Newbie

I'm so glad you found us!!  I remember vividly the feelings you are experiencing.  My tumor was a little over 5 cm and was on the lower pole of my right kidney.  I had a robotic partial, which made recovery a bit easier than an open procedure.  Let me go through your post let me give you my opinion (based on my exerience) for the questions you bring up.

1.) Your doctor---no matter the size of the tumor,  I suggest locating a doctor experienced with RCC.  Do some research on your doctor.  See if he/she is published.  If all else fails, ask them.  I was diagosed by my local nephrologist and he referred me to a urologist in our small local hospital.  While I was waiting for a return call (waiting is not a strong suit of mine) I contacted the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.  I heard back from them the next work day and met with the surgeon within a week or two.  My surgery was scheduled within the month.  My surgeon deals with RCC a lot and is very experienced in the robotic procedure.

2.)Fatigue---Prior to being diagnosed, I could tell something just wasn't right with my health.  I was training for a half marathon and recovery from my long runs took longer than usual.  Looking back there were other clues that I blew off as part of my training.  The point is...fatigue certainly can be a symptom of your tumor.  I also want to stress to you that you are going to have to learn to wrestle with the mental side of this diagnosis.  Everybody has different coping skills--you'll have to find what works for you.

3.) Appitite---Yep, I had this too.  I hadn't realized how much this lack of appitite had effected me until I was weighed in the doctor's office.  (I rarely weigh myself, so I actually had no clue what I weighed, but I had an idea) . When they weighed me I was 10-15 pounds lighter than my projected weight.  I actually had the nurse get a different scale, because I thought the one they initially used was broke.  The second one confirmed the weight.

4.) Back to work---There are a lot of factors that go into this.  As I mentioned, the type of surgery you have has a big part in recovery time.  Pre-operation health is also a huge factor in recovery.  Other factors include (but are not limited to) age, and any complications you may experience during surgery or in recovery.  I'm also and educator (I'm an elementary principal), so I understand the demands you face as a kindergarten teacher.  One of the most important things I can tell you is to listen to your body.  It will let you know when you are ready.

As part of this diagnosis, comes the need to search for answers.  Please, do not turn to google.  The research is getting better, but much of the information is out of date and based on data that is over a decade old. Your fear and anxiety is real.  Searching google will (at least it did for me) compound these feelings.  We've all experienced what your are going through and we're all willing to help you. 

Blessings,

Stub  

Hi Karen.  My little visitor was 1.7cm.  The urologic oncologist I had said it could be taken care of th4ough cryogenic or through a robotic partial.  The percentages he quoted were that cryogenic was in the 90% to 95% effective range where surgery was in th3 99% range.  He recommended th3 surgery based on my age (60 at the time of surgery) and overall excellent health.  I agreed, mainly because with surgery, you know it’s out whereas with cryogenic, you’re pretty certain it’s out, but not as sure.  Plus, the dead cells are kind of just sitting there for a while before eventually getting flushed out and I didn’t like that.

Whatever you decide, at 1.6cm, you have an excellent prognosis for a complete elimination of the RCC.

My tumors at 1.5 cm.  I went down the path of cryoablation but  the radiologist said he couldn't guarantee getting an accurate biopsy while doing the procedure. This because tumor so small. For me mentally I have to know for sure what Tommy tumor is so I can move on in life. Partial nephroctomy was clear choice for me

So sorry you have to be here, Karen. Totally understand the fear and anxiety. That was worse for me than the surgery. My urologic oncolgist said ablation is typically reserved for the elderly who are not in great shape/health for surgery. So I too opted for partial nephrectomy. You're surer it's gone and you get a pathology report which is not possible with ablation. Mine was an open procedure yet I was home 2 days later and doing work at my computer (home) 3 days later. Not going to say it was a breeze but nowhere near as bad as I had feared. I think scheduling for early summer is a great idea so you have recovery time. Teaching kindergarden must be exhausting! I would definitely not be looking forward to work too soon after surgery. All the best to you!

Stress is never simply physical OR mental. It gets all of you, physically and mentally in all sorts of sneaky ways, tosses in a big dose of fatigue, adds a pinch of exhaustion, and lets anxiety bite you in the butt. And all this time, we try to tell ourselves it's no biggie, we're active, we've just got a diagnosis, but it's not a done deal, etc. Right. 

Many of us felt things were "off" before our diagnosis of our kidney blobs. Then we got the news, and gracious! You don't realize how much momentum you're operating on in your daily life until you hear the C-word. 

So, fatigue is normal. Whatever your symptoms are at this point are probably normal, since there's a big range. Just be sure to remember to cut yourself some slack while you're going through this stuff. Even if it turns out to be "no biggie" (and people buy lottery tickets all the time with worse odds, so it's certainly possible), you still need to cut yourself some slack. 

Oh, and keep us posted. That's what we're here for. 

Fatigue was very real before my tumor was found and removed. The fqtigue was due to my anemia.  Fatugue is very real now with the treatments.

Welcome wish you didn't have to seek out this advice but you're in a good place to receive lots of good support and encouragement. Hang in there, my thoughts and prayers are with you.