The best news to share

 So the HG went for his annual scan in October last year and just before Christmas we had the results via a letter. My Cutting was delighted to let us know that again, his scan was stable and showed no evidence of the spread of cancer so he was happy to officially discharge the HG from his care! 

Not gonna lie - it does seem a bit daunting, even though we always knew this was the path of a kidney cancer survivor. But he is now just like Joe Bloggs and will go to the GP if there are any issues - the difference being he will always be fast tracked back rather than the standard waits. 

One worry for me and us was that catching Covid would be catastophic with it afftecting the kidneys but again happy to report, he had Covid  at the beginning of January and escaped with a mild dose and hopefully no nasty surprises. 

So fingers crossed this will be the final update on this blog! Thanks for reading and I hope if you are here, because like me, you were searching for things at the start of your own kidney cancer dalliance, you find solace and hope. 

Year 5 update so far

 The last 5 years have flashed by. Even with the Covid pandemic that’s seemingly here to stay. It made no difference to us, being key workers, we worked the whole time. I was very very worried, working in a school, thinking what if I bring it back to him, hearing it attacks the kidneys and he’s only got the one. We double checked and he was not in the vulnerable category and so far, so good. We are doubly vaxxed and await the booster. 

So on Monday 22nd October, he had his CT scan. 

Last October he was told that everything was stable and unchanged, so his 6 monthly scans would now be one 12 month one. If this one is clear then he will be discharged from oncology. Yay! 

He will then have the same odds and Joe Bloggs and the rest of the adult population of getting cancer. 

Given that’s 1 in 2 according to Ch4 and stand up to Cancer, we are hoping he’s done his bit for the statistics. 

I intend to look in the paper file I’ve kept and log the missing dates and info for my failing memory and for other people should they need help and reassurance. 

I spent a good hour re reading everything and got very emotional. The reason was on instagram, there was a blogger posting about his kidney cancer and he’d just had his removed. I reached out to him and directed him here because it was one of the first things I did online - look for support. There was a bit, but not loads. So the more, the better I think. 

Fingers crossed it won’t be too long before the letter lands on the mat. I will come back and report it for posterity. 

Thanks for reading  and sticking by us. 

Last day of 2017

Glad to see the back of 2017 to be honest. Though January 2018 sees him booked in for a blood test and then the monitoring CT scan is in February. The worrying that had been buried will once again resurface. Then hopefully can be put to bed again until August. I'll be back with an update in February x

In limbo June 2017

Maybe we spoke too soon. Many weeks have passed since I posted last and reading all the lovely comments makes my heart warm.
Let's get up to date with what's been going on.



Edit- I found this in my drafts. I clearly found it too hard. I was absolutely worried sick.

A year ago today.

I cannot quite believe that it was a year ago today that myself, my dad and the HG were already at the hospital, waiting for the nurses to get him prepped and gowned up for surgery. He looked awful. I've never seen him look so frightened. I'll never get that look out of my mind. It was the longest day ever.

It has been a while since I posted. In the following 52 weeks since his life saving surgery he's slowly got back to fitness. I'm not going to lie and say he's back to full fitness yet because he's not. He's back at work doing his heavy outside job. He is far more knackered than he used to be and his side gives him a twinge now and then.

Without going back to my last post I'm not sure what I'd got up to in the story so far. But he had a routine follow up CT scan. Some lymph nodes were enlarged. He was sent for a PET scan. He had to lie still in a darkened room for an hour before the scan, whilst they injected radioactive glucose into him, then lie still for about 45 minutes on the scanner itself. For whatever reasons the follow up appointment was sent a month late but when we got there it wasn't the news we wanted to hear.

Para aortic lymph nodes showed activity. I was thinking to myself why did they not just remove them at the time?? Anyway our options...
Because they weren't 100% sure at the MDT, they wanted to rescan in three months. The next scan would be discussed at a national MDT rather than the regional one. Basically more experts I think it means. After that it would either be
Drugs to shrink - not 'traditional' chemotherapy but highly toxic nasty stuff
Surgery - to be done in Manchester, massive deeply invasive surgery that would entail a scar as big if not bigger than before as it's the aorta deep deep inside the body and it would be a vascular team and resectioning would happen - absolutely terrifying hearing this.
Watch and see.

