Prep for Ileostomy Surgery & Recovery time...

i had to do a prep before the original surgery. Now if you already have a jpouch or a temp ileo, then no you wont need to do one.
YOu should at the very least be off solid foods for a day. If your colon is full it raises the chance for infection.
I did a day without food and that god awful nasty stuff, although i did the pills, then nothing after midnight except a small sip to take my pills.
as for liquor, i would stay away for probably a day or two before hand. But once you are all healed up and off the pain meds, drink away! LOL, however you must shares some drunken stories, i do!

Recovery time varies for everyone, it depends on your age, your health going in, whether its lapro or full, lots of things. Average is 6 weeks. But you will have some tiredness for probably 6months


Pain, yes it hurts, it hurts like freaking crazy! not gonna lie and tell you otherwise, when you first wake up, for me at least, i cant even explain how it hurt it just was awful! But they give you lovely morphine, which will be your best friend, lol. And all is well,lol. Take some gas-x to the hostpial with you, cause the gas pain can be the worst! And it takes forever to get a script fot it.
I left the hostpial with probably 4 weeks worth of pain pills, but only took them everyday for about a week, then after that took them at night for another week, then only off and on. I would find somedays if i did alot or something i would hurt more.
But by then the pain was just kind of a randomthing, but you dont want to be in pain if you dont have to. For probably 6 months i had a slight ache like at the top where my incsion started. Like an annoying feeling, esp if my clothes or something rubbed on it. YOu will sleep alot, cause the drugs will keep you asleep but thats ok, cause you need sleep to heal,also once they give you the oral pain meds, get some phenogren or something to help with the nausea! But it is important to get up and walk and do things also. I didnt walk the day of surgery, i didnt get out until about two or three, then i had some random bleeding for no apparent reason, and they didnt want me up. But the next day i wasup some. Dont be suprised though when a walk to the bathroom wears you out! The first time i took a shower by myself when i got home, i had to take a nap, lol.
Not trying to scare you, i just wont you to be prepared! And its soooo worth it, that few weeks of pain for a life time of being healthy is more than worth it.

And one more thing, when you first get up, you will probably have on this cheap clear bag, thats so they can see whats going on, and cause its cheap. And your output will proabably be this bright green stuff that smells like death warmed over and killed again! Noone warned me of that and i freaked, thinking thats how it would always be. But thats the bile in your stomach. Once you start eating again it will change colors and not smell as bad

good luck!

I just had a total colectomy/proctectomy 3 weeks ago and have a permanent ileostomy. I was in the hospital for 11 days - would have been shorter but I developed an ileus/obstruction which kept me in longer. Summerstorm is right - It Hurts like CRAZY. But tomorrow will be 3 weeks since my surgery and I am no longer taking any pain pills except first thing in the morning and occasionally one during the day if I find I am doing too much. Otherwise, it is just Tylenol if I need it during the day.

I still have steri-strips on my incision - which is still sore, but tolerable. My butt incisionis still sore, but healing nicely - sutures just taken out 2 days ago. I am no longer using those ugly clear pouches they gave me in the hospital. I am fortunate to work with an ostomy nurse who has been SO helpful and she has given me some great samples to use that are so much better.

My poop is starting to thicken quite a bit - no longer that green, nasty smelly stinky stuff the first couple weeks. (House smelled like a sewer the first few days I was home). I did learn that Tic Tacs in the pouch help with the odor, and they do!!! I am also going to try the M-9 odor eliminator too.

I did do a prep to clean out before the surgery and was on clear liquids the day before. I think that is best to prevent infection.

I am still getting used to life with the ileostomy. I tried everything to avoid this and am hoping that it is going to improve my quality of life - no more bleeding (like crazy), PAIN, going to the bathroom 20 - 30 times a day (911's), where is the bathroom, am I gonna make it to the bathroom, OOPS - didn't quite make it to the bathroom, toxic doses of meds, steroids (marshmallow face), missing my children's activities, being stuck at home, and all the other stuff that the Crohn's has done to my life in the past.

This website has been such a great resource and comfort for me. I hope you find the same. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!

hahaha "smells like death warmed over and killed again!" love the analogy!!


Sorry I haven't replied to you all, i've been heaps busy with my new job (shame I'm guna lose it with the operation being in 7 days and all... :( ). Anywho, I saw my stoma therapist nurse person today. She basically said that I have to be off food for 6 hours before the surgery and i do not have to take any horrible tasting stuff (Thank God!!). I'm hoping it's going to be morning surgery so I'm asleep for most of the 6 hour period, but honestly I won't be complaining, I'm just so happy I don't have to take any of those horible laxative type drinks... It took me sooo long just to drink out of the same glass I used to mix it in for my last colostomy (every time I went to use it I felt a little sick inside, even though I knew it was clean).


I was actually quite shocked when I asked the stoma nurse the alcohol question. She asked me how much I usually drank and I told her I was a binge drinker. Basically I only drink once a month, but when I do drink I go all out. My last party I had 4 vodka shots, 4 sambucca shots, 6-8 vodka and jelly shots (weak ones) and a bit of my puss (My regular drink is a mix of pineapple juice, vodka, midori and malibu, it looks a lot like puss :p ). Needless to say, that was an excellent night!!

Anywho, the stoma nurse told me that after getting my ileostomy I won't be able to drink that much alcohol. As in I can have a few drinks but can't get very drunk due to dehydration (she may have mentioned that it could cause a blockage or something? :s). Does this sound right to any of you's? To be honest I was actually quite shattered as I'm still young and enjoy going to parties or out on the town drinking and dancing (I only dance when I'm drunk too :p ). As such, I'm planning on having my last big night out this friday before my monday surgery. I'm sure that's enough time for it to be out of my system...