Hi @Catty, The numbness is normal, but nerves can take months to years to heal when they're damaged. Sometimes they don't recover. Once your scar has healed enough, to get rid of scar tissue, massage the scar every day; knead it between your fingers & if you want the scar to disappear, use Vitamin E oil on it daily. It takes a long time but it does work! I hope you have a comfortable & merry Christmas & New Year with your family if you can get together. 🌲🥳 Budgie ... View more

I'm very glad you've had the surgery - its now over & done. I wasn't going to tell you before your op because I didn't want to worry you, but during my nephrectomy they nicked the adrenal vein & I also lost alot of blood. I didn't need a transfusion tho, thank heaven. Now you need to concentrate on your recovery. Remember to cough as often as comfortable & deep breathe as often as you can. I wish you all the very best in your recovery & remember to ask if you need any advice. Take care Catty & try to have a good Christmas. All the best Budgie ... View more

Ah, I was living in Darwin when I was diagnosed. Phil Carter was my surgeon, & was good, but I heard he's recently retired. In regards to pain relief - I was never even offered either of those things. I'm pretty sure I had Targin & Endone. I was certainly never offered a thoracic epidural. Either way, I'd do some research before you decide. Good luck with your surgery Catty. Budgie ... View more

Hi @andyatto, Doctors are notorious for not committing to a definite time prognosis because they don't want to be sued. I'm glad to hear that you're in remission. I don't know much about Non Hodgkin's, even though my broth-in-law had it many years ago. He didn't talk about it. He is still alive & kicking, though he has had some kidney issues of late that were apparently associated with his treatment. I did a quick google & found that your chances are quite good for you being cured. Peter Mac put out an info sheet that says : • 5-year survival for people with DLBCL is about 53%. This means that for every 100 people treated for DLBCL, nearly 53 will still be cancer free 5 years later. • 10-year survival is about 46%. This means that for every 100 people treated for DBLC, nearly 46 will still be cancer free 10 years later. • These numbers have very likely improved since the introduction of rituximab treatment. So, in my humble opinion, you should relax a little, while still obviously keeping an eye on things on a regular basis. 🙂 Enjoy your life. All the best. Budgie ... View more

Hi @Catty, I'm sorry you've been diagnosed with cancer, but that doesn't mean you can't continue to live life positively, especially since you won't be needing chemo or radiation. That's fabulous news! Dont be scared about the surgery as I'm sure you'll be fine. If the kidney is really big, they may take it out through the front rather than the back, which I found was good when they took mine as I could sleep on my back with no problem. I actually used a wedge pillow after surgery, as that was much more comfortable. The main thing is you need to remember to drink plenty of water. As you'll only have one kidney left, it will need help in flushing out the toxins. Drink at least 2 litres a day, but try for more. During summer, I will drink around 5-6 litres a day. Take a bottle of water with you everywhere you go. I wish you all the best for your surgery, & please ask questions if you need to. Budgie ... View more

Hi afitzgerald123, In my opinion it would be best to get it checked out by your GP or specialist, to put your mind at rest. Budgie ... View more

Hi CURLA, Unfortunately, there's probably not much more you can do, but take a big deep breathe & keep going. Try not to think about how long your husband's had chemo, nor how much longer he has to come. My thoughts are that if you can't fix something, there's no point in worrying about it. Believe me, it saves a lot of stress. Wishing you the best Budgie ... View more

I wish you well with your treatment, whatever it involves. Your fitness may take a long time to come back, may not reach your pre-cancer level for ages, but don't give up. 😉 Budgie ... View more

Hi @Eddie77, Sorry to hear you have cancer. Do you know what stage you're at? The tiredness will stay with you while you're on chemo, & possibly after. The best thing to combat fatigue/tiredness is exercise. Take it easily if you're really tired, & gradually work up to doing a good amount for you - at least ½ an hour a day if you can. Another thing is to only do what you need to do to try & conserve your energy. All the best Budgie ... View more

I'm pleased for you @AlfHam. Its wonderful that you're getting so much better. Keep at it & try not to worry about the next scan. I know there will always be that apprehension that the cancer has come back, but as long as you're doing the scans every 6 months, you'll be able to stay ontop of it, & catch it early if it does return. All the best 🙂 Budgie ... View more