None of the above is a great choice. Limbo is awful but slightly more bearable than the others.
Time past, an appointment was sent for. Another weekend of doing nothing pre scan. Another shopping trip for me and my dad whilst the HG was in the scanning suite, which, by the way, is a really nice place!

More weeks wait. Neither of us slept much. I was replaying the scene over and over where we walked into a room with lots more people in it and a box of tissues on the table and we were delivered the worst news. My hysterical globus throats came back.
We walked in the room, first thing I clocked on the table was tissues. We sat down and Mr Cutting went through the scenario of what had led us here, then he said the most beautiful thing I ever heard..

I'm pleased to be able to tell you...
We both let out a massive sigh of relief at the same time and I had a little tear in my eye.
Whilst not gone, the lymph nodes had got smaller. This was more than they'd hoped for. It was everything we'd hoped for.
He went on to tell us again, with hand gestures, about how massive the kidney was. I actually asked if they'd photographed it. He said no. He thinks that when they'd lifted the kidney out the bed was massive and there was a whole deep pile of gunk and nastiness and it must be deep deep seated infection. ( In my head I'm thinking why didn't they just suck this out like they do at the dentist?? ) and the lymph nodes are doing their job. So in a nutshell, the MDT are happy for now not to make him endure another PET scan but just to have bloods checked in January and a CT scan in February and to monitor him like this.
Obviously we have to be vigilant and look out for signs he's not well again and it's was quite the comedian from a brief moment of euphoria.
He said go live your lives and he'll see us in six months.
So we are living our lives with a teeny niggle that can be quietened and tucked away more easily than before.

Back in February I guess, to update this record.

Thank you.

The best news

To cut a long story short.

Hoobloodyray!


I will keep this blog open to document medical appointments linked to this episode in our lives. 

A milestone I guess

Today he has gone back to work. It's mid January like the consultant said  but he's only going to take it easy. The heaviest things he's lifted are my Christmas boxes back up into the loft. He's gone with a flea in his ear about making sure he doesn't over do it.

Health wise; he still gets really bad stabbing pains just underneath the drain scar. He describes all sorts of sensations that we put down to nerve damage and sometimes his whole side just hurts even to brush against.
He had really bad NoroVirus in December that hung around for a good two weeks. He'd be fine for a day and then he'd be rushing to the toilet as his bowels attempted to expel his whole digestive system. Not pleasant and he felt like shit. ( pun wholly intended).

Then last night. Really bad, vicious nightsweats. I can't recall the last one he had. Maybe just before Christmas. Last night, the first time he woke was 2.30am absolutely dripping wet through. I can't impress how much I am not exaggerating. Literally dripping with sweat head to toe. He was soaked. The bedding was soaked. Horrible to touch. Pillow, sheet, mattress and quilt. He got dried and sorted. He fell back asleep only to be woken at 3.50am in exactly the same state. No idea why. He says he's not worried about going back to work. He's been looking forward to it. A bit like a caged tiger desperate for freedom. Though it's been so nice to have all the housework and laundry done when I get in from work. Alas, there's no way we can afford for him to be a stay at home dad!
Night sweats are worrying us both.

Last week he went for his blood test and onThursday he goes for his follow up scan - remember it was originally booked for April but I contacted our Macmillan Nurse full of angst ( mostly Night Sweats again )and they brought it forward.
My hysterical globulins is already back and my insomnia. The scan isn't even the hard bit. It's the holding of breath and holding on to hope for the follow up appointment yet to be arranged. It's a case of reality being back and there's nowhere to hide.

We'll soon see won't we. And you know what? Even if it's good news and they say yes he's definitely all clear - right now, I think I'll have trouble believing it.

Until next time ...

So far....

I know it's been a long time. He is still recovering slowly. He's had troubles with his teeth and a terrible bout of NoroVirus but still here keeping on. A proper update will be here soon xx

THE BEST NEWS

This morning He was told that they were confident that he was ALL CLEAR. They'd been pretty certain after the surgery that there was nothing sinister lurking but until the kidney had been sent away for testing they couldn't say. The kidney was the size of a small rugby ball. But the tumour was fully contained and hadn't reached or grown to/at the edges or on the surface. Out of all the RCC you can have and there are four I think, his is CC which stands for Clear Cell. The least aggressive and invasive of them all.

Unfortunately I couldn't take it all in as I woke up feeling really really sick and I was trying my best not to throw up on the Doctor's desk! But he was happy with how the scar was healing. He was certain that it was still very early days after such huge surgery to be having sites of pain near his drainage tube.

