Loop Iliostomy reversal

Hi all I am new to this group.

I have a loop iliostomy reversal scheduled on Jan. 14.  The surgeon said I will be in the hospital for 5-7 days but can return to work in about 3 weeks.

My disability runs out on Feb. 19.  That will be 5 weeks from the date of the surgery.  Anyone who has had this procedure -- do you think I can make it?

Thanks,

Lynn

Hi Lynn,

Welcome to the group. I had my loop ileostomy reversed on October 30th. My situation is a little different from many here because I don't have UC and I didn't have j-pouch surgery. I had about eight inches of my colon and part of my rectum removed because of endometriosis and my colon was reconnected.

For me, the reversal surgery wasn't bad at all. I was in the hospital for a week, but that is mostly because my bowels took awhile to wake up and I didn't want to go home until I started having bowel movements. They actually would have sent me home much sooner.

I felt pretty good after my surgery but I developed an abcess 12 days after my surgery and ended up back in the hospital for a few days. Even then, I still felt good after they started giving me antibiotics to clear up the infection. I am now 5 weeks out from my surgery. I might be starting a new job next week and I feel like I'm ready. The only issue I am having is that I am still having to the bathroom several times a day. I have control, but some days I am going 10 to 15 times. Other days it is not nearly as frequent. I think it has to do with what I'm eating, but I haven't done a good job of keeping track. The stool is also pretty soft so my bum is irritated. I have been using Calmoseptine cream and that seems to help.

Had it not been for the complication I had, I think I would have been ready to go back to work after 2 or 3 weeks.

Hi Lynn,
You're asking if 5 weeks from date of surgery is enough time to heal before you go back to work. I would say it most realistically is enough time. I can't remember how long I was in the hospital, but I think it was 9 days. I'm in Germany, where they reckon with longer stays to avoid you coming back with complications. I stayed home three weeks and then went back to work. So if I were you, I would just stay home for the duration of the disability, since you have the time. You may be dealing with multiple bm's per day. I was going 18 times when I was released from the hospital. I took 2 immodium every four hours when I went back to work. But in terms of being able to work and having energy, that all comes back much more quickly than 3 weeks at home. I'm only saying take the extra time you have to be able to make adjustments and figure out what and how you need to eat.