Worried....

jam66
jam66 Member Posts: 55
in Kidney Cancer #1
Hi everyone. I'm new here....had a radical nephrectomy for a big ol' tumor on my right kidney on May 4 of this year. I'm FINALLY starting to feel better. It's "a new kind of normal". Anyways, I had my first follow up cat scan today. The urinalysis that I did last week showed some red and white blood cells. So now I'm worried that the cancer is back, or maybe that's a side effect of having the surgery? Does anyone know? I get the cat scan results Wednesday. A little anxious to say the least....

Comments

  • DarrylPe
    DarrylPe Member Posts: 75
    #2
    Welcome to the club
    Hi Jam 66 welcome to the club. Your in the right place there's alot of good info and support on this site. I had a radical nephrectomy in April so I know what you mean when you say that your finally feeling better it takes time to heal. I really don't have the answer to your question but it sound to me like your problem might be related to your surgery . What did your doctor say about your PAT report ? Try to relax I'll put you in my prays tonight . Keep us posted

    Darryl
  • ejneary
    ejneary Member Posts: 64
    #3
    Anxious
    The real gift of cancer is worry. Once you have had it, you will worry about anything that might be wrong with a test, a pain, a feeling... It is natural to worry a little but I agree, it is nerve wracking.

    Try not to worry too much. May 4th is not that long ago and what you are experiencing is more than likely an artifact from surgery. Relax until there is reason not to.

    John
  • jam66
    jam66 Member Posts: 55
    #4
    ejneary said:

    Anxious
    The real gift of cancer is worry. Once you have had it, you will worry about anything that might be wrong with a test, a pain, a feeling... It is natural to worry a little but I agree, it is nerve wracking.

    Try not to worry too much. May 4th is not that long ago and what you are experiencing is more than likely an artifact from surgery. Relax until there is reason not to.

    John

    Thank you John and Darryl.
    Thank you John and Darryl. I feel better today about everything. Tomorrow I may be a wreck, though.
    This whole thing really came out of left field. I went in for what I thought was a bad uti. Two days later I'm on the operating table. I have none of the risk factors associated with this disease. So I'm still trying to wrap my brain around everything. And trying to get used to this new, ugly, 12 inch long scar on my body. : (
    I am thankful for this discussion board....makes you feel a bit less alone in all of this craziness.

    Thanks again,
    Jennifer
  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,045 Member
    #5
    jam66 said:

    Thank you John and Darryl.
    Thank you John and Darryl. I feel better today about everything. Tomorrow I may be a wreck, though.
    This whole thing really came out of left field. I went in for what I thought was a bad uti. Two days later I'm on the operating table. I have none of the risk factors associated with this disease. So I'm still trying to wrap my brain around everything. And trying to get used to this new, ugly, 12 inch long scar on my body. : (
    I am thankful for this discussion board....makes you feel a bit less alone in all of this craziness.

    Thanks again,
    Jennifer

    Hi JAM
    The out of left field diagnosis seems pretty typical, so stop beating yourself up over it. And the scar will heal, slowly but surely. Wear it with pride. One of the easiest recovery exercises once the incision is healed enough is to start walking/jogging in the pool. Then add flutter kicks on front and back; grab some of the lesson toys like noodles, kick boards, etc. and increase time and intensity.
    Get into a support group-check the clinics, hospitals, health education centers. The physical aspect will heal on it's own; but you will run a whole gamut of emotions as you deal with the post recovery aspect.
    I'm here if you need a shoulder.
    Donna or donna_lee
  • jam66
    jam66 Member Posts: 55
    #6
    donna_lee said:

    Hi JAM
    The out of left field diagnosis seems pretty typical, so stop beating yourself up over it. And the scar will heal, slowly but surely. Wear it with pride. One of the easiest recovery exercises once the incision is healed enough is to start walking/jogging in the pool. Then add flutter kicks on front and back; grab some of the lesson toys like noodles, kick boards, etc. and increase time and intensity.
    Get into a support group-check the clinics, hospitals, health education centers. The physical aspect will heal on it's own; but you will run a whole gamut of emotions as you deal with the post recovery aspect.
    I'm here if you need a shoulder.
    Donna or donna_lee