He can return to work AT THE VERY EARLIEST mid January and I think he was being very hesitant then due to the nature of his work. He can drive as soon as he feels able to perform an emergency stop without hesitation. He will have to have scans and blood tests for a few years yet. The first being in April 2017. But Mr Cutting was really pleased with the patient.
I was really pleased with Mr Cutting. I'm sure there's more I need to say but I will add details once we get the letter from today's consultation.

Till the next time....

Appointment day

We go this morning to find out what's what. Neither of us want to go. I've found the Kidney Cancer UK forums really helpful. I think that even if we are told they got it all etc that I'll
not believe them.
Progress wise. After a week of antibiotics things seem to have settled although last night he said he felt a bit fluey again. So we are keeping a close eye on that. The open bit of wound is still under a dressing but not leaking so that's good. He's on no painkillers now in the day and only takes one at night if the sore bit near the drain site is still sore. Moving around n getting in n out of chairs is better than it was. He can now sleep on his side too. Hooray! He's fed up and bored of just being at home all day. I think he thought he'd be better a lot faster than this is taking. This is entirely normal and common in a lot of nephrectomy patients. Most report 4-8 months until they reach pre op standard but even then have twinges and bad days. Obviously some are faster and slower but that's an average I've see the most.
Thank you again for all your continued supportive messages. You are brilliant.

Till the next time....

Antibiotics

Over the last few days, progress has been minimal, as I said last post. The district nurse came today and after she'd finished telling me off for not ringing them when I'd been concerned, she said the wound was re opening along previously healed bits. The culprit was probably that iffy bit where the kin is kinda pleated, like a teeny flap overlapping. His side is swollen and tender and she rang to ask for the doctor to come and visit. She got the lovely student nurse to push some 'aquafibre' into the open but and cover with another of the comedy sized plasters.
He came over a bit queer then, full on sweating. He had to sit down. Jo, the nurse was lovely. She told him off for being brace. She could tell he's not had the news he wanted. And that he was gutted.
The doctor came an hour later.
Efficient but rude I thought.
She enquired as to the problem. She took his temperature. Raised. No shit Sherlock !
She ripped back the plaster - no warning!
Said 'ahhh yes, there's pus weeping' let's get some antibiotics for that.
You see, she went on, it's slow to heal because of the, and I'm not saying this to be rude, thick layer of fat that's not got a good blood supply.
Don't mince your words madam!!!
His side was SWOLLEN and he's not got that much fat there. Cheeky cow.
Anyway she prescribed flucoxicillan and some codeine to try as the tramadol is making him itch.

He was devastated as he'd built up this day to getting in the shower. Instead, he got sorted and we took a slow stroll in the Autumn sunshine to the chemist for his pills. Which by the way, is a right ball ache. To be taken on an empty stomach. An hour before food or two after. That's ok. But he's been non stop bloody eating machine!

So a set back. We"ll have to just keep on keeping on. Can't wait for this to be over.

Day 18 post op

Well, you'd think there'd be massive improvements to report by now. But truly it's like he's reached stalemate. Yesterday I was on the cusp of ringing the district nurse again as he's still really uncomfortable round the drain site and he was complaining of pain in his side. He decided though that it was ok and he could manage.

The mood of the Day 17 was 'Fed up and Cheesed Off'  for us both really. He is really really hating feeling so incapacitated and I'm hating it too, on his behalf. He's frustrated that he can't just 'do' things so simple as
Have a shower. Or lift things up. Or lie down on the floor and have a good stretch.
Although it's great he's got his appetite back, I'm fed up of cooking and thinking about what to
Make. Don't get me wrong, this pissed me off from time to time before all of this.

But I really don't mind at all. I just wish this bit of the recovery would hurry the fudge up.
It seems like he's making zero progress, or even going backwards . Although he's cut his tramadol out in the day time, just sticking to paracetamol so that is progress.

And he is finding it really tricky to answer the 'are you any better yet' questions well meaning folks ask continually. It does seem hard to have to say 'not really', you almost feel obliged to put a positive spin on it. People who are texting and ringing obviously care and it'd be awful to offend them. Imagining the isolation of not having any support would be bleak. It kinda of adds a pressure though - and we too are guilty of this act. We've been those well wishers. It's just human nature I guess!



