Total Colectomy Part 11

Hi Everyone

Although I haven't posted recently, I have stayed current with all the postings..Hope everyone is doing well.

I am currently at the Cleveland Clinic and have a meeting with the colorectal surgeon...I sincerely hope that he will help me.....My home town GI doctor was not too agreeable for the surgical option...nothing works now except multiple enemas...he is talking about biofeedback but it is beyond me how that would help..well tomorrow is all that counts

Good night..take care

Phyllis

Somer,
I'm finding that I have more reflux since surgery. As if there is less storage space or something. Ice cream gets me the worst. So far, Tums works pretty good though.

Phyllis,
I hope everything goes well today. Let us know. We'll be thinking about you.

Cathy

hi my name is robin and i have posted one time before and someone told me that they did not think that i was a good candidate for surgery. I have been really sick, really sick. and i look like i am about 9 months pregnant. but anyway i am going in for surgery on May the 24th. he is going to take out the whole colon. I have been verry sick for so many years and i am so looking forward to being able to get my life back. i have read alot of good info from some of the pages on here. i have seen so many doctors and finally have found my help. but just wanted to talk. he is going to try to do it laproscopic. i am very excited to be able to get my life back. i am so tired of being sick, i do not care about the scars or anything. i am just tired.
and just think i may be home from the hosp for my 2 year anniversary with my husband. i have been sick the whole time i have been married. if anyone has any good info about the abdominal swelling please let me know. i am so tired of looking pregnant.

Thank you so much. I am so gald that there is finally light at the tunnel. i did not think i was going to see that light. i do have tons of questions and thoughts. and you are right unless you have been through it you have no clue what it feels like. this site is a god send in so many ways.

Emma- I am sorry you are so sick. I hope you feel better soon. How are you otherwise? I am much better. I have been having a little stomach upset but nothing I can't handle.

Robin- I was one of those people that looked not only pregnant, but real fat all over. I have lost about 25 pounds since both my surgeries. I know how you feel. The surgery was one of the best things I could of done for myself. I love being able to go to the bathroom not 1 time but 3 to 4 times a day. You said your doctor is taking out all of your colon, right? Are you going to have a bag? I had 5 1/2 feet of my colon taken out. He said I wouldn't need a colonoscopy until I turn 50 yeah. I am only 33 years old. I will be 34 at the end of May. But I totally know how you must be feeling. I hope everything goes well with you.

Cathy, Somer, everyone else- Hey I hope you all are doing fine.

Blessings,
Sasha

Hi everyone.  I too am glad I had the surgery.  Life is wonderful and GOD is good.  I had mine on 31 Jan 06 and this is my second week back to work.  I was really tired last week, but this week is better.  I just feel so much better and everyone is telling me how I have a sparkle in my eyes and my skin looks so good.  It is the best thing I ever had done.  I am going to the bathroom about three times a day.  I suffer from anxiety and have a stressful job, so when I need to go at work, I get a little nervous and have to concentrate and that bothers me, it is like I am afraid I am going to mess something up, you know?  But at home and on weekends, I am relaxed and I am in and out of the bathroom quickly.  When I do have diarrhea mine is thin also - must be a thing with us now. 

My daughter is 27 and she visited the same surgeon that I used, she has seen him in the past and she has loops in her colon.  She is doing the sitz market test next week and depending on the results he told her she was probably looking at surgery.  She has been on all the medications that we have all been on.  I wished I had had it done 10 years ago.  She is miserable, don't we all know about that.

I have lost 20 lbs and I feel great, hoping I don't gain it back.  I was so bloated and that does not happen anymore.  When I eat, I get full, but not bloated and before I could just eat a small amount and BLOAT.

Those of you that are like a year out on your surgery, do you bloat?  What about constipation, please tell me that won't happen anymore? 

God bless,

Nonna

Hi Everyone,

This is a report on how my visit to the Cleveland Clinic was.  I saw Dr Geisler, although he was running 2 hours behind schedule he took and hour with myself and my husband and explained the risks, benefits and what I was going to go through.  Prior to speaking to me, he reviewed reports and x-rays and when he came in he went right to the surgery...no convincing him that there was a problem or anything....what a relief that he believed me...

I am having surgery on 6/19.  It will be laparascopic with 4 holes and one will be larger than the other and he will be using the previous bikini cut a had from gyn surgeries to pull the intestines through.  I will be having total colectomy with ileo-rectal anastomosis.  I asked about a partial colectomy since my problem is on the (L) and he was not in favor of that due to anatomical restraints.  He has a 98% success rate.  5% of his cases have to be converted to open usually due to previous surgeries.  there is about a 2% chance that a may have to have a temporary ileostomy.  If I have surgery early, I will be walking that evening (sounds unbelievable).  If lap I will be in hsp for 3-5 days if open 5-7 days.  No NG tube unless problem develops.

Prior to surgery. I will have to have a defacography just to make sure there are no additional problems...He said no point doing the surgery if it won't be fully successful due to a secondary proble.  I will have a 2 day full liquid diet prior to surgery and the day befor op I will have to take the whole bottle of miralax in 2 liters of fluid over a period of time and 4 ducalax pills.....

It was well worth the travel from New York to the Cleveland Clinic....

Phyllis

Hi R

Isn't it possible for the doctor to make your surgical date sooner?

Hi everyone, just a quick note  because I need to go lay down.  I just got home today and everything went very well.  I actually pooped the 2nd day.   I will write more later, but the oxycodone is making me kind of fuzzy.  I'm just glad its over and glad I had it done.  more later!

 Hi! Mom23

Darn glad to see you recoverly at home.  I hope you are feeling better with the exception of  little pain and plus actually having BMs with the assistance of laxative, enema, etc.  Did you have a sub total colostomy through the laproscopic method or open method?  Did you end up with a temporary bag (ileostomy).  Or did you just get automatically connect from you small intestine to your rectum?  So glad you are home. Home is the best place to recovery from such an extensive surgery.

Please reply when you are feeling better.

Take care and get plenty of rest!

Angel

Hi everyone, I cant believe its only been one week today.  They sure got me out of the hospital quickly (sat).   Overall I feel pretty good but I am having some mild upper stomach pains which my Dr. said was because they were up in there moving so many things around that my body is just going to take some time to adjust.  I am trying already to get off the oxycodone...I dont know if its the medicine withdrawl or what , but I do feel pretty weepy today.  My oldest son is   graduating college and it just really hit me that he wont "live here again" .   Anyways, emotionally i'm a mess, but the surgery went well.  open surgery, no bag, very simple he said, NG tube for less than 24 hours, which I didnt even know was there!.  I do not have  diarreah all the time, and I go maybe 3-4 times a day.  I dont have much of an appetite either though.

    Phyllis, are you having the surgery because of colonic inertia?  RBOWDEN,   if I were you I would get my self into the emergency room and demand to be admitted .  This just doesnt sound right at all.  Stay there until they get you a 2nd opinion from another GI on call.  Try not to read too many negative things on the internet also.  It can make you crazy.

     I'll be back later!

   

 

Hi....I am new to this site and looking for knowledge. Had a total colectomy almost 3 weeks ago. In the bathroom alot. What foods should I avoid? Have only lost 6 lbs. was hoping weightloss would be the siver lining.....anyone have info on how much and how long weightloss takes?

Mel