Hi! I’m 63 and not sure if I my info will help or not. I had my kidney out last October. I was very tired and could hardly walk for about 2 weeks. I got up every day and pushed a little farther. Within a month, I felt good. My cancer has now spread to a tumor attached to my lung. I am taking a target drug and an IV immunotherapy drug. After 6 weeks, I’m pretty wiped out. The drugs are hard but if they kill the cancer, I’m ok with feeling lousy.
I believe in prayers and listening to God. You’ll find your answer! Koke

Five years ago, when I was 67 my left kidney was removed. The tumor was the size of a football and my diagnosis was stage 3 kidney cancer. I was a body builder at the time and in excellent health. I stayed in the hospital a week, in bed for two weeks and mostly in bed for two more weeks. My pain level ranged between 4-8. The initial pain from surgery was worse than giving birth😅. Morphine drips make it all possible. I still have an abdominal muscle that “catches” and my left abs are weaker. The right side of my body compensates for that weakness and my shoulder to my ankle ache if I’m not careful to stretch and exercise. As you know, it is a commitment to constant self care. When I have gas from chemotherapy, a small part of my large intestine on the left is painful and an anti gas pill takes care of it. That surgery was followed by a year of a chemotherapy pill. A year ago it was determined that the cancer had metastasized, stage 4, and a lesion on my kidney was removed. I am not the body builder that I was five years ago, but after surgery I was near a bed for a week. It would have been easier if I had taken Senna-S right after surgery. The residual nerve pain lasted about a year. My pain level during that time ranged between 0 and 4 and I have a high tolerance for pain.
I followed that surgery with immunotherapy infusions (KeyTruda)and Inlyta for half-a-year until my immune system attacked my liver. I am still using prednisone to counteract that destruction. I have been taking Lenvima and Everolimus the last five months and the other lesions are shrinking or staying the same. When I can keep the chemotherapy side affects to a minimum, life is good and some days, wonderful . I understand your concerns about surgery and your decision not to do chemo. The “quality/quantity of life decisions” that I make as I dance a last Tango with this disease, are always focused on quality. I have learned to quickly initiate discussions with my Doc regarding chemo reductions, increased supplements, integrated medicine and chemo side affects to better support the quality of my life. It is a commitment to a roller coaster. It’s believing two contradicting theories at the same time and It is not a singular journey. I have friends and family who support me in so many ways. Because my cancer seems to be slow-growing I often wonder what my life would be like without chemo. I will want to know what you decide and how your Tango goes. Have you gotten a second opinion about removing the lesion instead of the kidney?

I have had 2 kidney cancers, with 2 partial nephrectomies , Clear cell on left, papillary on right. Surgery was 90 days apart. My recovery was complicated by multiple infections and took about 6 weeks before I could really function. My 86 yr old mother had bladder cancer with chemo and radiation at 83 , made her very exhausted for about 3 months after treatment. At 85 she had her kidney removed . I was her care provider. She had trouble eating, walking just made her very weak for about 3 weeks. She stayed in our home, I cared for her she had a nurse and rehab pt come every few days. She was in hospital 1 week... required my help with bathing, wound care, meals, a commode bedside and my care intensively for 2 weeks afterwards. Her mind was all little fuzzy for about 2 weeks after but then vleared. She was able to walk with her walker at 2 weeks for short steps and then by 3 weeks around the house, 4 weeks doing stairs unaided but slowly. Long distance
like doctor appts we used a wheel chair. By 8 weeks she was only using a cane and doing well. She returned to her home at about 90 days, with only her roommate making occasional meals and doing her shopping. It's been a year and she is doing well. Walking, swimming for exercise etc. Hope that helps .