I made it through

Angiebby75
Angiebby75 Member Posts: 208 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

I had my surgery 10/30/17 it was a partial Robotic. The surgeon said it was clean margins and thought it was a success. On day two in the hospital the nurses took out the catheter. So I could get up walking . The pain is more the I expected. It seem more like gas pain. There was a complication when the nurses tried to help me out of bed and I fainted and fell back with the bed catching my fall. By the end of the night I was back in surgery with a open because of bleeding from the kidney and they took my entire kidney. I have been having a hard time losing my kidney in this manner.  I had a very hard recovery after having two sugery In two days. I was in the hospital a weeK. There was good news the possible lymph node was benign. I very happy i made it home i feel a lot more comfortable. I have a lot of nausea and I am cold a lot. Has anyone had notice being cold after surgery.  Also what is the recommended diet with one kidney I didn’t really get a clear answer, any tips will help.

Thanks

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    Let someone else make the Thanksgiving dinner.

    Angie,

    Hopefully from here on out the recovery will be a lot more boring and from here on out it will be unevenful. Eat healthy and enjoy the holidays.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • Wehavenotimeatall
    Wehavenotimeatall Member Posts: 488 Member
    #3
    Big Shock

    for you

    Do you think the fall caused the stitches to tear

    oh dear you have had a terrible time

    You will have it rough for a while then you can get back to those babies

    Good news is it is gone and hopefully never to return

     

    Never had cold feelng so please tell your medical team

    I struggled on for two weeks with nausea and headaches which turned out to be an urine infection

     

    Please rest

  • ZVM
    ZVM Member Posts: 21
    edited November 2017 #4
    You did have a hard time of it

    but with the whole kidney gone, I think you will have even less a chance of recurrence.

    You are still in the early stages of recovery and your body is adjusting. We all react in different ways. I developed back pain. 

    I didn't notice being cold until I was several months post nephrectomy...turned out I was hypothyroid. As previously mentioned, you should tell your health team. 

    Wishing you well on your road to total recovery! 

  • Rockspin
    Rockspin Member Posts: 77
    #5
    You certainly had a rough

    You certainly had a rough time of it. Hopefully this will be the last of all surgeries. I had my kidney taken out in September and had the same concerns about diet. I made an appt with a nephrologist. They are kidney specialists and it was recommended by my surgeon. Low protein low potassium no salt. Also no advil or Aleve. Hoping you have an uneventful healing from this point on.

  • rdoyd2
    rdoyd2 Member Posts: 80 Member
    #6
    i was 37 when i had my neph.

    i was 37 when i had my neph. i was home withen 24 hours of my surgery and walking withen 6 hours after the surgery in the hallway. it was very hard. had no pain meds just a pain pump. i was back to normal after about two weeks. i eat what  i want even drink beer . i do try to eat more veggies though. and i dont really eat much redmeat but never did before. we eat a lot of chicken and pork at my house. mainly because beef is just too expensive . fish is good too.

    i did not notice being cold but did have a hard time with the gas after surgery. it was the worse sometimes hard to breath. but it will pass.

    try to rest you feel better in a few weeks and then be back to normal.

  • Supersum
    Supersum Member Posts: 109 Member
    #7
    You can do it

    Hello Angiebby sorry to hear of the complications you had to endure, sometimes we don't know how courageous we can be until we have to face troubles which cannot be avoided.

    I made a post about getting in and out of bed which for me was the most painful time please look at it if this can be helpful:

    https://csn.cancer.org/comment/1601244#comment-1601244

    I know it doesn't help much but in case you didn't know the nausea is being caused by the pain. If you have any reason to think it is not being caused by the pain then you need to seek medical attention.

    My procedure was in winter I didn't feel cold I was in a very warm house but I enjoyed going outside and feeling the crispness of the air. I really do not know why you are feeling cold but it could be related to things like your blood loss, poor diet, weight loss, low energy levels, or something like post-stress event worries. There shouldn't be any reason for you to have a "chill". If you are really feeling a chill in your body which is not overcome by putting on layers or heaters then you need to speak to someone about it. Err on the side of caution.

    The recommended diet for one kidney is the same as the recommended diet for two kidneys. There's lots of information about kidney health, overall it is advisable to have a healthy diet with low salt including low hidden salts and keep it flushed with water. We only have one kidney now so we have to try to avoid normal problems which can emerge with the kidneys.

    Don't worry too much about your diet right now the main focus now should be on eating and drinking to restore your health, put on a little bit of weight, and increase your energy levels. You can start commiting to a long-term healthy kidney diet as time passes.

    I had a lot of problems and pain in the lead up to and surrounding my procedure which although very stressful ended up going more smoothly when it finally happened than yours has gone. For some time afterwards I had some form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a syndrome which doesn't get much attention.

