Surgery in 1 week.....

Hi...good luck to you. You know I still have my stump. I didn't have issues until last summer (operation was in June of 2010). My surgeon is retired, so I am going to a new colorectal surgeon. The reoccurance of the UC inside the anus, according to my new doctor, is due to my use of Ibuprofen for back pain. I stopped the Ibuprofen, but still having mucus, which comes out my vagina! He did biopsies in November and extensive exam inside the vagina and cannot find any fistula. I do have anal fissures though, but I think I got them from all this messing around inside the anus.

May I ask what your issues were that your surgeon suggested you have this surgery? How high is the rate of cancer if I don't have this surgery? My new colorectal surgeon said that surgery is not warranted in my case, but he suggests I have biopsies every two years or so. I have no bleeding and no pain or pressure, just this mucus!

Hi Christine! How are your issues lately? Have you thought about seeing some sort of gynecological specialist to see if they might be able to find the possible fistula or have other ideas of what could be going on? As for me...I have had very consistent mucus discharge since my surgery and it has been increasing. It comes out many times per day, a lot while I am sleeping...I often don't have any control over when it comes out and there is sometimes blood mixed in. I also have some feelings of pressure and urgency from time to time. Given all of that, both of my docs figured it was best to just get rid of it all instead of dealing with problematic and likely inflamed parts that I don't really need. I don't know much about the chances of cancer with or without the surgery.

ep49....Thanks for the perspective. Glad to hear your healing process went well! So, if you couldn't sit for 2 weeks...what did you do? Lay and stand all the time? Were you able to walk, leave the house, do anything? I hope I have the same luck you did and am feeling pretty normal after about two weeks!

Hi! I still am having the mucus...still coming out the vagina . I have seen several gyn doctors since my operation in 2010. Most in the same practice, but different doctors. I've also had three transvaginal ultrasounds done, PAP tests, etc...nada. I had CT scans and MRI's...nothing! I used to have some pressure, but that was a long time ago when I did have a hematoma about a month post op. My operating surgeon went in and suctioned it out and placed me on antibiotics for two weeks. Upon my return to his office, all was healed. Like I mentioned, it wasn't until last summer that I started with the problem and this new surgeon discovered the anal fissure and the return of the UC inside the anus. I use a Cort suppository every other night or so, but sometimes they irritate. I go back to him at the end of April. No bleeding.

Good luck UC!!! Hope it goes well for you! I haven't been on much so I just about missed your post!

K

Good luck...please keep us posted. Maybe down the line I will be facing the same surgery...sure hope not, but never know.

hope things are going well what -

you probably said already,( but at my age, i find reading just confuses me, so i try to avoid it) but is it the same surgical team who gave you your bag-o-riffic ?

you ? nervous ? doesn't sound like the what I know - you must be maturing (getting old) !

glad you made it through the snow - they might have done the next person in line who was expecting a tonsillectomy

Hi everyone! Things went well yesterday :) My surgeon said what I did have left back there was quite a mess, and it's no wonder I was having so many issues. Due to that, she had to go in a bit further than planned, but nothing crazy. I've been sitting in my room since about 3:00 yesterday afternoon and got to eat real food this morning!

Things are quite sore and there really is no comfortable way to sit...but it's not unbearable. Since I asked if I might go home today, they took my pain pump away...so far so good! As long as my pain is ok, food sits well, I can pee and move around well....they should let me leave later.

@Christine~ Good to hear you are feeling better! Staying away from the Advil is probably a good idea. They've been giving me Tylenol instead of Advil for the swelling. I know it doesn't work as well, but I guess they don't want me having Advil either.

@Stud~I wasn't really nervous for the surgery...it's the recovery that worries me. That's a pretty sensitive area and I've hear a lot of horror stories!! That guy waiting for the tonsillectomy really would've been shocked had I not made it here....HA!

Oh...that is really terrific news!!! You should heal fine...take it easy. My issues are just about resolved...like I said..as long as he doesn't poke around inside my anus and leaves things alone. I really don't know why he has to take another look. After all, he looked inside at my first appointment, then did biopsies a week later, then had a follow up and last month another look see...geez,,,what does he hope to find up there, a gold mine? Time for him to poke into someone's butt hole.

I am so surprised that you are already home and that is awesome! I was in the hospital for 3 and a half days. The hardest part was leaving because I couldn't sit in the wheelchair and kind of balanced myself somehow on my hip and then crawled into the back seat of the car to lie down for the 45 minute ride home. I had told you that I wasn't lying when I said the pain was bad. Take your meds and be patient. It gets better and you will figure out ways to move around so it won't hurt as much. Like getting out of bed. I would slide out on my tummy to the floor and was helped up by my husband. In bed, I rolled from side to side, which was a feat in itself. I thought I would pull the headboard down on top of me because I was grabbing it to turn. LOL Just remember to take one day at a time and in a couple of weeks you will feel a ton better and be sitting again. Good luck and ask anything you want, if you have any concerns or questions. I will check back and be happy to get you through this, along with all of our friends here.

Hi UC!! So glad that surgery went well and that you are home already! So much easier to get good sleep (and good food) at your own home! Glad your mom is there too to help you out w/ whatever you need.

Just don't hesitate to ask for help or try to do too much on your own right away….there will be plenty of time for that later. Right now enjoy having extra help and take it easy!!

Hope the pain gets/stays manageable. I assume they gave you pain meds for home. Let your doc know if they aren't doing enough for you. Short term pain meds are not usually a worry for people who do ok w/ pain meds normally, so don't be afraid to ask for more if you need it. You don't have to tough it out!

I've been thinking of you and praying for you!


My own recovery is going ok. Few more bumps in the road…went for one appt today and decided to stop in at the surgery clinic where the colorectal nurse is (I had sent her a message earlier that morning telling her I was having high output and feeling like crap (no pun intended, but lol)). When I got there, they said, "oh, you already have an appt scheduled w/ her", which confused me.

She took me back and said she had already had a plan before i got there and nothing i said would talk her out of setting me up for a session of IV fluids to get me rehydrated a bit and feeling better. Fluids work wonders! I felt lots better, still pretty crappy, but at least I had the energy to walk thru the hospital and out to the car without feeling as though I would pass out. So, took it easy the rest of the day.

"Blister" on incision near belly button got drained yesterday by that nurse, and tonight it let out tons more fluid--all clear, so no worries. Just draining some serous fluid. They put derma bond glue over it to protect it from opening wide and creating another spot to have to do packing on. Working well so far. And my other "packing" site is closing quickly, so it was decided no more packing needed, can just let it close, same w/ the lower wound on incision, just let it close. Yay!! All of my unneccesary holes are finally going away!


Sorry to brag about my good healing (but it has been a month today since surgery, so it's about time!).

Hope you heal quickly and without too much pain!!! Keep us posted on how you're doing!

Take care of you!


Sunny.

I meant to ask you before..what was your original diagnosis? Crohn's Colitis or UC? I think people with Crohn's have more issues with strictures and such. I know two people who had to go back to have their anus removed. Since mine was just the ulcerations inside the rectum...hoping I won't have to have the anus taken out at some point.