhat.

    Take care!

    Jojo

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34
    I thank you all for your

    I thank you all for your replies. I am going in for my first year ct scan next month and am getting all kinds of thoughts in my head whenever I see/feel my left side. 

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34
    Ed J said:

    I thank you all for your

    I thank you all for your replies. I am going in for my first year ct scan next month and am getting all kinds of thoughts in my head whenever I see/feel my left side. 

    Someone told me Contrasting

    Someone told me Contrasting Agent is hard on only one kidney. Is this true?  My last Creatinine level reading was 1.6

     

  • NanoSecond
    NanoSecond Member Posts: 653
    Ed J said:

    Someone told me Contrasting

    Someone told me Contrasting Agent is hard on only one kidney. Is this true?  My last Creatinine level reading was 1.6

     

    Creatinine

    Most oncologists will not allow CT with contrast if your Creatinine level exceeds 1.4 or 1.5.

    However, there are ways to lower your Creatinine starting with making sure you drink lots and lots of water.

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34

    Creatinine

    Most oncologists will not allow CT with contrast if your Creatinine level exceeds 1.4 or 1.5.

    However, there are ways to lower your Creatinine starting with making sure you drink lots and lots of water.

    Ok, thanks.  How about

    Ok, thanks.  How about drinking juice or non-colored soda? I usually take in about 58 oz of fluids per day.

  • Skagway Jack
    Skagway Jack Member Posts: 224 Member
    Ed J said:

    Someone told me Contrasting

    Someone told me Contrasting Agent is hard on only one kidney. Is this true?  My last Creatinine level reading was 1.6

     

    Creatine levels

    After consulting with a Nephrologist recently I learned the following.  1 Creatine levels can vary significantly based on a number of things for example...my own case.  I have had measures within the same month from 1.48 to 1.83.  I had hydrated well when the 1.83 was measured....but I had also been working out vigorously.  I eased off my excersize and two days later test 1.52.  GFR estimates are even more wildly inaccurate....my estimated GFR is 48 or so, but my actual as calculated by a 24 hour urine collect was actually 79.    Bottom line....a lot can impact things..go to a nephrologist if you have concerns.  Incidentally my doctor would not use contrast on my one year CT due to that 1.83 reading despite a reading only a couple weeks earlier of 1.48.  Best of luck.

     Oh and one more thing I forgot to mention.....I have medical records going way back and I looked at my creatine from 24 years ago....two kidneys no cancer and good physical condtion....1.3.   Body muscle mass has a lot to do with creatine levels.

     

  • NanoSecond
    NanoSecond Member Posts: 653
    Ed J said:

    Ok, thanks.  How about

    Ok, thanks.  How about drinking juice or non-colored soda? I usually take in about 58 oz of fluids per day.

    Juice...

    Juice is generally even worse than drinking many kinds of soda's.  That is because all the pulp and fiber has been removed leaving only the sugar(s) behind.  That removed fiber would have slowed down the digestive process - thus mitigating the Insulin spike that always accompanies the rush of glucose (sugar is 50% glucose; 50% fructose).  That is why is it recommended to only eat whole fruits - not fruit juices made from them.

    If the non-colored soda has little to no sugar(s) added then it should be fine.  But what ones are you referring to? 

    Beware of hydrating with products like Gatorade.  They are the worst in terms of added sugars.

    The best way to hydrate is with di-hydroxide oxygen, better known as water.

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34

    Creatine levels

    After consulting with a Nephrologist recently I learned the following.  1 Creatine levels can vary significantly based on a number of things for example...my own case.  I have had measures within the same month from 1.48 to 1.83.  I had hydrated well when the 1.83 was measured....but I had also been working out vigorously.  I eased off my excersize and two days later test 1.52.  GFR estimates are even more wildly inaccurate....my estimated GFR is 48 or so, but my actual as calculated by a 24 hour urine collect was actually 79.    Bottom line....a lot can impact things..go to a nephrologist if you have concerns.  Incidentally my doctor would not use contrast on my one year CT due to that 1.83 reading despite a reading only a couple weeks earlier of 1.48.  Best of luck.

     Oh and one more thing I forgot to mention.....I have medical records going way back and I looked at my creatine from 24 years ago....two kidneys no cancer and good physical condtion....1.3.   Body muscle mass has a lot to do with creatine levels.

     

    fter looking at my scheduled

    fter looking at my scheduled appointment, I noticed it scheduled an X-Ray then Lab work.  A CT-Scan wasn't mentioned. I think I read something into it that wasn't there.

    Six months ago I had a GFR 42.5.  Readings before that it was 50.0

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34

    Juice...

