Fatigue and paranoid fears

Limelife50

Not trying to sound like a whiner since I was one of the fortunate ones to have my kidney cancer discovered in an early stage and also having the tumor in my bladder to be small and of a low grade,but with that said I would to comment on this lingering fatigue.Had my right kidney removed 10/11 and went back to work on 12/6.Everything was fine until my second day back at work when I caught the cold from hell ,this cold eventually turned into to a bad cough which in turn made me paranoid thinking maybe my rcc had returned to finish the job .this may sound stupid but I was thinking maybe I had tumors in my lungs which caused me to go to the doctor on 12/30 for a chest xray which came back normal.Now just this last week I had this ice pick headache which kind of lingered all week,again I got paranoid.all along thru out all of this I am always tired at work,I look like a zombie with red eyes so I have a question,am I ever going to be my old self again and if so when .Thanx for listening and have a nice day.

myboys2

Not a whiner
Listen it is not paranoid when you have RCC to worry about constantly about every ache and pain. I watch my son like a hawk. Coughs colds etc, his lungs are also clear. We are scheduled for rescans on Tuesday and I am about as worried as a cat on a hot tin roof. I told my husband this morn, remember when cody had that undefined rash all over his chest. Looking back now that could have been a sign he had RCC but who knew. So it's okay to worry and vent, then pull yourself together and get back to an intellectual thinking process. I just had one of those weeks myself and will likely be in a pity party until I get the all clear on Tuesday.

Gail mother of Cody 21
diagnosis 8/10/11 unclassified RCC
8/16 checked into NYU as emergency surgeon concerned head skull tumor was closing ventricle to brain
8/17 embolization via femoral artery to bone lesion on skull 7 hours
8/18 repeat
8/19 10.5 hour surgery to remove skull mass (about 45% right skull)
8/20 began a vegan(from an animal product standpoint) gluten free low glycemic diet; no casein but we do eat ocean caught fish and org chicken; org green drink every day
9/4 titanium skull inserted
9/29 begin sutent 25mg 2 weeks on one week off; then 37.5 2 weeks on 1 week off; then 50mg for 3 weeks then off 5 days (preop tests show 3 tiny liver lesions shrinking) Also Xgeva injection. No lymph,lung or brain involvement
11/16 full neph of lft kidney 5.5 tumor (started at 6cm but sutent was working!!) Still unclassified 
12/1 begin sutent again at 37.5 to work into it
12/8 sutent to 50mg for a week then off a week and continue cycle of 50 2 weeks on 1 week off until next scans (due in late Feb)
12/12 began radiation of remaining skull mets Monday and Thursday for 3 weeks high dose (already noted necrosis of tumor after one dose)
12/31 completed high dose radiation of skull mets
1/10 rescans hoping for stability and continued remission

icemantoo

myboys2 said:

Not a whiner
Listen it is not paranoid when you have RCC to worry about constantly about every ache and pain. I watch my son like a hawk. Coughs colds etc, his lungs are also clear. We are scheduled for rescans on Tuesday and I am about as worried as a cat on a hot tin roof. I told my husband this morn, remember when cody had that undefined rash all over his chest. Looking back now that could have been a sign he had RCC but who knew. So it's okay to worry and vent, then pull yourself together and get back to an intellectual thinking process. I just had one of those weeks myself and will likely be in a pity party until I get the all clear on Tuesday.

Gail mother of Cody 21
diagnosis 8/10/11 unclassified RCC
8/16 checked into NYU as emergency surgeon concerned head skull tumor was closing ventricle to brain
8/17 embolization via femoral artery to bone lesion on skull 7 hours
8/18 repeat
8/19 10.5 hour surgery to remove skull mass (about 45% right skull)
8/20 began a vegan(from an animal product standpoint) gluten free low glycemic diet; no casein but we do eat ocean caught fish and org chicken; org green drink every day
9/4 titanium skull inserted
9/29 begin sutent 25mg 2 weeks on one week off; then 37.5 2 weeks on 1 week off; then 50mg for 3 weeks then off 5 days (preop tests show 3 tiny liver lesions shrinking) Also Xgeva injection. No lymph,lung or brain involvement
11/16 full neph of lft kidney 5.5 tumor (started at 6cm but sutent was working!!) Still unclassified 
12/1 begin sutent again at 37.5 to work into it
12/8 sutent to 50mg for a week then off a week and continue cycle of 50 2 weeks on 1 week off until next scans (due in late Feb)
12/12 began radiation of remaining skull mets Monday and Thursday for 3 weeks high dose (already noted necrosis of tumor after one dose)
12/31 completed high dose radiation of skull mets
1/10 rescans hoping for stability and continued remission

Fatigue
Dear Limelife50,

You just had major abdominal surgery 90 days ago. And to top it off you get your worst cold in years. It is only natural that you are fatigued and apprehensive. The surgery just magnifies the other problems and vice versa. Everybody's recovery is a little different and throwing a bad cold in the mix does not help. Try and give it some more time, take it easy and stay positive. Nothing I have heard from you suggests any complications in your recovery, only that it will take a little longer.

Best wishes,


Icemantoo

Texas_wedge

Fatigue etc
An obvious question is what kind of work do you do and did you perhaps go back a bit too soon? Your age and usual health and fitness are also relevant factors. If it wasn't a matter of re-starting work too early, then icemantoo is doubtless right that you've just been a bit unlucky to get a stinking cold at this point and will recover fine but maybe with a little extra delay.

rae_rae

Texas_wedge said:

Fatigue etc
An obvious question is what kind of work do you do and did you perhaps go back a bit too soon? Your age and usual health and fitness are also relevant factors. If it wasn't a matter of re-starting work too early, then icemantoo is doubtless right that you've just been a bit unlucky to get a stinking cold at this point and will recover fine but maybe with a little extra delay.

If the fatigue lingers, talk
If the fatigue lingers, talk to your doctor about possible anemia. I suffered fatigue for months due to iron deficiency and B12 deficiency. Anemia can be an side effect of nephrectomy.
Rae

foxhd

rae_rae said:

If the fatigue lingers, talk
If the fatigue lingers, talk to your doctor about possible anemia. I suffered fatigue for months due to iron deficiency and B12 deficiency. Anemia can be an side effect of nephrectomy.
Rae

fatigue
You must be the first. Seriously, search around a little on this site. It is a prevailing theme. Lots of feedback. That's why we are here.

Vagusto

Time
Hello
It took me a really long time to feel like myself. Don't beat yourself you, your body
has been through a ton. I would also recommend getting your hemoglobin checked. Mine was
low for a period after surgery. I take a multivitamin which I think probably helps.

As far as being "paranoid", you have earned that right. But what I can tell you from experience, i believe that I kinda stopped living for well over a year because I was so consumed with fear the cancer was back. HUGE anxiety prior to my follow up appointments.
Try and find a way to live each day as it comes. There may be a point in the future when
you can allow yourself to worry, but for now....let it go and live like you're "normal".
Take Care
Valerie