Going for surgery soon

hope_123
hope_123 Member Posts: 22 Member
edited January 2021 in Kidney Cancer #1

Going for surgery soon to remove my 1.5 cm tumor (incidentally detected, no veins or collecting system involement), robotic assisted partial. Is the robotic assisted partial really that bad? Seems a lot of people have well tolerated procedures. I'm middle aged F with no other co-morbidities and on no meds. I chose surgery over waiting and watching.

I'm freaking out, it is about 10 days away. Advice? Thank you all for being on this board.

Hope

Comments

  • Biner
    Biner Member Posts: 136 Member
    edited January 2021 #2
    Hello

    Hello

    Robot assisted surgery less complicated,less wounds,and usually less healthy problem after.Next day you go home,2 weeks and you be like now.1.5 cm big chance to benigh and small chanse for high stage and high grade.Think you are very lucky you got it very early.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #3
    Mine was before Robots and partials

    Baby size tumor. You should be fine. This is still major surgery so expect a little downtime.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    icemantoo.

  • hope_123
    hope_123 Member Posts: 22 Member
    edited January 2021 #4
    icemantoo said:

    Mine was before Robots and partials

    Baby size tumor. You should be fine. This is still major surgery so expect a little downtime.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    icemantoo.

    Thanks, how did you manange

    Thanks, how did you manange the panic period before surgery?

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #5
    hope_123 said:

    Thanks, how did you manange

    Thanks, how did you manange the panic period before surgery?

    Go to a B and B

    My wife took me to one on the Canaduab side of Lake Huron. At a British Restaurant neatby they brought out all the offerinnngs. I declined the Kidney Pie.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    icemsntoo

     

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 618 Member
    #6
    My lesion was the same size

    My lesion was the same size and I also had a partial.  As Biner said, it's an overnight in the hospital (even with my surgery being at 3PM.....grrrrr).  It's about three hours from start to end.  My total time physically in the hospital, from check-in to release, was 25-1/2 hours.  The procedure itself was about three hours.  Once back in my room, they got me to stand for a little while, then let me sleep it off.  This was my third operation, the other two being emergency abdominal surgeries for twisted intestines.  So this my first surgery that I had to psychologically prepare for.  I did my normal exercise routine (since gyms were open back in the old days of 2016).  I'm 62" tall and weighed about 170 at the time, so I did try to gain a littl3 weight to have some reserve since every hospital stay I've had has resulted in a loss of 5 to 10 pounds.

    I had very little pain, just a little pulling sensation at 5he incision sites.  That went away in a week or so.  I took my recovery slow (I was 61 at the time) and focused on walking a little more ea huge day.  It was about four weeks before I went back to any kind of weight work at the gym.

    I won't blow smoke at you and say it's a breeze.  As my late father (a veteran of many, many surgeries) once told his doctor, after being told the surgery he would have was minor, "The only minor surgery is on someone else."  Mine was a whole lot easier and less painful than the open surgeries I had on my abdomen.  Make sure you have a pillow when you sit or lay down.  If you have to cough or sneeze, press the pillow in to give yourself some support.  It really helps.

    Between now and your surgery, do things that calm you down, whether it's listening to music, watching movies or cooking.  Talk to those closest to you if you start to feel uncomfortable.  My wife was amazingly strong for me in my preparation.

    Best wishes that your surgery comes off Boring and uneventful.

    We're here for you.

     

  • eug91
    eug91 Member Posts: 471 Member
    edited January 2021 #7
    Being scared is normal-

    We know exactly what you're going through, Hope. We've been there - and we know you're going to get through it. 

    Three bits of advice posted by Fox years ago-

    -It's not that bad. You are only having surgery. You aren't getting married. Go forward and think about what you want to be doing in 2-3 weeks. There should be some good ball games on. And you don't have to get up to work. I don't know why people get so worried. Focus all your energy on how good a thing this is that you are doing.

    -Here is how you do it. Trust and don't second guess anyone while in the hospital. Everyone has been properly trained and they develop a knack at being real good at it. So sit back and watch the process like you are watching a movie. They will take care of you. You will not be their first patient. Do what they say and you will be running around in no time.

    -Remember, stay positive. Even if that is all you've got. FLY. Fox.