Till the next time

Can't sleep

Here I am at silly O'clock, wide awake.
Day 14 after the operation. The district nurse came yesterday to check his wounds.
The main insision is healing nicely top and bottom. But on his waist there's a teeny overlap flap of skin and it's only just closed. She had a right prod and poke trying to open it up along there. She cleaned and dressed it advising him to take it easy and not move too much there. No sudden movements and no putting strain on it, else it could open.
The drain site is a bit 'iffy'. Now the drain site is actually only a week old so isn't as far along as the main 2 week old scar. She wasn't sure how far back it 'went' and I did wonder if she was going to stick her finger in it! Anyway, she dressed it with iodine soaked dressing which would dry it up and will be back in a week to check it. We've to watch for signs of infection and ring them back straight away.
Painwise - round the clock pain relief is keeping him docile. But he is being very brave about it. He's in most agony on moving - but the pain is from under the drain site - like something tore and isn't healing. He's having to use allsorts of different muscles to get in and out of chairs/bed as they are not hospital standard at home! The Nurse said to ring the GP if worse or no change. I wondered if he'd got a hernia - though I can't feel any bulges. She also said he could get odd sensations from his innards settling and filling the gap where the massive kidney had been.
Also she reminded him that he has had major surgery and it's a massive outrage to your body. He is only two weeks down the line and is doing brilliant considering.

Plus I've been thinking about him pre op ( makes me giggle - pre op! )
The cancer took his appetite and strength. For weeks he'd be coming in from work and just falling asleep knackered. Now at the time, pre diagnosis, we put it down to getting older - he's 47 and works hard manual days of upto 12 hours. Loss of appetite, could have been explained away by his getting in late and going 'past it' for much food and he does feel a little travel sick coming back down from the Western Lakes where he works a lot. I had worried though to friends about his weight loss. I'd noticed his shoulders and collar bones. He wasn't as muscly as he was and despite the weight loss -skinny legs even, he never lost his round belly. I mean, he was never fat. He was just big. But now it's obvious that the huge tumour was displacing everything making him look like he had a beer belly - he doesn't even drink!

So not only is his body recovering from the physical surgery. He's getting back his strength from feeding those cancer cells. I've been in the position of being very weak and having to take it slowly and there's nothing more frustrating than enforced laziness for want of a better word. He does feel frustrated at not being able to 'do' at will.

I don't know why I can't sleep. I thought once this op was out of the way I'd get a full night. I can't remember the last time I slept through. I'm like a frikken new born baby.  Looking after him is tiring. I mean he was pampered and  well looked after before! I was practically a 50s housewife but now I have the added worrying  about his scars too. We used to argue who was the most tired -  he said it was him physically tired after a day at work and I'd be saying it's me, mentally tired. Both debilitating.

His appetite is back and voracious so that's a good thing! The nurse said plenty of protein rich foods. So he's been getting three square meals a day. And whatever he asks for, I get it.

Applying for 'sick pay' is another headache. It's an absolute joke. He's self employed. But has paid all his dues like a good little taxpayer. We don't need the benefits for ever. But right now, he does.  Yes we have life and terminal illness insurance. We couldn't afford to add the premium for the critical illness and having read the small print - his cancer wouldn't count anyway. So off to gov.uk I went after reading the booklet Macmillan gave us.
I actually rang up for something to do on the day of his operation and was told we could apply on the
phone but he'd need to be near me. Answer all the questions and job done.
Now in theory he should be able to apply for ESA but because of our postcode, we are now in Universal Credit territory. Which is fine, because that's what the law says.

I rang the helpline. After, and I kid ye not, 36 minutes on hold, I was told by a bored sounding Scottish bloke that I needed to claim UC instead online but he'd put me through for more advice.....

Continue to hold - to non stop Beethoven on a loop.

What seemed like hours later, I was told by what sounded like and 8 year old that I had to apply online.

So I looked.
What makes me amused is the fact we had to make wills before his operation as being unwed means we have no legal rights to anything. Technically single on all official forms - being engaged doesn't count!
However, for benefits we are suddenly treated as being married and he has to claim for me and I also have to apply at the the same time! Bonkers. It's a right old rigmarole too. And I found it most strange they didn't ask us for Nat Ins numbers.


I had to then tick a box to declare I was looking for work .....????
I sent an email to my 'work coach' whoever that maybe saying how ridiculous it was. And get this, if WE do qualify - which we won't - we'd get paid on 29th November!!!

