Adrenal Cancer
What to Expect After Discharge
- Pain Control: You can expect to have some pain that may require pain medication for a few days after discharge, and then Tylenol should be sufficient to control your pain.
- Showering: You may shower at home. Your wound sites can get wet, but must be patted dry. Tub baths can soak your incisions and therefore are not recommended in the first 2 weeks after surgery. You will have adhesive strips, called "steri strips" across your incisions. These are not to be removed and will peel off after surgery. Sutures will dissolve in 4-6 weeks.
- Activity: Taking walks is very important. Prolonged sitting or lying in bed should be avoided. Climbing stairs is fine. Driving should be avoided for at least 1 week after surgery. Absolutely no heavy lifting (greater than 20 pounds) or exercising (jogging, swimming, treadmill, biking) for four weeks or until instructed by your doctor. Most patients return to full activity on an average of 3 weeks after surgery. You can expect to return to work in approximately 3- 4 weeks.
- Diet: Your appetite may be decreased for 3 weeks following surgery. There are no general dietary restrictions.
- Blood Pressure: If your tumor was producing excess hormone, you may need to keep monitoring your blood pressure and on occasion your electrolytes through a blood test.
