My Operation.....

Would it help if you spoke to the surgeon about the process?

You are usually asked before you go into theatre what operation you are having and your identity is checked.  Additionally, there's a process called a timeout which happens in the operating theatre before surgery begins.  This is to ensure that the right procedure is being performed on the right patient and at the right site.  

Pre-operative fears are really common and there should be someone at the hospital who can walk you through the process they have in place to prevent surgical errors.

Hi  and welcome to the Online Community, although I am am always sorry to see folks finding us and so sorry to hear about your kidney cancer diagnosis and the concerns you have.

There are a lot of protocols in place so this will not happen but do talk with your consultant about your fears.

A cancer diagnosis brings a lot of confusion, stress and many questions but talking with other people who are on the same type of journey helps a lot.

The Community has various support groups and I see you have joined to our Kidney cancer group, this is the place where you will connect with others walking the same treatment journey both as patient or family.

Follow the link I've created above then introduce yourself and post questions selecting '+New' or '+' (depending on your device) you can also join in with existing discussions by clicking on 'reply'. 

It’s always good to talk - our Macmillan Support Services provides lots of ways to connect. The service is open every day 8am to 8pm and it's free to call. Clicking here will give you more information.

You can also email them, use the online chat and we also have our Ask an Expert section, but do allow two working days for replies from our expert team.

Our Online Information and Support Section  is a good place to find information covering diagnosis, treatments and pages covering most types of cancers.

All the very best.

Mike - Thehighlander

It always seems impossible until its done - Nelson Mandela

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Wow wat you've endured is beyond cruelty.... amazing that you are still positive, having strong family & friends is essential.  It seems with me that my thoughts have focused on one thing & one thing only, if I try to think of other things my mind says 'nope you're not going to think of anything else, this is all for now".... if I have to process one aspect of my journey at this rate will take a long time. Last night I had a very vivid dream of my planned op, but yes they were on the wrong side.... I'm having a short break this coming weekend so maybe I could break this cycle, we will see, thanks for Yr reply.....

Hi again, LOL, we all need to do what we need to do to get through this rollercoaster and yes, even after a very long journey I am still around and doing great - there is always hope out there.

A short break is a great way to clear the head and indeed we did this before both my Stem Cell Transplants.

Sleep is a fun thing when you can get it!!

Could I recommend that you prepare for your next appointment with your team. I would always recommend you get an old fashioned note book. The note book is the place where you record EVERY question that comes to mind. The note book goes to all appointments and when the Consultant says ‘have you any questions?’ the note book comes out.

A lot of people freeze at this point and are overwhelmed by information. So you can say ‘yes we have some question’ you go through each question one by one, making sure you write down all the answers you get. If you don’t understand something you stop the Consultant and ask them to put into language that you understand and remember the record everything they say and again if you don't understand, fold your arms and say 'explained that so we understand' You don't want to be going home after an appointment saying 'I wish we has asked ........'

The note book also helps your sleep!! As these questions often come at silly-o’clock so get the note book out and write the thoughts down and park them - it does help a lot.

In 'normal' circumstances I would always recommend that there should be two people at appointments as two pair of ears take in far more and the onlooker will catch the stuff the patient will not hear. But in COVID times I would recommend that you go have a cup of coffee/tea with someone straight after the appointment and unpack what had been said so that a clear understanding is made and with this you can plan to move forward.

All the very best.