Kidney Cancer

[nene1]

I had my right kidney removed June 15, 2009. I had a 7cm tumor. It has been a little over 3 mo. I still am tired. I don't sleep well, still have some discomfort. I think this is normal, but my husband thinks I should be feeling better and have more energy. Can someone explain how long it takes.
Thanks, Nene

[gborin]

There are a lot of factors which affect recovery time. I was a generally healthy 59 year old male when I had a 2.6 cm tumor and kidney removed laporscopically. I generally felt better and able to engage in most normal activities in about 90 days. The swelling from the surgery took about a year to go down. Obviously your tumor was larger than mine and may have been removed with a general surgical incision instead of laporscopically which could make your full recovery take longer. Obviously you are going to have to address these questions with your doctor. I did go water skiing 10 months after my surgery (10-15 minutes and no falls). Now 7 years later I feel I have less energy than before which is no doubt caused by the fact that I am 66 not a young kid of 59 any more.

[sbondwil]

I do not know. I had an open, partial nephrectomy to remove a malignant tumor on my right kidney on August 11, 2009. Very painful recovery. I feel a lot better. Sometimes, I think I feel sleepy due to depression, but otherwise, except for the continued pain, here and there, from the surgery, because they basically touch everything. They had to even spread my rib cage to pull out my kidney to remove the mass. I understand that a total nephrectomy is not as painful as a partial, but who knows. I would think that you should be feeling better. And, if not, I would think that I would go to my doctor with my concerns and/or a psychiatrist to perhaps go on an antidepressant, which I am basically opposed to at this point, because the liver and kidneys filter all toxins and drugs, and it is believed that pain medication may or may not contribute to Kidney Cancer; especially, ibuprofen. However, acetometophen (msp.) is harmful to your liver. I've always taken ibuprofen.

One of the symptoms of Kidney Cancer is fatigue. Mine was found, because they thought I had appendicitis, and the radiologist just happened to see the mass in my right kidney. But, aside from that, I would be so tired that sometimes I didn't think I was going to make it through the day and driving home I was afraid I was going to fall asleep at the wheel.

I agree with your husband. Go to your doctor. Have them do another CT Scan with contrast. Test your bones; lungs; liver; abdomen, etc. Continue until you rule out everything physically. Intestines, etc. I think they say that kidney cancer has a tendancy to spread to the lungs, bones, or intestines. And, after all tests have been completed, and they are free, as free as they can be, then think about possible antidepressants and/or some type of holistic medication for depression. I do not want to put anything in my body anymore that I do not absolutely have to have.

Sasa Bond-Williams