New Kidney cancer diagnosis.....What now?

MikeK703 said:

Wishing you the best and a speedy recovery
Kat,
Just about everyone here knows exactly how you feel and we are all in your corner, wishing you a speedy recovery.
Regards,
Mike

Good Luck
Hi Kat best wishes. I be praying for you but I'm sure all will go well. Post as soon as you can let us know how your doing

Darryl

barbarbei said:

Hi Kat, although I am not
Hi Kat, although I am not the one who got it, but I went through all with my boyfriend. And today he had the surgery. Best wishes.

There are alot of people who
There are alot of people who have had this or gone through this. This is a great place to lay it all out and receive support and guidance. I wish you the best.

KatfromFlorida said:

Thanks to all for the prayers
I can't believe its over..... OMG the first day I was out of it, I remember nothing much...
I just got released tonight and I am very very sore. Didn't eat anything for the entire three days...... My body looks like it went through a war, bruises on both arms ,around my left wrist... 6 holes in my belly and all the doc said was it was golf ball size and no other info yet... Thanks so much for all the prayers I really needed them...... Much love to all , my best
Kat

better day by day
Kat, I am wishing you well and hoping you get better each day. I remember my IV arm and wrist hurt for some time, and 6 weeks post op my muscles in my back still hurt.

I am happy for you, as the iceman would say "now that wasn't so bad was it", ha. Hang in there, and iceman, sorry to steal your thunder.

BG

KatfromFlorida said:

Not a good day for me today
I spent today being completely miserable. I hurt all over, haven't gone to the bathroom in a week and just cried for a couple of hours for no reason whatsoever.
Haven't felt much like eating or talking and if my kid asks me one more time today if I am ok I will lock her in a closet...........Not one of my bestest moments.
Is this normal? The pain meds aren't much help as I think internal gas is the culprit. I spent the day walking around my house trying to work it out and it really didn't help much.
Finally got up the courage to take off the bandages , the one where the drain came out was pretty yucky so I put another bandage on it cause it creeps me out.... I am thinkin I might have a bit of post tramatic stress or something... Its like all at once this overwhelming need to cry just overtakes me and I don't really know why , plus little stuff is really pissing me off today ............................ Does this sound crazy to anyone else? Cause it makes me feel really looney....

Kat

After surgery
Kat - Did you get colace in the hospital, or did they recommend that you take it when you get home? It is a stool softener I was given in the hospital and at home, and it more than did the trick, if you know what I mean. I thought I might need some immodium, but it all worked out.

The gas pains are terrible, aren't they? Are you taking percoset? I got a prescription for 50 of them, but only took 1 when I got home because I think it made me nauseous. I'm thinking of taking one before bed tonight because I can't get comfortable at night and I can't sleep. (I am one week post-op, and my incisions aren't too painful, but I am having kidney pain which developed a couple of days ago.)

The dressing over my drainage incision was yucky too, and I put a bandaid on it after I took off the dressing. I kept a bandaid on it for 2 days, then it healed up. I took off the steri-strips today because they were starting to peel off and I was getting a rash from them, and now anytime my shirt touches my abdomen it feels very irritating.

About the emotional stuff - I was doing fine until yesterday. I became an emotional mess yesterday, even though I went to the doctor for my follow up and everything is fine. I am crying a lot, and I have nothing to cry about! My tumor was caught very early, it is stage 1 grade 2, I had clean margins and 90% of my kidney is left and it is functioning. What's to cry about? But I did some googling and it seems that depression/emotional dysfunction can be an after affect of surgery of any kind. Post traumatic stress is a definite possibility.

A neighbor came by to see me today and brought me two magazines and I started crying. Ack.

Luckily I see my therapist on Tuesday and I can ask him about all of this.

You don't sound crazy to me. Post-op, hurting, uncomfortable, grossed out by bruises and incisions and drainage holes, recovery from learning that you have cancer, etc etc. I would think you were crazy if all of this didn't affect you!

And you're not alone, I think I'm about to cry.

Linda

KatfromFlorida said:

You made me smile
You and Mr Iceman made me smile. 1st time today..... Thanks guys...
No my doc din't give me anything for constipation..... And I am taking Hydrocodon or something like that ..... it upsets my stomach but I take it anyway..... And that makes me cry rofl....... Plus I fully understand why they need to give us gas but heck have they ever tried this junk? I feel like my earlobes are full of it...... My skin is really sore where the bandages were and my drain had no steri strips it was open.....

Yikes

Kat

gas and constipation
You wouldn't think those would be two of the bigger issues you'd have to contend with but it seems hands down they are for most everyone. And most docs don't warn you! Gas and constipation were the worst! Even stool softeners didn't help me-but it all gets better. You are not alone in the way you feel-both physical and emotional trauma plus you feel so bloated and sore-what's not to cry about.
Rae

KatfromFlorida said:

You made me smile
You and Mr Iceman made me smile. 1st time today..... Thanks guys...
No my doc din't give me anything for constipation..... And I am taking Hydrocodon or something like that ..... it upsets my stomach but I take it anyway..... And that makes me cry rofl....... Plus I fully understand why they need to give us gas but heck have they ever tried this junk? I feel like my earlobes are full of it...... My skin is really sore where the bandages were and my drain had no steri strips it was open.....

Yikes

Kat

don't worry about crying
Kat -

The emotions are totally understandable. I had my biggest meltdown about one week after surgery because I couldn't get the surgical tape goo off my arms. Complete and total meltdown - even worse than when I found out I had cancer. I'm two and a half months out and can still get emotional over the silliest things. Just let it out.

I agree with the others - both the surgery and the painkillers can cause major constipation. Take a stool softener and move around as much as you can.

KatfromFlorida said:

Thanks Minnesota!!!
I am still waiting somewhat patiently ...for the potty fairy to come and visit me but alas he has once again left me off the visit list...... I ate some salad today so hopefully soon lol...... Yep I cried because of the surgical goo today too .... and the very large black letters written all over my belly won't come off either so I cried some more... rofl....... I dunno why that bothers me for gosh sakes its gotta be the drugs....
I had morphine in the hospital and that stuff is wicked nasty but far better than feeling the pain. What a thing to be discussing with my dear friends, potty issues ...
Anyway thanks for the advice and I am so so glad your doing well now too.

Thanks again
Kat

Oxy Powder
Hi Kat,

The motorcycle accident that led to the discovery of my RCC also put me in the ICU for 6 days with morphine and percocet for pain. Like you I was bound up tight with no end in sight. My older sister who is into natural remedies for most of what ails us brought me a bottle of Oxy Powder and said give it a try. I was amazed at how well it worked and with none of the cramping or pain sometimes associated with stool softeners and laxatives. A month later following 10 more days in the hospital and 2 surgeries the Oxy Powder came to my rescue again. I have been using it ever since and highly recommend it, it is all natural and it works. Just Google Oxy Powder, you can usually get a 120 count bottle for around 40 bucks (not cheap). Four pills will get you going and two a day will keep you regular.

I hope this helps,

Gary