     

  • hope_123
    hope_123 Member Posts: 22 Member
    edited January 2021 #8
    Thank you all, I've been

    Thank you all, I've been walking 4-5 miles a day in preparation, eating good food and hydrating. A friend is gifting me my favorite thai takeout for dinner delivered tonight in a few minutes. The surgeon seems impeccable, all good reviews of him online as well as having done robotic assisted kidney surgeries hundereds of times.

  • a_oaklee
    a_oaklee Member Posts: 566 Member
    edited January 2021 #9
    Stay strong, and busy

    My husband coped by just being as busy as he could be.  He wanted the "thing" out of him, so he wanted surgery.  I coped by trying to get things ready for him to come home and be comfortable.  On the day of surgery, when you are waiting, bring music/earbuds.  Also you will meet the anesthesiologist ahead of time.  Dont be shy, say "give me something to relax me".   Do whatever helps.

  • AliceB1950
    AliceB1950 Member Posts: 237 Member
    edited January 2021 #10
    I didn't do any preparation

    I didn't do any preparation leading up to my total laparoscopic nephrectomy. I had two other unrelated (and slightly less invasive) surgeries in the two months before. What I did before any of them, and in between, and after, was to have as much fun as possible. It's a little harder with Covid and winter, but even if it's just watching your favorite funny movies, or listening to lively music and dancing until you're pooped, make a good time! And here's some advice I got: You don't have to be brave, you just have to show up.

  • medic1971
    medic1971 Member Posts: 225 Member
    edited January 2021 #11
    Exercise

    Hello Hope_123,

     

    Sorry you are here, but glad you found us.  First off, 1.5cm, if you are going to have a renal tumor that's the size you want to have.  I say that because, less than 1cm they are not going to touch it, so you get to worry about it, and really most tumors less than 3cm, very, very rarely metastasize So congrats on it being found at the "perfect size".  

    How to deal with the anxiety, let me briefly share my story with you.  It's a story of two renal tumors 5 years apart...  In July of 2015 a renal tumor (2.2cm) was discovered my accident in my right kidney.  I waited four month before surgery.  In those four months a sat around, felt sorry for myself, and worried a great deal.  Had surgery and recovered...  in 2018 during a routine follow-up they found a 5mm mass on my left kidney.  They continued to watch it yearly.  In June of 2020 the tumor had grown very rapidly from 8mm to 2.2cm.  The growth rate freaked me out big time.  I just knew I had some aggressive cancer in there.  It took 12 weeks for me to have surgery due to covid, but this time I did not sit around and stress about it but rather I went on the offensive.  In the 12 weeks before surgery I started training like I was going into battle.  I exercised 6 days a week for an hour a day.  I did cardio, core strength training, and mediation.  And Hope let me tell you what, the difference between the first and second surgery was significant.  The first surgery wasn't bad, but the second surgery was a cake walk. I know you have about a week before surgery so don't go crazy with exercising, but if I were you I would get active. Start walking every day and do mediations too.  If you are already active, kick it up a notch.  Exercise and mediation did more to help my stress than Xanax ever did. After you recover please restart exercising I did. In fact as soon as I finish this post I am going to get on the bike and do a 45 min ride.  

    I know you are worried and it's scary to have surgery, but please know that this tumor was found in its infancy and you get to keep your kidney!  Also you don’t have cancer until they get that sucker under a microscope so just try and keep that in mind. 

    Good luck to you!  Please keep us posted.  Oh yeah one last bit of advice, Dr. Google IS NOT your friend :)

  • hope_123
    hope_123 Member Posts: 22 Member
    edited January 2021 #12
    Thank you for the advice. It

    Thank you for the advice. It's hard not to stress with my hormonal fluctuations as I'm early menopause... but I am excercising every day. Train like going into battle? Well, that's a good way to put it, I'll have to imagine I'm Linda Hamilton or part of the movie 300!

  • Deanie0916
    Deanie0916 Member Posts: 616 Member
    edited January 2021 #13
    Hi

    Sorry you have to go through this. I've never had the robotic but I've read other people's comments who have had it and I remember that a lot of the advice was to walk asap and as often as you can. Some recommended heating pads for discomfort for afterwards. Good luck praying for you.

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