TOTAL COLECTOMY - PART 21

keep moisturizing it with some lotion or ointmet so it won't get too irritated. when i take my laxatives and i get lots of diarrhea, my butt gets so irritated too. but i have a great ointment. we have it in israel, but i know my sis buys it in target in San Diego. my BIL is an internal dr and he said that this is the best ointment he ever tried. after every patient he has to wash his hands, so his hands get really dry. well, at first he didn't even want to try, cause he didn't think that what we have to offer him can be better than all the ointments he knows, but once he tried it, he never wants to leave it and he recomends it to all of his patients... it's called "GLISOLID" or "GLISOMED". try and see if you can find it in your area, it's really great and it works like charm!!

you poor thing.. i hope you feel better soon.

Hi girls,

Amanda, I hope your butt feels better soon!!    I have a feeling I'll know what you're talking about before long!

I had my appt. with my doctor and my pre-op yesterday.  I feel pretty comfortable about the surgery now.  I did get marked for a stoma, just in case, but when I told my Dr. I had just come from the ostomy nurse, he said "Really? Oh well, that should be good luck to be prepared; it probably won't happen now".  I got the impression the office sent me, not him.

Anyway, he was so nice and reassuring.  He said he wanted to make sure he wasn't pushing me into this surgery, but that it's now or later.  While there are dangers having surgery anytime, there are also dangers if I don't have the surgery.  If my colon perferated and they needed to do emergency surgery, that wouldn't be good...and also, I was thinking that because I live over an hour away from the colon center, if I had emergency surgery it would be done at my local hospital with a general surgeon.  I just feel better knowing he's done so many of these; which he assures me he has.  All the time.  He said he's done 2 just this month so far for colon inertia....more for other reasons, but still many for colon inertia.

I asked what my diet would be when I left the hospital and he said I should be able to be on a regular diet...that by trial and error I'll know what I can and can't handle.  I think I'll try a low residue diet at first though.  He said the goal is to have 2-3 bms a day after a couple months; of course I may have many more for a few weeks.  He didn't sugar coat the surgery or recovery, but said that all in all he thought I'd be much happier and feel much better.  I hope he's right!!

He's doing the surgery laproscopically, and possibly hand assisted.  He said that speeds the surgery up, and that's his specialty.  I didn't want to seem entirely stupid, but if I just have 3 or 4 small cuts, how does he get his hand in there?? I didn't ask him that!  He said one hole is for the mirror so he can see, and then the others are for him to work.  I felt so dumb, I said "if it's a mirror, don't you have to do it backwards?".  He explained that 's not really true, but I felt so stupid!  When I was leaving, I told him to get a good night's sleep Tuesday and he said "Actually I plan to have a poker game and drink all night"...very funy, doc!

So I think I'm ready.  I'm with my little 3 1/2 month grandbaby today and she just woke up, so I'm gonna run.  Talk to you all soon, and hope everyone starts feeling better!!

Janie

 

oh janie i'm so happy for you, you sound so much more relaxed and relieved. That alone will help your surgery. My doc also did hand assist (with my first surgery) and now I have so many scars I can't tell you which one came first so I'm not sure where they put their hand in. Oh wait, yes I do, she used my c-section scar. It was later that they cut me from my navel down for the other surgeries I had to have. You beter get a good night's sleep Tuesday night as well. No poker for you!!

Hodaya I found my cream and I feel much better. It works so great! I think they gave it to me at the hospital, it's called Coloplast. I have two tubes of it. It's clear and sort of the consistency of vaseline but much much thicker. It works great and now my bum is not so sore.

My stomach is killing me today again tho ladies. I have cramps so bad I don't know what to do and I'm going to the bathroom only a little bit. Even yesterday I only went a little bit but what did come out burned really bad. Another blockage perhaps? What am I doing wrong??? UGH! I could cry. Toomorrow I'm supposed to go wedding dress shopping again with my future daughter-in-law. I found some meds here at home from my surgery that were for cramping so I took one; I sure hope it works. It's something they gave me when I came home from the hospital. I'll let you know how it works because right now I'm lying on my back on my couch w/my laptop on my legs and I'm just dyin!!!!! :(

Amanda- I hope you are feeling better....I have the back pain, butit is supposedly from my bowel referring the pain to my back. I hope you do not have a blockage or that your cramping medicine helped. Let me know how ur doing....

