On to the next step (Revised after pathology report)

dl650a
dl650a Member Posts: 37
edited April 2012 in Kidney Cancer #1
Well, I'm now on to my next step as a cancer survivor. I had a radical nephrectomy for my right kidney last Friday and just got home from the hospital. It took an extra day or so to hit on the right pain control. Because we hadn't come up with the right scheme for pain control, my BP and pulse rate went sky high. I won't hear the final pathology until next week, but the cover doc that I met with at the hospital this morning said the margins were clear.

I'm certainly looking forward to feeling better every day and I'm glad to be home. Thanks to al who shared their stories before I went in for surgery.
Ed

Comments

  • Texas_wedge
    Texas_wedge Member Posts: 2,798
    #2
    Getting better
    Glad to hear you're home and settling down Ed and looking forward to hearing that your path report is promising. What pain control were you on and what are you on now? What did your BP and pulse go up to and what brought them under control? (No big deal if you can't answer that but it would be interesting to know, if you are able to.) Good to hear you had clear margins.
  • MikeK703
    MikeK703 Member Posts: 235
    #3
    Welcome Home
    Hi Ed,
    Wishing you a speedy recovery and a cancer-free future. Take it slow for a while but make sure you walk and do breathing exercises.
    Regards,
    Mike
  • dl650a
    dl650a Member Posts: 37
    #4
    Texas_wedge said:

    Getting better
    Glad to hear you're home and settling down Ed and looking forward to hearing that your path report is promising. What pain control were you on and what are you on now? What did your BP and pulse go up to and what brought them under control? (No big deal if you can't answer that but it would be interesting to know, if you are able to.) Good to hear you had clear margins.

    Hi T_W,
    My normal BP is on
    Hi T_W,
    My normal BP is on the order of 115/65 (this is controlled w/ BP medicine. My BP varied but was up to 150+/95 with pulse up to 115. My original pain control was a PCA set for the lowest dosage 0.1 mg. In retrospect, I have a high pain threshold and it didn't dawn on me until Saturday that this was not even touching the pain. We upped the dose Sat night, Sunday was better, but the high BP and pulse rate were still there. We upped the dose again on Sunday evening and the pain started to go away and the BP and pulse came back down. Today, the last time they were checked was a BP of 125/75 and a pulse of 80. Much closer to my "normal". I won't get a full path report until next Friday when I go for my post-op visit with the surgeon.



    I don't expect everyday to perfect and 100% pain free, but I think I'm over the worst of it. I may be able to catch up with all of the daytime golf shows that are on TV and may even have to get out and play this summer. Right now, both golf and motorcycling have to wait until I consistently feel better.

    Ed
  • Texas_wedge
    Texas_wedge Member Posts: 2,798
    #5
    MikeK703 said:

    Welcome Home
    Hi Ed,
    Wishing you a speedy recovery and a cancer-free future. Take it slow for a while but make sure you walk and do breathing exercises.
    Regards,
    Mike

    Well on track
    Thanks for the info. Ed. It sounds as if everything is being well-managed and I'm sure you'll have a good season's golfing and biking. [I envy you - just about to repeat the whole exercise, I'd entered for many matches and Ko golf competitions and now won't be playing for a couple of months :( ]
  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #6
    Texas_wedge said:

    Well on track
    Thanks for the info. Ed. It sounds as if everything is being well-managed and I'm sure you'll have a good season's golfing and biking. [I envy you - just about to repeat the whole exercise, I'd entered for many matches and Ko golf competitions and now won't be playing for a couple of months :( ]

    Seems like old times
    Ed,

    You sound like a perfectly normal survivor to me. Before you know it you will forget their was any pain after the surgery to start with. Yeah!

    Icemantoo
  • adobe
    adobe Member Posts: 72
    #7
    congratulations
    Stay with CSN and know that things will improve, day by day! Look to the future, as we all are doing. Have a good rest tonight, and a positive day tomorrow.
  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #8
    adobe said:

    congratulations
    Stay with CSN and know that things will improve, day by day! Look to the future, as we all are doing. Have a good rest tonight, and a positive day tomorrow.

    SURVIVORS!!
    Great for you!! We're all doing this together. Share your good fortune. What goes around, comes around.
  • dl650a
    dl650a Member Posts: 37
    #9
    foxhd said:

    SURVIVORS!!
    Great for you!! We're all doing this together. Share your good fortune. What goes around, comes around.

    Had 2 week post op visit
    I had my post-op visit today and all things considered, I'm a pretty happy camper. I'm healing well, blood pressure is back where it should be, and the pathology report came in quite good.

    The tumor was definitely cancer and is considered a T2a NX M0 tumor because of its size (greater than 7 cm). It was a Grade 3 tumor but was totally contained in the kidney, and the margins were clear to the blood vessels, ureter, adrenal gland, and the sac surrounding the kidney. All in all, I have to get a chest X-ray and blood work every six months and I don't have to see the Dr for another year. After that I will get a CAT scan at 2 years and 5 years. His comment is that I am never completely healed, but that I should live my life and not worry about it at this point.

    I asked the Dr if I can go back to work in a week or so. He said that was fine but that I may not have the energy to work full days. I asked about going to the gym and riding a stationary bike. He suggested that I wait a few more weeks before that because even a stationary bike uses some abdominal muscles that are not yet completely healed.

    Ed

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