Waiting for surgery re: Kidney removal

DarrylPe

autumn4 said:

Swollen legs
Hi there and welcome! I had a small tumor on my rt kidney 1 x4cm and they did cyroablation (freezing) of the tumor. It is supposedly the new standard treatment for small tumors. I had the surgery back in September 10. I did have a post op infection abcess on the rt kidney that landed me back in the hospital and at that time my legs ankles and feet became very swollen. They said my creatine levels were elevated and once they flushed the kidneys and rehydrated me the swelling dissapated. I know their are other health conditions that can cause that so I would ask your dr. Good luck with your surgery, will be praying for you.

Swollen Legs
Hi Autumn4. I not sure what my last creatin level was but I know it was higher then normal I'll check with my doctor. Stay strong and Thanks for the info and your prays you'll be in mine also

Thanks
DarrylPe

DarrylPe

VeryAnxious said:

Hi Darryl. Good luck to you.
Hi Darryl. Good luck to you. I think the waiting is the worst part. It gives us too much time to worry and THINK. I also will keep you in my thoughts. I went robotically and had to wait 8 weeks. I think it is the hardest waiting we have to do. Keep busy and TRY TO KEEP POSITIVE THOUGHTS. It is easier said than done. Take care of yourself before surgery. Eat well and be well rested. I found the better shape you are in before helps some. This is a great site for feedback since I have found no one quite understands like a fellow cancer survivor. It is like a bad dream but it will be over.

Good advice
Greetings VeryAnxious. Your right this waiting is killing me. I'm sure I'll be alright and the support from this site is amazing. Your in my thoughts and prays stay strong.

Thanks
DarrylPe

Granpa299

Ha the best think u can do
Ha the best think u can do is after sur get out of bed and walk as
Mouch as u can start easy evin if the first cupple of times is just around the be walking easy at first evion 3 or 4 hr after surgery I had several surager related to my kindey cancer and it worked hope this helps Rick

gramma512

Hi DarrylPe
I had hand assisted laparoscopic removal of my right kidney seven weeks ago for a baseball sized tumor. It was found accidentally on December 16, 2010 and removed February 16, 2011. I barely had time to think about it before it was over. The worst part pre-op is that horrible cleansing, but the good news is it will help your doctor move your colon around during surgery. I was told it would make the initial days after surgery more comfortable, too. So as bad as it is, just plan to do it and stay at home. I think I was told that surgery took about 4 hours. I know I woke up in my room around 11:30 pm and was up walking the next morning at 5:30 - on my own, just me and the IV tube. I only made it two doors down in the hallway, but it was a start. Force yourself to make those walks two or three times a day while you are in the hospital. If my doc's resident had had it his way, I would have been walking constantly any time I was awake - but that isn't realistic. You will be very tired. I wasn't prepared for how much I slept the first few weeks. I spent 4 days in the hospital, but that was mainly because I was 5 hours from home and they wanted to be sure I had started passing gas before they would allow me to leave. The colon is the last body part to "wake up" after this surgery (maybe all surgeries, I don't know). As gross as it sounds, the gas lets them know that the colon is once again functioning. I wasn't given any meal restrictions after the first day, but be aware that if you eat many solid foods before your colon is "awake" you may regret it. I did. I wanted to go home so bad I sent my husband out for Krystal burgers...little southern goodies that are full of flavor and never fail to send me running for the bathroom under normal circumstances just a few hours after indulging. Needless to say, they didn't work their magic and I was miserable. If you want to help yourself reach this little milestone so you can get out of there, ask your nurse to bring you warm prune juice. Choke it down, it works. My husband was worried sick about making a 5 hour drive back through the mountains with me, but I just took a Percocet every 3 hours and kept a pillow behind my back and on my lap to cushion any bumps he failed to miss. Hopefully you won't have that kind of drive to deal with. Once home, I spent the first week propped up on the couch - slept there and ate there. I got up only to walk several times a day. When I wasn't up walking, I was sleeping. I was finally comfortable lying flat in the bed about 10 days post op and could sleep on my left side by the 3rd week post op. By 4 weeks, I could sleep on my right side. I went back to work part time after 4 weeks, and full time at 6 weeks. Yesterday was 7 weeks since my surgery. I still don't have 100% of my energy back, but was told by my urologist that I probably wouldn't until 12 weeks. Don't push yourself too hard, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, exercise as much as you can through walking those first weeks, and enjoy your recovery time the best you can. Regular life starts back soon enough. Thank God that if you had to have cancer, you got one that they can easily remove. I'll be praying for you.

