Scared

Hi and welcome. I joined this forum last month and everyone here is so nice and extremely knowledgable. I am 38 and I come here for information and support for my 47 year old husband that had a robotic radical left nephrectomy almost 6 months ago. He was in the hospital for a few days after his surgery. The great thing about robotic is that you have small incisions, tiny ones really. That will help the healing process and I understand that means recovery time is lessened. He had no problem sleeping in the bed and as long as he followed a regular schedule for his post operative pain meds his pain was reasonable and well managed. He tired easily and napped a lot which I think is to be expected. Walking was very important and we did that regularly at short intervals until he could do longer ones. 

We didn't want a tonne of people visiting during flu season. I made a sign and taped it to the door to keep people from visiting. Othewise, the nurses just told everyone to "come on in" and my husband didn't want a tonne of people in and out. We didn't know that was how it worked so if you want privacy, get someone to tape a sign to the door. I'm sure others will pop in with some advice this is a great place to be for information and support. 

We all have the distinction here of loosing some or all of a kidney. This dubious honor will make you at home with the folks here.  I had a full right nephrectomy via open surgery. I got a whopper of a scar and I nick named it the "freak show". I slept on a recliner for about 2 -3 weeks. I went back to work by 4 weeks, but that varies a lot depending on your employment and health variables.  Pain is an individual thing.  In my case I used pain meds for two days in the hospital.  I had them pull the morphine drip at about 48 hours, and I quit using tylenol by the end of the first week.  Havent had any pain meds since then, roughly 6 months ago.   I still have numbness in the stitches, occassionally some minor back pain, but overall I would say i feel great. Robotic  surgery is less invasive so you will do great, just keep a positive attitude and the rest will take care of its self. 

Darron said:

Start with the best

I'll start with the beat coincidence. A good friend of mind, also Stephanie, had a 3 cm removed with a radical just about 61/2 years ago. It was comforting for me when I was diagnosed to have a friend that had been thru it. You now have about 1000 experienced friends on line. She has been cancer free since surgery, as you will be as well. 

Surgery is painful, but not unbearable. The wits pain was from the gas that was in my abdomin mode up to my shoulder. Just a solid ache that wouldn't go away. Take it slow, deunk lots of water, walk as soon as you can, slowly and don't over do it. You will be fine.

I had a hand assisted radical for a 17 cm tumor, and I was back at my desk job in about three weeks. That is pretty quick, and I didn't do 100% full days starting off. I was able to sleep in bed. Getting in and out if bed was the hard part, laying down was easy.

it is normal to be scared, but have faith and confidence that you will be well soon. Ask your new friends all the questions you need. We are here to help and support.

 

 

Hi Stef... scared..?  Really..?  You bet..!  All of us were scared big time..!!!  The fear is far worse than the reality... trust me on that one please..!  Your tumor is tiny compared to many here.  This means you most likely will be Cancer free... but I gotta tell it like it is.. it could come back.. you are most likely in the high 90+ percent range but no one is 100%.  You will need follow up.. do it..!  Kidney Cancer (rcc) is sneaky.  On the surgery, with the procedure you are getting, then you may be pain free just hours after surgery.  They will give you pain meds, take them as needed..!  Yes you will need to rest up, and you will be tired a lot and sleep a lot.  Even once you feel good, you must not do anything strenuous for at least a month.  You may feel healed but your body may not be fully healed on the inside.

What is important, is that you have the right doctor and surgeon.  This is extremely important.. find out how many of these surgeries this doctor has done.  You do not want a small town doctor, that won't do.  Like I stated, rcc is sneaky... and you do not want anything to be missed.

Good Luck... holler back at us any time you feel the need... lots of good folks here to help you...

Ron

garym said:

Welcome to the club...

Hi Stef,

It may not seem like it, but you are very fortunate to have been diagnosed at such an early stage, the odds that you will be and remain cancer free following surgery are nearly 100%. Everyone here has been right where you are, we understand what you are going through, and we're here to help any way we can. This is not going to be as bad as your imagination will make it out to be, keep your mind off it be staying busy, and daily exercise starting now will be a big help during recovery. At only 42 you can look forward to another 50 years of living.

