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Posted 8/2/2010 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

Well, I'm giving in to surgery .... after building up antibodies to Remicade (which was bliss for 4 yrs) and Humira not kicking in at all .... I'm having surgery next week!  Now of course I'm getting nervous and thinking "am I really that bad?"  just had MRI and confirmed abscess and fistula ....so thats not good ...but, I  also think we get so used to pain somewhat ....then wonder.. can I live with it lol  Anyhoo I know deep down its the right thing to do!  I just wondered what to expect ... I know everyone is different ...but would like to hear about your experiences  VIEW IMAGE

Posted 8/2/2010 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Just want to say good luck! I'm sure things will turn out well.
Posted 8/2/2010 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
I had an emergency resection last year (along with 2 c-sections years ago) and the one piece of advice I can give you is to get up walking as soon as you are able and to walk the halls at least 2-3 times a day. Yes, it's gonna hurt, no, you are not going to want to do it, but walking gets the blood flowing throughout your body and it speeds healing. Are you having a resection or surgery on your fistula's?

I had a morphine pump for the first 2 days after surgery, so that time is pretty vague. Ask the nurse for an extra pillow that you can press against your stomach when turning, sitting up or coughing.

Good luck! I hope you have many years of symptom free living!
Posted 8/2/2010 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Rider ....and thanks for the tips greyeyedblonde appreciate them ... it's a resection at the terminal ileum ..... my first surgery......and hopefully should be laparoscopy..... so hoping will be back at work after summer break :-)
Posted 8/2/2010 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
I've had 2 resections, and I agree...walk as soon as you can. It'll make you feel so much better so much quicker.

Both of my resections were open surgeries, so I don't know how laporascopic surgery goes, but it sounds like you need it. Even if you can deal with the pain, if meds aren't helping, things won't heal on themselves.

I hope you're feeling better soon!
Posted 8/2/2010 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hey GL... just reposting my resection experience from a thread much earlier in the year (3rd of Feb I think). It seems to be the same type as your surgery. The total recovery was about seven weeks, and then a further few until I really started to feel "normal". Six months later and I'm still doing pretty darn good. I really wish you the best....


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I just had my resection on Friday the 22nd of January. It was laparoscopic with hand assist, meaning they used the scope and they made an incision of about three inches to take 10 inches of small intestine.

I was out of the hospital the following Wednesday, so five days. In the meantime, I had needed a blood transfusion, since they gave me thinners to prevent clotting and I was bleeding a whole lot out the ol' rectum. When they stopped the thinners, the bleeding slowly subsided.

The pain was bad for me for exactly a week, which is what my GI told me it would be. I was able to switch over to Tylenol only from Perc with Tylenol on Saturday the 30th. I get alternating pains. Some from the incision itself, some from gas moving around, and some from whatever they messed around with inside. I'm still on Tylenol, but only about every twelve hours.

It's not been too terrible an experience, and I went from not being able to sit back and stand up without a lot of extra effort on the day I came home to being able to do so with only moderate effort the next couple of days. It's still kind of uncomfortable to sit up straight, but part of that is the staples, which come out tomorrow (yay!).

Each day I have seen improvement in moving, with my stomach muscles recovering much faster than I expected.
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Posted 8/2/2010 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Sir .... thats a great help .... feeling better about it all already...!! :-)
Posted 8/2/2010 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
Wishing you good luck with your surgery!  The fact that you are having it done laproscopically is a major plus... and yes get moving asap, use a binder to help with the pain/pressure after the surgery, it will help.

I had 1' of my intestine removed in 2005 after my intestines ruptured and was life-flighted for surgery..... I did not have the option of the laproscope and was opened (big time!)... I awoke with a colostomy but was very lucky and had it all reversed (yes open again) 3 months later.  The surgery was a success..... meaning I lived! lol

Take care and I'll pray all will be well.

 

Posted 8/2/2010 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck with the surgery, I hope you can have lapro. Mine started out that way but there was too much scar tissue. Besides walking as soon as possible, I'd recommend a nerve block if it's offered. Since you've had previous surgery you know how it feels to sit up and get out of bed the first time. My last surgery was in January and I was shocked that the nerve block did soooooooo much good. The first time I sat up I was expecting PAIN but I had minimal pain while the block was in place.

Hope all goes well!
Posted 8/2/2010 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
This is great ...getting lots of advice :-) Ohkeedokee ...you've been through the mill ....ouch that sounded very painful ..hope you are in remission now !!
Lamb ...this is going to be my first surgery ... butIi'll ask for the nerve block ...assume its an epidural?? never got the pleasure of one when I had my children ...:-&

Thank you all x
Posted 8/3/2010 1:08 AM (GMT 0)
You will probably still be more tired than usual for a lot longer than you would expect it. I was still taking afternoon naps 2 months after the surgery.

I went back to work six weeks after the surgery. If you can arrange it, try to go back on a Wednesday. Everyone always goes back on Monday, but if you start on Wednesday, you only work three days and then get the weekend to recover.
Posted 8/3/2010 12:00 PM (GMT 0)
I had open surgery just over 5 years ago to remove 12 inches of intestines and so glad you wont have the scar I now have!

 

I had an epidural for 5 days after and so couldn't get up but do remember the pillow (I think I used a folded up towel) tip - good tip. Went onto morphine afterwards but was sent home with nothing but paracetamol!!! Big difference.

 

You also get congratulated on the first fart and bm turn

 

Hope it all goes well for you xxx
Posted 8/5/2010 1:07 PM (GMT 0)
Becky: I expect a large percentage of people get used to dealing with the pain and everything else that goes with it - all to our own detriment. I myself was on the verge of organ shutdown right before my second surgery. We're just as capable of being in denial as any other group with a chronic illness. The difference is most of us have a solution available (surgery) which in most cases will put us into remission for years. And yet, we resist. It's ridiculous in my opinion.
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