Going in for partial Neph next month - scared as heck

HH431 said:

Is it normal to still be very

Is it normal to still be very fatigued after 6 days from the surgery for a partial neph?

I am just dragging still.  The incisions and sore throat feel a tad better - but still rather hurt - but not that too bad.  I mean I can feel a little improvement.

But when do energy levels start to come up a bit more?  I don't recall my fatigue levels being like this although this is my first surgery.

I did a 12 minute slow walk on my treadmill today - and napped for two hours afterwards.  I was just beat. lol

I'm sleeping about 7-8 hours at night, 2-3 hour afternoon naps...and still tired.

I was looking at my blood work online prior and after surgery.  When I left the hospital, my red blood count and Hemoglobin were a bit low but I guess that is normal after surgery?

Maybe I am expecting a little too much from myself too soon?  Some parts of the day I feel better than others.

 

One thing for sure: my appetite has increased a lot the last few days.  I suppose that is my body signaling for energy for further/needed repair.

Welcome to my world.

HH431 said:

It's been 12 days since the

It's been 12 days since the surgery and I am just still so physically exhausted.

I don't feel like I have that much more energy since leaving the hospital.  I am 43, fit, was very active, exercised, etc. with no other health issues before the surgery.  

I am scheduled to meet with my surgeron on July 9th, and made an appt to see him tomorrow.  I don't know if it's normal to be this fatigued still.

A simple 9 min, slow walk on my treadmill (equivalent to a regular walk) knocked me out like you wouldn't believe.

 

 

Everyone is different but personally, yes, I think it's normal to be this exahusted. As Iceman always says, this is not a little procedure, it's major surgery. Did they give you breathing exercises to do? I was doing them every hour, also while I walked. It helps your lung capacity. Also make sure you're hydrated and drink enough water. I think instead of 9 minutes in one fell swoop you should do 5 minutes every hour. Just gentle walking. I woudln't worry about being fatigued. It takes a while for your body to recover; it hasn't even been two weeks.

HH431 said:

I had planned on going to

I had planned on going to back work on July 6th (prior to surgery). lol Not happening!  I also have some brain fog.

I've increased the water intake.  About 8 glasses a day.  I'm not eating a lot of protein; maybe I need more?  I eat maybe 50 grams per day or so but I only weigh around 165.  Maybe surgery increases protein requirements for repair?  I will ask the Dr. tomorrow.  I wonder if there is any benefit to eating more iron also, but I don't eat a lot of meat. 

I'm going to attempt to go grocery shopping tonight - my girlfriend will carry the groceries for me.  Maybe I just need to get out of the house a little too. 

I was doing the breathing exercises with spirometry, but quit shortly after the surgery.  My oxygen levels were at 100% when I left the hospital.  Any benefit to still doing the exercises?

 

I kept doing them because it felt like it was helping. Especially while walking. The therapist taught me the "smell the flowers, blow the candles" method while we walked. It's inhaling deeply through your nose, then blowing out through your mouth. Definitely gave me more energy walking. Spirometer also expands your lungs so I would keep doing it.

Honestly, I didn't have much energy for a whole lot for a few weeks. I was afraid of crowded supermarkets that some jerk will smack into my still swollen incision, lol. So husband did shopping and slowly I started cooking. I took iron on advice of my doc. I wouldn't take it otherwise. I ate Greek yogurt first thing in morning, which is good for protein. Just be patient and you'll be fine

HH431 said:

Got home yesterday - surgery

Got home yesterday - surgery went very successfully.  I spent two nights.  

I am very sore and tired .The night after the surgery I got zero sleep because of these things that massage your lower legs to help prevent any blood clotting.  I couldn't sleep with them.  Not even a minute.  The next day I was on blood thinner so didn't need them.    But you want to know the worst pain right now besides the incisions and sore abs?  My uvula - that hangs in the back of my throat is really inflamed and hurting from the tube during surgery. It's about an inch long right now, very and touches the back of my throat - no exaggeration.  Initially I was gagging on it times and can feel it on the back of my tounge. I'm told it was return to normal.  It better happen fast or else I getting an ENT to remove it (which I read is a simple outpatient procedure).  I've been using Moltrin 600mg every 8 hours and gargling with warm salt water and Benedryl.  Trying to east smaller, softer meals too.  I've got Oxy here if the pain gets real bad, but haven't felt the need for it.  I am sitting up here at my computer desk in chair as I type and have about 3-4 pain out of 10, but I am fine with that.  If I lie flat it's about 1 out of 10.

My surgeon said he couldn't be more pleased with this surgery.  He's done more partial robotics nephs surgeries than anyone in the world.  But he had considered doing a radical though as it was more complex than the ctscan showed.  The tumor ran very deep, but he said he went even deeper to ensure all of it was gone.  Deeper than technically needed if I recall.  It was growing into the renal sinus, so some of that I guess was removed and some of it reconstructed basically.  He said the pathology of it will be back next week, but that it doesn't matter a lot because whatever it was is completely gone.  I think he studied it for an hour afterwards to make sure everything was good.  I also recall he studies it for an hour before even cutting into it.  Sorry, brain a little foggy still from everything. lol  Blood work and tests remained good the entire time and was off the catherder pretty fast.  My heart rate is a bit elevated, but common given what my body has gone through.

The kidney has about 80% of its initially funtionality and that within 6 months my blood work would not even indicate I ever lost any kidney he told me.

 

It's an old phrase, but time iwll heal everything. 

I HATED those leg things too!  But...guess better than getting clots.  They took them off after the first night.  Throat took abouta week to feel normal, so give that time.  Warm milk and honey?  FOund that warm drinks made it feel better (duh right?)

Every day you will feel better.  Walk as much as you can (that helps to control pain too), drink lots and rest.  If I remember seeing that you are a movie buff?  Now is the time to catch up on everything 8-)

Soon you will be back to running and all other wonderful summer games one can do in the warmer weather.

Gentle hugs 

HH431 said:

Met with doctors today as

Met with doctors today as follow-up from surgery.  All of my symptoms normal from surgery.

Reviewed pathology: Stage 1, Chromophobe. 4.2 CM mass.  I guess they don't grade Chormophobe.  Chromophone is generally less aggressive.

Clean margins of the tumor cut out meaning they got it all.  My surgeon actually went just a bit deeper than typical when he removed it.

Told me my chance of recurrence was in the single digits percentage-wise.

Another scan in 6 mos along with chest x-ray and blood work.. then once a year for five years.  They will alternate yearly between CT scans and ultrasounds.  I can also do MRIs instead of CT scans if I want to avoid radiation which I might do.

great news!