So tired...

CR,

Sorry uou had to join us for a second bout with the big C.

Assuming 1954 is your birth year, you like I had a laproscopic nepherectomy at age 59. Mine was 11 tears ago. This is major abdominal surgery. I would be surpised if you were anything other than fatiqued 12 days out. Generrally you will not feel normal until about 6 weeks. And that roller coaser ride, that will have to wait until next summer.

Give it time. you may soon feel like you can do most things, but not 8 hours per day.

Icemantoo

CR1954 said:

Thank you!

Thank you so much for your input! 

This surgery really seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of me.  I guess it boils down to my being an impatient patient!

Yes, they did remove adrenal glands and the entire kidney.  The doctor didn't feel that she could get clean margins with a partial.

Yes, I am 59 icemantoo.  My daughter kept telling me that I need to give it more time...I guess I really just needed reassurance.  I see my doctor again in a month, so if I am still feeling beat, I will bring it up to her, but in the meantime, I will just accept that I need to rest and give myself some time.

Thank you again!

CR

 

The nephrectomy is a more invasive surgery than mastectomy.  Basically, the kidney is deep.  There is a lot of tissue to go through to get to the kidney.  And you adrenal system is adjusting to its new reality.  I did not feel like I had my energy back to 100% until at least 2 months post surgery.  Then, I got a surge of energy, and over did it.  I am still not back to pre-surgery status.  At almost one year.  But there have been more work done, as tbe doctors play wack a mole with my cancer.  I can not really say how much is related to the nephrectomy and how much from the lung resection.  But, I know at 6 months post nephrectomy I was not 100%.

rainsandpours said:

The fatigue you're feeling is

The fatigue you're feeling is normal.  We understand your urge to get up 'n go, but you need to let things heal internally, so take it easy for a bit

 

I've had 4 surgeries in less than 10 months, (but not kidney yet) and I've never gotten my gusto back.  The fatigue is crushing at times, but I've learned to not fight it, and instead to give in and have a nap when the urge hits.

 

True, I'm not as organized as I used to be, and I let things slide a bit (which drives me nuts as I'm a neat freak), but there's only so much that can get done when you're running on empty.

 

 

Be patient. This is a big insult to your body. The invasiveness, the damage to soft tissue, the physiological changes you have to adjust to. Everyone is different but it takes time. Just don't push it. But take it as it comes. Still rest without guilt. Build your activity slowly and it will all seem normal again.

Texas_wedge said:

Time to recover

Yes, it's exactly as you have concluded. 

It may be worth considering taking a supplement of CoQ10 - a vitamin-like chemical produced by our bodies which is crucial in the energy production in the mitochondria of all of our cells.

 

Before taking any suppliment, talk to your doctor....it may have undesireable results for your situation.  

dhs1963 said:

Comment

Before taking any suppliment, talk to your doctor....it may have undesireable results for your situation.  

I certainly concur that one should always discuss whatever supplements or drugs one is taking with their doctor(s).  However, there are still far too many medical professionals who either do not understand or do not care about nutritional or dietary approaches that can help augment targeted, chemo, or radiation therapies.  It is shameful.

Taking CoQ10 supplements is a prime example of this.  First off, Coenzyme Q10 is a crucial co-enzyme that is at the heart of every cells metabolic processing.  It has numerous important functions including the generation of sufficient energy from nutrients (food). In particular it helps cells utilize oxygen. This allows a cell to carry out all its normal functions amongst which includes synthesizing new molecules vital to life.

So guess what?  As we all age the amount of CoQ10 will decline. This is completely "natural". This means it is likely defiicient in all of us.  Without it, cells themselves can become "fatigued" (yes, I know, this is a very simplistic explanation.  If you want the gory details just open any undergrad textbook on biochemistry.  It is usually covered in chapter 2).  When cells are lacking basic energy so is the entire body.

