Recovering from radical nephrectomy

I am a survivor from Leukemia (AML) 15-years back but it all came rushing back this past March with a new diagnosis of kidney and bladder cancer. Fortunately it was noninvasive stage-1 for both locations. I had my right kidney removed and several tumors in my bladder. I was only out of work for 3-weeks...  I feel pain from time to time but try to hide the physical and emotional pain. I work out every day and look really fit. 1-1/2 hour strength training, biking 5-miles a day and jogging about 2 miles daily.  Putting up a good front... The problem I have is I think I am losing my mind. I think my wife and everyone has gone on with their lives and I am on hold. My wife lost 36-pounds and looks great. I wonder is she getting herself in shape to move to the next part of her life if I am not here. She is not availale on an emotional level with me.  I feel alone and lonely all the time now!! I am looking for a support group to talk with someone about what I am feeling.. Thingds have changed and I am not adjusting to it very well.  You cant tell from this rant but I am an upbeat person and enjoy life. Just lost my mojo...

tbonepoke said:

Question for GaryM and FoxHD

How long was it before you guys were riding again?

Thanks

 

around a month. I was golfing and jogging in 3-4 weeks. I do remember when I came home, my wife said I had a sh1t eating grin on my face.

Mike Austin said:

Long and winding road...

I am a survivor from Leukemia (AML) 15-years back but it all came rushing back this past March with a new diagnosis of kidney and bladder cancer. Fortunately it was noninvasive stage-1 for both locations. I had my right kidney removed and several tumors in my bladder. I was only out of work for 3-weeks...  I feel pain from time to time but try to hide the physical and emotional pain. I work out every day and look really fit. 1-1/2 hour strength training, biking 5-miles a day and jogging about 2 miles daily.  Putting up a good front... The problem I have is I think I am losing my mind. I think my wife and everyone has gone on with their lives and I am on hold. My wife lost 36-pounds and looks great. I wonder is she getting herself in shape to move to the next part of her life if I am not here. She is not availale on an emotional level with me.  I feel alone and lonely all the time now!! I am looking for a support group to talk with someone about what I am feeling.. Thingds have changed and I am not adjusting to it very well.  You cant tell from this rant but I am an upbeat person and enjoy life. Just lost my mojo...

Mike,  I'm really glad you took a chance and wrote on this site.  Your surgery was only in March and I think it does take time to adjust, adapt, heal etc..  I also think there's a certain amount of "mourning" that goes on for both the patient and the caregiver spouse.  Mourning for life the way that it used to be prediagnosis.  All of the healing takes time.  Everyone is different.  It sounds to me like you are a "fighter" and are really doing your best.  I'm impressed with your physical ability and the workouts that you do.  Perhaps that makes people who are your friends and family think that you are back to normal.  I hope that you share how you are feeling mentally with your doctor.   There might be hormone level lab tests to be done, or something of that nature needs to be ruled out.  Perhaps you need an antidepressant to help you for a little while.  No shame in that.  Finding a support group is a great idea, and as another person suggested to continue to reach out on this site. 

I wanted to share with you that when my husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer (almost 2 years ago), I too lost a bunch of weight.  I was very upset, overwhelmed, tired and scared and didn't have much time for a meal.  I had to buy new clothes.  My looks improved.   I had extreme guilt!  The more ill my husband got, the better I looked.  I felt so bad about it I talked to my doctor.  I still feel really guilty.  Stress caused those changes in me.  Perhaps the same thing has happened with your wife.   

tbonepoke said:

My surgery was five weeks ago today and I am feeling pretty good.  Still get the occasional pulling feeling if I stretch just so.  The first two weeks were really rough.  Then it rapidly started getting better.  Been back at work for a couple of weeks now, but not back to working 12 hour days just yet.  I walked a mile and two-thirds during lunch today and went to Tai Chi class this evening.  Other than being a bit tired, I feel great. I know the incisions are not completely healed, but they are slowly getting better.

It is so tempting to try riding to work while it is unseasonably warm.  It is only 13 miles but I don't want to over do it.

 

Tbone,

I have no doubt from your history and positive attitude that you will make a full recovery from the surgery alone.

I do have a few doubts however about your Kidney function which will not show up in Cancer statistics but could lead to heart incidents (more common) or kidney failure over the long term.

Hypertension. being overweight, gout and losing a kidney all negativey effect kidney function as does getting older. My suggerstion is that you consukt with a Nephrologist about maintaining good kidney function numbers.

Icemantoo

Hi I stumbled upon this forum trying to do research about what to expect over the next few months. I just had a laproscopic radical right nephrectomy on December 14, 2016. I was sent home from the hospital on the 16th. I had a mass in the right kidney that was originally noted when the ER doctor found a tumor blocking 95% of my colon on Valentine's day. It was diagnosed at stage 2. had a laproscopic hemicolectomy for that and went through 6 months of chemotherapy. I had restageing scans done in October following the end of my chemo cycles. The mass had grown from 2.1×2.2 cm to 2.4×2.4 cm. I was referred to urology and sent for an ultrasound in November. In the ultrasound the mass was noted at 2.7×2.8 cm. That lead to the nephrectomy. I have been finding doing almost anything the past 2 days extremely painful.  I appreciated being able to read what others went through. My husband and I are terrified that even this won't be the end of our saga. I have no family history of any kind of cancer. I am even thinking of taking a medical leave of absence from my college classes until spring. I would love some input on what to expect the next few months. I am still waiting for the pathology report from the kidney to find out what the mass was. I see my urology oncologist again in the middle of January. 

Thanks for any input in advance, 

Jessica. 

Stop the research. Most of the stuff online is massively out of date, totally insane or both. THe treatment for this sort of thing is changing on an almost weekly basis. The prognosis is getting better all the time: I found a 10cm tumour 3.5 years ago and I'm noy planning on popping my clogs any time soon:-)

Wsavio said:

How long recovery time

on Dec5 2016 had my left kidney removed and don't have to go back until middle of march for a scan my question i feel great drinking a lot of water every day now being the winter with snow on the way want to know if i can at least use my snow blower with traction (no hand shoveling))

I'd find a teenage offspring to do that for you.