icemantoo

gramma512 said:

Hi DarrylPe
I had hand assisted laparoscopic removal of my right kidney seven weeks ago for a baseball sized tumor. It was found accidentally on December 16, 2010 and removed February 16, 2011. I barely had time to think about it before it was over. The worst part pre-op is that horrible cleansing, but the good news is it will help your doctor move your colon around during surgery. I was told it would make the initial days after surgery more comfortable, too. So as bad as it is, just plan to do it and stay at home. I think I was told that surgery took about 4 hours. I know I woke up in my room around 11:30 pm and was up walking the next morning at 5:30 - on my own, just me and the IV tube. I only made it two doors down in the hallway, but it was a start. Force yourself to make those walks two or three times a day while you are in the hospital. If my doc's resident had had it his way, I would have been walking constantly any time I was awake - but that isn't realistic. You will be very tired. I wasn't prepared for how much I slept the first few weeks. I spent 4 days in the hospital, but that was mainly because I was 5 hours from home and they wanted to be sure I had started passing gas before they would allow me to leave. The colon is the last body part to "wake up" after this surgery (maybe all surgeries, I don't know). As gross as it sounds, the gas lets them know that the colon is once again functioning. I wasn't given any meal restrictions after the first day, but be aware that if you eat many solid foods before your colon is "awake" you may regret it. I did. I wanted to go home so bad I sent my husband out for Krystal burgers...little southern goodies that are full of flavor and never fail to send me running for the bathroom under normal circumstances just a few hours after indulging. Needless to say, they didn't work their magic and I was miserable. If you want to help yourself reach this little milestone so you can get out of there, ask your nurse to bring you warm prune juice. Choke it down, it works. My husband was worried sick about making a 5 hour drive back through the mountains with me, but I just took a Percocet every 3 hours and kept a pillow behind my back and on my lap to cushion any bumps he failed to miss. Hopefully you won't have that kind of drive to deal with. Once home, I spent the first week propped up on the couch - slept there and ate there. I got up only to walk several times a day. When I wasn't up walking, I was sleeping. I was finally comfortable lying flat in the bed about 10 days post op and could sleep on my left side by the 3rd week post op. By 4 weeks, I could sleep on my right side. I went back to work part time after 4 weeks, and full time at 6 weeks. Yesterday was 7 weeks since my surgery. I still don't have 100% of my energy back, but was told by my urologist that I probably wouldn't until 12 weeks. Don't push yourself too hard, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, exercise as much as you can through walking those first weeks, and enjoy your recovery time the best you can. Regular life starts back soon enough. Thank God that if you had to have cancer, you got one that they can easily remove. I'll be praying for you.

Piece of Cake
With support from Granpa299, grama512 and Icemantoo (a grandfather of five) this Surgery should be a pice of cake. My only warning is that the pain medication can make you constipated and no rationale person wants to be constipated a week after this surgery.

Best wishes

Icemantoo

puppetman

Still waiting
Hi, I found out 3 weeks ago that I have a 4cm cancer on My right kidney, after seeing 2 doc's about it, they send Me to a 3rd Doc that wants His own Cat scan of My right kidney, He says from the report from the 2nd Doc that it is at the top of my kidney, and He might be able to take only half of the right kidney, I go get the new cat scan on the 6th of this month, and go see Him on the 11th , I heard that I will be in a lot of pain after "I can take a lot of pain real good, pain don't bother Me" I am not bothered about the cancer, I have 100% Fath in God to know I will be ok, what I want to know is how many Weeks after I get out of the hospital before I can do stuff , I play the Easter Bunny for a store around this time of year "in a few days", I wear a bunny suit, I am not bothered by pain, I just want to play the bunny as soon as I can after I get out of the hospital, can anyone let me know how soon I can start doing stuff? Seeing and making Children happy is all that matters to Me.


Thanks
Gary

icemantoo

puppetman said:

Still waiting
Hi, I found out 3 weeks ago that I have a 4cm cancer on My right kidney, after seeing 2 doc's about it, they send Me to a 3rd Doc that wants His own Cat scan of My right kidney, He says from the report from the 2nd Doc that it is at the top of my kidney, and He might be able to take only half of the right kidney, I go get the new cat scan on the 6th of this month, and go see Him on the 11th , I heard that I will be in a lot of pain after "I can take a lot of pain real good, pain don't bother Me" I am not bothered about the cancer, I have 100% Fath in God to know I will be ok, what I want to know is how many Weeks after I get out of the hospital before I can do stuff , I play the Easter Bunny for a store around this time of year "in a few days", I wear a bunny suit, I am not bothered by pain, I just want to play the bunny as soon as I can after I get out of the hospital, can anyone let me know how soon I can start doing stuff? Seeing and making Children happy is all that matters to Me.


