Nausea and Flu Like Symptoms Post Partial Nephrectomy?

db8ne1
db8ne1 Member Posts: 142 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

I completed my scheduled surgery on Tuesday, 7/8: DaVinci Robotic Assisted Partial Left Nephrectomy for RCC.  Surgery took 3 1/2 hours - as they had a hard time "turning the kidney" so that they could access the tumor.  However, once that was completed the surgery was uneventful and no complications.  I was discharged on Wed 7/9 with lots of pain medication and was miserable Wed, Thurs, and most of Friday.  I'm only taking the pain meds at night to help me be comfortable enough to sleep (and only Tylonol during the day), but I've had on again off again temperatures from 99 - 100.2. Further, I'm constantly nauseaous and food tastes horrible. (No vomitting though).  I had a horrible headache for several days but thankfully that has subsided.  Now it's just the nausea and flu like symptoms/feelings.

Has anyone had this?  Is this the norm?  My written instructions indicate that if I have a fever continuously at or over 100.4 I should contact the doc.  But my low grade fever comes and goes.  I do have anti-emetics (Zofran) left over from my CRC chemo treatment, but I don't like to take it as it has its own side effects.

Thoughts anyone?

Thanks!

J

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    My thoughts

    J,

     

    Pain medication can cause nausea. In the meantime contact your doctor for his thoughts even though you are below the threshhold on the written instructions. You are close enough and those written instructions do not factor in your previous medical history.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    My thoughts

    J,

     

    Pain medication can cause nausea. In the meantime contact your doctor for his thoughts even though you are below the threshhold on the written instructions. You are close enough and those written instructions do not factor in your previous medical history.

     

     

    Icemantoo

    Sounds pretty well within the norm.

    Don't even think that what you have just done is just like going to the dentist. As much as you want to get back to normal, it is not. There is the actual tumor removal. It means cutting into you, pretty deep. There is so much to recover from. Anesthesia, antibiotics, pain meds, circulatory and adjustments in your kidney function. Things will be fine if you can be patient. Sometimes I say that there are about 10-15 common complaints after surgery. Most people get a few of them. But not always the same ones. Some are more common. And your feelings are well within the common issues. No good can come from pushing yourself too soon. So what if it takes a couple months? After 6 months, you'll be far ahead of where you would have been if you pushed too soon. Just my two cents. I can say that I have seen it often. Take care of yourself. Do what's right for you.

  • Rangerk
    Rangerk Member Posts: 8
    #4
    I had nausea effects from the oxy/Tylenol

    I really didn't feel like eating 7 days after surgery, I lost 14 lbs in 14 days. Think as food as your medicine and try and eat 5-6 small meals. Best of luck and hang in there!

  • avdoty
    avdoty Member Posts: 62
    #5
    foxhd said:

    Sounds pretty well within the norm.

    Don't even think that what you have just done is just like going to the dentist. As much as you want to get back to normal, it is not. There is the actual tumor removal. It means cutting into you, pretty deep. There is so much to recover from. Anesthesia, antibiotics, pain meds, circulatory and adjustments in your kidney function. Things will be fine if you can be patient. Sometimes I say that there are about 10-15 common complaints after surgery. Most people get a few of them. But not always the same ones. Some are more common. And your feelings are well within the common issues. No good can come from pushing yourself too soon. So what if it takes a couple months? After 6 months, you'll be far ahead of where you would have been if you pushed too soon. Just my two cents. I can say that I have seen it often. Take care of yourself. Do what's right for you.

    I also had a robotic partial

    I also had a robotic partial neph. Mine was on 5/8. I had a low grade temperature when I was discharged from the hospital.  Like you, I was advised to call back if it stayed above 101 for an extended period. My temp kept fluctuating up and down for over a day and that made me nervous. Kept checking it every 10 minutes or so. That probably didn't help. Anyway, it finally stablized about 3 days post op and everything was ok.  I didn't have nausea.  My issue was the opposite. I really felt hungry and ate too much and then came the constipation. That hurt worse than the sugrey wounds.  

    Every day day will get better than the previous day and before you know it you'll feel like yourself again.  Hope you're feeling better soon. 

  • db8ne1
    db8ne1 Member Posts: 142 Member
    #6
    Thanks All!

    Your responses are most appreciated!

    I'm wondering if this is just a LONG hangover from the anesthesia.  I haven't had issues previously, but I don't know if the meds used this time were different? And it seems with each subsequent surgery, it takes me longer to recover. (This is my 4th surgery in the last year).  Or, could be that I'm just getting old! :)

    I take it pretty easy on the opiate pain meds:  only at night and with a cracker so as not to add to my stomach/nausea issues.  I'm day 4 now and my nausea seems a bit less tonight. So, hopefully that trend continues!  My appetite is gone and food doesn't taste good.  I know I have to eat to heal (and I force myself to) - but I can afford to lose some weight so I'm not too concerned there.

    I know it will take some time to recover.  I have 1 month off of work and after that I can work from home at my own pace/schedule until I feel well enough to return to the office.  (I told my company that I'd come back to the office when I could make it an entire day without a mid day nap). My employer is FAB! 

    I definitely WON'T overdo things as I don't want to have another hernia repair surgery!!  Not doing that again.

    Thanks again!

    J

     

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