Partial Nephrectomy Done!

APny
APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

 

Hi everyone. Finally able to sit and post. Thank you all so much for all the comments, advice, support, and shared experiences on my intro thread. This board is invaluable and has been such a huge help for me. I had the open partial nephrectomy on Monday, home yesterday on Wednesday. I kept thinking of Iceman’s words of wisdom about not being able to sugar coat this and he was absolutely right. It was pretty rough. The first day wasn’t too bad as I was so doped up and anesthetized but the second day was tough with tons of gas pains, unable to get comfortable and sleep, the usual. Then yesterday I finally started feeling better and today it’s definitely tolerable. I kind of feel like someone stuck a hand in me and is manipulating me like a sock puppet. Oh wait, someone did stick a hand in me, lol.  No visit from the poop fairy yet, so I’m really looking forward to that. But all in all, I feel pretty good considering I had surgery Monday. Now I’m just waiting for path reports and hoping for the best.

Couple of things: someone on this forum recommended putting a garbage bag on the seat of the car for getting in and out. Brilliant! Made going home so much easier. I was dreading getting into the car but it was a piece of cake. Someone else (I’m sorry I don’t recall user IDs) recommended wedge pillows which I got and I also bought a long body pillow. This was I was able to make a pretty comfy nest last night and slept in my own bed. Thank you for this other brilliant suggestion. Finally, thanks to Commuter Mom for posting about the private suites at SK. I would never have known about them but for her. So I reserved one and it made it so much better, for one, my husband was able to stay with me overnight which was huge, and two, it was private and quiet. It definitely helped in making a pretty miserable situation much less miserable.

 Thanks again everyone, you’ve all been a huge comfort.

 

 

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Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    Do not forget

    Ap,

    Congradulations and do not forget the stool softener BEFORE the big day comes. Welcome to our club which nobody wishes to join. That wasn't too bad, was it? Yeah.

    You can join me welcoming the newbies 10 years from now.

     

    Icemantoo

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    Do not forget

    Ap,

    Congradulations and do not forget the stool softener BEFORE the big day comes. Welcome to our club which nobody wishes to join. That wasn't too bad, was it? Yeah.

    You can join me welcoming the newbies 10 years from now.

     

    Icemantoo

    Iceman, I really was thinking

    Iceman, I really was thinking of you afterwards when the pain and discomfort kicked in. As in, gee he wasn't kidding, lol. And yes, I've been taking Colace in the hospital as well as now at home. I'm also drinking some prune juice to help things along.

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #4
    The 2 W's...

    You have finished the initiation and are now a full fledged member, that wasn't so bad was it?...Yeah right!

    Drink plenty of water and walk as much as you can, it will make a full recovery and return to your ol'self much easier.

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #5
    garym said:

    The 2 W's...

    You have finished the initiation and are now a full fledged member, that wasn't so bad was it?...Yeah right!

    Drink plenty of water and walk as much as you can, it will make a full recovery and return to your ol'self much easier.

    NTI

    See, there is Nothing To It.  Here's your beaney.

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #6
    As it has been said, despite

    As it has been said, despite the wonderful company this is a club I wish that none of would be members of :) It was horrible but I would call it pretty rough. I'm walking every hour, about 5 minutes around my house, and intend to go outside if it gets less windy later. How much did you all walk afterwards? I don't want to overdo it but don't want to baby myself either. I get pretty winded just walking around the house and I'm used to 20 minutes on the treadmill twice a day before my surgery.  I dont know what is too much or too little.

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #7
    APny said:

    As it has been said, despite

    As it has been said, despite the wonderful company this is a club I wish that none of would be members of :) It was horrible but I would call it pretty rough. I'm walking every hour, about 5 minutes around my house, and intend to go outside if it gets less windy later. How much did you all walk afterwards? I don't want to overdo it but don't want to baby myself either. I get pretty winded just walking around the house and I'm used to 20 minutes on the treadmill twice a day before my surgery.  I dont know what is too much or too little.

    Slow and steady wins the race...

    A little bit hear and there is fine, just keep moving. At some point you will feel your stamina returning, but avoid the urge to push it, gradually increase until you are back to your normal routine.

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    #8
    garym said:

    Slow and steady wins the race...

    A little bit hear and there is fine, just keep moving. At some point you will feel your stamina returning, but avoid the urge to push it, gradually increase until you are back to your normal routine.

    5 minutes a few times a day

    5 minutes a few times a day is awesome at first..!  Do NOT over do it... stop even at a hint of being tired or winded.  Like Ice Guy said, slow and steady.. No matter how good you feel, your body internally was opened up, all that takes a while to heal... could be up to 6 months maybe more to fully heal...  Glad the deed is done..!!  

    Ron

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #9
    GSRon said:

    5 minutes a few times a day

    5 minutes a few times a day is awesome at first..!  Do NOT over do it... stop even at a hint of being tired or winded.  Like Ice Guy said, slow and steady.. No matter how good you feel, your body internally was opened up, all that takes a while to heal... could be up to 6 months maybe more to fully heal...  Glad the deed is done..!!  

    Ron

    Great, thanks guys! I try to

    Great, thanks guys! I try to do 5 minutes every hour so I get up and move, hugging my coughing pillow, lol.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #10
    APny said:

    Great, thanks guys! I try to

    Great, thanks guys! I try to do 5 minutes every hour so I get up and move, hugging my coughing pillow, lol.

    Normal

    Ap,

     

    Six weeks after my surgery I flew from Michigan to Seattle to visit relatives.. I hiked the trail down Squame Falls and back up. It was at this point I started feeling normal. But I was much younger than you than at 59 years old and the following summer I went water skiing for my 60th birthday.