Thanks
Gary

A normal recovery
There are wide ranges in a normal racovery. After my surgery over 8 and 1/2 yeas ago I was in the hospital for 2 days and than on the couch for 8 days. After that I started to feel better everyday and by 6 weeks I could do most everything. If you have your surgery before Easter you are going to have to skip being the Easter Bunny this year. If your Surgery is after Easter you will be able to do this.

Good luck and Best Wishes

Icemantoo a/k/a Garry

puppetman

icemantoo said:

A normal recovery
There are wide ranges in a normal racovery. After my surgery over 8 and 1/2 yeas ago I was in the hospital for 2 days and than on the couch for 8 days. After that I started to feel better everyday and by 6 weeks I could do most everything. If you have your surgery before Easter you are going to have to skip being the Easter Bunny this year. If your Surgery is after Easter you will be able to do this.

Good luck and Best Wishes

Icemantoo a/k/a Garry

Thanks, that stuff I will
Thanks, that stuff I will have to drink to clean me out, will it make me sick?

puppetman

puppetman said:

Thanks, that stuff I will
Thanks, that stuff I will have to drink to clean me out, will it make me sick?

When I get my right kidney
When I get my right kidney out, I will have one left, lol that was a joke "one left", but I will have my iPod with my in the hospital, so after my kidney is removed. I can still be on here in the hospital.

icemantoo

puppetman said:

When I get my right kidney
When I get my right kidney out, I will have one left, lol that was a joke "one left", but I will have my iPod with my in the hospital, so after my kidney is removed. I can still be on here in the hospital.

Puppetman
The liquid plumber should not make you sick. You will be uncomfortable. You probably will not feel well enough to use the iPod in the day or two after surgery. The one good thing about this is that surgery is better than the alternative. With a small tumor the odds are that the surgery will be a cure although you will have follow up tests for years.

Best wishes,

Icemantoo

puppetman

icemantoo said:

Puppetman
The liquid plumber should not make you sick. You will be uncomfortable. You probably will not feel well enough to use the iPod in the day or two after surgery. The one good thing about this is that surgery is better than the alternative. With a small tumor the odds are that the surgery will be a cure although you will have follow up tests for years.

Best wishes,

Icemantoo

Thanks for the info

Thanks for the info

DarrylPe

puppetman said:

When I get my right kidney
When I get my right kidney out, I will have one left, lol that was a joke "one left", but I will have my iPod with my in the hospital, so after my kidney is removed. I can still be on here in the hospital.

Keep your spirits up
I like that joke may I use it? it's good to see that you have a sense of humor. My surgery is on April 13th this site has helped me alot with invaluable info let me know whens your surgery so I can pray for you .
Good Luck
Darryl

DarrylPe

gramma512 said:

Hi DarrylPe
I had hand assisted laparoscopic removal of my right kidney seven weeks ago for a baseball sized tumor. It was found accidentally on December 16, 2010 and removed February 16, 2011. I barely had time to think about it before it was over. The worst part pre-op is that horrible cleansing, but the good news is it will help your doctor move your colon around during surgery. I was told it would make the initial days after surgery more comfortable, too. So as bad as it is, just plan to do it and stay at home. I think I was told that surgery took about 4 hours. I know I woke up in my room around 11:30 pm and was up walking the next morning at 5:30 - on my own, just me and the IV tube. I only made it two doors down in the hallway, but it was a start. Force yourself to make those walks two or three times a day while you are in the hospital. If my doc's resident had had it his way, I would have been walking constantly any time I was awake - but that isn't realistic. You will be very tired. I wasn't prepared for how much I slept the first few weeks. I spent 4 days in the hospital, but that was mainly because I was 5 hours from home and they wanted to be sure I had started passing gas before they would allow me to leave. The colon is the last body part to "wake up" after this surgery (maybe all surgeries, I don't know). As gross as it sounds, the gas lets them know that the colon is once again functioning. I wasn't given any meal restrictions after the first day, but be aware that if you eat many solid foods before your colon is "awake" you may regret it. I did. I wanted to go home so bad I sent my husband out for Krystal burgers...little southern goodies that are full of flavor and never fail to send me running for the bathroom under normal circumstances just a few hours after indulging. Needless to say, they didn't work their magic and I was miserable. If you want to help yourself reach this little milestone so you can get out of there, ask your nurse to bring you warm prune juice. Choke it down, it works. My husband was worried sick about making a 5 hour drive back through the mountains with me, but I just took a Percocet every 3 hours and kept a pillow behind my back and on my lap to cushion any bumps he failed to miss. Hopefully you won't have that kind of drive to deal with. Once home, I spent the first week propped up on the couch - slept there and ate there. I got up only to walk several times a day. When I wasn't up walking, I was sleeping. I was finally comfortable lying flat in the bed about 10 days post op and could sleep on my left side by the 3rd week post op. By 4 weeks, I could sleep on my right side. I went back to work part time after 4 weeks, and full time at 6 weeks. Yesterday was 7 weeks since my surgery. I still don't have 100% of my energy back, but was told by my urologist that I probably wouldn't until 12 weeks. Don't push yourself too hard, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, exercise as much as you can through walking those first weeks, and enjoy your recovery time the best you can. Regular life starts back soon enough. Thank God that if you had to have cancer, you got one that they can easily remove. I'll be praying for you.