Now  I'm all for welfare reforms- I deal with a lot of your typical benefit scroungers daily. But this system is preposterous. He got his free prescription card two days after we sent the form in -excellent. But UC?? I bet we don't get anything. I say 'we'. I mean 'he'. It made me a bit raaaaaar and wished I hadn't bothered - which is what they want.






Blogger is playing up so please excuse all the typing errors.

Till the next time....

Numbers

41 = the number of cm the wound is from end to end
52= the number of staples removed from said wound today
2 = the number of district nurses arriving at my house today to remove said staples
54367 = the number of calories I burnt cleaning the bedroom and bathroom and stairs and lounge and kitchen and front garden because of the district nurse visit
0 = the amount of district nurses going in my bedroom or bathroom
10 = days after the operation
4 = the times of day I dole out painkillers
16 = approximate times I'm in the kitchen preparing meals and drinks for the recoveree
2 = naps taken by him in the day
1 = hole in lower tummy from drainage tube
4 = cm ish where the wound is open and bled a little after the staples were removed. It's right on his waist and we've to keep an eye on it
50 - pence piece - if the open bit oozes more than the size of a 50p piece we've to ring for help
2 = weeks on sick note by doc at the hospital. Bloody ridiculous because it means I've to faff about ringing the GP surgery to get another one.

As for the general what's it like to have him home?
Well, he struggles to get comfy in bed and in the chair. His appetite has returned. You can tell when it's time for then next painkillers and he's tired. He can't concentrate for long on stuff. But looking back to a week ago..massively improved. Day by day he's getting there.

Till the next time....

Discharged.....or not

Yesterday was Thursday 20th October. Or Day 7
The consultant came round at around 10am and uttered the magic words
"You can go home."

At 4pm, the nurse on the uro oncology team came and said...
"No, you can't."

Calcium level in blood is too low. So they were keeping him in to repeat the blood test in the morning.


Right now, it's 08.45 on Friday 21st Oct. his bloods have been taken.


So it was yet another roller coaster emotion ride day. I was at home waiting, getting the house close to District Nurse Visiting Standard, because she/he will come to the house to remove the staples. Not sure if they will do it in two halves. Because there are A LOT of staples. I bet his wound is close to 50cm. I might measure it when he comes home.
He was on the ward waiting, no one visited in the afternoon because we all thought he'd be home.

I have questions I'd have asked.
Why did they not take his bloods at 4pm last night?  ( answer prolly to get truer record due to time ) Then, treatment given if needed?
Why is the calcium so low now? How can we make sure it's not getting low at home? Was it fine the day after the op and is now starting to fall or is it getting higher just not fast enough?? Was it the litre of blood lost in op then because of the extra bloods and fluids list from the drain, coupled with his non eating due to trapped wind?

In a way it's good that they've identified this and didn't send him home to go through the rigmarole of going out today to sit n wait.

If everyone can please cross their fingers and send high calcium thoughts ...

Till the next time.

Wednesday 19th October

Day 6 post op

He has been well looked after by the brilliant Nurses.

Bit of a catch up - again for me. I'm a bit zombified lately and my days are constructed around visiting times. I go twice a day and I want to go twice a day. One night I'd made mention of maybe not going but when it came to it, I couldn't not go.

Thur 13th Day 1 - operation
Frid  14th     Day 2 - ICU
Satu 15th Day 3 - ward all tubes  still in and then out 
Sun 16th Day 4 - morphine button out - He was really quite poorly. In a lot of pain with wind, struggled to get comfy, drain at 95mls
He was in agony like I blogged about - the trapped wind and his stomach was visibly swollen and he said it stretched his scar. He was also sick through the night. 

Mon 17th Day 5 - a little easier but not drinking or eating enough. Even with little sips of water the stomach bloating came back. But he looked a lot better than he had on day 4. Drain is still in. 75mls

Moving around is easier because of no tube in arm. Cannula is still in - they gave him anti sickness drugs through it. 

One surgeon said the drain can come out when it's under 50mls - but my question is - what happens to the gunk left,  that would have drained out, if there's no drain??? The other surgeon said he likes the drain to stay in until it's dry or thereabouts. Let's give this surgeon a cheer please. 


Anyway he says that most of his pain is not from the scar itself but from the wind.

