Hello again John :)

I'm sure some of our members will get back to you soon but I just thought I'd give you our cancer nurses telephone number in case you wanted to have a quick chat with them about this. They're available on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

Wishing you all the best for the 25th.

Kind regards,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello 

Sorry to hear your nes but maybe too help a bit my experiience is below.

I had what they call a Radical open Nafrectomy (excuse the spelling) 2.5 years ago. This means my right kidney and associated Lymph node was completely removed. The surgery and recover were ok and i left hospital after 5 days. They sent me home with Fragmin injections to prevent clots which my wife quite enjoyed administering, cant think why ?. After about 6 weeks i was more or less back to normal and back at work fulltime. I have CT scans every 6 months now and the only diffrence i have noticed since the operation is localised numbness at the scar site but not its entire length which i dont even even notice anymore. It is a daunting prospect but look foward to cracking on with life after the op. Since my Op i now have a new baby son to go with my 2 adult children. If you have any questions about my experinece happy to help in anyway. 

Hi Nic.R

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. My operation went ahead as planned, keyhole. 3, inch long scars to lower right back and a 5 inch scar to lower right abdomen,  just above belt line. They will lay you on your right side, all this is done when they put you asleep. Operation went well about 3/ half hours ,and was home the next day, evening. Armed with pain killers and anti blood clot injections.. get yourself a pillow to press against your side to cough/ sneeze and really to protect yourself, especially if you've got lively dog or kids.. etc. I kept moving, walking around the house, building up from there... don't go over doing it, as possibility of a hernia, which can cause major problems. I asked about diet and consultant said no need to follow a special diet, but in your mind, having one kidney makes you think more about, diet. Thanks for info on Facebook... I will take a peak... you will be in good hands, and they explain everything to you.. remember that pillow, turned out to be my best mate for a while.

Regards

Johnnyc

Hi JohnnyC - I hope you are on the mend now. I was diagnosed with kidney cancer 9.5 years ago but can still remember the early days well. You will need a good 3 months off work and maybe even a phased return with no lifting or long periods of standing for a while afterwards. You'll need to speak to your GP about that nearer the time. I remember thinking that I was ready to return to an office job 10 weeks after surgery and my GP saying no. I was so glad he did - when I got back to work, I found I tired really quickly for a while. 

I would also add that, if you try anything too soon, you may end up giving yourself a hernia around the surgery site (I have one, as have many others who also tried too much too soon).

As far as I know, no special diet but be careful about salt intake. The most important thing with kidneys is to maintain good hydration, so drink plenty of water every day.

If you are on Facebook, I can highly recommend a group for patients and their families called Kidny Cancer Support Network - there is so much useful information in there.

All the best.