Pain from surgery

Debk77
Debk77 Member Posts: 1
in Kidney Cancer #1

I had a left partial Nephrectomy on Dec. 19th 2014, It was open cut, and today is 1 week post surgery.  I am in so much pain I can't believe it.  I feel like there is a vice around my chest squeezing and when I move much at all the vice tightens until I can hardly breath.  I can only walk from the bed to the toilet before I am winded.  I can only sit for 15 minutes at a time then I need to lie flat.  I still have the drain tube in and all 29 staples.  I want to feel better and I want to know if this is normal.... I am also still numb in half my chest from the epidural.

Comments

  • vccortes713
    vccortes713 Member Posts: 51
    #2
    In my experience that's

    In my experience that's normal......excruciating pain last 2 two weeks then gradually eases up very slowly......i'm now on 3 months post op and my stomach and incision still hurts crazy.....but not as intense as before....

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #3
    vccortes713 said:

    In my experience that's

    In my experience that's normal......excruciating pain last 2 two weeks then gradually eases up very slowly......i'm now on 3 months post op and my stomach and incision still hurts crazy.....but not as intense as before....

    Your pain is "normal"

    Deb,

     

    You just had major abdominal surgery. Yours was open rather than laproscopic (bigger cut). You had a partial rather than a full neph (more cutting).

    The good news is that each day it will get a little better with an occasional bad day in between. If it gets really bad call the doctor just to make sure that nothing is wrong.

    As for my experiences I had a  full neph laproscopically after I just turned 59. It was not until about 10 days that I got off the couch. At 3 weeks I returned to my office job for about 1 to 3 hours per day. After that I was exhausted. At 6 weeks I flew from Michiigan to Seattle to see family and did a 1 mile hike. At 11 months I went water skiing for my 60th birthday and stayed up for 15 minutes partially on 1 ski.

    Everybody has a different post op experience. Some have had it easier and a few have had complications. It will get better. My surgeon even wrote a joke on my discharge summary that I was discharged without pain. He did not feel a thing. Mine was 12 and 1/2 years ago.

    The good thing is that yours was small enough that they could do a partial so that your chance of the surgery being a total cure is up in the high 90's

     

    Things will get better. Nopain. No gain.

     

    Icemantoo

     

     

     

  • foroughsh
    foroughsh Member Posts: 779 Member
    #4
    Hi, I had open radical

    Hi, I had open radical nephrectomy, my recovery was fast and I didn't have much problem, I remember the nurse, surgeon and pathologist all told me they don't expect  someone who have abdominal surgery to recover so soon. I've seen manyones complaining about their pain few weeks post surgery. so I think it's normal. but it wouldn't hurt weather you could talk to your Dr as you know some types of painkillers aren't friendly with kidney and we shouldn't use them but some of them are ok so your surgeon might recommend to use them.

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #5
    I had a nephrectomy through

    I had a nephrectomy through laprascopic procedure. Open surgery is much more invasive. I think what you are feeling is normal, but it wouldn't hurt to mention it to your doctor. Jan had used an ice pack - she used dry ice and some kind of holder. Maybe she will chime in with details. But in the meantime, I think an icepack might be very relieving.

    Wishing you a quick recovery.

    Hugs

    Jojo

  • NanoSecond
    NanoSecond Member Posts: 653
    #6
    Pain

    What sort of painkillers have they provided you?  You should have access to an opiate such as Oxycodone, etc.  And if you are taking one of them make sure you are also taking sufficient medications to prevent constipation.

     

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