Recovering from radical nephrectomy

suzika said:

It is very likely that he
It is very likely that he just isn't eating enough as you don't feel like eating when you hurt. Or at least I don't. I lost weight following my nephrectomy as I just didn't eat much.

You could try and get him to drink smoothies if he doesn't feel like eating. Can he afford to lose the weight?

Johnnyb said:

1 Year after Surgery
Hello all,

Well August 30th will be my 1 year mark after having my right kidney removed. I am back to normal, working doing everything I did before. My Doctor order a Chest X-ray and blood work and set my appointment for Sept. 1st for my 1 year check up. Why a chest X-ray? I though they would do a CT Scan to make sure there wasn't any cnacer retirning. Well, I am sure that everyrhing is OK.

nudger2802 said:

10 Days post op
Hi all, glad to hear you guys are all so positive. I was diagnosed in April by a student doctor after being told by my G.P. that I just had trapped wind. After a C.T. scan I was told I had a 7cm tumor on my right kidney. Had a radical laprascopic nephrectomy on 25th June and came home 27th June. Only prob I had whilst in hospital was a slight chest infection but thats clearing up well now.

Just want to know if its normal to have muscle cramps around the surgery site if I walk round for more than a few minutes and to not be able to lie down flat or on soft surfaces without severe discomfort and pulling sensation around the surgery site.

Also my stiches are starting to itch and I am trying really hard not to scratch them, has anyone got any good ideas on how to releive this. It is worst when I have just come out of the shower. How soon will it be before I can soak in the tub without fear of causing problems to the wounds?

Nige

Texas_wedge said:

Greetings from across The Pond
I hope this superb thread stays active since it's obviously done a lot for many people.

A pretty typical case, I'm male and 69 and enjoyed lifelong perfect health so far as anyone knew. However, earlier this year I'd remarked to my Wife "I seem to run a chronic low-grade fever these days" but we didn't pursue the remark. I'd also been complaining of backache for a year or two but put this down to sitting at a computer all day long plus too much golf (coupled with not enough rowing and weight-lifting, two other favourite activities which have helped to keep my back in good shape).

Detection would doubtless have come too late for me but for the 'lucky accident' that many of us have experienced. In my case it was a wild two hour journey being tossed around in the back of a coach over winding, hilly, minor country roads with frequent small hump-backed bridges, for a golf match in the Scottish Highlands, followed by a four and a half hour round on a warm sunny day (despite our being some way further north than Moscow!). Being a redhead (not very apparent now, alas) I don't take the heat well and had got dehydrated so I was not surprised by macrohaematuria when I got back in the clubhouse but my urine continued to be bloody that night so I saw my Doc. (also a golfing pal) the next day. This led to a physical check and cytology followed by cystoscopy and later a CT scan which revealed an 8cm. mass on my right kidney. I'm scheduled to have tumour and kidney removed (but not adrenal gland or any lymph nodes - the cyst, which appears well-contained is at the bottom end) on Monday (5th Dec.).

It's already been a most interesting experience and I haven't even got to the fun part yet! My Doc. is excellent and the Consultant Urologist who is due to operate (laproscopic if all goes to plan) is an ace so I've had perfect answers to my many questions but I've got a few more that I'm hoping some of you guys might be able to help me with. Tim Berners-Lee changed the world so much - I Googled "recuperation from radical nephrectomy" and discovered this forum which I've found fascinating. The fund of goodwill here and on the other big thread "Waiting for surgery" is great. There are also useful insights by the likes of Jamie1.3cm. and garym, to name but two, and the ever-present young iceman, who's a sort of patron-saint of the survivor community, is an icon, not just for his wise words but for continuing to hang out here as a living proof that the end is probably not nigh.

I notice that "recurrence" is a source of worry for many of us. Perhaps it doesn't need to be. RCC is a "sneaky" cancer - usually asymptomatic so it quietly develops for many years before being unmasked. However, post-op. surveillance is routine and so if there is a return visit by something unwelcome it will be spotted very much earlier and a counter-attack can be launched at once. So, the recurrence can be headed off, unlike the original bolt from the blue.

Can someone please help with any of the following questions?

1. Is the incidence of renal cysts and/or RCC the same for left and right kidneys? If not, is there any clinical significance in the difference and does this impact the prognosis?

2. Since the body is asymmetric, what are the major differences in nature and ease of intervention between left and right kidney?

3. Most RCC patients are over 60 and more than half are male. Does this simply reflect the fact that renal cysts develop over many years and so are most often discovered later in life and the fact that some risk factors (notably smoking, obesity and high blood pressure) possibly have a greater prevalence in men than women?

[Reading this thread it looked to me that there is a statistical over-representation of ladies, younger patients and right kidney cysts but that's probably rubbish - the fair sex and younger people are possibly more communicative and a proper check might show I've imagined more right than left kidney problems.]