Vauable Info
I love this site thanks Gramma 512 it hadn't occurred to me that i might not be able to lay flat in my own bed. I just told my wife to get the couch prepared. Thanks for the prays.

Best Wishes
Darryl

DarrylPe

Granpa299 said:

Ha the best think u can do
Ha the best think u can do is after sur get out of bed and walk as
Mouch as u can start easy evin if the first cupple of times is just around the be walking easy at first evion 3 or 4 hr after surgery I had several surager related to my kindey cancer and it worked hope this helps Rick

Start walking
Hi Rick I'll be sure to take your advice I heard that it's hard to walk after surgery but I give it my best
Thanks
Darryl

puppetman

DarrylPe said:

Keep your spirits up
I like that joke may I use it? it's good to see that you have a sense of humor. My surgery is on April 13th this site has helped me alot with invaluable info let me know whens your surgery so I can pray for you .
Good Luck
Darryl

I sure will, I will also


puppetman

DarrylPe said:

Keep your spirits up
I like that joke may I use it? it's good to see that you have a sense of humor. My surgery is on April 13th this site has helped me alot with invaluable info let me know whens your surgery so I can pray for you .
Good Luck
Darryl

Sure You can use that joke

Sure You can use that joke

antjeanne

puppetman said:

When I get my right kidney
When I get my right kidney out, I will have one left, lol that was a joke "one left", but I will have my iPod with my in the hospital, so after my kidney is removed. I can still be on here in the hospital.

You will be on some heavey
You will be on some heavey meds after surgery, be carefull with the ipod. lol. My wife took my blackberry from me to prevent me from posting on facebook while hitting the morphine button.

antjeanne

DarrylPe said:

Keep your spirits up
I like that joke may I use it? it's good to see that you have a sense of humor. My surgery is on April 13th this site has helped me alot with invaluable info let me know whens your surgery so I can pray for you .
Good Luck
Darryl

Dont be affraid to ask your
Dont be affraid to ask your DR for a sleep aid as your surgery gets closer. i couldnt sleep for 3 days before my surgery, i was so nervous.looking back,and knowing what i know now, i wouldnt have been as nervous. Trust in God, and pray and it will be just fine.

puppetman

antjeanne said:

You will be on some heavey
You will be on some heavey meds after surgery, be carefull with the ipod. lol. My wife took my blackberry from me to prevent me from posting on facebook while hitting the morphine button.

That is what I was going to
That is what I was going to use My iPod for, lol

Jamie1.3cm

puppetman said:

That is what I was going to
That is what I was going to use My iPod for, lol

a few days before surgery
As D-day approaches for you, you might want to take care of all the heavy lifting at home since you won't be able to lift things for a while. For me, that would mean buying/carrying in some extra containers of cat litter, taking out the trash and recycling, buying/bringing in some extra boxes of bottled water, that kind of thing.

Just in case they don't give you one at the hospital, I found those big white stretchy velcro abdominal belts to give me extra support, which helped with the pain. Also, you might want to track down a shower chair. It's more comfortable to sit in the shower after surgery than to stand. Of course, I'd also time my pain meds for 20 min before a shower.

Be sure all the bills are paid for the next 2-3 weeks.