    Icemantoo

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #11
    icemantoo said:

    Normal

    Ap,

     

    Six weeks after my surgery I flew from Michigan to Seattle to visit relatives.. I hiked the trail down Squame Falls and back up. It was at this point I started feeling normal. But I was much younger than you than at 59 years old and the following summer I went water skiing for my 60th birthday.

    Icemantoo

    That's awesome, Iceman. But I

    That's awesome, Iceman. But I really don't think 59 is that much younger than 61 ;)

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #12
    APny said:

    That's awesome, Iceman. But I

    That's awesome, Iceman. But I really don't think 59 is that much younger than 61 ;)

    In Iceman years it is...

    The old boy ages slowly, 11 Iceman years ago when he had his surgery, DaVinci did it himself because the robot had not been invented yetWink

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #13
    garym said:

    In Iceman years it is...

    The old boy ages slowly, 11 Iceman years ago when he had his surgery, DaVinci did it himself because the robot had not been invented yetWink

    LOL, too funny. I read in the

    LOL, too funny. I read in the happiness day thread that he invented cryosurgery? Is that true, Iceman?

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

    LOL, too funny. I read in the

    LOL, too funny. I read in the happiness day thread that he invented cryosurgery? Is that true, Iceman?

    Truth

    About as true as the identity of my closest relatives, the Weatherman, the Snowman and Icewoman and the fact that Garym keeps posting that DiVinci himself did my surgery.

    In the olden days RCC surgery was done with Ice Tongs (real ones not those used in party buckets- Google Icetongs)  and RCC biopsies ere done with Ice picks.

     

    Icemantoo

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #15
    icemantoo said:

    Truth

    About as true as the identity of my closest relatives, the Weatherman, the Snowman and Icewoman and the fact that Garym keeps posting that DiVinci himself did my surgery.

    In the olden days RCC surgery was done with Ice Tongs (real ones not those used in party buckets- Google Icetongs)  and RCC biopsies ere done with Ice picks.

     

    Icemantoo

    And thus...

    the Iceman invented cryaftersurgery, OUCHCry

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #16
    garym said:

    And thus...

    the Iceman invented cryaftersurgery, OUCHCry

    That's very funny. But yeah;

    That's very funny. But yeah; cryaftersurgery is very tempting about now, when it's really hurting me. I do have a drain so I'll have to go back next week to get it removed. That's not exactly fun either but you take it as it comes, I suppose. 

  • a_oaklee
    a_oaklee Member Posts: 566 Member
    #17
    APny said:

    That's very funny. But yeah;

    That's very funny. But yeah; cryaftersurgery is very tempting about now, when it's really hurting me. I do have a drain so I'll have to go back next week to get it removed. That's not exactly fun either but you take it as it comes, I suppose. 

    yeah!

    I'm so glad your surgery went well and that you are back home.  Congratulations!  I wish you a speedy return to normal.

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #18
    a_oaklee said:

    yeah!

    I'm so glad your surgery went well and that you are back home.  Congratulations!  I wish you a speedy return to normal.

    Thank you so much,

    Thank you so much, a_oakley. I read your other thread and really feel for you. Definitely take some time for yourself and care for yourself. It must be so hard to be on the other side of this thing too. I'm so sorry.

     

    Does anyone know if running a temp of 99.6 is normal after surgery. I feel fine so I was surprised to see it. Should I be concerned or is this pretty typical for a few days?

  • rae_rae
    rae_rae Member Posts: 300 Member
    #19
    APny said:

    Thank you so much,

    Thank you so much, a_oakley. I read your other thread and really feel for you. Definitely take some time for yourself and care for yourself. It must be so hard to be on the other side of this thing too. I'm so sorry.

     

    Does anyone know if running a temp of 99.6 is normal after surgery. I feel fine so I was surprised to see it. Should I be concerned or is this pretty typical for a few days?

    Glad you are doing fine after

    Glad you are doing fine after surgery. Keep an eye on your temp, I'd say if you hit 100, call your doc. I ran a fever about 3-4 days after while I was in the hospital. Pneumonia is a risk. I had to cough really hard to keep my lungs clear.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #20
    rae_rae said:

    Glad you are doing fine after

    Glad you are doing fine after surgery. Keep an eye on your temp, I'd say if you hit 100, call your doc. I ran a fever about 3-4 days after while I was in the hospital. Pneumonia is a risk. I had to cough really hard to keep my lungs clear.

    A fever

    Ap,

     

    A fever is definately something to be concerned with as there is always the risk of infection after surgery. Keep track of your temperature and report it to your dr or surgoen. He may or may not be concerned with a small fever, but that is what he is getting paid for.

    A little Ice will lower it, but that may not solve the underlying problem.

    Icemantoo

  • nsb748
    nsb748 Member Posts: 89
    #21
    icemantoo said:

    A fever

    Ap,

     

    A fever is definately something to be concerned with as there is always the risk of infection after surgery. Keep track of your temperature and report it to your dr or surgoen. He may or may not be concerned with a small fever, but that is what he is getting paid for.

    A little Ice will lower it, but that may not solve the underlying problem.

    Icemantoo

    I just had mine two weeks ago

    I just had mine two weeks ago and also ran a fever while I was still at the hospital (never more than 100) 

     

    it was caused by not breathing deeply enough.  They gave me some sort of contraption to inhale through that exercises the lungs and the fever went away quickly.

     

    take it slow.  you will start to feel good before you know it.

     

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