Recurrance Worry

I wish I could say that you'll get over the worry that your RCC will come back, but that would be a lie.  The concern will diminish over time, but it will never completely go away.  I had my first monitoring scan and followup with the surgeon (I also had a robotic partial) last week (and got an all clear), but I'll admit that when I was actually having the CT done, I couldn't stop shaking.  Yeah, it was cold that day, but that's not why I was shaking.  I was quite nervous, even though the surgeon, at the time of my procedure, told me he got the entire lesion (about 1.8cm, pathology report said chromophobe) and that nothing in any previous scan I had indicated that the RCC had spread.

In regard to the pain around the incisions, I've unfortunately, had two other surgeries besides the neph.  Both were for issues in my colon and both were open abdominal surgeries.  The second, more serious surgery, required me to wear an ostomy bag for 2-1/2 months before my intestines could be reconnected.  That was in 2010.  I haven't had any issues with pain around the main incision area, which stretched from just below my navel to just above my pubc area, but the incision where the ostomy bag went, which was my lower right side quadrant, feels like it's pulling every once in a while, even today.  I think the feelings are generally related to where the incisions are made and whether any major muscles had to be cut into to get to the area of concern.

My only complaint from the neph is in my hip.  From the time of the operation until today, I get a tingling sensation if I press my hip, similar to the sensation you would have a couple of days after someone hits you.  There's no bruise and there's no pain.  I can and do run on a daily basis with no problems, but it's just an odd feeling.

It's a pretty good prognosis. You need to be monitored, but don't worry too much. The chances are around the 5% range that it'll come back. You don't get a better prognosis than this with RCC. I understand you're worried. Just do the monitoring.

If you had a radical nephrectomy, it's going to take months to feel normal. It took me over a year to really start to feel normal again. The insides take a long time to heal. My feeling is that your body needs time to adjust to the 1 kidney somehow also. I had weird/odd symptoms for months and also pains and fatigue for a few months. After a couple of years I felt really back to normal.

Find ways to deal with your worrying. It will probably subside with time. I took a small dose of ativan at bed time when I couldn't stop worrying. I did meditation (I love Gerald White's MAARS cancer guided meditation CD. In fact, I still listen to it at bedtime quite often. Google it.), prayer, focused therapy for a few months, exercise. Make an action plan. Some people find anti-anxiety/anti-depression drugs help. Xanax or Ativan can be habit forming, so if you get those, try not to take them all the time. You might notice an anxiety surge after they wear off. That's why I only sometimes took a small dose and only at bedtime. Find somebody you can talk to that is good listener. Stay away from advice givers and problem solvers. You need someone that will listen to you. There are cancer survivor support groups. I went to some really regularly at first. I still go once in awhile. There's an RCC support group in my area. I go every 2-3 months now.

Todd

This is a process of comming to grips with the fact that you have/had cancer  I was not anxious after the primary tumor was removed; I was T1b also, but grade 4 with sarcomitoid features.  This was almost 5 years ago.  For 6 months I thought I was cancer free, until scans six months in where a solitary met was discovered (and removed).   I have been NED since then.

For the first couple of years NED I lived one scan at a time; I did not plan life after the next scan figuring there would be bad news.  Only, the news was good.  Now, 4 years post removal of the metastisis, I talk about my retirement plans -- I am 53.  I talk about longer term plans.  I rarely talk about cancer.  I have learned that I can only do what I can do.  And, things will work out one way or another.  My worrying will not help things.  

In your case, get the CT, see what it says.  T1b CC is usually not agressive.  If you are a betting man, the odds are about 20-1 that you are done with it.  Those are good odds.