Hi Annie and Sundial, 

Thank you very much for your kind words! 

I will try to keep up the positive spirits. Hopefully everything will work out in the end once the tumour is removed:)

Best Wishes,

Dan 

Hi Dan, how are you doing? Like the others I'm really sorry to hear that they have found that is cancer but all the available research says that long term prospects once the kidney and tumour have been removed are really excellent. I had my kidney and tumour removed by keyhole surgery and was out of hospital in three days and back to work in six weeks. I definitely was well enough to go back after four weeks but had a holiday first. It's now just over three months since I had surgery and I think I'm 100% recovered physically, and also emotionally. It's a big thing to have happen to you and I hope you don't try to rush things too much once you're home. Thinking of you. Caroline.x

Hi Folks,

I ve a bit of an update here. 

I underwent kidney removal surgery yesterday at 8:30 am. Despite it being key hole surgery I am still under a lot off pain. 

I was for 2 hours in ICU to get my pain under control. The morphine seems to be working but the side effects are something else. The nurses are not too happy with my breathing capabilities so I'm back on the oxygen now. 

Hopefully the catheter will be removed tomorrow so I can be a bit more mobile :)

Best Regards, 

Daniel 

Dan, how nice of you to come and give us an update so soon after your surgery and suffering such pain and breathing problems.  I know everything can go haywire after an operation so am looking forward to your body settling down and your feeling more comfortable.  Hope you have a good night.  Annie

Hi Folks, 

A bit of an update here.

Tomorrow three weeks ago I underwent keyhole kidney removal surgery. 

So far the recovery is going well but it's still a long way to go to get even close to normality. 

The first week after the op was the worst. The pain was only bearable with morphine. I was also told that they had to open me up a bit more than expected (the incision where they removed  the kidney is approximately 15cm instead of 5 cm). On top of this I had breathing issues and my blood pressure went through the roof  (I never had blood pressure issues prior to the op ). 

As a bloke I was kind of worried about having the catheter but it didn't bother me at all tbh.

I was released from hospital the following Monday but was still in a good bit of pain. Unfortunately I wasn't given any morphine anymore and had to take paracetamol which wasn't really effective. 

That said three days later the pain was getting less and I only had to take painkillers during the night. 

My other issue was that I couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep  (hospital beds are great as you can adjust everything ). I was also restless during the night and very anxious. I had very negative thoughts and was constantly thinking of what if the cancer returns in other parts of my body i. e. lung, brain, bones etc. 

I was reassured by my consultant that there is only a very little chance that this can happen as I only had stage 1, grade 2 cancer. 

Two weeks after surgery these thoughts have disappeared. The pain has become less but I'm still not feeling like much. I also have constantly issues with my stomach and bowel (I'm pre-exposed as I have IBS since my childhood). My attention span is quite short and I'm constantly tired. I can only sit up for an hour or two and have to lie down afterwards. 

I try to get out of the house twice a day to walk up and down the road at snails pace to get some fresh air into me. 

Initially I was hoping to return to work after 4 weeks but this is not going to happen. My consultant gave me a cert for a minimum of 6 weeks so I will see how it goes. 

Best Regards, 

Daniel

Hiya Dan; lovely to hear from you.  Don't get yourself too distressed over the discomfort you are experiencing (easy for me to say, I know) - it will pass.    You have been through a lot since you first posted here and you are gradually coming out the other end of the tunnel.  Nothing is more important than your health and happiness with your family so share your thoughts with them.  It is not at all surprising to be at sixes and sevens after the upheaval you have had.  You are walking at snails pace; that is good - you are at least moving in the right direction.  You will get there.  It was never going to be easy.  Annie

Hi Dan 

Thanks for replying and how are you?

I had an appointment for the 19th Nov with urologist and just got a letter today and it is now 12th Mon.

You said about a biopsy but I get the impression they don't do them, but is that normal to have one done as I was told by the previous urology consultant that the kidney would be taken out or part of it.

I'm fed up, stressed and getting terrible anxiety, everything has been so slow.

I went for a ct scan for something else in July 18 asked about scan, told nothing, got a phone call on 24th Sep to say 'don't worry about wording in letter that said mass had been found'  but I never received the letter to this day.  Was sent for another ct scan, more detailed then the long wait, finally seen by a urologist who basically said it looks like a cancer, in the office with him for about 10min, told me i would be referred to another hospital as thats were the surgeons are, world turned upside down then back out the office door.  

You have had your operation did you have keyhole as im on your introductory page and typing from my phone, how soon did you have operation after seeing consultant. You said about being heavy was this a problem as I'm overweight and worried about operation.

How are your family dealing with everything and how is your little girl now that you have had the operation.

Sorry I'm asking a lot of questions.

Thank you for replying to me 

Shelly 

Thanks Annie. 

The recovery is slowly but steady. 

Best wishes, 

Dan

Hi Shelly, 

No probs. 

The time line from the first x-ray to surgery is approximately 4.5 months. This was a very difficult time for all of us. Not knowing what is going to happen puts you constantly on edge. 

I saw my Surgeon / Consultant in the beginning of August and had surgery on the 16th October. 

How did you get on with your appointment on Monday? 

I had a biopsy done as my tumour was quite small so the consultant wanted to be 100% sure if it is malignant or not as he didn't want to remove a healthy kidney  (partial surgery was not an option became of the location of the mass).

I have had my kidney removed via keyhole surgery. Due to some complications the surgeon had to enlarge one incision from 5cm to 15cm. I also had breathing issues and high blood pressure right after the op. Apart from this recovery is going quite well now.

I hope to be able to return to work in a couple of weeks to get back to normality. I'm still anxious regarding re-curring cancer or secondary cancer. I also hope that the remaining kidney won't cause me any issues down the line. 

My wife and daughter have been great with helping me and giving moral support :) 

Best Wishes, 

Dan