Janie- so excited for you....and you seem relaxed and as ready as you can be. What day/time is your surgery so I can pray, pray, pray??? for your healthy, quick recovery. I also had hand-assisted lap. I have four scars and his hand went through the one that is much like a c-section scar. It is at my bikini line and is about 4-5 inches and then I have a belly button, and two others (one on each side) about 1/2 in. i have a few more, but you will not have those ones :)

Hodaya- How are you feeling? What was your potassium?

I am doing ok. I have had the crushing, breath-stopping pain happen twice since Tuesday and at no specific time. I do not have GERD and have never had even heartburn. It seems like indigestion, but I am not sure why it started Tuesday? I am doing better on a solely soft diet...less back pain, but still some. I also have new headaches...vicodin needing headaches which I am not happy about. I had to take vicodin before work and I do not like to do that. Everyone said I look better since wed after having hydration and sleep, but its funny....I do not feel that much better. I am taking my potassium as directed...they are horse pills!!! I am attempting to go out on the town for a dear friends 30th bday...we will see how I feel. I am skipping the dinner....its just a waste of money. Anyways....hope u are all well.....

love you all.

lizzie

Yes, kinda, the pai is so hard to explain. Its not in my stomach...its right behind my sternum (breast bone) and its dead center...its like a crushing, stabbing, burning pain.....only descriptive words I can use. Do not worry about the Vicodin...I am a smart cookie....II have not taken any today....I have not had any since last night. I may have a couple drinks...but only if I feel well enough. I am just so scared anything is going to set some pain or another off. I have a bit of a panice tonight...I am not sure why...sometimes I just get this way.

I am going to clean...it always helps...and spring clean tomorrow. We are supposed to have sun and hit 50 degrees...perfect time to clean out my condo from all of this winter collection of who know what!

lizzie

Hi everyone,

Hodaya,

I cannot believe I forgot to ask my doctor about the adept/sepra film!!  I'm so mad at myself.  I had it on my notes, it was the last thing I was going to ask and then we started talking about him inserting the mirror and using the other holes to work from, and then I did ask how he attached the small intestine to the rectum and he said staples and stitches.  I just completely forgot to finish looking at my notes.  I think I'll call his office on Monday and see if they know anything about it.  It's probably too late at this point for him to order it for me if he doesn't use it, but I can ask.  Thank you for reminding me.  I say I'm ready and not nervous, but I've done some really goofy things today, so I think I may be more nervous than I thought!

Amanda,

That is so sweet of you to add me to your prayer list.  You're right about every prayer helping.  My last name is Wood.....thank you .  Are you still hurting?  Have you been hurting all along, or is this something new?  I hope by now you're feeling better.

Lizzie,

Thanks for your prayers, too.  I have to be at the hospital at 5AM Wednesday, but I'm not sure what time my surgery is scheduled for.  I just know I'll be up at 3, because the hospital is over an hour away.  I was looking at my prep, and it looks horrible.  I have to take the golytely starting at 9:00 am on Tuesday. then 2 dulcolax, and then 2 potassium tablet in the afternoon and evening, and several neomycin, erythromycin and flagyl throughout the day.  Is the the same prep you and Amanda took?  The doctor's office called today to tell me that I will probably feel sick all day Tuesday with the combination of no food and the golytely and all the pills...I usually throw up the golytely anyway; I hope I can get cleaned out.  I'm going to take senna Sunday and try to not eat much Monday and then the prep on Tuesday.   Did any of you get sick from the prep?

Tomorrow is my 24th anniversary, so my hubby and I are going away for the weekend.  Will catch up with everyone later....hope you all have a nice weekend!

Janie

Has anyone heard from Cher yet either? She was scheduled for last Monday. I hope both she and Karen are ok.

As for me, you can tell it's 3am her my time. I went to be early and woke up at 2am and can't go back to sleep even with Ambien and Xanax. Not sure what the problem is, but it's very frustrating. My stomach is a little better right now, but I feel very restless and hot and cold and just overall restless. So I thought I'd come down and right a note. i hope everyone had a good night.

