Glad I found this forum. Radical nephrectomy in 1 week - eek!

Mfbartoli
Mfbartoli Member Posts: 12
in Kidney Cancer #1

Wow, stumbled across this forum just in the nick of time. Was searching for other peoples experiences from radical laproscopic nephrectomies and found this site. Hooray! My RCC was found 12/7 and my surgery is 1/23. A little nervous right now. Anxiety goes back and forth between nervous about the pathology results and the actual pain I will be feeling. I think the pain has me more nervous than anything right now. I do not have a high pain tolerance, ok I'm a big baby. 51 (well 52 in 3 weeks) and not in terrible shape, but been better :-) Any input?

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Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    I was also a big baby

    Mfb,

    Not fun being told you have Kidney Cancer and than major surgery right out of the gate, It sure was not fun for me 10 and 1/2 years ago. I almost fainted when Arnold S. was pregnant in the movie Junior. If I can get thru the pain any body can.

     

    As far as input if you would share a little about your tumor like its size we can keep from saying the wrong thing and guide you thru this;

     

    Icemantoo

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #3
    pain

    Here's the deal. You will handle the post op well because you have already committed to having the nephrectomy and everything that goes with it. I'll bet that if your dr said they had to pull your kidney out through your nose, you would do it. So now knowing it will come out through an abdominal procedure makes it seem much simpler. They give you medicine, you move slowly for awhile, and probably change your perspective on life. We have all been there. The key many of us follow is that life may become a little different but it goes on. Look forward to your recovery and do it with enthusiasm. Besides you get out of shoveling snow in February.

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #4
    Welcome to the club...

    Mf,

    I remember stumbling onto this forum over thre years ago and being relieved to learn that there were people out there that understood, welcome aboard.  The emotional ups and downs are all a part of the process, yeah, the initiation sucks, but it beats the alternative by a long shot.  If you have an estimated size of your tumor we can give you a bit more help, but know that we are here if/when you need us.

    Good luck and Godspeed,

    Gary

  • rochetkak
    rochetkak Member Posts: 6
    #5
    your surgery

    I am new to this website too, found it after my surgery.  I had a open radical nephrectomy on 1/3/13. I have 45 staples from my diaphram down to my appendix. Don't worry about your pain level the hosital will give you options on how to manage it.  I had a epidural in my upper back for 4 days with a morphine pain pump and they also gave me a shot every 2 hours as needed. I had a tumor 11cm large. There was a 50/50 chance it was cancer so it was easier to take the entire kidney out. I get my staples out tomorrow friday 1/18/2013. I will find out the pathology then.

     

     

  • Mfbartoli
    Mfbartoli Member Posts: 12
    #6
    Specifics about my tumor

    Thanks for all the support. You guys are awesome! Ok, what I know is that my tumor is small (20 m, x 24 mm) and is along the anterior aspect. We are taking the whole kidney despite how small it is because it is so close to the renal artery. That is about all I know at this point.Thanksagain for any replies. What a great community!

     

    Michele

  • Mfbartoli
    Mfbartoli Member Posts: 12
    #7
    rochetkak said:

    your surgery

    I am new to this website too, found it after my surgery.  I had a open radical nephrectomy on 1/3/13. I have 45 staples from my diaphram down to my appendix. Don't worry about your pain level the hosital will give you options on how to manage it.  I had a epidural in my upper back for 4 days with a morphine pain pump and they also gave me a shot every 2 hours as needed. I had a tumor 11cm large. There was a 50/50 chance it was cancer so it was easier to take the entire kidney out. I get my staples out tomorrow friday 1/18/2013. I will find out the pathology then.

     

     

    Your surgery

    Wow! Mine will be nothing by comparison. I really AM a baby. Were the staples uncomfortable?

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #8
    Mfbartoli said:

    Specifics about my tumor

    Thanks for all the support. You guys are awesome! Ok, what I know is that my tumor is small (20 m, x 24 mm) and is along the anterior aspect. We are taking the whole kidney despite how small it is because it is so close to the renal artery. That is about all I know at this point.Thanksagain for any replies. What a great community!

