CancerCompass message board discussion started by teddy0513 on 6/21/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,25276,0.htm Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ hi all. i,m going in for my surgery on tuesday june 24th.  the dr said he will try in by doing it lap, but if any trouble will convert it to an open radical neph.  i am 33 yrs old and otherwise in good health. to say that being scared would put it mildly.  to be honest im not even sure what to expect after the surgery. i know there will be bad pain and discomfort, but as far as emotional or mental after effects i have no clue.  the shock still hasnt hit me yet, but is becoming more surreal.  the severity of this is beyond my comprehension because all of this started from what was supposed to be a minor shoulder surgery. everybody that has spoken to me family friends etc has said i should be relaxing and trying to calm down. all i can think about is my wife and her being alone. just the thought of not seeing her after the surgery is killing me and i just wish there was truly a way to know if ill be ok and make it through.  if there is anybody whos been through a smiliar situation id appreciate it to hear from you. thank you very muchanthony teddy0513 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 6/21/2008 teddy0513 wrote:hi all. i,m going in for my surgery on tuesday june 24th.  the dr said he will try in by doing it lap, but if any trouble will convert it to an open radical neph.  i am 33 yrs old and otherwise in good health. to say that being scared would put it mildly.  to be honest im not even sure what to expect after the surgery. i know there will be bad pain and discomfort, but as far as emotional or mental after effects i have no clue.  the shock still hasnt hit me yet, but is becoming more surreal.  the severity of this is beyond my comprehension because all of this started from what was supposed to be a minor shoulder surgery. everybody that has spoken to me family friends etc has said i should be relaxing and trying to calm down. all i can think about is my wife and her being alone. just the thought of not seeing her after the surgery is killing me and i just wish there was truly a way to know if ill be ok and make it through.  if there is anybody whos been through a smiliar situation id appreciate it to hear from you. thank you very muchanthony                              Hi! Anthony                                               I know what you're going thru, I went down that road 11yrs. ago The sugery wi;; leave you a bit sore for sure but in time it will ease. Get out of bed as soon as you can, walk as much as you can. That will get you back to normal the quickest. I was out for approx. 8 weeks before I could return to work. Then it took about a year return to what I now call normal.Keep you thoughts positive and know it will be alright. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted on your recovery and if you need to talk anytime I'm here along with many on this site who have gone down this same road.  Take Care     John jorolo1 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Dear AnthonyI have just read your message, and even as we speak you are probably in theatre. I wish I'd read it yesterday and replied, as I could tell you that my own husband (twenty years older than you) had his rad neph three weeks ago yesterday. He's doing pretty well! Like you, his surgeon had hoped to do keyhole, but had to resort to open (six hour op!), so he's got three holes and a sharkbite (plus a lung drain) (my husband, not the surgeon, I should point out :) ! He was only in hospital five days in all, including two in immediate post-op intensive care (diaphragm had to be pierced to clean off the tumour). He went in for the op Monday pm, and was home Friday pm - and walking!  And that wasn't regarded as unusual, I promise you. So, I do hope when you get to read this, or maybe your wife can read them as well, you will have had a similar positive experience. My husband dreaded the op (even without the KC), and he really had to steel himself for it - but he's come through well, and so, I do hope, will you,My husband was pretty much up and about from the day he came home, and going for walks around the houses in what is currently a lovely British summer (and good weather is cheering him up, I know).Yes, we are scared - I am scared for him, and he is scared for me, and we are both scared for our son (who only knows his Dad has had to have his kidney out, not that the battle is not yet won completely!).But, like you, we are so, so fortunate to be living at an age when there is more hope and promise for those families like ours, and also to be living in the developed world, and not having to cope with this in the middle of a third world country. We know we have the best that modern medicine can offer - and medicine that is getting better, and better all the time.  I do hope you make a good recovery. This period of initial diagnosis (ours was out of the blue, like so many, I understand) and emergency surgery is truly terrifying, but boy, is it 'character forming' (British understatement there!)All the very best to you and your family."Dum spiro spero - while I breathe I hope" (our new family motto!)  JulieUK Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Anthony - hope & pray your surgery went well.  If the surgeon says s/he believes s/he got all the cancer w/ the kidney, i.e. "clean margins", you will probably be scheduled for CT scans at 6 month intervals for a year or two, w/ no other treatment unless the scans detect lesions somewhere.  That is what happened w/ my wife, & the scans were clear for the 1st two years, but then she went for a year, & @ the 3d anniversary of her surgery they found lesions on both lungs & her liver.  She is now on Sutent, & the next scan will be in August.  What I would ask the oncologist if I were in your shoes, based on this experience, is why you could not take one of the new drugs, like Sutent, as a prophylactic.  Do not put all your faith in the medical expert you are dealing w/, do not be afraid to ask Qs, or to get 2d or even 3d opinions, even if you have to pay for them yourself.  It is better to be proactive than to take things as they seem to be & hope for the best.  My prayers are w/ you. Pax. stgooch Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT