Kidney cancer follow up

Worry
Unfortunately worry is part of the game. Much less likely is evidence of spreading on your first chechup with a small 4cm tumor. May all of your follow ups show NED. No evidence of disease. I stopped worrying over 9 years ago when they got the little bugger out.

Best wishes,
Icemantoo

garym said:

Follow-up fear...
Tstewart,

Follow-up fear is the worst on that first trip back, its normal and unavoidable. I have found that with each successful test,the accompanying fear lessons, but I do not expect that it will ever disappear completely. Concentrate on the fact that your tumor was small and the chance it has spread is close to zero. Try mentally building expectations that the results of this test will be one of the best X-mas presents you have ever received. It does get easier as time passes.

Hang in there,

Gary

Scary-not like Halloween
Sorry you have to be frightened with all that is happening to you. The anticipation of the test and the fear of the results produces real physical stress. I won't say it gets lots easier; but with time, you'll learn to recognize how you react to the stress and know why you feel the way you do. Just ask my husband-I become short tempered, don't put up with things that normally would roll off my back, make smart alec remarks, etc.
About the numbness. Muscles, facia, vessels and nerves were cut to get to the tumor. Even though everything was sutured back together carefully, they have been "injured-stretched-clamped off, etc." As long as the organs inside function OK, be glad. The numbness will recede, slowly. And it may never go completely away. I have a total of 18" of incision(s) in a line from my pelvis to under right arm (3 surgeries) and there are sections that still itch and are a little numb. In 1988 I had repair surgery on ligaments in my knee (a skiing collision), and still have a weird tingling feeling at times.
Kidney cancer is not just about the surgery or the treatment, it truly creates emotional stresses. Time is one of the best solutions, keeping busy, family and friends, sharing with a support group or posting on this site. The important thing is to "keep on truckin'"

All best wishes on the next test.
donna_lee

ripper said:

Waiting on my scan results
T-

I had a partial open neph. in June (7 days in the hospital and 6 weeks off work as well.) Stage 3 7cm tumor. Same as you wrote, everything is good, lower left abdomen is a little swollen and partially numb. I've had the occasional moments of worries. Since yesterday afternoon, I have been a bundle of nervous energy. I had my CT scan this morning. I felt fine going into it, but as soon as I saw the CT scanner, my whole body tensed up and I was extremely nervous. The techs in the room with me were great. They were able to see that I was anxious and were able to distract me enough during the process to get me somewhat relaxed during the scan. I now have to wait until the end of the week for the results. Staying positive. -Ryan

contrast?
Hi Ripper, did they use contrast? Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the contrast is taken up by the tumors vasular system which takes time to form, so contrast with the early scan (6 months) may not require contrast.

I have a 6 month scan in Jan, and I was told there would not be an IV, and it indicates on the paperwork without contrast.

Let me know, and I have a xanex for my upcoming appointment, I can not deal with the anxiety.

BG