Open Partial Nephrectomy

Hi I live in Australia and my partner discovered this website for me. I had an OPN to remove a 4cm Renal CC from my left side in November 2007 leaving a nice 14inch horizontal abdominal scar. The surgeon was able to save the kidney and from radiology tests since it would appear that my cancer has been cured simply by surgery for which I feel very blessed. After surgery there were few complications with a drain which was emplace wouldnt stop filling, a surgical stent was implaced and a cathetor to expedite the flow from the kidney to my bladder. This slowly resolved itself over the next 6-8 weeks. For many months after I was still exceptionally sore around the operation site, from my perspective cold weather didnt help it very much either. The sensation wasnt unsimilar to chinese burn/numby pins and needles not precisely on the op site but below and surrounding the operation area. after taking it easy for 5 months I was ablt to climb upto some light weight training, 4km walks but was still experiencing exceptional levels of pain as described before. I returned to the surgeon who admitted me straight away suggesting I had trapped nerves and that a simple nurse/doctor given of aneasthetic injections into the opsite would remedy the situation. This was 6 weeks ago, I went from walking 4kms and doing 30 situps to the following day of the inkection treatment to a wholly bruised side and finding it difficult to make it to the next room. The bruising has gone but my side now feels worse than ever, I am having issues were if I exert myself overly my left side is intensely painful and merely walking about the house I have sensations where i feel my left leg will give out. Since the injections I have not returned to exercise, I am on a Panadeine Forte regime of meds until a neuropath can see me this month. I am greatly concerned as for all intense purposes I am being told that I should be well over the opsite pain and surrounding issues. Im glad to have found this forum, does anybody have any suggestions or has had a similar experience after an OPN. I am also unaware of if I would be able to locally source a 'band' as mentioned in other posts here in Australia. Im fairly positive person and feel it must be something relatively straightforward to remedy once I find out someone who can identify why this is still occurring. Again very glad to find this forum, for those about to go through an OPN, YES There is and can be LIFE after cancer :D some roads will be short and some long but once its discovered and treated your halfway there.

To connect with others in your situation (including others in Australia), join the kidney-onc email support list.  See http://cancerguide.org/kofaq/ .