My wife

My wife, Jan625, passed away last night after two years of operations, multiple tests, pain, and diminishing health.  Never will I trust a doctor again. 

oh man, sry to hear...
hospital name? would like to know so I can stay away from bad doctors.

I am very sorry to hear of your loss.

My condolences - my thought and prayers are with you and your family.

I am so sorry for your loss. May God be with you.

To help further the knowledge base for ostomates, here is a brief synopsis of her ordeal. Two years ago she had a bowel resection for a redundant colon. Unfortunately a suture failed and she got peritonitis which then turned into ARDS, placing her in ICU for a few weeks with a colostomy. After a few weeks her resection was reconnected and she came home. Within a couple of weeks she was again suffering from constipation, to which her surgeon's office responded, "take Milk of Magnesium." Unfortunately she was shortly suffering pain with the constipation and after pleading with her surgeon he grudgingly gave her a colonoscopy. This was after 2 emergency room doctors said she had a large polyp and one suggested she see her shrink and take valium. (Now you're beginning to understand my distrust of doctors.) During the colonoscopy, the surgeon found a 2&1/2 cm. solidified ball of barium in her colon that had drifted down against the ring of sutures at the reconnection site. This was the "polyp." The barium was from the original barium X-Ray she had before the original surgery.

She subsequently started suffering small intestine blockages. The last one didn't clear and she ended up in surgery again and left with no large bowel. The new ileostomy worked fine for a long time. Then she started having pains during stool passage at the ten o'clock position above her stoma. An ultra sound showed an undissolved suture in that location. After it's removal the ileostomy function went downhill. Poor or limited stool passage with bloating and pain that was sometimes severe. After myriad tests such as CT scans, barium follow thru studies, and consultations, the doctors decided function was satisfactory. How about the pain and bloating I argued, something must be causing that. They had no answers.

She had three stoma revisions to no avail. Vascular problems arose and she was scheduled for corrective surgery for that. But the vascular surgeon wanted the ileostomy problem corrected first to assure a health recovery. Next tests found she was suffering from chronic Pancreatitis. Enzymes seemed to correct this and the bloating and pain. Another barium follow thru was done to assure ileostomy function and the bloating and pain returned. I think the barium caused some untimely reaction somehow. She died in her sleep 3 days later after nearly constant pain.

What a snafu. The health system her utterly failed her and ruined our golden years. She was 65 years old. I failed her, too. I couldn't get these idiots to think outside the box.

I am so very sorry to hear about Jan's passing.  Please accept my sincere condolences.  I corresponded with Jan a bit regarding her problems with hydration.  I was the one who tried the octreotide injections to try to slow the motility of my remaining digestive tract, something that Jan was looking for information about at one time.  I realize she had just an awful time these past couple years.  Please don't think you've failed her, you obviously were her advocate and she spoke highly of you.  My heart goes out to you.

NG 

TO HUSBAND OF JAN625,

What state was your wife's surgery in? Please let me know. I had very similar experience minus the barium and minus the pancreatitis. I was dx'd with a redundant sigmoid colon on a defecogram test. Surgeons removed my sigmoid and where they put the ends of the colon together, a severe stricture formed narrowing my colon to only 4 millimeters. They dx'd this with a gastrograffin (water soluble enema contrast xray) and just left me this way. They also did 4 other unconsented procedures. Massive internal scarring further lead to permanent loss of my pelvic muscles, rectum, and for 7 months the loss of use of my small intestine. I had to see 11 specialists across the US before one surgeon did the only thing that could be done to save my life, small bowel adhesion take down and a permanent ileostomy. Upon medical review of my case it was found that the original defecogram image test report was wrong, I did not have a redundant sigmoid colon in the first place. So all this was for naught. All I needed fixed was a rectocele (bulge in the back of the vagina which makes a dip in the rectum and was the cause of my initial issue of stool trapping.) THis could have been fixed vaginally without making any small bowel adhesions. A number of other patients critically injured by the two surgeons I went to. I need to know what geographical area your wife's surgery was done at. There may be a larger number of people who have suffered and died at the hands of my 2 surgeons. BY ARDS did you mean ARD Adhesion Related Disorder (meaning adhesions on small intestine.) ? I am extremely sorry for your loss. Sincerely, Sweetpea