4. Has anyone been warned of "The Grapefruit Effect" (that is the dramatic potentiation of some medicines and the attenuation of others by grapefruit juice - so that the effective dosage of your meds. gets screwed up)?

5. Has anyone been cautioned against using St. John's Wort remedies before surgery (because of blood-thinning or other effects)?

6. Should alcohol consumption be kept to a modest level before surgery and if so how modest?!

7. I'm keen to get back to golf, rowing, pumping iron and distance running as soon as possible. Can any golf freaks or gym rats clue me up on how soon I could sensibly do so - without setting back my recovery?

I've been a bit used to turning up after the party's over so I'm hoping this message isn't the last one ever to appear on this thread! Anyway, I wish all the very best to the contributors to these forums and to this community generally.

T.

icemantoo said:

Greetimgs Back
T.

I see you have done your homework and read some of my postings. I am not sure I can help with most of your questions. As to 1 and 2 I have never been aware of difference in RCC between the 2 kidneys. As for 3 my understanding is that the primary group is males between 50 and 70, but that the females are only slightly behind us ( I think they want to be behind us in this). I have no idea as to 4 and 5. As to 6 alcohol other than moderate use causes its own problems. In answering number 7 I reflect on a young mother in our group who went on a roller coaster 3 months after the surgery. That is fine, except wait a year for that. You are going to be able to get back to normal activities in 6 weeks or so, but do not push the extreme stuff for a year and until your body tells you it is ready.

Additionally you and I are no spring chickens at 69 and 68 years old. Your surgery at 69 is going to be tougher than mine when I was a youthful 59. Take that in consideration .

Best wishes,

Icemantoo

Texas_wedge said:

Attitude
Gary,

Hi. Thanks for the good advice. I've admired the philosophic approach you've advocated on this and other threads lately - look for the positive in any situation. (An ante-natal advisor encouraged her class:- keep walking while pregnant and best on soft ground, e.g. grass and suggested that the husbands present should join their wives. A thoughtful husband asked if it would be ok for his wife to carry a golf bag while they walked.)

I've started monitoring my blood pressure which has been rather high recently. The relationship between kidney disease and BP seems to be very complex so I'll study my patterns as best I can. What have you found out about your own? You're plainly a thinker so you might find the link I sent (above) to iceman on the Grapefruit Effect interesting.

I'm greatly cheered by your info. on your recovery. I've got an ergometer, an elliptical trainer, a Concept2 D rowing machine, a Nautilus Smith machine and free weights at home, though I've not used them much lately. I'll try to remember that I'm rather older than you are but, that said, I'm encouraged by your experience of exercise in your recovery. Mustn't be too cavalier though and will heed the advice to listen to what my body tells me.

I've just got home after finishing with a tap-in 4 on the 18th at Carnoustie. I had planned on another couple of rounds pre-op but it was bitter on the links today and snow is not far away so I might just quit while I'm ahead (need to finish gutter repairs and dismantle a scaffold tower after painting our exterior woodwork anyway - both things that, like bringing in logs, I soon won't be able to do for a while!). So I guess I'll have to pull out of our Winter League for the next couple of months :-(

Thanks again to you and to iceman and I'll keep you posted - this forum is one of the very best resources I've discovered.

T.

Texas_wedge said:

BP etc
Thanks Gary. Have just received admission details for Monday.

Well done for having taken control of your life-style and maintained it so well. The changes you made sure paid off and the results are an object lesson for others. I'm a little concerned about my own BP and will monitor it frequently for a while to try to get a dependable overall picture. I've maintained the same bodyweight, within a few pounds, for the past 50+ years and I'm a non-smoker. I shall, however, trim back my modest alcohol intake a little and reduce my excessive consumption of espresso. The latter change may well make quite a difference to my BP and I'll talk to my Doc. about it also.

I'm not golfing again for now. Your comments are on the money. A course I play a bit is Montrose links which is the 5th oldest course in the world. I hope all goes on well for our golfing friend foxhd - another of the great people one comes across on these inspiring forums.
I have no doubt that the outlook for contributors to these threads is a lot better than it would have been if they hadn't discovered this invaluable resource.

Kind regards,

T.

Texas_wedge said:

Handicap and op.
Thanks for the good wishes Gary. It's reassuring to know Statesside golfers are like UK golfers - I give it about three rounds before someone says 'My sprained wrist trumps the fact that you used to have cancer'.

I hope to be able to confirm later next week that optimism on these forums has been vindicated yet again.

All the best,

T.

Texas_wedge said:

golf
What an old fox! Thanks for the tip - I hadn't thought of milking it that way(and anything to combat slow play!!). It just goes to show you should always be ready to learn from fellow golfers.
A month and a half from now will probably see us under snow here but if not I hope I've recovered as well as you and Garym and can be contemplating a careful return to the game.
T.