Nephrectomy

[feduplady]

I am 3 months post op and still look about 8 months pregnant! Usually a trim size 10, have had no weight gain. Was out of hospital in an amazing 24 hours my consultant/surgeon was calling me Wonder Woman! I would welcome any feed back as I still also have tenderness around stomach but not from the main incision.

[Dedalus]

I was told that the nephrectomy would cause muscle damage, and that I would never have the same muscle-tone again (which is a small thing to give up for the removal of cancer, in my case). Also, I still have some 'tenderness' if I lean against anything - and it is 5 years since my op - however, I am a great believer in having your mind 'put to rest' so to speak, so I would contact your consultant and ask for an appointment, or even phone appointment. Best of luck.

[feduplady in reply to Dedalus]

Thank you so much, I was beginning to think I was being a wimp. My surgeon had told me mine was difficult to remove, having attached itself to my bowel & because he had to avoid all grafts & old scars from a bi-femoral Aortic by-pass that I had 4 yrs ago. My concern is just from a tiny incision by my navel which I can,t bear to touch and is surrounded by a fist size dark patch which looks like a bruise under the skin.

I will be seeing my consultant again so will bring this to his attention.

Now I know it is just loss of muscle tone causing the fat tum and nothing sinister, like you, I think it's a small price to pay.

Thanks

[Hidden]

Hello feduplady (love that) It is a long time ago since I had my left kidney removed, and I don't know if you have had other invasive surgery. So just in case this might help you feel better about things here goes. All invasive surgery involved a certain degree of man-handling of ones inner bits. that and the fact that they seem to fill your innards with air, causes pain in areas other than the incision site. Your bod has had a bit of a pounding, and naturally it will take some time for all your bits to feel better about being man-handled. Three months is quite normal to feel some tenderness still. But as the old saying goes - if you are worried - check it out with either (a) your doc or (b) your hospital on your next out-patient visit. I can honestly say I am speaking from experience; at the last count my renal surgeries amounted to 13. Here's wishing you good health from here on in. x

[feduplady in reply to Hidden]

Hi Doeidea,

Wow you've certainly had plenty of renal surgery.

I had a bi-lateral Aorta by-pass a few years ago, very major & opened up from chest to groin, I was told in quite graphic detail what that op would entail so was quite prepared for many months of aches & pains whilst my bits and bobs inside sorted themselves out!

Mine was a medullary(sponge) kidney that had given me a lifetime of pain, kidney stones & infections before it ceased to work after another bout of septicaemia . I wasn't given much info prior to the nephrectomy & just told not to lift anything heavy for a couple of weeks post surgery. I have wrongly treated this op as a minor procedure & am really grateful for advice given.

I am to see my renal consultant next week as my right kidney is causing a problem so will ask a few questions.

Take care & thanks

[Hidden in reply to feduplady]

Aw feduplady, Come on love, it isn't all bad news. Life is full of ups and downs, Hang on to whatever renal function you have for as long as you can - dialysis is no picnic it is what keeps others alive. As long as we few have the bottle to do as we are told our kidney (or whats left of them) will chug along. I think the downside to CKD is that along with the obvious, we get other aches and pains, but only we know just what they feel like. Like you what is left of my right kidney plays up, anything from a constant dull ache to a sharp stabbing pain (reminiscent of the stones - but not as severe) depression too is our lot, I have yet to meet a renal patient who didn't get depressed. renal disease is a miserable thing to live with. Itching, tiredness, nausea, infections to name a few plague our lives.

To be perfectly honest, I have lived a better kind of life since I cut out all the fun things, like gin and tonic, red meat, cheese, in fact most protein (but that is peculiar to my disease I am not diagnosing or suggesting). I am mostly vegetarian now, some days I long to get my teeth around a really good piece of steak - then I start thinking vampires and wooden stakes (sorry my sick humour) and the yearning goes.

One day I hope to meet someone who also has cystinurea, just so we will have something in common.

Meanwhile, I have considered asking the surgeon to fit a zip, just to make access easier. By the sound of your biggy - they tried that.

Oh, by the way, did they tell you that your remaining kidney will grow to pick up the slack so to speak? It does.

Hope I haven't depressed you too much, keep your chin up, if you feel really down visit your doc and get some happy pills ..................trust me they really help.

Meanwhile my real name is Doreen, anytime you want to chat xxx

[poppydolly]

did you have one or both kidneys removed? I had one removed in March and the tenderness pain etc has only just gone. my abdomen is still numb around the incision though. my remaining kidney (right one) has flopped over so it is lying across my abdomen. when I said this to the surgeon he mocked me but when he examined me he said I was correct. my friends tell me that I look even more pregnant than I did before and I am sure that the remaining kidney is rapidly increasing in size so much so I am considering having it removed but am loath to do so as it is still working and producing urine.

[bez777 in reply to poppydolly]

Hi I had left kidney removed 40 yrs ago...right kidney now 3 times normal size. Been on water tablets 40 years. Look after yourselves....try and keep healthy.

[poppydolly]

did you have one or both kidneys removed? I had my left one (5kg) removed in march this year and still feel some discomfort occasionally and the area of the surgery is still numb. my remaining kidney has flopped over although the surgeon mocked me when I said this he had to take it back when he examined me. my friends say I look more pregnant than I did before and I am sure that the remaining one is growing rapidly so much so that I am considering having it removed but am oath to do so because it is still working and producing urine.

[Hidden in reply to poppydolly]

Dear Poppydolly, What are you feeding your kidney, 5kg - wow, my grandson came in at that weight, he looked like a three month old instead of a newborn. Don't worry about your shape, it is what is inside that counts. If your other kidney is still working - hang on until the bitter end, your own plumbing is always preferable to a man-made system. You didn't say what your disease was called (or have you given it your own name for it)?

I call mine Kate - her partner Sidney is long gone, so Kate struggles on alone (brave girl).

If you don't mind my saying, I would tell my friends to keep their opinions to themselves, fancy saying that to you - don't they realize you will be feeling very fragile, besides who wants to be told that Humph!

After 66 years of putting up with Kate and Sidney mucking about, I think I am pretty well versed in all the tricks they can play on a body. The trick, I believe, is not to mind just as long as the little darlings keep on working, especially when one has bailed out and you are left with little old Kate, doing her best.

Like you my Kate grew up very quickly once Sidney was gone, I was worried she was going to turn out to be a real bruiser, she still likes to make her presence felt, but hey as long as she keeps working she can moan all she likes.

I do hope I have managed to make you smile, more than that I hope you are feeling better.

Hugs Doreen