This is direct from my googling. I explained a little bit on my last post about this. 

https://healdove.com/health-care-industry/Getting-Gas-Pain-Relief-after-Surgery


"There are two common types of gas pain that may occur after surgery: intestinal and intraperitoneal. They are quite different, but can both be bothersome. Intestinal gas pains are caused by a buildup of gas inside of the intestines. Intraperitoneal gas pains are caused by gas trapped outside of the intestines, but inside the abdominal cavity."

They give the same helpful hints he's had from the doctors, nurses and physios. 

"This type of pain can occur after any type of surgery, but is most common after abdominal and pelvic surgery. Open surgery with longer incisions and laparoscopic surgery in the abdominal cavity can leave the bowels (intestines) "stunned." Anesthesia (general, as well as epidural and spinal) can slow down the bowels, preventing the passage of gas and stool.

Pain medications (narcotic) add to and contribute this effect. As a result, I frequently hear patients reporting constipation and gas buildup after surgery."

I think it's quite safe to say his innards are indeed 'stunned'. ( I know - I've watched a radical nephrectomy on you tube - BRUTAL ) 

The remedies involve moving about, which when you've been cut in half, is a bit trixy. But true to form, the 'give it time' approach is working. 

Yesterday he'd been up out of bed thrice, twice was a shuffle to the loo flying solo and once was a longer stroll to the end of the ward with the physio. Afternoon visiting saw him looking more relaxed. I took him some goodies to try to help with the 'horrible mouth'.  I took mouthwash, wine gums, and fresh pineapple. I also took him some  costafortune stem ginger biscuits to help with the nausea - he'd been sick in the night. 

After a long email and conversation with our Macmillan nurse Richard on Day 3,  it's soothing to know all of the above is completely normal and he is absolutely typical of a post 'whipping a kidney out' patient. 

Also I'm really grateful to the support of people on the forum on KCUK. It's so much better when you realise all this is normal. It's just because it's never happened to you before. 

So here we are on Day 6 

I've had a text from him to say he managed to sleep a little bit and he's had Readybrek for breakfast! I'll be seeing him after lunch. 

More news next time X 

Oh and if you can 

Please please please please sign this petition and then share it around so others can. I am not sure yet if he will need any further treatment. But please sign it in case he does. 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/159244

Thank you. 

On the ward.

He's been on the general ward for two days now. Although I have lost track of days and times etc. It's whizzing by in a blur interspersed with hospital visiting. 

Let me track back just for myself. 

Thursday 13th October - arrive on ward 7.15, down to theatre 8.30, on ICU 3.30pm

Friday 14th October - am - off monitors and up out on bed, pm - transferred to ward

Saturday 15th October - catheter and epidural out, Surgeon came to see him

Sunday 16th October - what I am writing about now. 

Once the epidural wore off, I could see him become more tense and anxious. He still has the PCA - Patient Controlled Analgesia - or morphine button I call it. He's in agony with trapped wind. 

A little bit of info I learned about trapped wind today. Trapped wind is where the air got into the spaces around the outside of the bowel. Eventually it gets reabsorbed into the bowel and intestines where it will make its way out either top or bottom. Walking about helps this process. There's the issue. Walking about when you've a giant row of stitches holding you together is trixy.

 One, you need nurses to help you at first. 

Two, you need to tell your brain that your stitches will hold and they will rupture, spilling your innards all over the ward floor and 

Three it hurts so you are hesitant about getting started. 

Four - eating hurts but will get the bowel moving along but you e no appetite and your mouth tastes funny so you don't feel like eating.

 Five moving about with the drain still in and a cannula in also is limiting. 

Hopefully the tramadol last night will have knocked him out so he could get his first full night of sleep. He's on a ward full of elderly patients, some of whom are loud and difficult. NHS cutbacks closed down the hospital they need years ago. The poor nurses are stretched beyond belief. So far all the staff have been great except for three of them. 

One - a cleaner, hideously notorious for being the street gossip, knows him and stood  for hours grilling him.

Two - an over enthusiastic male student nurse who swang his legs up on the bed too fast causing him great pain

Three - a useless unprofessional young student female nurse ( not sure of the grade - prolly olden days would call them auxiliary nurses? ) who borrowed his pee bottle for the bloke next door. Forgot then to replace it. Then when asked 'urgently' by him to please get another bottle, it was flung at him with a 'there' and a glance that suggested he should have got it himself. She neglected to close the curtains too so he then had to ask the extremely stretched but lovely ward nurse who rolled her eyes about the young student nurse when he told her. She'd also been discussing pay and conditions loudly and complains about everything. I think she needs to piss off and get a different career. 

