Left Nephrectomy

I’ve had a number of big surgeries in the past few years.  It makes it quite tricky when completing those doctors forms and they ask for your recent surgeries.

The left nephrectomy (removing my left kidney) was a big surgery.  I opted to take it out due to pure discomfort. It had grown so large that it had put pressure on my other organs. My back ached all the time. I had shortness of breath. I was skinny, very skinny. I just looked sick, and no matter what I did I couldn’t pick up weight.

So in October 2017 after a year of renal failure the kidney came out. I had no idea just how big my kidney would be. I had my surgeon take a photo of it once it came out, there is an image below. Please note that it is not for sensitive viewers: what you are about to see cannot be unseen.

After the surgery I spent a few nights in high-care then moved across to general surgical 1 ward.  High-care was terrible for me, I missed my family so much. My daughter was a few months old and I wasn’t allowed to see her. To top it off I was only allowed visitors for 2 hours a day and then they wanted me to hand in my cellphone. I fought with the nursing staff all the time because I thought they were being unreasonable by not letting me out of the ward. Looking back they had my best interests at heart but I couldn't see past my own stubbornness.

Recovery from this was not too long. They say 6 weeks is a good timeframe and I agree. Rather take it slow and do it properly.

This operation was the right move for me, I wish I had done it sooner. It didn’t change my dialysis at all but my lifestyle got better and I was more comfortable. This comfort lasted two months…