Hello everyone

I read some articles on the experiences of cancer and Nephrectomy a few months ago and it really helped me. I've decided to share my own experience and life journey with the hope of inspiring someone positively. 

I arrived in the UK in December 2018 for work. I'm a registered nurse at an NHS hospital. Since my arrival I had been experiencing recurrent UTIs which got worse on Sunday 5 May 2019 evening while working night shift. As I tried to help an elderly lady back to bed, I sprained my muscle and had excruciating back pain since then. The pain got worse, Wednesday I went to work but it was even worse than before. I then decided to consult on Thursday 9 May 2019 and was given a course of antibiotics which I took but the pain got even much worse that evening. The next day I went back to my Gp and informed him about the worsening pain and that's when he decided to run some blood tests and ordered an urgent ultrasound. The ultrasound was done on the 14th of May and the results were astonishing!!! I had a 10 x 9cm tumour on my left kidney!!!!!! This was the worst news in my life!!! The doctor explained to me that there was a big chance that it was cancerous!!! Oh my word!!! was I gonna die, I'm only 36, have 3 beautiful daughters and a husband! was I gonna have chemo? how about the pain? Is it going to be bad ? am I gonna loose my hair? Those were all the unanswered questions I had all the time. I was very depressed, was told thàt I had to wait to see a urologist within 2 wèeks. I got an appointment to see the urologist on 30th of May. Was I going to survive the wait? I was blessed to have my sister and her husband pay for a quick private consultation with whom I now call the best Urologist in town!!!! This man instilled hope in me and helped relieve most of my fears and stress. 

I was then booked for left robot assisted radical Nephrectomy which was done on 10 June 2019. Ive had 3 cesarean sections in the past but this was the worst procedure ever!! The pain that i felt  was as if i was run over by a bus!!! I was in excruciating pain from the time they woke me up from anaesthetic! The pain was bad!!! very bad, considering the fact that I had epidural and general anaesthetic!! 

I slept in hospital for the night, had the catheter removed and i started walking the next day post op. The pain was bad but was better everyday. I was on Oxycodone and paracetamol at home, had DVT stockings on, which I was given on discharge as well as Deltaparin injections to prevent some blood clots. I was blessed to have my mother, husband, and my whole family support me throughout this difficult time. The next few days were hectic, I could not grasp anything with my hands until I think 2 to 3 weeks post op, I struggled and suffered with constipation though I was taking laxatives, my first day was the worst! 

The pain got better after about 3 weeks! I also went for my review after 3 weeks, I got the best news ever!!! I was cancer free!!! The tumour was a benign/ non cancerous  tumour, common with young women my age!!! All praise to the most High God!!! I never stopped praying through it all! God is amazing! Now I'm 6 weeks post op, started work this week, I'm on light duty and phased work as i work in a very busy and strenuous ward! 

I still have back pain and my biggest wound is still painful internally but i was told that it would take a while to be fully recovered, i had 6 small holes on my tummy and one large one next to my ceasar cut(pubic line).

I wish everyone on this forum a speedy recovery and I urge u all not to lose hope and to maintain a positive attitude!