I am really struggling today

I had an Open Radical Nephrectomy on 2/12/2021. My tumor was 6cm with Renal vein invasion. I had a Urologist and the Director of Transplant Surgery perform the surgery due to complex issues. Everything went fine, except my remaining kidney is not doing so well. I learned long ago not to worry about the unknown. I trusted my Surgeons and there was no evidence of metastasis.  The tumor turned out to be clear cell carcinoma. Now, I will have a CT on a regular basis. I have tried to keep a positive attitude...there is nothing I can do about it now. I am just trying to live my life the best I can. Additionally, you will not receive a Pathology report until after the surgery. You can request a copy of your MRI Report from Radiology. I am very familiar with everything, as I am a retired Cytotechnologist. I wish you well with a speedy recovery!

My lesion was pretty small, less than 2cm, and I had a robotic partial.  That was five years ago.  But I also had almost 2-1/2 years of active surveillance before that because it was so small.  I had scans every six months before an ultrasound determined it had grown.  Then it was still another two months before the surgery.  Your journey, being so fast from discovery to surgery, is a lot different.  It's good in some ways.  You don't have as much time to obsess over what's going on.  But on the other hand, I can understand how overwhelming it is.

Some suggestions for you.  Between now and the surgery, focus on eating well.  I was at a very healthy weight but I added a few more pounds prior to the surgery because I knew from previous abdominal surgeries that being in the hospital having surgery will cause you to lose weight.  Get used to taking daily walks if you don't already.  One of the best ways to help the healing process is to walk.  In fact, if your hospital is like mine, they'll get you up and moving the same day after you're operation and they'll keep encouraging you to walk.  They'll give you what's called an incentive spyrometer To do breathing exercises.  Use it at least every couple of hours.  It will help your lungs after the anesthesia.  get a good pillow or cushion to hold against the incision site.  It helps getting up and down and also if you have to cough or sneeze.

One final thought.  Don't Google anything about your condition.  The internet can be a great tool for some things.  Health matters like this is not one of those things.  As I and many others here can attest, you can find a lot of information that's contradictory, that's old or is simply wrong because the site is trying to sell you something.  It can drive you crazy if you look at it.

You'll do great!  Looking forward to hearing about you're experience after the 30th and looking forward to years of posts that say you have no evidence of disease (NED) when you get your follow-up scans.

Tobi said:

Mines 4cm and the surgeon

Mines 4cm and the surgeon just said he thought it wasn't going to be all that advanced. He didn't see any issues on my scans. I am just worried because I received the authorization from the ins today and it said radical nephrectomy and in parenthesis including removal and it listed some things that weren't surprising but also said adrenalectomy which I didn't know was part of it. I don't know maybe it's normal for that to be removed also, I just got scared there was some reason I wasn't aware of that it needed to be removed. 

I had a radical nephrectomy of my left kidney and the surgeon had to take a small piece of my adrenal gland.  He explained that it has to do with the position of the kindey, they could not take the kidney without taking a piece of the adrenal gland (which has had no effect on me).  Perhaps they approve the adrenalectomy as a precaution for those situations?

Hello,

4 cm tumor is really a small one in kidney cancer world, and it shouldn't be advanced. Please try to calm down a bit (easier said than done, of course...) 

Can you contact your surgeon and ask about this adrenalectomy thing, just to get some clarity and peace of mind?

Good luck with your surgery!

tgpath1 said:

If it makes you feel better,

If it makes you feel better, my tumor was 7.9 cm and stage 3....my urologist told me I'd live to see my grandchildren (and my kids are 10 & 12).  Treatment and detection have come a long way!    Hearing that you have cancer is devastating but it's not a death sentence...it just takes a while to wrap your head around it!   Good luck and keep us posted!!

That is wonderful that your urologist told you that...that gives me hope for my son. His was stage 3, 2. Scans are questionable and scare me. Glad you are doing ok.