Sorry for complaining but

The wait was almost worse than the surgery. I couldn't sleep because of back injury. So of course it was Dr. Google time. Try and avoid that as many posters will tell you. I did find going back and reading as many past posts helped a lot. I also tried to prep with my wife as much as we could from recommendations people posted. We meal prepped, got some books I wanted, and set house up for post  op. It's bad but not as bad as your imagination will take you. The surgery was not fun but after first week you will bounce back. I am almost 6 months out and try and not to dwelll on the dark side of having cancer...there are many inspirational members here. Vent here...your not alone we'll listen. 

Hello Annie, sorry we had to meet like this but I am glad you found us.  I think we might be able to help easy your fear just little.

I know you are worried about this sucker spreading, but try to keep this in mind.  There is a very good chance you've had this for several years.  I think the average growth rate for most kidney tumors is like 3 or 4 mm per year. So with that said there is very and I mean very little chance it will spread between now and surgery.  I waited 4 months between finding my tumors and surgery and there was not even one millimeter of growth between my first CT scan and the one right before surgery.  

You will feel better once you get that little sucker out of there.  Surgery wasn't horrible, but it wasn't a walk in the park.  I post-op pain wasn't bad.  Getting in and out of bed sucked, but once I was up there were no problems.  You will be up and walking within a couple of hours after getting to your room.  You won't get much rest in the hospital, in fact my worst day was on post-op day 2, the day I got out of the hospital.  I felt like dog poop, but after I got to the hotel ate a bite of food and got to bed I felt much. 

Post-op pain is not too bad, I was on pain meds around the clock for the first 3 or 4 days and then only at night after that for about a week.

I was in the hospital 2 nights, then in a hotel for 4 nights, and then flew home by myself on post-op day 7.  I could have returned to work in 3 or maybe 4 weeks later, but I took the whole 6 weeks off.  I had the sick time built up so I took it.  

Have you talked to your doctor about getting on something to help with the anxiety?  I was Xanax during the four months I waited for surgery.  

When you have time watch this video.  The is a presentation from a urologist at MD Anderson about the Evaluation and Management of Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma or mass in your case.  No will know for sure what you have until they get it under a microscope.  It was a video just like this one and helped me a great deal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=493RFA_tA1I

Please post any and all questions you have and try and hang in there.  You will get through this.  

Jason

I asked my doctor at MD Anderson about a bone scan and he said that as long as my Alkaline phosphatase (ALP, ALKP, ALPase, Alk Phos) was normal there was no reason to do a bone scan.  So far mine have all been normal.  

Usually that "20% aggressive" is seen with larger tumors ones greater than like 7 or 8 cm.  

How was your tumor found?  

For me I was having upper right abdominal pain that went into by right flank area.  Turns out that my pain had nothing to do with the tumors on my right kidney.  In fact, I still have that pain two years later.  That pain turned out to be IBS.  That pain may have saved my life.

I didn't have time to "worry" at my initial DX, since I was given only 5-7 months to live in the event surgery could not be done.  Well, the specialists (plural) felt they could operate, but that still geve me an enourmous list of things to get accomplished prior to surgery.

Prep the house, wash all the bedding, clean out closets, get rid of clothes that don't fit, and most of all, get all your legal documents in order, etc., etc.  Keep your body, hands, and mind busy.

The cancer will not grow appreciably while you wait.  Even though the bipsy measurements may be different from the estimate on CT's/ultrasounds, etc.

Hugs and best wishes.

donna_lee

I so understand! I had N 8X8 TUMOR AND WAS BLOWN OFF BY MY DOCROS, TOLD MEW IT WAS  NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, I PUSHED AND FINALLY AFTER 2 MONTHS GOT A CT SCAN THEN HAD TO WAIT A MONTH TO HAVE SURGERY, IM 2 WEEKS POST OP. IM SO SORRY AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL