Side effects after surgery

FormerMember
FormerMember
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Hi, I was diagnosed In March with 10cm tumour on my left kidney and a half centermetre tumour in my bladder the op was done very quickly because of covid just flaring up. My left kidney was removed and the small one in my bladder scraped out. The tumour on my kidney was a chromophobe which had stayed within the kidney T2 M0N0 and the consultant said I am now cancer free. Six months on and I'm doing OK other than the pain on my right side from my shoulder down, it comes and goes but is a constant I also suffer from light headedness and  a feeling of tightness in my throat which I've been told could be anxiety. I have had a blood test since and all is OK and I'm due my six month scan in a couple of weeks I just can't get rid of the feeling somthing is wrong with my other kidney although the only symptom I have is the above. My consultant did say I was on my right side for quite sometime during the operation so that may account for the pain. Does anyone else have any of these?

One other thing I was not told about was my left testicle has really swollen and not gone down I was told this can happen  but they don't seem to concerned? I'm only 42 and never really been ill before so this has all knocked me sideways. 

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hi Romulas

    I read Gragon once say that every pain we have we associate with the cancer / treatment and that it's not always the case. I wonder with your shoulder whether that could be worth looking into. It may have started with the op, but could be something like an impingement? If you have a good physio it could well be worth going to see them to see if they have any thoughts.

    With regard to testicular swelling - this is an excellent piece describing why it may occur, specifically in left sided nephrectomies. If there is good news, its that it is relatively common and there is an understanding why. It also seems to rectify over time more often than not and would explain why your team maybe don't seem concerned. I hope it helps.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3954321/#:~:text=Swelling%20typically%20lasted%20from%20a,remained%20since%20the%20LDN%20procedure.

    Take care
    Jo

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to FormerMember

    Thank you for your reply. Yes I was thinking the same regarding physio. Im sure once I get this scan out the way in a couple of weeks I'll feel better, dealing with the mental side of this awful illness seems a much harder battle

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to FormerMember

    It is. Your mental health is probably the most important thing you can try to manage right now. Let oncology do their thing and concentrate on what you can make a real difference to. And don't be afraid to ask for support if you feel you need it. Macmillan will help you with your mental health as well as your physical.

    Also, I don't know if you've been told this but apparently it's extremely rare to get cancer in both kidneys. I was told this when I had my nephrectomy and I've heard it several times since. Hope that is a small comfort.
    X