More recovery questions

ams123
ams123 Member Posts: 71
in Kidney Cancer #1
To those of you who have been through this, may I ask a few more questions? I am now 10 days post op, robotic partial laparoscopy.

1. My incisions are itching like crazy! I know this means they are healing, and it is good, but is there anything I can do? Cortisone cream maybe? Or just leave them alone?

2. Discomfort - I don't have pain, but I am uncomfortable all night and am not sleeping well at all. I still have a bit of soreness on my abdomen where the incisions are, and some kidney pain on my left flank. Any suggestions? I don't need pain meds, it isn't truly painful.

3. Loss of appetite - I wake up with a low level nausea every day, and it stays low level as long as I keep something in my stomach, like saltines. I am having trouble figuring out what I want to eat, and when I do figure something out I can only eat about half of it before I am full. Before my surgery I switched to an all plant diet, and the last thing I feel like eating right now is vegetables and beans! I am eating toast, baked potatoes, soup, etc. I have lost 4 pounds. Worse, I am craving McDonalds, grilled cheese, fried chicken, etc - horrible foods!

Thank you, this board has been a life saver for me.

Linda

Comments

  • Vagusto
    Vagusto Member Posts: 86
    #2
    Healing
    Hi Linda
    I would check with your Doctor before putting any cream on your incision. Have you tried Benadryl? That might also make you sleepy.

    I had flank pain for what seemed forever. After the pain meds were gone, I would take one advil and one tylenol (pharmacist friend recommended this). Advil products can be hard on your kidney/liver, so don't take two at one time and don't take a ton of it.

    I didn't lose my appetite, but it had to watch how much I ate at one time.

    Take Care, every day will get better.
    Valerie
  • KatfromFlorida
    KatfromFlorida Member Posts: 66
    #3
    Hi Ams sorry to hear .....
    I have been taking 2 tylenol pm to help me sleep every night. They gave them to me in the hospital as well. Not habit forming but they do take a little while to work maybe a hour or two... My incisions are itching like crazy as well but I haven't been putting anything on them, it helps me if I shower and just let the water run on them. I have a ice pack I have been using when I feel the residual aches... No bad now. As for food, I try to eat even if I am not hungry and my appetite isn't all that great either, I just eat what I feel like eating ....And I am finding that I am craving a bit more of the heavier stuff like chicken, turkey, tuna with mayo. I am not worried right now about gaining any weight as my body is still full of fluid but getting better everyday....
    I would just try eating small amounts of whatever you are craving... :) It helps with the nausea a lot........ hope you feel better.... and you are gonna get through it just like me

    My best
    Many Hugs
    Kat
  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #4
    KatfromFlorida said:

    Hi Ams sorry to hear .....
    I have been taking 2 tylenol pm to help me sleep every night. They gave them to me in the hospital as well. Not habit forming but they do take a little while to work maybe a hour or two... My incisions are itching like crazy as well but I haven't been putting anything on them, it helps me if I shower and just let the water run on them. I have a ice pack I have been using when I feel the residual aches... No bad now. As for food, I try to eat even if I am not hungry and my appetite isn't all that great either, I just eat what I feel like eating ....And I am finding that I am craving a bit more of the heavier stuff like chicken, turkey, tuna with mayo. I am not worried right now about gaining any weight as my body is still full of fluid but getting better everyday....
    I would just try eating small amounts of whatever you are craving... :) It helps with the nausea a lot........ hope you feel better.... and you are gonna get through it just like me

    My best
    Many Hugs
    Kat

    Moist heat
    Hi Linda,

    I got some relief from both the itching and aches with moist heat, a hot water bottle and damp towel worked best.

    I dropped about 20 lbs from loss of appetite and food just not tasting good, then my wife brought me a chocolate shake and man oh man did that taste good!! It seemed to jump-start my appetite and get me back on track. I'd suggest trying the foods you crave in small doses until you find something that tastes good and see what happens from there.

    Getting back to anything near normal as far as sleeping goes took me almost 2 months. I've always slept on my side and could not stand to lay on either side for about 6 weeks. I was comfortable on my back but couldn't doze off, I think it was as much or more mental than physical. It just takes time.

    Hang in there, it does get better,

    Gary
  • ams123
    ams123 Member Posts: 71
    #5
    garym said:

    Moist heat
    Hi Linda,

    I got some relief from both the itching and aches with moist heat, a hot water bottle and damp towel worked best.

    I dropped about 20 lbs from loss of appetite and food just not tasting good, then my wife brought me a chocolate shake and man oh man did that taste good!! It seemed to jump-start my appetite and get me back on track. I'd suggest trying the foods you crave in small doses until you find something that tastes good and see what happens from there.

    Getting back to anything near normal as far as sleeping goes took me almost 2 months. I've always slept on my side and could not stand to lay on either side for about 6 weeks. I was comfortable on my back but couldn't doze off, I think it was as much or more mental than physical. It just takes time.

    Hang in there, it does get better,

    Gary

    Thanks everyone!
    Great advice on my questions, I appreciate everyone's knowledge so much. I will try the tylenol PM, I did use an ice pack yesterday and it seemed to help, so I am going to continue doing that. I haven't tried moist heat, but it sounds very comforting - I will try that.

    Wow Gary - 20 pounds is a lot! I can't afford to lose 20 pounds. I made a chocolate/almond/banana smoothie today and it tasted good! Didn't do well on my stomach though - I know some of you have the constipation problem, mine seems to be the opposite. Sorry for TMI.

    I guess I will have to be patient, not one of my better qualities. I've been taking two walks through the neighborhood each day, and that is helping me mentally, and I hope physically too.

    Linda
  • KatfromFlorida
    KatfromFlorida Member Posts: 66
    #6
    ams123 said:

    Thanks everyone!
    Great advice on my questions, I appreciate everyone's knowledge so much. I will try the tylenol PM, I did use an ice pack yesterday and it seemed to help, so I am going to continue doing that. I haven't tried moist heat, but it sounds very comforting - I will try that.

    Wow Gary - 20 pounds is a lot! I can't afford to lose 20 pounds. I made a chocolate/almond/banana smoothie today and it tasted good! Didn't do well on my stomach though - I know some of you have the constipation problem, mine seems to be the opposite. Sorry for TMI.

    I guess I will have to be patient, not one of my better qualities. I've been taking two walks through the neighborhood each day, and that is helping me mentally, and I hope physically too.

    Linda

    Hey Linda
    Are you still taking the anti constipation medicine? That might be causing you some stomach trouble..... just an idea..:) My salad idea last night worked wonders for me this morning........ The potty fairy came and all is almost right with the world again....

    Hugs
    kat
  • niprut
    niprut Member Posts: 23
    #7
    KatfromFlorida said:

    Hey Linda
    Are you still taking the anti constipation medicine? That might be causing you some stomach trouble..... just an idea..:) My salad idea last night worked wonders for me this morning........ The potty fairy came and all is almost right with the world again....

    Hugs
    kat

    better than winning the lottery
    that's how i felt after the visit from that same potty fairy. Now you can concentrate on actually getting better. :-) woohooo :-)
  • ams123
    ams123 Member Posts: 71
    #8
    KatfromFlorida said:

    Hey Linda
    Are you still taking the anti constipation medicine? That might be causing you some stomach trouble..... just an idea..:) My salad idea last night worked wonders for me this morning........ The potty fairy came and all is almost right with the world again....

    Hugs
    kat

    Not taking that anymore
    I stopped taking it the day I got home since it worked! I woke up today feeling so much better than I have for the past 10 days, wow, I didn't know how bad I was feeling until I woke up feeling good. Still had trouble sleeping even with the Tylenol PM (probably due to my husband's snoring), but no nausea this morning, yay!

    So glad the potty fairy came to see you Kat - hope she continues to make regular visits :-)

    Linda
  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #9
    ams123 said:

    Not taking that anymore
    I stopped taking it the day I got home since it worked! I woke up today feeling so much better than I have for the past 10 days, wow, I didn't know how bad I was feeling until I woke up feeling good. Still had trouble sleeping even with the Tylenol PM (probably due to my husband's snoring), but no nausea this morning, yay!

    So glad the potty fairy came to see you Kat - hope she continues to make regular visits :-)

    Linda

    Memories
    Boy I miss those post surgery details after 9 years. Not really. The scars are like a fish story, they grow every year.

    Icemantoo
  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,045 Member
    #10
    icemantoo said:

    Memories
    Boy I miss those post surgery details after 9 years. Not really. The scars are like a fish story, they grow every year.

    Icemantoo

    This is a "joke"
    Hey Icemantoo, and anyone else who is of a certain age. Does the scar increase in size as the effects of gravity work on your body?
    Tomorrow I get results of my CT. Keep your fingers crossed.
    Donna
  • rae_rae
    rae_rae Member Posts: 300 Member
    #11
    donna_lee said:

    This is a "joke"
    Hey Icemantoo, and anyone else who is of a certain age. Does the scar increase in size as the effects of gravity work on your body?
    Tomorrow I get results of my CT. Keep your fingers crossed.
    Donna

    Saying a prayer for you
    Saying a prayer for you Donna.
  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #12
    rae_rae said:

    Saying a prayer for you
    Saying a prayer for you Donna.

    Scar size
    Good luck Donna,

    I hope all turns out well for you today, I go for my two year in a couple months.

    Its not gravity so much as eyesight, the older we get the larger magnifying glass we need, this naturally makes the scars look bigger and since our memory is shot we can't remember how big they really are any more.

    LOL,

    Gary
  • jam66
    jam66 Member Posts: 55
    #13
    donna_lee said:

    This is a "joke"
    Hey Icemantoo, and anyone else who is of a certain age. Does the scar increase in size as the effects of gravity work on your body?
    Tomorrow I get results of my CT. Keep your fingers crossed.
    Donna

    Sending good thoughts....
    Good luck, Donna. My scan is next week, and I'm already a basketcase. Fingers and toes crossed for both of us....
  • carlkcs11
    carlkcs11 Member Posts: 11
    #14
    KatfromFlorida said:

    Hey Linda
    Are you still taking the anti constipation medicine? That might be causing you some stomach trouble..... just an idea..:) My salad idea last night worked wonders for me this morning........ The potty fairy came and all is almost right with the world again....

    Hugs
    kat

    THE POTTY FAIRY
    OH my God.. I almost busted a few internal stitches laughing when I read this. I now can put a term to my own experience. I remember the exact day and time to the second when the potty fairy paid his/her visit after being "bound up" for the first few days after surgery. It was a religious experience.

    Thanks for the laugh

    CARL

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