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Posted 12/2/2017 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
Alright I just had my surgery consultation this week and am planning for January right now. My first procedure would be a subtotal colectomy with end ileostomy planning to be performed laparoscopically. Basically the first step of a 3 step jpouch because Of the level of severity of inflammation and high dose prednisone but this also will give me the option to stop here if I decide to just keep the ileostomy. SO. If anyone has positive experiences
With this surgery performed this way I would love to hear your experience. I am on this group on Facebook and anyone who has commented has described it as "completely horrific"? I was under the impression that this one was easier than that second surgery if you are a 3 step jpoucher- so i was hoping it wasn't THAT bad considering the laparoscopic approach is supposed to be the minimally invasive approach. Please share with me anything you possibly can. Some of you have probably already given feedback to me I just didn't know the exact surgery I was getting until this week. Thanks a bunch to all of you smile
Posted 12/2/2017 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
Step 1 was by far easier than step 2 in my experience. Step 1 was done laparoscopically, while my 2nd step was open surgery, so I guess that had a lot to do with it.

For the first step I was in hospital for 5 or 6 days, rested for another week at home and then went back to work. I didn't really have any post-op issues, the main thing was just to get used to the stoma.

For the second step I was in hospital for a week and was away from work for another two weeks. It might not seem like much of a difference, but I was in a lot more pain both in the hospital and after coming home. I also had a lot of issues with the wound not healing properly, so I had to go on antibiotics. The loop is also much harder to deal with, especially after having had a very well behaved end ileostomy. I had really high output during the first few weeks, but it has calmed down a bit (with the help of loperamide).

I definitely wouldn't call the first step completely horrific. It might sound weird, but laparoscopic colectomy is a pretty standard procedure, especially compared to the creation of a j-pouch. I'm sure you'll be fine.
Posted 12/2/2017 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for getting back to mesmile yea I'm not even thinking of the second step right now either I want to get the first one done and then recover and try to enjoy my young life. So basically it wasn't unbearable is nice to hear. What should I expect with the first one from your experience if you wouldn't mind sharing details when you get a chance?

07kr5 said...
Step 1 was by far easier than step 2 in my experience. Step 1 was done laparoscopically, while my 2nd step was open surgery, so I guess that had a lot to do with it.

For the first step I was in hospital for 5 or 6 days, rested for another week at home and then went back to work. I didn't really have any post-op issues, the main thing was just to get used to the stoma.

For the second step I was in hospital for a week and was away from work for another two weeks. It might not seem like much of a difference, but I was in a lot more pain both in the hospital and after coming home. I also had a lot of issues with the wound not healing properly, so I had to go on antibiotics. The loop is also much harder to deal with, especially after having had a very well behaved end ileostomy. I had really high output during the first few weeks, but it has calmed down a bit (with the help of loperamide).

I definitely wouldn't call the first step completely horrific. It might sound weird, but laparoscopic colectomy is a pretty standard procedure, especially compared to the creation of a j-pouch. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Posted 12/2/2017 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
The first surgery was so uneventful so there isn't much to say to be honest.

For preparation I had to drink some laxative the night before. After the surgery I woke up with a morphine pump. I think it wasn't adjusted correctly because I remember that I was in quite a bit of pain during the first night. They nurses helped me adjust the level, and after that I was completely fine, pain wise.

The day after surgery the nurses helped me get out of bed and made me walk. I think I was allowed to eat as well. The second day they showed me how to change the bag, and after that I changed and emptied by myself. I think I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

That's basically it for the hospital stay. As I said, pretty uneventful, it was mostly boring and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

There is definitely a bit of a trial and error period after the surgery. It will probably take a while until you find the type of bag and other appliances that work well for you. This was a bit frustrating for me. You might experience leaks and skin irritation, but it will definitely get better.

I recommend to take it easy with food in the beginning. You might feel like you can eat anything (and maybe you can), but after surgery your small intestine will be irritated and swollen which increases the risk of blockages. So a somewhat bland diet might be a good idea. After my first surgery I didn't have much of a problem with foods, the 2nd surgery was definitely worse with regards to this.

Your stoma might make a lot of noise after the surgery, but it will quiet down over time. This was probably the worst part for me. I was worried that it would make embarrassing noises at work, but fortunately this is very rare (and most of the time other people probably won't even notice it).
Posted 12/2/2017 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
I love how chill you are about the whole thing. It's nice that there is this reaction as well. I'm glad yours was uncomplicated to the point you were bored haha also I'm glad you had a good experience smile your pain was manageable and there was nothing you couldn't handle it sounds like. I'm a bit of a wuss and have lots of anxiety so I'm hoping it is the same for me

07kr5 said...
The first surgery was so uneventful so there isn't much to say to be honest.

For preparation I had to drink some laxative the night before. After the surgery I woke up with a morphine pump. I think it wasn't adjusted correctly because I remember that I was in quite a bit of pain during the first night. They nurses helped me adjust the level, and after that I was completely fine, pain wise.

The day after surgery the nurses helped me get out of bed and made me walk. I think I was allowed to eat as well. The second day they showed me how to change the bag, and after that I changed and emptied by myself. I think I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

That's basically it for the hospital stay. As I said, pretty uneventful, it was mostly boring and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

There is definitely a bit of a trial and error period after the surgery. It will probably take a while until you find the type of bag and other appliances that work well for you. This was a bit frustrating for me. You might experience leaks and skin irritation, but it will definitely get better.

I recommend to take it easy with food in the beginning. You might feel like you can eat anything (and maybe you can), but after surgery your small intestine will be irritated and swollen which increases the risk of blockages. So a somewhat bland diet might be a good idea. After my first surgery I didn't have much of a problem with foods, the 2nd surgery was definitely worse with regards to this.

Your stoma might make a lot of noise after the surgery, but it will quiet down over time. This was probably the worst part for me. I was worried that it would make embarrassing noises at work, but fortunately this is very rare (and most of the time other people probably won't even notice it).

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