    I know you might be enduring the horrible physical pain and the awful nausea but also be aware that you have had a difficult time and it is also perfectly normal to have some form of PTSD either now or as your recover.

    Hopefully you won't have any problems as you haven't mentioned anything which indicates it but I wanted to let you know it is a possibility because I never read it was normal or acceptable or a possibility and I had to worry if my reaction was "normal".

    Just accept how you are feeling (and by accepting that includes getting help if and whenever you need it) and know that each day you are getting a little bit stronger, you will be over the worst soon if you are not already. It was probably after 3 weeks I started to feel not quite so bad although I was still having a bad time heading into 5 weeks after and was on regular non-opiod painkillers even longer than that. My walking continued to increase over this time so I had tangible evidence of at least some improvement.

    There is a lot more to my story but I am not sure what parts would help you so let us know if you want any feedback or comments about anything at all there are plenty of people here who have had experiences which can be related to yours.

    Take care





  • daisybud
    daisybud Member Posts: 541 Member
    #8
    Cold

    I was so cold too. Just couldn't get warm.  I was  wearing husbands wool socks over my socks.

    It did get better about 4-5days after.  Sorry for the hard time you had.  

    Keep walking and drinking 

    Kim

     

  • AnnissaP
    AnnissaP Member Posts: 632 Member
    #9
    So sorry to hear about the

    So sorry to hear about the complications. I too lost my whole kidney which was not part of the plan. Still does not seem real. A nurse told me about an amazing website concerning nutrition and at the moment I cannot remember it. When I do I will send it to you. The pain surprised me as well. Just will not go away! I hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly. I wish you all the best!!

  • rdoyd2
    rdoyd2 Member Posts: 80 Member
    #10
    I think the cold feeling

    I think the cold feeling could be from nerves and / or anxiety. when i get tanxious i sometimes feel cold. like oothers have said drink plenty of fluids eat and heal. it will get bettter.

  • Angiebby75
    Angiebby75 Member Posts: 208 Member
    #11
    the coldness is getting

    the coldness is getting better my temp really fluctuates a lot now. I been try to drink lots of fluids I seem to get bloated feeling. But i know wafter is importan. Supersum I’ll take a look at the link thanks. You all are the best 

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    edited November 2017 #12
    So sorry about the setback

    So sorry about the setback with the two surgeries, Angie. I hope from here on all will go smoothly. Talk to your GP about the nausea if it doesn't improve. There are meds for it that may help. All the best to you!

  • kiwi68
    kiwi68 Member Posts: 110
    edited November 2017 #13
    Nausea - causes

    Your nausea could be from your pain meds, your pain, or low blood pressure.  There is a drug we are given here routinley when having any operation called Ondanestron, it dissolves under the tongue and is very very effective against nausea.  I was given them in other operations, when I had kidney stones and now for this nephrectomy.  Have not had to take any this time. 

    If you are taking tramadol or similar that can often cause nausea.  If you have been prescribed an anti inflammatory like Diclofenac (Voltaren or NSAID) can also cause some nausea or gut pain. 

    Low blood pressure, often has you feeing sick, hot and cold, feinting.  Be careful on getting up after resting, or standing still for any amount of time and get your local doctor to check your BP .   Keeping well fed and hydrated will help your low BP, but if it is a medical cause it needs to be investigaed soon, . Hypotension (low blood pressure)  can cause shock or organ damage.  You have had a rough old time with two big operations in two days.   Please ensure you are getting sufficient medical follow up.

    If you get constipated it also could cause feeling sick, though it is probably not close enought to your operation for you to be feeling sick due to constipation.

     

    Take care.    

  • Retcenturion
    Retcenturion Member Posts: 240 Member
    #14
    Sorry for your set back

    2 surgeries in 1 day... I hope I wouldn't need second in a lifetime. Not sure if it is the same as the cold but I had night sweats post  o p for several days. Learned here that is is a by product from anestia. Your body has been run over by a truck.... hopefully this passes soon and you can get proper rest. Sending positive thoughts and easy recovery.

  • Bryn1108
    Bryn1108 Member Posts: 97 Member
    #15
    Hi, praying for you

    Hi, so I had my left kidney removed July 2016, then had gall bladder removed Aug 18th,  5 weeks later.  So I can relate.  I was given meds for nausea,  but nothing worked.  The only thing that worked was fresh ginger tea. Lots of it. Eating foods that digest easily,  low salt, lots of water, veggies,  fruits,  exercise when you can,  helps so much.  It took me a year to get even close to normal.  I also take daily all natural plant-based supplements,  four of my doctors approved these. Praying hard for you.  BIG HUGS 

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