What to expect?

Cindy T in Washington
Cindy T in Washington Member Posts: 27
in Kidney Cancer #1

Hi all, With just over a month to go before my surgery, I am wondering what to expect. I do know there will be a bowel prep.   I have a pre-op physical this Thursday with my GP.  What questions should I ask her?  Also, I will have to have pre-op chest x-ray, EKG, and labs drawn prior to surgery.  Wondering when would the best time for these to be done,  1 or 2 weeks prior to surgery, or see what the GP says....  Also, what should I expect on the day of surgery?  What are the procedures prior to the surgery itself?  The hospital where I am having this done is about 1 1/2 hour from where I live.  Not sure yet where I will be on the surgical schedule.   I live by myself, but my sister is coming to stay with me for 2 weeks to help me.  Any words of wisdom here?  I appreciate all of the input you can give me, and bless you all for being here for us "members of the club"!

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    As an RN

    Cindy,

     

    As an RN on a surg/med unit for 25 years you should have a pretty good idea as to what lies ahed. The first few days after surgery are not fun, but than things do get better. The only thing I would ask about is for a Chest CT instead of Chest Xray. While it may pick up harrmless lung nodules a chest xray may miss something that could be caught earlier. Good luck and may you have an uneventful surgery.

     

    Icemantoo

  • Cindy T in Washington
    Cindy T in Washington Member Posts: 27
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    As an RN

    Cindy,

     

    As an RN on a surg/med unit for 25 years you should have a pretty good idea as to what lies ahed. The first few days after surgery are not fun, but than things do get better. The only thing I would ask about is for a Chest CT instead of Chest Xray. While it may pick up harrmless lung nodules a chest xray may miss something that could be caught earlier. Good luck and may you have an uneventful surgery.

     

    Icemantoo

    It's been over 15 years since

    It's been over 15 years since I worked in the hospital, hopefully things have gotten better.  Plus, it is me this is happening to, so it's a whole new ballgame!

     

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #4
    Painless

    Cindy,

     

    I could tell you the surgery is painless, but I would be laughed off this board.

    I was 59 when I was nephed and after the first couple of days you shoul see improvement each day with maybe a bad day in between.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    #5
    One Year

    Hi Cindy,

    I just saw the date. My surgery was 12 months ago today. Everything went so well that I think of it as a happy time, like a kind of holiday. 

    There wasn't much preparation. I'd had a bone scan and pyeloscopy in the prior weeks. On the day I think I was on water only from 5am. I got to the hospital at about 1pm. A nurse went through a check list with me then I went to a waiting area.

    I changed in to the surgery clothes. Pressure stockings, 'pullups', foot covers, purple gown and hair cover then sat in a recliner with some other people also waiting for surgery. The American Superbowl was on a TV there but nobody was watching it. Nobody was talking much either. 

    Not too long after that I was chatting with the anaesthetist and that's the last thing I remember.

    In the days after surgery I found myself wishing I had eaten less before going in. I don't know if that would have helped but if I ever go again I will eat very lightly for a day or two before surgery.

    On the other hand I feel lucky that constipation was my biggest problem. Everything else was good.

    I must have a boring life because the whole experience was like an adventure to me.

    Steve.

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 619 Member
    #6
    I don't believe I had to do a

    I don't believe I had to do a bowel prep for my robotic partial.  My procedure was scheduled for 3 in the afternoon, and my instructions were to not eat after midnight (I stopped at 6PM) and no fluids by mouth after 6AM, other than water.

    I had a pre-op chest x-ray about two weeks before the procedure and, if I recall correctly, the pre-op blood and other tests were about a week before.  I run.....a lot.....so I have a very low resting blood pressure and low resting pulse rate.....low enough, in fact, that there was talk of postponing my surgery until they could figure out if there readings were correct.  Fortunately, they located a slug of tests and readings from an earlier surgery at a different hospital that showed the readings they were getting from me were perfectly normal for me.

    On the day of the surgery, I reported at 12 noon (again, a 3PM surgery time).  They did a blood test and got me all settled with an IV and then I guess about an hour before hand, they snuck a med into the IV and I was out until I got into a regular ward room, about 8PM, and was roused out of a very comfortable sleep by one of my nieces screaming into my ear.  After waking up.....grumpily I might add.....the nurse got me out of bed and on my feet for a few minutes.  I had been told prior to the surgery that this was a common practice, so I was as prepared as a person groggy from being anesthetized can be.  The nurse and family members there asked me how I felt and I told them I felt pretty good, which wasn't a lie.

    If you're having a robotic partial, I would assue your procedure would go pretty much the same.  Others that have had open procedures or who have had radicals might have had different prep and surgery day experiences.

    In any event, may your surgery go without incident and may your roceovery be swift and as painless as possible.  Just remember to walk!

  • Cindy T in Washington
    Cindy T in Washington Member Posts: 27
    edited February 2018 #7
    Thank you all so much, really

    Thank you all so much, really appreciate it.

     

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