     

    Michele

    Piece of Cake

    Michelle,

     

    At 2.4cm your tumor was caught long before most become problems. The surgery alone should be a total cure although you will be tested regularly because there is a small chance of recurrance.

     

    Barring the unexpected you can tell people that you had cancer, not that you have it.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #9
    Mfbartoli said:

    Specifics about my tumor

    Thanks for all the support. You guys are awesome! Ok, what I know is that my tumor is small (20 m, x 24 mm) and is along the anterior aspect. We are taking the whole kidney despite how small it is because it is so close to the renal artery. That is about all I know at this point.Thanksagain for any replies. What a great community!

     

    Michele

    Very small...Very good!

    Hi Michele,

    At those measurements its about the size of a grape, very small, and caught very early.  If you don't mind my asking, what led to its discovery, and have they determined that it is RCC or are you waiting for confirmation from pathology after surgery? 

    Just curious,

    Gary

  • Mfbartoli
    Mfbartoli Member Posts: 12
    #10
    garym said:

    Very small...Very good!

    Hi Michele,

    At those measurements its about the size of a grape, very small, and caught very early.  If you don't mind my asking, what led to its discovery, and have they determined that it is RCC or are you waiting for confirmation from pathology after surgery? 

    Just curious,

    Gary

    Very small

    Hi Gary,

    Kind of a strange story, but I had a PE Thanksgiving weekend. That resulted in a CT that showed something on my spleen thatmy pulmonary dr wanted to get more imaging on, so he ordered an MRI. That revealed the tumor. So an incidental discovery. I hear that is very common. So the PE was actually a blessing. My understanding iS that my urologist is pretty sure it is RCC based on what the imaging is showin, but will be confirmed after pathology. T1a at this point. 

    Cheers!

  • rochetkak
    rochetkak Member Posts: 6
    #11
    staples

    Yes the staples are a bit uncomfy they come out today at 3pm 1/18/13.

  • banddinbc
    banddinbc Member Posts: 13
    #12
    husband just had a radical laproscopic nephrectomy of his left k

    and is doing well,  was in hospital for 3 days and home on the 4th, been up and mobile although sparingly since day 2, Pain has seemed bearable, figuring technices to lay down the easiest and less painful way seem the most trying,  says he feels better just to have it out and gone.  He is mobile with frequent rest stops for now--  onto our chemo in the near future-- seeing oncologist tomorrow for next steps

  • Mfbartoli
    Mfbartoli Member Posts: 12
    #13
    Thanks for the feedback

    ThanKs for the feedback. That's kind of what I was guessing, the getting up and down from laying down will be a challenge. We'd is the big day. Whoo hoo. I hope your hubby is back to his usual activities soon and good luck with the rest of his treatments.

     

    M

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #14
    Mfbartoli said:

    Thanks for the feedback

    ThanKs for the feedback. That's kind of what I was guessing, the getting up and down from laying down will be a challenge. We'd is the big day. Whoo hoo. I hope your hubby is back to his usual activities soon and good luck with the rest of his treatments.

     

    M

    Superbowl

    Michele,

     

    By the time the Superbowl comes around you should be up and serving the beers. Good luck Tomorrow.

     

    Icemantoo

  • banddinbc
    banddinbc Member Posts: 13
    #15
    Mfbartoli said:

    Thanks for the feedback

    ThanKs for the feedback. That's kind of what I was guessing, the getting up and down from laying down will be a challenge. We'd is the big day. Whoo hoo. I hope your hubby is back to his usual activities soon and good luck with the rest of his treatments.

     

    M

    today is 1 week post surgery

    and Don has had a very positive week,  his energy is good and needs frequent rests-not needed pain meds from surgery for last 3 dAYS

    ,  thinking of you and wishing you speedy recovery too for your surgery

  • Mfbartoli
    Mfbartoli Member Posts: 12
    #16
    Superbowl

    Thanks Iceman! How did you guess that was myfocus haha? I remember sitting in the waiting room with my husband the day I met with my urologist (knowing already that he was going totell me I need the surgery) and saying, "man, this better not screw up our superbowl party". Hears to drinkingclear fluids all day :-)

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #17
    Mfbartoli said:

    Superbowl

    Thanks Iceman! How did you guess that was myfocus haha? I remember sitting in the waiting room with my husband the day I met with my urologist (knowing already that he was going totell me I need the surgery) and saying, "man, this better not screw up our superbowl party". Hears to drinkingclear fluids all day :-)

    Superbowl

    Michelle,

     

    By the time of the Superbowl you should be eating all of the healthy food that goes along with the Superbowl  (in moderation).

     

    Icemantoo

  • Mfbartoli
    Mfbartoli Member Posts: 12
    #18
    banddinbc said:

    today is 1 week post surgery

    and Don has had a very positive week,  his energy is good and needs frequent rests-not needed pain meds from surgery for last 3 dAYS

    ,  thinking of you and wishing you speedy recovery too for your surgery

    Yay for Don!

    That is really great to hear. Hopefully I will have the same positive experience.

     

    Take care!

  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,045 Member
    #19
    icemantoo said:

    Superbowl

    Michelle,

     

    By the time of the Superbowl you should be eating all of the healthy food that goes along with the Superbowl  (in moderation).

     

    Icemantoo

    Cancer is not for wusses

    You just put your big guy/gal panties on and decide you plan to live a long time...and this is how your are going to achieve your goal.  Mine was an open incision for removing the kidney and the various places it had metastacised, so things aren't quite the same.  Drink plenty of fluids (sounds counter productive, because your one kidney will have to filter it all, and you'll need to get up to go pee-frequently), eat healthily, walk when you can.  Then get on with living as a cancer survivor.  And here I am, sliding into 7 years later; but still being tested regularly.

    About the staples!  Because they had to go after part of the liver and check other organs, I think I had 67 staples in a 14" incision.  They didn't hurt going in- because I was out.  Only a little uncomfortable trying to move around in bed, but was so doped up that they were the least of my worries.  But the staple puller he used to remove them hurt/stung a bunch.  The RN watched my face and when I started to grimace too much, he'd pause to let me relax.

    Good luck on the new phase of your live.

    Donna

  • jtebo1955
    jtebo1955 Member Posts: 46
    #20
    Be sure to get scans regularly
    I'm a 57 yr old female. I had my kidney removed in Oct 2008..18 months later a CT scan showed thickening of the Esophagus... Cancer! I thought it was rare to have 2 different cancers, but I have read from several message boards this is not the case. These 2 cancers seem to be more common than drs think. 2 years out from esophagus removed. Just think people should know it can happen. Best of luck with your surgery, you'll be sore for a few weeks but life gets back to normal pretty quick.
  • Copado
    Copado Member Posts: 4
    #21
    I was diagnosed in August

    I was diagnosed in August with RCC. I had surgery in November (Partial NephrectomyLaparoscopic). I was 5 and a half hours in the OR and 4 days in the hospital. I have had surgeries before, but nothing near this major. The pain in the flank was unreal. I was on oxygen, morphine, Dilaudid, and oxycodone. They tapered these off day by day. When I got out I took Oxy for one day and Tylenol 3 for a week or ten days. My tumour was 5cm and hemorragic and leaking hormones into my system. I went back to work part-time 7 weeks out. Now in week 8, I can honestly say I have never felt better in years. The physical part of feeling great is great but psychological part was huge. I appreciate smaller things in life like a cool breeze, seeing the fog roll in, the sunset on the mountains and of course my dog. I find myself focused on the important things in life and leaving the rest. I was curious as to how your procedure went for you? You should do very well with a small capsulated tumour! 

     

     

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