Recovering from rplnd

Hi Jonny,

I'm always humbled reading how you guys cope with RPLND, and your positive attitudes. I can't say if what you're experiencing is normal, but mightily impressed if this is all that ails you. You could ask your doctor for some antiemetic meds - they're damned effective during chemo.

I hope your appetite is coming back,

Greg

Hi, Jonny! I could say I was having nausea the first 2, maximum 3 days. And then I was feeling really hungry as I had not eaten for ages, it was like ages for me then. But I could not eat just whatever is cooked. I did that mistake about 3-4 times in Hospital, like eating sandwiches, pasta, some cooked food... and after eating I was feeling horrible, I was in pain. You should not eat much. Try to eat very little amount of food and often. This is one of the keys. It is better to keep on soups, and more watery food, avoid having bread etc. By the way I remember when I was feeling nausea... when you eat more than you should not, you get that feeling+ pain. I couldn't sleep all night once and I came to the end that it was because of the food I've eaten. Remember, little but often! I assume you are back home now if you are day 8 after RPLND. My first day home I was feeling very tired, bad, weak, I was feeling that I cannot stand it...I had some chocolate waffers and  I came back to world.  Hope you feel better and get well soon. It will be 8 months on Christmas Day since my RPLND, thanks God I am ok!

Hi patso84 

I was home day 4 after op, which I was panicking about, after a major op. I tried a Chinese the other night and found that was a big mistake, I just don't have my appetite back still but am hopeful it will come back soon, I have lost a good bit of weight by looking at my legs and arms but to be honest I could afford to lose a few stone. That's good things are going well for you, I am back up to see my oncologist on Friday to find out what was in the nodes and what kind of surveillance I will be on.

Kind regards 

Jon

I wish you a good luck, mate! You will be ok, and you will get back your apetite  But as I said, be very careful with the food first two weeks, soups, tea (herbs or fruit tea may be), and after two weeks start adding other foods to your menu slowly, one by one. My previous GP advised me that I should start exactly like a baby with the food. This is what will gonna make you feel ok. By the way nobody in hospital did say about any diet, neither drs or nurses. But believe me, you should be on a diet, otherwise you start feeling a very bad discomfort in your tummy, like bloating, gases which do not come out as normally were before, it is a bit an effort. I am naturally slim by the way, but I did not realise how much weight I have lost until started to eat better, and feeling better, went on the scale and surprisingly my weight was pretty down (I have not lost that much when I was on Chemo)...and I thought if it now is like that, what it was then before starting eating better...As I am looking at some pictures, it was less than a month when I was up and about, walking outside, still in pain and slowly tho. You should take it very easy, do not rush. Your healing is important now. Take care!

Plamen

Thanks very much for that chum. I have had no painkillers since Thursday, that's 8 days post op, my surgeon sayed he will give me stitches as long as it was not a 12hr op, was not far from it, it was 9 and half hrs and I ended up with desolvable stitches, wound is healing very nicely, I will let you know pathology results on Friday, I wish you all the best and speak soon.

Many thanks 

Jon

Hi, Jon! Any news from your pathology results? I hope everything is fine, and you feel much better now.

God bless!

Plamen

Hi patso84

Yes I got my pathology results on Friday, they removed 50 odd nodes and there was a few that had teratoma, there was one that was mostly teratoma but right in the middle of it there was a tiny amount of active cancer em carcinoma  (tiny percent) but there was good clearance around what was removed, they are just keeping a close eye on me for now as the em carcinoma give out tumor markers (so oncologist said). 

Recovery wise doing well, still not eating much (appetite wise) but think it's getting there slowly and energy is still low but hopefully that will come back soon.

Many thanks 

Jon

Hi! Good to hear you are doing ok. Pathology wise, I am thinking what exactly is your teratoma they have found? I had mature teratoma in only one lymph node, and I do not know how many they have removed, as nobody tells me. They just say it was a right template. If your teratoma is immature then they should consider some treatment, also having some component of em carcinoma...is it ok to leave it this way? Did not understand, are your markers normal?

Merry Christmas! All the best!

Plamen

Merry xmas.

It was the dif teratoma in a few of the nodes, and in one of them right in the centre was a very small amount of EC. Surgeon said there was very good tissue clearance. Tumour markers are normal and getting them done every 4 weeks at the mo, due to get a baseline ct end of January.  Hope that makes sense. Did you receive any more treatment after they found mature teratoma? And what was your check ups spaced apart?

Many thanks 

Jon

I am back on surveillance after the RPLND! And my check ups are every three months...may be because it is my second year since diagnosis. In January it will be exactly two years. All the best!

Plamen