    Juice is generally even worse than drinking many kinds of soda's.  That is because all the pulp and fiber has been removed leaving only the sugar(s) behind.  That removed fiber would have slowed down the digestive process - thus mitigating the Insulin spike that always accompanies the rush of glucose (sugar is 50% glucose; 50% fructose).  That is why is it recommended to only eat whole fruits - not fruit juices made from them.

    If the non-colored soda has little to no sugar(s) added then it should be fine.  But what ones are you referring to? 

    Beware of hydrating with products like Gatorade.  They are the worst in terms of added sugars.

    The best way to hydrate is with di-hydroxide oxygen, better known as water.

    I have a can of diet white

    I have a can of diet white grape soda about once a day with lunch.J  I was told cranberry juice is OK.

  • NanoSecond
    NanoSecond Member Posts: 653
    Ed J said:

    I have a can of diet white

    I have a can of diet white grape soda about once a day with lunch.J  I was told cranberry juice is OK.

    If there is no fiber any kind of juice is problematic

    You were told that cranberry juice is OK. But OK for what?  Most oncologists don't care very much about what you eat or drink because they are mostly focused on making sure you maintain your weight.

    But if you dig a bit deeper...

    You will discover that every version of RCC is considered an example of a "metabolic disease".  And this means that your diet can influence the progression of your disease and/or how you respond to various therapies.

    Sugars and refined carbs should be considered an enemy for cancer sufferers because they can lead to rapid spikes in Insulin level.  The ingestion of high levels of these kinds of carbohydrates will turn on epigenetic switches of inflammation while stimulating rapid insulin release.  In turn these insulin spikes can promote the release of the hormone IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1), which then stimulates all cells (including tumor cells) to grow.  These insulin spikes can simultaneously decrease the amount of another hormone, IGFBP-3 (Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3). This hormone normally works to prevent unregulated tissue growth by inducing apoptosis (cellular death) in cancer cells.

     

    The bottom line is this: High carbohydrate induced insulin spikes can provoke indiscriminate cell growth while simultaneously working to prevent cancer cell death.

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34

    If there is no fiber any kind of juice is problematic

    You were told that cranberry juice is OK. But OK for what?  Most oncologists don't care very much about what you eat or drink because they are mostly focused on making sure you maintain your weight.

    But if you dig a bit deeper...

    You will discover that every version of RCC is considered an example of a "metabolic disease".  And this means that your diet can influence the progression of your disease and/or how you respond to various therapies.

    Sugars and refined carbs should be considered an enemy for cancer sufferers because they can lead to rapid spikes in Insulin level.  The ingestion of high levels of these kinds of carbohydrates will turn on epigenetic switches of inflammation while stimulating rapid insulin release.  In turn these insulin spikes can promote the release of the hormone IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1), which then stimulates all cells (including tumor cells) to grow.  These insulin spikes can simultaneously decrease the amount of another hormone, IGFBP-3 (Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3). This hormone normally works to prevent unregulated tissue growth by inducing apoptosis (cellular death) in cancer cells.

     

    The bottom line is this: High carbohydrate induced insulin spikes can provoke indiscriminate cell growth while simultaneously working to prevent cancer cell death.

    I will certainly watch my

    I will certainly watch my diet more carefully.  One more thing: my last GFR was 42.5 Seems low. Usually 50.0 Thanks for your response.

     

    Ed J

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    Ed J said:

    fter looking at my scheduled

    fter looking at my scheduled appointment, I noticed it scheduled an X-Ray then Lab work.  A CT-Scan wasn't mentioned. I think I read something into it that wasn't there.

    Six months ago I had a GFR 42.5.  Readings before that it was 50.0

    GFR

    EdJ,

     

    Being over 70 (your bio says only 70-79) negatively effects your GFR as does only having 1 Kidney and probably a Creatine level above normal. It appears that all of us in our 70's with 1 kidney have similar GFR's (myself included) which translates into Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease. The bark (its name) is worse than the bite. Of utmost importance is to watch your weight and blood pressure, both of which negatively effect your remaining kidney. Stage 3 CKD is initally more of a risk to your heart than causing kidney failure. Follow these thoughts up with a good GP or preferably a Nephrologist.

     

    Icemantoo

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    Ed J said:

    fter looking at my scheduled

    fter looking at my scheduled appointment, I noticed it scheduled an X-Ray then Lab work.  A CT-Scan wasn't mentioned. I think I read something into it that wasn't there.

    Six months ago I had a GFR 42.5.  Readings before that it was 50.0

    I have a hunch that if you

    I have a hunch that if you swap that juice for water, your GFR will improve..  Water is your new best friend.. Most other liquids are part of the enemy...

    Ron

  • Ree_Maryland
    Ree_Maryland Member Posts: 161 Member

    Creatinine

    Most oncologists will not allow CT with contrast if your Creatinine level exceeds 1.4 or 1.5.

    However, there are ways to lower your Creatinine starting with making sure you drink lots and lots of water.