So today is Monday. I've already emailed Richard, one of our cancer key worker Macmillan nurses in full on panic mode about him coming home. When his Mum came out after open heart surgery, you get a really detailed week by week recovery guide and what you could/should be doing. I think there should be the same for patients after a radical nephrectomy. I suppose the panic of him coming home is the fact it's totally unchartered waters for us both and in hospital there's the security blanket of nurses at your fingertips. But I do think they ship em out a little too fast these days. He's still wearing theatre gowns. I'd like a full 24 hours of him in PJs being independently in and out of bed and to the loo etc on the ward before he gets home. 

Till the next time...

Out damned kidney.

Well, yesterday now seems like it whizzed by.
I came straight home after we left him. And then texted and rang everyone to let them know. Did three loads of washing. Played with Freddie. Clock watched a fair bit.
I rang at three. They said he was in recovery and that all seemed well. Ring back in an hour or so.
At 4.16pm I rang back. He was fine. He was on the ward. He'd had some water. The operation had gone as planned with no complications.
We could visit.

On ICU he looked sleepy but totally fine. He looked a lot better in fact, than he had when he was waiting to go down in the morning! He was attached to monitors. He had a large drain in the wound. He had a catheter. He had an epidural machine. A normal saline drip and a morphine button.
His lips and mouth were dry. He sounded weak and eyes kept closing. But they then sat him up and he was drinking water and talking. He complained of pain in his shoulder. I told him this was normal and is actually transferred pain.

The nurse looking after him let me see the surgery notes. Findings were an upper pole large RCC with adrenal adherent amongst other things like veins and arteries. I tried to remember but haven't. The removed the whole kidney and the adrenal gland and the procedure actually only took 2hours and 45 minutes! He lost a litre of blood. No other complications. He's got disolvable sutures inside and staples on the outside.

She said to ask if I didn't understand anything.  I actually understood more than I thought I would!

Then one of his anaesthetists came to chat to him about the importance of moving and using his pain
relief for relieving the pain. Don't be brave and don't be still!

The other doctor came, the one who'd led him away in the morning. She said he looked good and that he'd done really well. I asked her about the kidney and she said it was massive. Which is why his scar was so huge. I asked her about the broken table. She said
They'd positioned him on his right side, then they 'break' the table by making a large /\ shape so his left side is stretched right out.

Found this on google images 

Looks comfy doesn't it?! So actually some pain will probably come from being in that position for so long! They said it was Hobson's Approach, something beginning with S and a word like Thunderbolt was used too. I didn't ask about these. I may do today. 

It said he could have a light breakfast the next day and be up out of bed. Moved to a ward when appropriate and then discharged when ready. 

He will go back and see Mr Cutting in four weeks time.

It was clear and we knew already that good rest is the key to recovery so we left him and came home. 

For the first time in weeks I sell through from 11pm to about 6am. 

I've just rung the ward now. He had a non eventful night and the physics were there with him helping him out of bed. OUCH! 

Thanks for all your well wishes. I think they worked! Who knew? The power of Blogger!! 

Till the next time ... 

Whip out a kidney.

That's what we say isn't it? Just whip out a kidney. Well, I'm home after an early start at the hospital - admissions at 7.15. 

I've just left a very drawn, worried looking soul in a rather fetching gown and stockings. We walked out of the ward, me and my dad went one way. A very glamorous young blonde led him off the other way. 

I can ring up later this afternoon. Now to wait. 

Till next time....

24 hours to go

Thank you for all the messages of support.


So, this morning we went back to the admission Ward for 10am. He had another blood test and we settled in for the wait. We went on a date - the hospital has a costafortune coffee shop so we had a gallon of latte. We watched mind numbing daytime tv and finally at 1.15pm we got the good news. His calcium levels were still within the normal range and  the operation will go ahead tomorrow.

I've got a giant lump in my throats and chest. It's a hysterical lump apparently. He is nervous beyond belief. We are just watching TV with our two grown up children dreading the night ahead.

We have to be on admissions at 7.15am. My Dad is taking us.

Till the next time...