On 5/3/2008
anniej wrote:
Mark,
Thank you so much for your message. Yesterday the nurse
mentioned that he should practice deep breathing, but I had never read
or heard that before. It makes sense. It's just so great to feel that
there's something we can do to help the recovery and I guess just have
a little control. Oh, and I was happy to hear that the recliner helped.
I surprised my husband with one. His surgery is Tuesday. He's
practicing reclining a lot already. :->
Just so I know, when
you say you were "uncomfortable' what do you mean? Was it terrible? I worry that the pain meds don't really do much for people. I don't want to
scare my husband (and we can't do anything about it anyway), but I
would rather know what other people have experienced. Our doctor told
us the recovery is extremely painful. Was that your experience?
And Mark, you have another tumor? What do they say about it? Are you okay? Sometimes this cancer sounds like Whack a Mole.
Thanks so much for your help. I hope you are doing well.
Annie
Annie,
Okay, maybe uncomfortable was an understatement. It is very difficult to get into a position that doesn't hurt like the devil the first week home. In the hospital you can adjust your bed, like a recliner. At home, on a flat bed, lying down put a lot of strain on the internal stitches where they sew the oblique muscles back together. I did find that if I laid on my side (either one), bottom leg straight, top leg bent and a pillow (preferably an old feather) wedged under my stomach (helps support internals and keeps you from rolling) I could sleep for a few hours. I don't understand the incision descriptions from some of the others, mine was 11" long and through several muscles. It was quite painful. Also, ask your doc about the incision, prepare your husband for the post-nephretomy "bulge". If he is picky, as I am, about how his clothes fit and his apperance (8 years Marine Corps kinda does that to your).......he won't like it.
Yep, 2.4 cm in the right kidney. Went in for RF Ablation on April 7th, went home April 8th, played golf April 11th and came back to work, here in Iraq, on the 25th. I go home in August for another MRI, may have to do one more burn. Then.....we watch for more and play Whack-a-Mole, as you so appropriately put it.
A quick story that may help you and hubby: Our head honcho came over here yesterday (May 3rd). He was coming out of the hangar as I was going in (I am a helicopter mech). He tells me he is rather upset that no one told him that I was sick again. I just smiled and replied; "I'm not sick, I just have cancer." It floored him at first, then it sunk in and he laughed all the way back to his room.
YOU ARE ONLY AS SICK AS YOU LET YOURSELF BE AND I AM NOT SICK.
I'm not going to say "good luck tomorrow" because you don't need it!!! Everything will be just fine.......we are all in God's hands now.
OKAY, OKAY......GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!!!!!!!!
Mark