How Did You Feel ...

a couple of days before your colon surgery? Mine is coming up on Monday and I am beginning to get nervous. Can someone give me some encouraging words. Thanks!

I was toooo sick to even think about it. The weekend right before, I think I was awake less than ten hours the whole weekend.

When I came to the day after surgery, the nausea, colon pain, and severe fatigue had subsided. The surgery worked a miracle on my body.

Thanks Ladies for sharing. I am beginning to have a little tickle cough don't know if it's mental or from post nasal drip...could be a combo of both. Today I start eating soft foods and begin my prep and Saturday and Sunday nothing but liquids including the special one gallon prep. Cheers to a better life!

     Faith and Hope....are you having the j-pouch operation or end ileo?  I was not a candidate for j-pouch because of my deteriorating physical condition and (least of all) my age at the time...63.  Had I decided on the j-pouch, or if my former GI doctor would have the courtesy to admit when defeated, I should have sought out a  colorectal surgeon years ago.  Instead, I plugged along, trying more and more meds, until I became prednisone dependent.  That drug was killing me.  However, after 6MP, Remicade and Humira all failed, my GI doctor wanted me to try Cimzia, Orenzia and any other poison that came on the market.  Guess he figured I was an old lady and dispensible.  When I told him I sought out a colorectal surgeon online, I thought he would have a stroke!

     Anyway, being nervous is being human.  I had my surgery performed in Philly by the head of colorectal surgery at the Univ of Pa Hospital.  In my opinion, he is excellent.  June 28th will mark my 2nd anniversary with my stoma.  Sure, the surgery is no walk in the park and I had a few blips, but I would go through it again because I have my life back.  Ironically, I did not have to take a prep..lol.  I was shocked when he told me just to stay on clear liquids for 24 hrs before surgery.  Just for good measure, I stayed on clear liquids 48 hrs.  No problems.  I suppose every surgeon has his system.  Maybe because I had an end ileo this was possible?  Who knows, but it was great not having to take that awful prep .

     I went from taking 17 - 25 pills daily plus rectal meds down to only 1 pill a day and that is for my well-controlled BP.  Before surgery, my BP was 216/110 and I was on 3 different BP meds.  The prednisone also gave me type 2 diabetes and I was on Medformin at the time of my operation.  I have full blown osteoporosis thanks to the prednisone too.

     I will keep you in my prayers.  Just take one day at a time and each day post op will get better and better !

Before my first surgery I was too sick and drugged to respond emotionally to anything... xD but for my second surgery I was excited!! They way I've always seen it is that the quicker I can get through these surgeries, the quicker I can get back to school :) My last surgery is now scheduled for July 18 and I know its rushing it a bit but I feel great and just can't wait!

On another note, I didn't sleep any of the nights before my surgeries though. For the first I was in too much pain and for the second and third since they were/are scheduled for so early in the morning and I always stay up late it just makes more sense to wait for the anasthesia.

Ladies, words cannot express the gratitude I feel for all of you to share your feelings and experiences. You all are helping me cope. I had three c-sections and gallbladder removal. I just don't know why this surgery has me so nervous. But reading your responses are a big help.

Christine- I am scheduled for subtotal colectomy. My rectum is in working order so I will not have to worry about a take down, etc. this is what my surgeon said but nothing is written in stone. I will definitely check responses from my iPad while in the hospital and keep everyone posted.

Good point Christine -- I had that too, and others have reported it. I had formed stool for a week or so leading up to surgery, hadn't had that in years. I think partly it was the stress reduction of not working, not trying to figure out the next thing to try to make myself well, and just having a plan....

I did it! I am 5 days post op. Things are quiet. Doctors don't know how long I will be in the hospital...probably 5 more days because my small intestines is taking its little time to wake up and I haven't fart yet despite the walking and moving around. I had a rough three days. Currently I have post op illeus and we are waiting for things to move along. I am not rushing it, I just want every bit of this entire ordeal to be a success.

Good luck Faith. I remember post op ileus when I had my first stoma. Time will heal that. Tough treading through that though. Rosemary

I'm 18 years old, and was 17 at the time of my surgery. I suffer with therapy resistant crohns, not nice! Last february I was admitted to hospital with an abscess that had spread and had gone through my stomach wall, into my ribcage and was ready to burst through my skin. It had pushed bowel into my stomach and my spleen was enlarged due to the infection. My bowel was perforated and as you can imagine I was in a bit of a mess! Before surgery I just wanted it to be over with, to get my life back to normal. Yes it is very nerve wracking, but when your life is on hold and you are so close to no return, it is a must! It got to the stage where i was begging for the surgery. Now, nearly a year on after the 7 hour operation, here i am typing this message to you all! I have 2 stomas, one a mucus fistula, the other an illeostomy, and I wouldnt be without them! Yes they do cause problems sometimes, but if managed correctly, they are no problem at all, and i am just happy to be getting on with my life! I am hopefully back at college in September and I am hoping to then go on to university. I hope you all are well and coping ok, and if anybody ready for surgery is reading this, I hope they feel a little better knowing my story and how well I am doing and how easy stomas are to cope with. All the best to you all.