New member. Right kidney removed 2 weeks ago.

The first  few weekd are the hardest. I lostt lefty almoost 17 and 1/2 years ago. Ninety days ago they  took out  my Prostate as well.   At 76 and  1/2 I am going to try and stay away from Cancer.

How big was the little buggar.

Welcome to the club where no one volunteers to  join.

icemantoo

I'm a chromie, too.  Chromophobe RCC (in general) tends to be indolent.  I was looking for words in your pathology that may suggest otherwise such as sarcomatoid features.  Since you don't have those listed, I'm assuming it was not in your pathology.  This is a good sign.  At 4.5 cm, and listed as stage 1, the odds are on your side.  It is vital to be faithful to your scans in the future.  Is your first one at 3 months or 6 months out?

Stub

FYI--if you click on a person's "name" you can read about their journey.  I'd encourage you to fill out your "About Me" information so others can read about your story.

If your incision is bothering you, I suggest a folded soft sock between it and your clothes.  My incision wasn't that big (I have no idea how they got a 7 cm tumor and a whole kidney through those small openings!), but it was near enough to my waistline that my clothes pressing there were uncomfortable at times.  That sock was my best friend!

Im trying to figure out why the foods you listed are no-no's.  Who told you that?   They seem good to me.

The only huge no-no that I am aware of is Ibuprofen.  Dont take it.  And having only one kidney dont do a high protein diet.  Low sodium can be beneficial too.

The confusion around diet is one of the main reasons I ended up here.  I was given no retrictions, and to date, I had never heard that ibuprofen was bad, and in fact used that instead of that wretched oxy they prescribed after surgery.  I know from my bloodwork that my sodium is out of the normal range post-nephrectomy (radical), and my blood pressure increased.  So, to me, low sodium diet is obviated.  I asked my urologist about this, and got a shrug, and advice to call my regular doctor.  I'm glad that guy is in the rear-view mirror.  I'd like to know if common salt substitutes like potassium chloride is ok.  I'd like confirmation on the benefits of lowering protein.  And I echo the lack of value consulting Dr Google for this, unless you enjoy being confused.  

I also wonder if some degree of patience is warranted.  My nephrectomy was 10/26/19, so I'm still hoping the remaining kidney kicks in a little more over the coming months and picks up the slack a little bit more.  Time will tell, I guess.  

AliceB1950 said:

My potassium levels were too

My potassium levels were too high for a while, and I learned that those of us with one kidney have to be a bit cautious when it comes to high-potassium foods.  Potassium chloride is one of the worst.  Use herbs and spices if you're cutting down on salt.  I scheduled a session with the nutritionist in my primary care doctor's office a while back.  My potassium numbers are okay now, but I'm kind of careful to not eat too many high-potassium foods the same day.  You need regular blood tests to see how your kidney function numbers are behaving, too.

Thanks, Aliceb1950.  I am being watched closely by my oncologist, and have scheduled an appointment for next month with my GP.  I figure the GP will refer me to eiher a nephrologist or nutritionist, or maybe I can get the oncologist to do that.  My K+ levels were right in the middle of the normal range, which is why I thought salt substitutes would be ok.  While previous CT scans were clean for cancer, it doesn't mean physiologically everything is ok.  I just experienced some mild pain in my remaining kidney while out walking my dog.  So clearly I'm doing something wrong.  

The most common reason for having a low sodium level is due to fluid retention.  Of course there are other reasons too, but this is the most common

When a person has high blood pressure the docs always tell the person to limit their salt intake.  If that doesn't work, BP meds are necessary.    Another way to wreck your kidneys is to live with untreated high blood pressure.

I think it would be great for you to have a smart GP that will help you with your overall health, and analyze with you what all these other doctors are telling you.

I'm not on here much, but noticed you had surgery at hci.  Who did your procedure?  I had Dechet do mine about 18 months ago and couldn't be happier with the outcome.  Heading back to HCI Monday for follow-up scans.

Glad to hear you are on the recovery side of surgery. As you can see you will get lots of support and input from your new friends here. I'll add my two cents. I was born with one kidney, then had partial nephrectomy on the one - so I was pretty anxious about nutrition and probably went a bit overboard in the first year or two. I see a nephrologist, and as lab results stay stable (twice a year) and she is comfortable with the results, some things have added back in or relaxed. Sodium is the main thing I watch, and have cut down on protein (both hard initially for this carnivor.) Potassium can be an issue, and I think that is why the list of things you mentioned (avocados, nuts, dairy, dark greens, etc.) It really helped me to meet with a nutritionist/dietician initially - like through a hospital - and get an idea of what foods are high in what and which ones affect kidney. I've added back in everything you mentioned over the past two years and numbers stay stable. Other things I agree with - plenty of water (my nephrologist asks me to drink enough to eliminate 2 liters a day... which I don't always accomplish, but keep drinking) and the lemon you mention is good for avoiding stones. No ibuprophen! Someone asked about salt substitutes - too much potassium; I found Italian spice blend with no salt. Looks like AliceB and I took a similar learning path with nutritionist, hearbs and spices. But I wish I had been on here earlier to see her suggestions for soothing the scar! I also find the site davita.com really helpful - see the tabs "education" and "Diet & Nutrition." Balanced diet - moderation. As always, definitely check all these out with whatever healthcare provider you trust and becomes your regular go-to knowledge source.