Kidney removal

su-su
su-su Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Kidney Cancer #1
I had my Kidney removed on Aug 3rd 2005, how long does it normally take to regain strength and get past the pain???

Comments

  • kpop
    kpop Member Posts: 2
    #2
    I had a right total nephrectomy mid-march 2005. Getting your strength and pain controlled depends on several factors...age, how good of shape you were in prior to surgery, pain tolerance...I consider myself in pretty good shape, I'm in my mid-40's and was back to work part-time (1/2 days) in 3 weeks with no pain meds. I took percocet for 3-4 days after I was home from the hospital then switched to tylenol. Feeling like you have your full energy level back takes some time. I didn't feel 100% for several months. I wish you a speedy recovery and cancer free future! Kris
  • Chicago
    Chicago Member Posts: 73 Member
    #3
    Hey Su,

    Good news on getting the all-clear.

    Recovery is going to depend on a lot of factors. There are the usual ones of age, health, strength, etc. But a big, big factor is what kind of operation you had.

    For example, since you had the whole kidney out, you may have had the laporoscopic operation, which is much easier to recover from. The internal healing is actually somewhat trivial, since only two tubes need to seal over. The rest is the whole they make in the outside to pull the kidney through.

    If you had the full operation though, I'd give it a full month at least before you're really back on your feet. It took me that long, and I was 36, very strong, and in otherwise excellent health. I saw others take two months before being able to go back to desk jobs.

    And, if you had a rib removed, I'd give it even more time. Apparently, the rib thing makes it so much more painful and slow to heal (4 months before I was able to sleep on that side again).

    Just relax, take care of yourself, and toast to your good fortune that you seem to have got to it in time.
  • urkabsd
    urkabsd Member Posts: 37
    #4
    hi,
    depending on your age, health before surgery and your activity level, your recovery could vary. i am 58 and had my entire left kidney removed and a rib and lymph nodes on the left side removed in march of 2005. i was walking 1/2 mile a day within a week and then a mile within 1 months but i set my recovery back by doing too much too early! because i felt better and was so anxious to feel better i went too fast. i now have "the bulge" on my left side and about 3 months after the surgery didn't do as well. it has been 6 months now and i have not been on anything other than regular tylenol for 4 months, i just can't stand taking drugs, but i still have a lot of fatigue and if i don't stretch and exercise, my left side really hurts. i have about a 16 inch incision that healed beautifully on the outside but i had inflammation according to the cat scans until my 5th month. these message boards are great and they keep you from going paranoid about every little ache and pain. god bless you and i hope you do just great!
    kathie
  • su-su
    su-su Member Posts: 5
    #5
    kpop said:

    I had a right total nephrectomy mid-march 2005. Getting your strength and pain controlled depends on several factors...age, how good of shape you were in prior to surgery, pain tolerance...I consider myself in pretty good shape, I'm in my mid-40's and was back to work part-time (1/2 days) in 3 weeks with no pain meds. I took percocet for 3-4 days after I was home from the hospital then switched to tylenol. Feeling like you have your full energy level back takes some time. I didn't feel 100% for several months. I wish you a speedy recovery and cancer free future! Kris

    Thank you KPOP for replying on your surgery. It is really nice to hear you are doing great! I'm 53 years old and in great shape and I had (RCC) cancer. Was told 85-90% chance it won't come back.I will be praying on that one. I had the old-fashioned surgery done, with the large incision. I just wanted to make sure they got the all the cancer...no room for error..Ha!Ha!
    It has been about five weeks since surgery, doing much better now, I'm using tylenol also and not as tired as I was. I will be starting back to work Sept 12th...we will see how I do the first day.
  • su-su
    su-su Member Posts: 5
    #6
    Chicago said:

    Hey Su,

    Good news on getting the all-clear.

    Recovery is going to depend on a lot of factors. There are the usual ones of age, health, strength, etc. But a big, big factor is what kind of operation you had.

    For example, since you had the whole kidney out, you may have had the laporoscopic operation, which is much easier to recover from. The internal healing is actually somewhat trivial, since only two tubes need to seal over. The rest is the whole they make in the outside to pull the kidney through.

    If you had the full operation though, I'd give it a full month at least before you're really back on your feet. It took me that long, and I was 36, very strong, and in otherwise excellent health. I saw others take two months before being able to go back to desk jobs.

    And, if you had a rib removed, I'd give it even more time. Apparently, the rib thing makes it so much more painful and slow to heal (4 months before I was able to sleep on that side again).

    Just relax, take care of yourself, and toast to your good fortune that you seem to have got to it in time.