Godspeed,

Gary

Stephanie, 

if you are looking for support and knowledge you have come to the right place.  I actually have my partial nephrectomy today in about 4 hours.  From reading everyone's stories in here, and talking to people, I have gone from terrified, to mildly annoyed.  I'm sure you will do the same.  

you will be just fine, and should be able to look back and laugh about this later in life

icemantoo said:

Scared

Stephanie,

Being told that you have Cancer and that you are having major surgery is enough to scare the s--t out of anyone. It sure scared me almost 12 years ago when I found out at a then young 59. It also scared Faye across the street when she was 64. She is 82 now.

Like you mine was about 2.54 cm (1") when discovered although 4. 2 cm after it was out.

The surgery is anything but fun, but at 42 you should have it easier than most.

Your chances for a full cancer free recovery with such a small tumor are as good as they get.

Yes, you are going to be uncomfortable for awhile after the surgery, but it beats the alternative.

Icemantoo

His surgery was before the robot was invented...DaVinci had to do the surgery himself

GSRon said:

NSB, I like your attitude..!!

NSB, I like your attitude..!!  "mildly annoyed".. love it... see you after the deed is done..

 

Oh and Stef... in case you did not know, Gary is our resident comedian... and of course he delivers..! 

Ron

CRAP...now fox is going to be calling me for pizza and beer

stephanie0913 said:

Not as scared anymore

Wow! I didn't expect so many great responses. You all have really made me feel much better. I feel crazy because I am active duty Air Force and I have a ton of responsibilities at work. I feel so guilty for feeling this way but this is the worse timing ever. I feel like I just don't have time to be sick right now. And I'm so used to taking care of everyone else and being so tough on the outside that I don't know how to express how truly terrified I am to those around me. I am single with no children and find it so hard to reach out for help. I am the one who helps everyone else so letting people see me in such a vulnerable state is hard. Your words of experience and kindness has soothed my spirit.

I'm afraid to be vulnerable, of letting people down of being in pain of hearing that the cancer has spread or returned. There is a lot going on in my head right now and it seems that all of you have been there done that Thanks for sharing.

As far as I know, my doctor is one of the top urologists and kidney cancer specialists in the country. I am happy that I was referred to him because the first doctor that the military sent me to was very unsure of himself. He is the one who referred me to the doctor that I am currently seeing. My surgery is scheduled for the 25th of this month and I have a lot of time to prepare myself for whatever happens.

Oh yes.. as you can see a positive attitude helps...  I am one of the less lucky ones around here..  I thought I would not make it through the surgery.. WRONG..!  So, once I woke up I wanted to jump for joy.. !!  

Now the pain part, the pain comes on fairly quick, so any hint of it coming on is when you want to start pushing the button for more drugs.. it takes time for the drugs to kick in, so you do not want to wait.  And really I expect it not to be that bad.. but we all are different.. you will just have to find out..!!

On gas.. I had NO problems with gas.. now anyone that DARED to come in the room, well they had a problem for sure..!  Same with that first B.M., I had no trouble there either.. but could not get any privacy... heck the nurses had to evaluate the remains...  I do feel sorry for those nurses..!

Speaking of nurses, it helps to be nice and friendly... (flirty in my case)..  I was not allowed to get food for several days, but I got popsickles at 3 AM..!!  I still remember how good those popsickles were..!  (I had the extra heavey duty surgery, yours will be a lot easier, guaranteed..!!)

So now you see both ends of the surgery spectrum, we got Commuter Mom that was in and out so fast it is amazing.. me and a few others, well not so fast.. don't really matter..  Once the deed is done a big weight will be lifted off of you.. the sooner the better.  The waiting does not help..

Oh yes, I do not think anyone mentioned water.. drink a ton of water from now until surgery time.. or when they tell you to stop.  Water is your friend, forever..!  

And yes, getting up the first few days can be very painful.  In fact I quickly learned NOT to let the nurses touch the bed raise / lower functions.  Slow and easy works.. fast does not work.  So I took charge of the bed remote, moved it up real slow.. allowed my body to adjust...  That made it nice..!  Oh and the sooner you get up to walk the better, in more ways than one.  Walking helps the healing process, plus you get to use the bathroom instead of a bed pan.  Trust me the bed pan is awful..!  The second day they brought me a portable commode.. that worked, just zero privacy.. after that I walked to the bathroom, ah.. 

Hang in there... you got like just over 2 weeks...  feel free to holler at us at any time..  Usually someone is here darn near 24/7.

Sorry for the long...... message.......

Ron