    Creatinine

    Thank you for the info , My creatinine is high so I am drinking more water. hope that works. My next ct scan with contrast is April 2015.

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34
    icemantoo said:

    GFR

    EdJ,

     

    Being over 70 (your bio says only 70-79) negatively effects your GFR as does only having 1 Kidney and probably a Creatine level above normal. It appears that all of us in our 70's with 1 kidney have similar GFR's (myself included) which translates into Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease. The bark (its name) is worse than the bite. Of utmost importance is to watch your weight and blood pressure, both of which negatively effect your remaining kidney. Stage 3 CKD is initally more of a risk to your heart than causing kidney failure. Follow these thoughts up with a good GP or preferably a Nephrologist.

     

    Icemantoo

    Thanks for the info.  What

    Thanks for the info.  What you say makes sense to me.   And, wow: some of the people on this site sound like doctors or want-to-be-doctors. 

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34
    GSRon said:

    I have a hunch that if you

    I have a hunch that if you swap that juice for water, your GFR will improve..  Water is your new best friend.. Most other liquids are part of the enemy...

    Ron

    Thanks, Ron.  I will start

    Thanks, Ron.  I will start doing that.

  • Ed J
    Ed J Member Posts: 34

    If there is no fiber any kind of juice is problematic

    You were told that cranberry juice is OK. But OK for what?  Most oncologists don't care very much about what you eat or drink because they are mostly focused on making sure you maintain your weight.

    But if you dig a bit deeper...

    You will discover that every version of RCC is considered an example of a "metabolic disease".  And this means that your diet can influence the progression of your disease and/or how you respond to various therapies.

    Sugars and refined carbs should be considered an enemy for cancer sufferers because they can lead to rapid spikes in Insulin level.  The ingestion of high levels of these kinds of carbohydrates will turn on epigenetic switches of inflammation while stimulating rapid insulin release.  In turn these insulin spikes can promote the release of the hormone IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1), which then stimulates all cells (including tumor cells) to grow.  These insulin spikes can simultaneously decrease the amount of another hormone, IGFBP-3 (Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3). This hormone normally works to prevent unregulated tissue growth by inducing apoptosis (cellular death) in cancer cells.

     

    The bottom line is this: High carbohydrate induced insulin spikes can provoke indiscriminate cell growth while simultaneously working to prevent cancer cell death.

    Cranberry juice is full of

    Cranberry juice is full of health-promoting nutrients. In addition to playing a role in cancer prevention and heart health, cranberry juice is particularly beneficial for keeping your kidneys healthy. Not only does cranberry juice help to treat and prevent urinary tract infections via its antibacterial properties, but it also helps prevent the formation of painful kidney stones.

  • NanoSecond
    NanoSecond Member Posts: 653
    Ed J said:

    Cranberry juice is full of

    Cranberry juice is full of health-promoting nutrients. In addition to playing a role in cancer prevention and heart health, cranberry juice is particularly beneficial for keeping your kidneys healthy. Not only does cranberry juice help to treat and prevent urinary tract infections via its antibacterial properties, but it also helps prevent the formation of painful kidney stones.

    Agreed

    That is all true.  But it is still better to eat the cranberries directly (i.e. not as a juice).

    Here is a great visual illustration of the amount of sugars in various foods:

    http://www.sugarstacks.com/

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    Ed J said:

    fter looking at my scheduled

    fter looking at my scheduled appointment, I noticed it scheduled an X-Ray then Lab work.  A CT-Scan wasn't mentioned. I think I read something into it that wasn't there.

    Six months ago I had a GFR 42.5.  Readings before that it was 50.0

    CT Scan

    You didn't mention your diagnosis (type of RCC, stage, Fuhrman grade). However, you most likely should have a CT at least of the abdomen/pelvis and a chest x-ray at least annually. Make sure your doctor is following the minimum NIH guidelines for followup for your type/stage of cancer. If you're not seeing an oncologist with experience with RCC, you may want to get a second opinion with an experienced oncologist just to make sure you're being followed appropriately. Some of us (like me) with Stage 3 are getting a chest/abdomen/pelvis CT every 6 months for the first 3 years, then annually for the next 2 years.

    Some urologic oncologists from what I've seen by posts on here, are skimping on the followups and doing only ultrasounds or x-rays.

    My oncologist won't allow contrast with a creatinine level above 1.4, because the contrast can damage the kidneys and he doesn't feel it's worth the risk. Still, I get scheduled each time for a CT with contrast, and I have to advocate for myself and tell the imaging center "No. You're not inserting an IV and I'm not taking contrast". When I do, and explain, they say "Ok". But they're always ready to do it anyway so be sure you know what your doc wants and what you want and stand up for yourself when/if they try and do otherwise.

    Best wishes,

    Todd