Having a setback

[alextim]

I donated a kidney four weeks ago on May 1st.  The first three weeks of recovery went very well.  At the end of three weeks I was walking great, going to work and taking no drugs at all.  Ten days ago I had a major setback with severe pain just below and a little to the right of my incision.  I have a hard lump there about the size of a knuckle.  There is no fever and no infection.
For the last 10 days I have been on pain drugs full time.  I can just barely make it to the time to take the next dose. 
I just got back from a follow up visit to my transplant center.  I talked to my surgeon and my transplant coordinator who both said that they have never had this happen before and had no idea what to do.  They ended up prescribing Advil every six hours for five days. 
Any one out there ever experienced this?

[dodger]

Had you done anything strenous or different before the pain started?  I'm sure they asked all these questions as well.  Did they offer an untrasound?  I guess lay low for the 5 days and if not any better then get back in there and get some answers.  You are going to have to be your own advocate to get things going.  Don't take, gee we don't know what it is for an answer.  Please stay in touch and hope it resolves on its own.

[elephant]

Dear alextim,

I agree you must be your own advocate.  If the transplant team can't figure out what is wrong, you can also visit with an independent surgeon. 

love, elephant

[Rinnierich]

this honestly sounds like a hernia, I would contact your local PCP who could refer you to a general surgeon.

[sherri]

If you are still experiencing discomfort you may need to have some diagnostic tests to determine what is going on. Have they sent you for a CT scan and have you had a physical exam by a surgeon to check for hernia, fluid under the skin (seroma) or any other abnormality? I am also a little concerned about the prescription for Advil which is an NSAID which is not recommended for long term use for patients with one kidney. You say you are using pain meds around the clock so do be careful with the dosage. do you have your own family physician to contact for a second opinion?

If the transplant center doctors say they have never seen this, I wonder how many living donations they have done and if donors are able to come back to them for follow up or do they just send them back to their own doctors? While complications are not the majority any surgeon who has removed any organ from a patient laprascopically or otherwise must have seen some patients come back with complications which need to be addressed.

Keep us posted. Sorry I missed this post originally.

Sherri

[PhilHoover]

for the advice--or worse yet, the lack of advice--given to donors BEFORE their surgery...

I was told THOROUGHLY what to expect BEFORE the surgery ever took place.  I understood that I was not to lift anything heavier than a glass of water for EIGHT WEEKS...etc, etc.