Four weeks out, one more question

[PaulaHalvo]

Hi everyone.  I did try to search for this but didn't find what I was looking for, which, of course, does not mean it's not there.  If there is already a thread someone knows of, could you please just point me towards it?
Anyway, I just wondered if anyone had experienced increasing tenderness where their kidney used to be?  I had no pain there until about three weeks post surgery and it's gotten a bit worse each day, more tender to the touch.  Maybe my nerves are just reattaching? 
Thanks!

[dodger]

That might be a good question for your donation center.  I had no discomfort what so ever where mine was removed.  One night about a month after surgery I finally tried laying on my left, donation, side just a bit.  As I was falling asleep again, I felt something shift in that area, kinda weird feeling, it didn't hurt and I was fine after that as well.  I will say I did have a feeling of back fatigue if not walking.  I would need to sit if standing still.  Not because it hurt, it just was tired achy.  That didn't start until about that time but it didn't hurt.

[mobico]

I'm a bit more than six weeks out now, and I have also recently experienced increased discomfort in the area where my kidney was. Very minor, but there nonetheless. I think that it is already improving though.

[Snoopy]

Hi, Paula.
  I'd say that one big mistake I made was trying briefly to lie on my left (surgical) side a few days after leaving the hospital.  Did you, by any chance, place weight there just before the pain began? In my case, the pain began almost immediately after I lay on that side.
  Those few minutes on my side caused a fair amount of pain, and it lasted for a couple of weeks (it contributed to the marked discomfort I felt going over bumps on the bus).  That was a little disappointing, since till then I'd been feeling reasonably chipper.
   I can't say I felt anything special precisely where the kidney had been (though I'm not sure), and I certainly didn't feel anything moving around in there.  Still, I definitely recommend staying off that side for a nice long while.
   Be well, Snoopy

[lawphi]

Three weeks post, I had pain over my old kidney and back.  Scar tissue forms were your kidney used to be.  Scar tissue hurts when it is pulled or stretched and eventually settles down.  Also, you are having nerve regrowth.

[CK]

I had my one month post-op check up about 2 weeks ago. I told my surgeon that I had numbness in my left thigh since the surgery. He explained to me that there is a nerve in a muscle that the kidney is close to (that's my primitive description of the anatomy!) and he tries very hard to carefully lift the kidney off of that muscle before he separates it, because in his experience, if it's done too roughly there is nerve trauma that causes flank pain after surgery.

I did have a few twinges in there early on but I was able to lay on my left side only a few days after surgery and I haven't had any flank pain that's remarkable. Neither did my recipient, who had a double nephrectomy.

I wonder if it's trauma to that nerve he was referring to. My leg numbness is obviously some kind of nerve trauma. It seems to be getting better slowly.

[cupid]

PaulaHalvo-thank goodness you asked this question! I am three weeks out and am feeling the same thing! I thought I was going crazy. I have a post op on Monday-I'll let you know what the surgeon says.
I also have numbness on my left thigh and on my belly. Probably nerve reattatchment

[Fr Pat]

      I don't know if this will be helpful or not: After donation surgery (or almost any surgery) we can unconsciously or consciously change our posture (walking, standing, sitting, resting) to try to avoid or lessen pain at the incision area(s). But when we change our posture ir puts strain on back and other muscles in ways that we are not used to, and this strain day after day can lead to muscle soreness-tenderness in some cases.
So some donors have found it helpful to:
--- be conscious of maintaining good posture at all times
--- do gentle bending and stretching exercises
     Some donors have also consulted a trained massage therapist, preferably one with experience in post-op recovery massage.

     So I just wanted to pass this along in case it might be helpful in your cases.
        best wishes,
           Fr. Pat

[jstx]

I'm about 9 months out from surgery and I had a lot of pain where my kidney used to be off and on over these past months--I think gradual healing of the nerves, etc.  I can't remember that it was ever tender to the touch though (my main incision was but where they removed the kidney in the back wasn't ever that tender I don't think).  I did have a very hard time wearing fitted pants for months after surgery.  I found a heating pad provided great relief.  Perhaps that would also help you.  And I agree about sleeping on your surgery side-be careful!  If the pain doesn't go away, I'd mention it to the transplant center.  Goodness knows, my coordinator probably got sick of hearing from me but she was always very prompt to reply with help.  Good luck!  Hopefully this is just a "healing" thing with your nerves.

[PaulaHalvo]

You all are so great!  Thank you for all of your valuable insight.   I think maybe it is scar tissue.  I had one major incision, about 8 inches, and four little ones.  This is actually under one of those small ones.  I hadn't even realized it because they have caused so little discomfort!  I also think my posture must have changes.  I  do have sore back muscles and goodness knows, I haven't been doing anything to cause that!  I've been trying to stick to the ten pound rule, though it seems so many things weigh more that ten pounds.  Anyway, they tenderness has not increased, so I guess it's not getting any worse. 
Thank you all so much!

[jstx]

Try to be extra careful about the weight limit. I goofed a couple times & then freaked out that I'd caused a hernia. You don't want to have to worry about that. I lost nights of sleep over it which did nothing to help in my recovery. I'm a worrier by nature....not as bad as I used to be but it did cause me to worry when I thought I might've hurt myself.

[julian]

I'm with you on that one. I worry about whether or not I might have lifted too much sometimes.  Mainly my issue has been the stomach discomfort from nerves re-attaching.

[cupid]

I had my follow up today (3 1/2 wks) and the surgeon said over the course of the next 6 months, I will be feeling all kinds of strange things-nerves reattaching, insides rearranging/settling. He said it is common to have discomfort where the kidney was-nothing unusual at this point. Also, if any of you have hard lumps under your incisions, he said its collagen buildup which acts as the structure for the rest of the body to heal-he said it was akin to a buildings steel framework.
Hope this helps everyone-sure helped ease my mind
Lauri

[Snoopy]

Hi Paula.
  One other thing about the lifting restrictions--they can be for several months.  I'm normally fairly strong, and it was a new and not all that fun experience to be helpless in that regard (particularly when almost nobody knew why I suddenly needed help to do some pretty easy, basic things). 
   It's not that lifting over 10 lbs will necessarily be very painful.  For me, it caused mild-to-moderately painful twinges--no more.  But the point is (as others have commented) that I was worried about hernias, etc. It was a good several months until I could lift a suitcase, and I just had to learn to be patient.
   On the whole, though, my recovery was blessedly quick and easy (I returned to normal work at 3 weeks, though I couldn't manage the bus for a month or two beyond that, because the bumpiness hurt). I hope your recovery is even faster and easier. 
    Be well, Snoopy

[CK]

My surgeon said the same thing about the collagen...that letting it form was the reason for not lifting. Even though it may seem healed on the outside, the collagen is still strengthening on the inside for several months.

I will confess that I am not very good about the 10 lb. limit. I haven't been lifting weights or anything, but I am just not patient about making 3 trips down to the basement with 1/3 of a laundry basket or separating all my groceries into twice as many bags.

10 lbs isn't very heavy at all. I think my laptop and bag probably weigh more than that.  I don't know how to go about not carrying the things that I need to carry.