The first dialysis was already performed over the weekend. Now it’s Monday morning and it’s time to head into the operating room. I am scheduled for a radical nephrectomy. Both kidneys, left and right, have a volume of about 12 liters and need to be removed.

Just before the operation, I was told that after the surgery, I would no longer be able to urinate and could only consume a maximum of 0.5 liters of fluids throughout the day. I was advised to be mindful of all liquids, eat cereal with a fork, and avoid tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. It’s somewhat logical when you think about it, unfortunately, I didn’t think about it.

Unfortunately, I had a lot to do before the operation, as I had various hospital visits and needed to organize many things for both my business and personal life. This was another piece of news that caught me off guard. During my hospital visits, I tried to inform myself as best as possible. However, I had to gather all the information myself, and the doctors didn’t provide a complete explanation with all the details. They also predicted that I would need to stay in the hospital for one week, which turned out to be wrong.

Now things are slowly starting. Everything is being prepared. Additional access points such as a central catheter and a PDA in the spinal cord are being placed in the sluice to the operating room. This is a quick process for trained personnel, and everything is ready within a few minutes, and I am sedated.

Before my hospital bed was taken out of the room, I sent a prepared text to the most important people in my life, expressing my feelings. These messages were only sent to the most important people in my life, including my ex-girlfriend at the time. After sending them, I turned off my phone and didn’t check it again until after the operation.

The surgery went well. Everything seems to have worked properly. In the recovery room, I was given a cup and instructed to sip slowly because 0.5 liters is my daily drinking volume. The staff gave me tips, such as sucking on ice cubes, to quench my thirst. Back in the room, I received various messages.

A very good colleague of mine had taken great care of me over the past few weeks, and her messages made me very happy. At the time, I didn’t realize how important this colleague was to me. At this point, I would like to urge anyone who is facing such a procedure not to try to handle everything on their own. Help from good friends or partners is essential, not only physically but also for the soul. It’s also essential to seek psychological help.

These are my kidneys that were removed. The size of these kidneys was quite a sensation in the operating room as well. Upon my request, the doctor took these pictures for me.

My apartment is tidy, everything is organized. An appointment for cleaning the apartment has been scheduled and I have also purchased a train ticket to the Herslanden Clinic. I just need to drop off my snowboard at the shop to have it serviced. In the back of my mind, I’m always thinking that I may not come back. Since we are currently in the COVID-19 era, upon arrival, I will have to take a test and then have a port inserted near my heart. The procedure is not painful and is over quickly. It’s a strange feeling to have a connection attached to my body. The tube connected to the port goes down through my body towards my heart and is connected to the artery.

The day before the first procedure. Slowly everything becomes clear, it starts, and due to the breakup of the relationship, there was no one who could support me. There was no one to look forward to. I still hoped to get back together. In any cheesy romantic movie or poorly written script, this would have worked. Unfortunately, real life is not a movie and doesn't work that way. Fortunately, a very good colleague supported me and was there for me. We were able to do something together on the last evening, which helps me not to think about what will start the next day.