I was diagnosed with RCC almost 1 year ago, emergency radical nerphrectomy was performed. I did not have any treatments nor was I put on any kind of medication. I have been monitored very closely, and I am participating in a cancer drug research. The surgeon that did my nerphrectomy said that he "took every thing out on that side that I did not need." I also have hypothryoidism, half of my thryoid, and take medication for that. If my thryoid medicine is not just right, I have lots of issues with pain. The research medicine that I have been taking seems to mess with the thryoid function. I have been cancer free since 3/26/07. I have a bulge and pain at the surgery sight. I had some nerve blocks last year, however, I am having problems, again. When my urologist suggested that it could be a hernia and sent me to a general surgeon, the surgeon told me that pain and a bulge just went with having a kidney removed. He said I need some "pain management". In all of my research on renal cell carcinoma, I have never seen this information. I just discovered this sight, and wondered if anyone else had ever heard of this? Or if anyone else had ever been told that a bulge and pain goes with having a kidney removed?