Surgery on Tuesday…happy thoughts needed.

Hi Everyone,

The time has finally come for my surgery. I will be going in for a colostomy, rectum removed, complete hysterectomy (everything removed), and a bladder sling. Rather intense. 3 surgeons from 3 specialties doing the surgeries. I feel very good about the docs and their capabilities and that they care and have tons of experience and really are concerned with improving my quality of life as much as they can.

I'm a bit nervous, but mostly excited. I think my family is more nervous than I am. They say surgery will take 5-7 hours (if everything goes really well), possibility of going up to ICU after surgery if the surgery is toward the longer end, they would have to leave the breathing tube in for a while, until my lungs can handle breathing by themselves. May need blood transfusions, I'm ok with that I guess--gotta do what they gotta do, right? Hopefully though, after surgery I will go to recovery and then to a regular room.

Should be in the hospital about a week or week and a half, depending of course, on how everything is healing and pain tolerance, etc.

I guess the only parts I am nervous about at this point would be if I woke up w/ a breathing tube in, getting a nurse/nurses who don't know how to handle someone who just had the surgeries I will have (don't want to have them try to give me oral meds or get me to eat or whatever, but doc said the floor they will send me to has very experienced nurses and she even gave me the name and # of the colorectal surgical assistant that mostly works in the hospital part, not the clinic, so I can call her if any problems arise. I'm also worried a bit about how I will feel when I see the ostomy and stoma for the first time--I think it will shock me that it actually happened!

Pain control I have talked about on the forum already…but it's gonna be dilaudid in a PCA pump, and then one of those little balloon things delivering meds directly to the incision area for the first few days. Yay!

I'm excited to finally be rid of these lifelong problems…I will never again have to deal with a huge accident at walmart, with poo running down my leg (sorry TMI). Sure, the bag might leak, especially at first, but my mindset about that is totally different.

Anyway, i will stop rambling. I will not be on HW for a while after tomorrow, but UCWhat? may be posting updates on my status on the ostomy forum if anyone wants to know…

Could use some positive thoughts, prayers, whatever you got!

Thanks for listening. Take care all and I wish you all low pain days!

Sunny good luck on your surgery & you will have many prayers being said. It sounds like you have everything in order.

All my T's & Ps your way Sunny, hoping for the least of pain and the best of luck . . . Q

Many prayers offered for you, eager to read the good reports that will come. Your courage is inspiring.

What I learned from having a colostomy: The nurses will teach you a lot about your stoma and bags and things. Before you go home make sure the doc requests a home nurse to come help you. It'll all seem different an confusing at home. Get the phone number of the hospital ostomy nurse so you can call with questions anytime.

Look up the names and websites or phone numbers of all the ostomy product companies. They will send you free samples to try. I really hated the products I was given in the hospital. There were several brands with better features I liked better.

The hospital also set me up with a local supplier. I found a closer supplier that was able to get me the products I liked lots faster.

There's quite a learning curve getting used to the whole thing. I hated my ostomy at first, but I got used to it. I had to! Ostomies have no feeling, so it won't hurt. Go to the ostomy forum for lots more information! Those people helped me more than my ostomy nurses.

Best wishes.

Sunny,my Prayers and Positive Thoughts are with you.I hope it's a success and your pain is managed well.

God Bless You,

Rick

Thank you all for the wonderful words of encouragement and advice, and of course the thoughts and prayers! What would I do without a group of such amazing and caring people?!

I feel very blessed to have found you all and for you to care about me so much, especially as I go into such a big surgery.

Check for updates on the ostomy forum from UCWhat?, she has become a good friend and will be getting messages from my family until I am able to to do them myself.


Love and Hugs,


Sunny13.

It's great to see you back on here, offering words of comfort and strength to others. You have been missed! I hope you are doing well. You have a lot to adjust to and that, plus recovery takes TIME. I'm sure you want it to happen very quickly so you will work hard, but it still takes TIME. I have no experience with your health issues. I'm just talking about things I have had and what I've read here from others. We're not patient people. I wonder where the name "patient" came from. It's other meaning rarely describes me when I'm in the hospital. I really loved your hospital sign! Must have been a bright spot for the staff.

Take care and stay in touch. Your on-line family cares about you!

Hi,

I just wanted to say that you are in my thought and prayers for your surgery tomorrow. I hope that everything goes as planned, and you have no pain. Good luck, and I hope you have a speedy recovery.

Megan