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Posted 11/6/2012 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
I am so happy for you, Sara! :-) Don't fret about the staples....the sound it makes when they are being removed is worse than it feels! The remover makes a little "snap" sound, straightens the "legs" of the staple and then it slides right out....easy peasy. (I actually just learned how to do this about three weeks ago!)

I'm really glad your surgeon took care of that horrible nurse. I am studying to become a nurse right now and I would never dream of treating a patient that way! You comfort, protect, and treat your patients. That's how it is supposed to be. I wouldn't want to work with a nurse like that one and I definitely wouldn't want to be his patient!

I am so glad that you are home and doing well. Be patient with yourself on the food bit. You've got the matter of eating being associated with pain/discomfort on top of having to undo the programming one has to put in place in order to go without proper food and not go insane! As you slowly experience eating without anything bad happening, your brain will get on board. :-)
Posted 11/6/2012 7:13 AM (GMT 0)
Oh ok thanks YYC that's good to know.

I had quite a bad night with a lot of weird internal pain which I've not had before. Perhaps I overdid it yesterday.. I'm sure its normal but I'll call my surgeon just to be on the safe side. Oh and Today I'm doing notihng but resting :-)
Posted 11/6/2012 8:50 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks pancakes.. I had stitches last time so these staples look weird. I think its a better surgical technique though.. Less risk of infection? You're so right about the food thing... Will just tske time. Hope you're doing ok. X
Posted 11/6/2012 12:19 PM (GMT 0)
Sarah, sorry haven't been around much, but it's great to hear that you're home and doing better. Glad that nurse won't be hurting any other people.

I would expect the food issues to take a while -- besides the very real physical problems you had (and still have due to recent surgery) with eating, there was so much trauma with food leading to pain and fear ... I would imagine that part of you just wants to protect yourself by not eating.... you need baby steps to trust that you'll be OK.

Hang in.
Posted 11/7/2012 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Sarah

I would back it up to maybe heavy liquids. Remember you could not eat for 3+ months. Whatever my issue is I feel best when yogurt and soup are my heaviest things. Tonight I had red velvelt melting cake slice. I dread to think! I may have a rough night. I think I have adhesions way in. I think we all just want to eat so normally after being deprived for so long. Good luck. I have very bad pain if I lie on my left side. I think it is adhesions.
Posted 11/8/2012 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
I am doing very well and soon you will be saying the same! :-)

There are some benefits to staples. There is a slightly lower infection rate because they don't move in and out of the skin like suture thread can. The main thing though is that they are supposed to be less irritating to the skin/wound to allow for faster healing.
Posted 11/8/2012 7:42 AM (GMT 0)
Few complications.. Headache from hell came back. Strongest painkillers in the world haven't touched it. Potassium is normal but BP and Heartrate higher than normal. Any thoughts? Prof is going to refer me to a neurologist. Has anyone had anything like this post sugery? Nausea that comes with the headache is awful and can't eat much because of it.

Also last night started running a fever. Got up to 38.5 and this mornong woke up bathed in pool of sweat. I have some 'internal pain' aaround the resection site and wondered if this might be an abscess? What does it feel like and does this sound like it might be?

Am waiting for my surgeon to call back and need to call for my blood test results to see what my WBC is.

Thoughts?? Thanks x
Posted 11/8/2012 11:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hmm WBC is up (12.9) as is neutrophils and esoinophils (sp?) And other infection markers.. :-( waiting for surgeon to call. How normal is this post surgery? You'd think I'd know the answer to that myself.. On the upside the stoma is working like a charm and no signs of any obstruction.
Posted 11/8/2012 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
You're right. It's not normal. I'm glad you called your surgeon.
Posted 11/8/2012 1:32 PM (GMT 0)
I had an abscess after surgery and I spiked a fever very quickly (I was on pred though). Mostly it just felt awful with symptoms of a high fever.... a little higher than yours but in that ballpark.

I hope you're getting treatment -- sounds like something is wrong. Go to the ER if need be.... that's what I ended up doing, and I had to stay in the hospital a few more days.... but just a blip in the larger picture.

Great that your new stoma is working so well. Hope you feel better soon.
Posted 11/8/2012 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
sara.. hate to say it, this sounds like an abscess. Get a hold of your surgeon now or go straight back to the A&E in the hospital in which you were operated. I wouldn't suggest going to your local A&E.

I had multiple abscess problems after my last surgery. In fact, still dealing with draining and a chronic sinus tract. And I was like you.. thought well at least the stoma was working like a champ! Hang in there, stuff happens - you know that. But get seen NOW. you need to get taken care of before anything potentially gets worse.

also headache can result from some drug withrdrawal stuff. I'm sure you were on iv pain drugs in the hospital.
good luck
Posted 11/8/2012 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks folks.. Spoke to my surgeon and he said to get bloods repeated tomorrow and call him if temp goes up again. Its been ok today. He wants a CT or ultrasound done tomorrow and doesn't want me rushing back up to London. I won't go to local ER as don't want anyone touching me other than him. Am sitting tight for now but keeping a close eye on things. He said surgery was very clean and thought it would be unlikely I'd have an abscess.. But then I've had lots of unlikely things.

Headache improved today though and eaten sokid food yay! :-).
Posted 11/8/2012 9:24 PM (GMT 0)
Does sound a lot like,y abscess experience. My temp would go up, but not very high, then back down for a bit and then back up. I felt off but not devastatingly ill. I even got blood work that was normal. Then a few days later, everything went to hell. High fevers, nausea, dehydration, fatigue, pain. Had my husband drive me up to ER at CC and that's when the abscess was discovered. They told me that I had such a gradual onset of symptoms because the abscess was initially "walled off" somehow and my body's defenses didn't realize what was actually going on. Then, it reached a certain point where my immune system figured it out and all went bonkers.

I'm glad you are getting the scans and repeat blood work done. Hopefully they'll have answers for you. Despite a surgeon's best efforts and a surgery going perfectly, it only takes a few of the right kind of microbes to get something like this going. Good luck, dear.....keep us posted!
Posted 11/8/2012 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Oh wow....I just was looking at my blog entries and it was exactly a year ago today that we made that middle of the night run up to ER in Cleveland. What a difference a year makes! Off topic I guess but, just a reminder that things do eventually sort themselves out and turn around.
Posted 11/8/2012 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
thanks Pancakes.. wow that's a scary co-incidence! so glad you're doing so well now and have made such a fab recovery.Thanks for your advice.

I had an abscess before when this all started back in 2010 and it does feel rather similar with the up and down temp and waking up in a pool of sweat.

My bloods when I left hospital were 'high' in the inflammatory and infection markers and 'higher' in the last set done by my GP. Can't imagine it's much else really..

Will sit tight and see how things go overnight and tomorrow.
Posted 11/9/2012 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
Sarah,

Good luck. Doesn't that just figure! Great stoma now this. Nothing to do but follow it along. Something really going wrong with me. I am back to living on liquids. Solids just don't come out of this stoma. Hiring a social worker to go with me to my nov 14 appt. If I can live on liquids I will. But if this means this stoma is stenosing tho it dos not look it then iam am done for unless my surgeon knows someone abroad who uses sprayshield to prevent adhesion regrowth. I really wish she had not taken my colon out! Seeimg al the adhesions I had if I were her I would not have done any additional procedures on an adhesion former just as my 2 docs back east did not. Good luck. Rosemary
Posted 11/9/2012 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
sara.. just an fyi.. I never had a temp with any of my abscesses. Even with the most major abscesses that I had in the hospital. So I don't believe that temp is a good marker of an abscess. Some of my nurses told me I was not unusual in the no temp but huge abscess case. Glad to hear you are getting a CT scan. Glad to hear you won't let the locals touch you. I'm the same way. Its a 2-3hour drive for me to my surgeons hospital now. But no way would I go to the local place.
I'm concerned for you. and there's nothing wrong with you making the drive and going to the london A&E. You would get tests and results done faster that way. just an idea.
Posted 11/10/2012 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
am still sitting tight at home. having ultrasound on Monday. bloodwork still showing infection/inflammation. CRP is up to 69 (should be under 10). surgeon reckons it could be a small 'collection/abscess'.. but there's not much we can do until Monday. night sweats are killing me.. up 3 times last night to change the bed. shivers but strangely no fever and no pain. go figure. if i get worse i can be admitted as emergency to my London hospital. It's private though and doesn't technically have an ER. It would mean calls to my surgeon and emergency admission.. all doable if things go pearshaped.

having a little pity party today.. so I won't hang around for long as I'm being uncharacteristically miserable :-(
Posted 11/10/2012 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
Sarah

Wow good luck.

I am having issues with my new stoma not outputting well still having to stick to mainly liquids

Stoma now sort of points out to the right

Praying for both of us. Rosemary
Posted 11/10/2012 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your prayers Rosemary. Am praying for you too.

I can't believe your stoma isn't working properly and you're back on liquids... It must be adhesions further inside? What a nightmare :-(

Sorry I never got a moment to ask my surgeon about sprayshield, my head wasn't really on properly in hospital. I will when I speak to him next. Never mentioned it so far though and I don't think he used it on me. I had minimal adhesions apart from just behind the stoma which was a 'mess'. Ironically he thought that lapro construction of a stoma can sometimes prevent them getting the 'orientation' right. Anyway I'll email you his name and you could look into it.

Hope you get some support at your next appointment on 14th.

Will keep you posted on my situ and 'infection'. All a bit random.
Posted 11/12/2012 3:17 PM (GMT 0)
sars.. so sorry to hear whats going on. I too had terrible night sweats with abscesses. I am hoping things haven't gotten worse. I sure hope you are getting back to london soon to get things fully fully investigated. Be sure you are eating/drinking what you can now. Because if you do have an abscess after they drain it, you might end up on some potent iv antibiotics which can wreck havoc on your appetite.
Please don't wait around and get yourself in there sooner than later.
best wishes.
Posted 11/12/2012 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi ddd.. thanks for your concern. I'm on my way for a scan right now! night sweats continue, but no fever and no pain. Am dreading either strong oral antibiotics or IV... my appetite isn't great and I'm down 28lbs now and cant' lose much more. UGH!

Will report back later..
Posted 11/12/2012 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
good luck sarah i was in pain all night and just finsihed breakfast and have absolutely NO output. I will pray for you and me too. Rosemary
Posted 11/12/2012 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
good luck sarah i was in pain all night and just finsihed breakfast and have absolutely NO output. I will pray for you and me too. Rosemary
Posted 11/12/2012 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
ultrasound didn't show anything.. (consultant said 'lucky (!) you're so 'slim' as we can see everything so easily')... hmmmmm (in my best Marge Simpson voice). Haven't had blood results yet. can't imagine it's a biggie. must just be a low rumbling infection somewhere which hopefully my body is fighting off.

Rosemary.. hang in there. It's normal to have no output for a while, so lets hope it starts moving soon. I hear you though.. you must be 'lost' with what's normal and what's not. I'm not totally sure things are working as they should here either, or if it's just 'wind' or if I'm just being super sensitive. It's so hard when you've been so deep in this. Struggling to eat much more than a tiny meal.. although I suppose that's progress on where I was. Just gonna take time I think... I hope :-)
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