    Hi Chicago, thanks for replying. I did not have the Laporoscopic surgery done, I wanted the old fashioned way, with the big incision. I did not care whether there was a scar or not. Unlike you, they did not take my Rib out, just the whole Kidney. This is my fifth month and I'm now on Tylenol and not as tired, but of course I have not been to work yet either. I go back Sept 12th, we will see how I do then..Ha!Ha!
    By the way I'm 53 years, great health and I feel I'm a very positive and humorous type person. Having these qualities have helped me quite a bit, well of course with all the prayers from friends and the "Heavens Above"!! It was an eye opener, could not believe it when they first told me of the cancer, I thought it was some sort of a Hernia and actually the Internist was very surprise too! Was found by accident!
  • su-su
    su-su Member Posts: 5
    #7
    urkabsd said:

    hi,
    depending on your age, health before surgery and your activity level, your recovery could vary. i am 58 and had my entire left kidney removed and a rib and lymph nodes on the left side removed in march of 2005. i was walking 1/2 mile a day within a week and then a mile within 1 months but i set my recovery back by doing too much too early! because i felt better and was so anxious to feel better i went too fast. i now have "the bulge" on my left side and about 3 months after the surgery didn't do as well. it has been 6 months now and i have not been on anything other than regular tylenol for 4 months, i just can't stand taking drugs, but i still have a lot of fatigue and if i don't stretch and exercise, my left side really hurts. i have about a 16 inch incision that healed beautifully on the outside but i had inflammation according to the cat scans until my 5th month. these message boards are great and they keep you from going paranoid about every little ache and pain. god bless you and i hope you do just great!
    kathie

    Hi URKABSD,
    Thank you for replying. I did not have my Lymph Nodes taken out, just the right Kidney only. I had 21 staples taken out of my incision. I'm 53 years old and in good health. I'm going into my fifth month and just taking Tylenol and not as exhausted as I was before...gaaad!! I'm usually such a bee-bopper...Ha!Ha! My family and friends would laugh at me because they knew I love to visit my family and friends. I go back to work on Sept 12th, we will see how I do. I hope you start feeling better soon and the bulge will hoepfully go down. I will keep in touch!Take care!
    Take care!
  • lollync
    lollync Member Posts: 9
    #8
    Hi Su,
    My name is Larry Knight I am 54 and I had my right kidney removed 6-14-2004 it was 10cm stage 2 because of size only and totally contained to my kidney. I was back to work in 2 weeks and walking 3 miles every morning with in three,walking is very important,and for any one getting ready to have there kidney removed I did alot of reading before my operation and learned to get up and walk the next day which I did every couple of hours to help with recovery. I just had my one year (which was 2 months late) CT scans and blod work and everything was great. I feel great, have been on four trips over the past 14 months. Good luck you will be fine.
  • urkabsd
    urkabsd Member Posts: 37
    #9
    su-su said:

    Hi URKABSD,
    Thank you for replying. I did not have my Lymph Nodes taken out, just the right Kidney only. I had 21 staples taken out of my incision. I'm 53 years old and in good health. I'm going into my fifth month and just taking Tylenol and not as exhausted as I was before...gaaad!! I'm usually such a bee-bopper...Ha!Ha! My family and friends would laugh at me because they knew I love to visit my family and friends. I go back to work on Sept 12th, we will see how I do. I hope you start feeling better soon and the bulge will hoepfully go down. I will keep in touch!Take care!
    Take care!

    hi, sus-su,
    good luck with work. i hope to be going back on the 15th of september. i would have never thought i would have been out for 6 months!!!! i probably could have gone back but my doctors weren't really for it so i decided to take a long break. i still have a good bit of pain on that side when i am tired or don't stretch and exercise but most of the time it's ok. i am not blessed with your upbeat attitude but i am trying!!!!!
    i know that my prayers and that of friends and family is what has gotten me through these times. good luck and GOD bless,
    kathie
  • urkabsd
    urkabsd Member Posts: 37
    #10
    urkabsd said:

    hi, sus-su,
    good luck with work. i hope to be going back on the 15th of september. i would have never thought i would have been out for 6 months!!!! i probably could have gone back but my doctors weren't really for it so i decided to take a long break. i still have a good bit of pain on that side when i am tired or don't stretch and exercise but most of the time it's ok. i am not blessed with your upbeat attitude but i am trying!!!!!
    i know that my prayers and that of friends and family is what has gotten me through these times. good luck and GOD bless,
    kathie

    hi, su-su,
    you said that you had your surgery in augst of 'o5 but then you said you were in your fifth month?
  • urkabsd
    urkabsd Member Posts: 37
    #11
    lollync said:

    Hi Su,
    My name is Larry Knight I am 54 and I had my right kidney removed 6-14-2004 it was 10cm stage 2 because of size only and totally contained to my kidney. I was back to work in 2 weeks and walking 3 miles every morning with in three,walking is very important,and for any one getting ready to have there kidney removed I did alot of reading before my operation and learned to get up and walk the next day which I did every couple of hours to help with recovery. I just had my one year (which was 2 months late) CT scans and blod work and everything was great. I feel great, have been on four trips over the past 14 months. Good luck you will be fine.

    wow! larry that is an awesome report. do you have "the bulge" on your side? congrats on that great checkup!
  • KCFighter
    KCFighter Member Posts: 50
    #12
    su-su said:

    Thank you KPOP for replying on your surgery. It is really nice to hear you are doing great! I'm 53 years old and in great shape and I had (RCC) cancer. Was told 85-90% chance it won't come back.I will be praying on that one. I had the old-fashioned surgery done, with the large incision. I just wanted to make sure they got the all the cancer...no room for error..Ha!Ha!
    It has been about five weeks since surgery, doing much better now, I'm using tylenol also and not as tired as I was. I will be starting back to work Sept 12th...we will see how I do the first day.

    Hi Su - Glad to hear your spirits are high and things are going well. Where you considered stage I? How big was your tumor?

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