Lizzie - I hope you are home in bed safe and sound by now my dear!!

Well, I guess I better go back and lay down before my husband wonders what happened to me. G'night everyone.

Dusti - I am SO SORRY I never even saw your question. I too have wondered if it is genetic, except no one in my family has it.

I have often wondered why it seems that most of us with CI are women. Is that a coincidence or is it the most men don't post things like that?

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well!  I just got ahold of a computer for a few minutes, mine is broke AGAIN .  Don't have time to read up on everyone but have continued to pray for you.  I continue to do well except have been suffering from kidney stones once again (3 this time around), have passed one  and getting the others blasted. 

I wish you all many blessings, much peace and continued prayers,

Judy

Hodaya.....I am so concerned about you. what is going on with your mom. Is she is respiratory failure? Is she breathing on her own at all? I need you to promise to take care of yourself...I am not going to tell you to stop smoking becuase with what your going through I would be doing the same thing...in fact some days I do. Please keep us updated on your mom....and how she and you are doing.

Amanda- Why are you so restless this last two nights? Is your pain any better....do you think you have a blockage? I was definately in bed when you were on last night. I did not have much to drink. I felt yuck right away and actually my hisband meant to come pick me up, but then he started drinking with my friends and I ended up driving us home!!!!!

I have had horrible back pain tonight and I am back to nothing....nothing but liquid coming out. Some days it will be a little more substance, but not this weekend. I do not feel empty at all. I am just home tonight and I am going to take a Vicodin..sit on my heating pad....drink some powerade zero and try to get some extra sleep.

Hope you are all well...

Lizzie

Lizzie,

i really hope you eventually managed to relax and get some sleep, is the back pain better? thinking of you. 

i appreciate your concern. on friday the drs said she was hardly breathing her own, but yesterday they said she's getting better and starting to breath on her own, and they want to do a blood work and see from it if they can try to take her off the resp machine, but they said they can't promiss anything. they are planning to do it later today. she's on steroinds and very swolen. she can't talk cause she has the tube in her mouth down her throat connected to her lungs, but she's in conscious and understands what we're saying and all, so that's encouraging i guess. 

i just keep praying.

as for me... well i'm copletely healed and going back to work today... yeah!! but i still didn't have much relief from the laxatives... :o(   i'm taking bigger and bigger amounts and it's like i didn't take ANYTHING... i don't know what's wrong. maybe it's the stress from everything that is happening or maybe it's the antibiotics i've been taking during the past week, or maybe both!! it's so frustrating.

as for my lungs, well, i feel good most of the time, it's just that when i get the flu, i get it bad and then the lungs start acting up, but when i'm over with the flu, i'm really o.k. i NEVER had ANY hard time breathing. i never felt like i'm short with breath - never!!! i know it doesn't mean it won't happen some day if i don't stop smoking. i'm aware of what can happen, and i'm really planning on stoping, i really am, but it's gonna take a while, it's not coming easy for me and i know myself that if i do it under stress and all at wonce i won't be able to hold on to it and i'll break and smoke again. i know myself and it has to be gradually or i won't succeed. it's also a fact that the cigarrets ARE helping to move things in my colon. not nearly as they used to yrs ago, but still they do something to help move things and i know for sure that if i stop right now, i could be experiencing a real bad episode of blockage and i'm so scared of that.

BUT i'm taking my health and life very seriously and i AM planning to work on it after the surgery. maybe i'll even find it very easy when i'm post op (i really really hope so).

Butterfly....

Unfortunately I have....I had all the tests they will put you though as well for a narrowing and stricture. I did not have either. ou can read back and see that its been a rough road for me. I have now been diagnosed with severe anismus and I get a second/third opinion at University of Michigan in 2 weeks. I tried botox injections and physical therapy (biofeedback) for three months. I do not know what is in store for me, but I cannot live like this. I have been on Milf of Mag since July. I had my TC Jan 28, 2008 and started having problems in July 08. I am so sorry for you....hope they can figure it out.

Lizzie