But it can get worse.  Are you perchance taking any statins?  All statins reduce the amount of CoQ10.  That's a double-whammy.  BTW, did your doctor mention this when he recommended taking them in the first place?  I bet not.  And yet the manufacturer of Lipitor discovered this little hidden gotcha long before it was even approved for the marketplace.  And what did they do?  Well, they quietly filed a patent for a version of Lipitor that combines it with Coenzyme Q10 within the same pill.  How clever.  But then they never brought that particular version to market and they never publicized their finding.

That is why many cardiovascular experts (at least) no longer have much hesitation recommending CoQ10 supplements to their patients: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10079157/Food-supplement-could-help-reduce-heart-deaths.html

But when it comes to some oncologists...

Well, if you are dealing with an oncologist who does not understand (or care) about the basic metabolism of tumor cells and how they always differ in their metabolism from that of normal cells then I suggest you probably should not be relying on their "opinion" when it comes to nutrition, diets, and/or taking certain supplements.  That does not mean you should conceal whatever you are planning on consuming or actually doing in this regard.  It just means that you should (in fact, must) think for yourself.

Some "natural" sources of CoQ10 in foods include wheat germ and dark green, leafy vegetables like kale and spinach, and "organ" meats such as liver, tongue and heart.

MDCinSC said:

Just curious!

How is your digestion? 

My surgeon described my surgery as a major wrestling match because my kidney was far larger than they anticipated.  I have this mental image of her with both feet on the table and both hands in my torso pulling and yanking !

I find, perhaps due to major organ rearrangement, that my digestion seems to be off and the oddest things upset my stomach terribly.

If anyone else can speak to that I'd appreciate it!  I carry ginger chews now to keep it in check! LOL

Michael

As to that it's probably better that we don't know.  On 5/3 I had an open direct surgery which a surgen friend of mine described as barbaric.  In any case, three weeks and two days out I'm feeling much better than I would have suspected.  I cannot eat as much as before as the NPO period lasted three and a half days and srunk my stomach.  I also don't know why but foods I used to like now either turn me off or just don't tast good.  On a positive note, I feel better every day and can sleep on either side without discomfort.  Pain has been replaced by discomfort and my only concern is getting up every hour and a half during the night. 

Took me 2-3 weeks before the fatigue started to wear off. Also, just a thought, having the adrenal gland removed may extend the recovery phase somewhat? Considering their functions I assume that could be the case.

Quote:

"They are chiefly responsible for releasing hormones in response to stress through the synthesis of corticosteroids such as cortisol and catecholamines such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine."

Wishing you a speedy (or speedier) recovery :-)

/G

doctap said:

Pulling and yanking

As to that it's probably better that we don't know.  On 5/3 I had an open direct surgery which a surgen friend of mine described as barbaric.  In any case, three weeks and two days out I'm feeling much better than I would have suspected.  I cannot eat as much as before as the NPO period lasted three and a half days and srunk my stomach.  I also don't know why but foods I used to like now either turn me off or just don't tast good.  On a positive note, I feel better every day and can sleep on either side without discomfort.  Pain has been replaced by discomfort and my only concern is getting up every hour and a half during the night. 

My reaction has been identical!  I'm down over 10 pounds since surgery and  though I am doing my best to eat more and more healthy, portion sizes are down and the uneasy stomach feelings  interfere!

Ah well, I was a little on the chubby side anyway!

MDCinSC said:

Just curious!

How is your digestion? 

My surgeon described my surgery as a major wrestling match because my kidney was far larger than they anticipated.  I have this mental image of her with both feet on the table and both hands in my torso pulling and yanking !

I find, perhaps due to major organ rearrangement, that my digestion seems to be off and the oddest things upset my stomach terribly.

If anyone else can speak to that I'd appreciate it!  I carry ginger chews now to keep it in check! LOL

Michael

My surgeon said he needed to create an opening large enough 'to have both hands deep inside to get at everything'. Which explains why he needed to get my rib out of the way too!

Offered me a viewing of the operation (everything is recorded nowadays). I declined.

Peter