Care after a kidney removal

[JRED140]

My husband is  43 years old. Two years ago he had a kidney removed because an x-ray showed a small mass in it. The mass was said to be half the size of a chickpea. He never had a biopsy because he was told it was not possible because of where the mass was located. We asked if we could just wait and see if the mass will grow more, but the first doctor said if we waited, my husband will be risking his life because it might spread quickly and to more of his  internal organs. We got a second opinion in the U.S. and the doctor said the same thing.  After the kidney removal, the pathology showed no cancer. We were happy but very concerned. He was told by both doctors that it was cancer. My husband, who was very active and strong is now very weak, not himself and the worse part is, psychologically is not well.  He wakes up every day thinking that he lost a kidney just like that. He has his ups and downs. I want to know if there is a special care needed now. Is there anything that he should be aware of or if there is anything he should be doing or not doing? I do my part helping him with his diet but there is not much I can do. Any suggestions?  Thank you very  much!

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,
How is your husband? The outcome is usually good when a single kidney is removed. There is no problem with returning to his usual activities. However, regular monitoring and follow-up is important to check for his blood pressure, body fluid balance, blood chemistry, and electrolyte levels. If it has been 2 years already, and he is psychologically not well, he may need to be checked by a psychologist to move on.  Take care and do keep us posted.

[rachelsma]

Hi,
I had my kidney out in 2000 due to a mass. It sounds like your husband is reeling emotionally from what happened. One kidney is not an issue to live with...so maybe some counsellling about how he is feeling??

Best wishes to you both.

[JRED140]

Hi

Thank you for your comment. My husband is doing fine.  He still very active, takes vitamins and does  some cardio. Psychologically is feeling much better, but once  in  a while he does get a little "blue". He does not want to see a counselor,  so I am still working on it. Again, thank you very much!

[JRED140]

Hi!

   I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to  write to me. My husband is doing much better now. He still does almost everything as before, except lift weights because his doctor told  him not to. He is also doing better psychologically, but once in a while he still gets upset about loosing a healthy kidney. This is frustrating to me because he does not  want to see  a counselor, but his moodiness is getting better with each passing day. Again, thank you for your comment and I wish you a happy, healthy life!!!! take care.