    Thanks. I got good news
    Thanks. I got good news yesterday! The CAT scan was clear! yay! So my next one is in six months. My plan is to walk on the treadmill at the gym every day this summer. I'll get an early start since I have the kids 24/7 starting this weekend. (School's out!)
    How soon did you get in the pool after surgery? I'm at exactly 6 weeks post-op, and it still feels a bit early....
  • DarrylPe
    DarrylPe Member Posts: 75
    #7
    jam66 said:

    Thanks. I got good news
    Thanks. I got good news yesterday! The CAT scan was clear! yay! So my next one is in six months. My plan is to walk on the treadmill at the gym every day this summer. I'll get an early start since I have the kids 24/7 starting this weekend. (School's out!)
    How soon did you get in the pool after surgery? I'm at exactly 6 weeks post-op, and it still feels a bit early....

    Way to go
    Its great that your feeling so good. I went swimming at about seven weeks post op and I felt great but I also took it easy.Listen to your body rest when it tells you.

    Darryl
  • rae_rae
    rae_rae Member Posts: 300 Member
    #8
    DarrylPe said:

    Way to go
    Its great that your feeling so good. I went swimming at about seven weeks post op and I felt great but I also took it easy.Listen to your body rest when it tells you.

    Darryl

    Swimming
    Glad to hear your scan came out clear! I started swimming at three weeks post op. Nothing heavy, mostly on my back (less pain)- it felt good to gently stretch my muscles.
  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,045 Member
    #9
    rae_rae said:

    Swimming
    Glad to hear your scan came out clear! I started swimming at three weeks post op. Nothing heavy, mostly on my back (less pain)- it felt good to gently stretch my muscles.

    Swimming
    I went to the pool as soon as the incision was healed on the surface -in other words no open or weeping areas. The first surgery was closed with a jillion staples (incision was 14.5 inches long) since they also had to remove left have of liver and nodes. I think I saw Dr. for a post check at 4 weeks and he said I was good to go.

    Recurrence surgery went well, closed with disolving sutures, and I helped drive home from the hospital when my husband got tired. Started back in the pool at about 2-3 weeks post.

    Second recurrence was closed with staples. One section about 2 cm long opened after the staples were removed and stayed oozy for nearly a month. And of course, I avoided exposing the open area to infections in a public pool.

    I'm so glad YOUR CT came back clean. That is such a mind trip waiting for the test and then the results. It's been 3 years with NED -No Evidence of Disease; my most recent labs looked Ok to the oncology nurse, and my next CT is not till Sept.

    Happy continued recovery.
    Donna
  • jam66
    jam66 Member Posts: 55
    #10
    donna_lee said:

    Swimming
    I went to the pool as soon as the incision was healed on the surface -in other words no open or weeping areas. The first surgery was closed with a jillion staples (incision was 14.5 inches long) since they also had to remove left have of liver and nodes. I think I saw Dr. for a post check at 4 weeks and he said I was good to go.

    Recurrence surgery went well, closed with disolving sutures, and I helped drive home from the hospital when my husband got tired. Started back in the pool at about 2-3 weeks post.

    Second recurrence was closed with staples. One section about 2 cm long opened after the staples were removed and stayed oozy for nearly a month. And of course, I avoided exposing the open area to infections in a public pool.

    I'm so glad YOUR CT came back clean. That is such a mind trip waiting for the test and then the results. It's been 3 years with NED -No Evidence of Disease; my most recent labs looked Ok to the oncology nurse, and my next CT is not till Sept.

    Happy continued recovery.
    Donna

    Thanks, Donna. I will try a
    Thanks, Donna. I will try a swim in the next couple weeks. Your situation sounds similar to mine, in that some of my liver is gone as well. The lymph nodes were clear, but the tumor had grown so big that it invaded some of my liver. Scary stuff, for sure. It sounds like you're doing well, and that's so great to hear. My next scan is December. I'll think good thoughts for both of us....
  • Jamie1.3cm
    Jamie1.3cm Member Posts: 188
    #11
    jam66 said:

    Thanks, Donna. I will try a
    Thanks, Donna. I will try a swim in the next couple weeks. Your situation sounds similar to mine, in that some of my liver is gone as well. The lymph nodes were clear, but the tumor had grown so big that it invaded some of my liver. Scary stuff, for sure. It sounds like you're doing well, and that's so great to hear. My next scan is December. I'll think good thoughts for both of us....

    swimming
    Thanks for the swimming info, Donna. I'm also a swimmer and didn't want to push the submersion issue, for fear of infection.

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