reversal date July 22 also taking out the damaged ovary....

Hi Friends, So sorry i havent been around for a while....been feeling some better and back to work playing catch up and preparing for my upcoming reversal.....I had my colonostomy wednesday and the dr removed a small polyup ( sorry i cant speel my own name ) said he was small.....said i had enough colon left and my surgery will be slow because of all the paritinus i had....also the cyst on my ovaries are back...they are both coming out.....they say a 5 to 14 day hospital stay according to how it goes....they are also removing scar tissue....My question is .....my dr is going to put stints in my uretha.....did you have this done....and has any of you had several different procedures done also during your reversal surgery.....kim/ maggie from tennessee

Ditto on the walking advice. I resisted getting out of that hospital bed after my first surgery and of course recovered very, very slowly. The nurses kept telling me to at least sit up in a chair but to get out of the bed. Again, I resisted. At one point I told my surgeon how "mean" they were being and that if I walked as much as they said to, I'd pull a stitch loose. Well, he had a real laugh about that comment!

Long story short, I knew they were right and that I was wrong.

For my takedown surgery, I walked as soon as I got the green light. And kept walking, doing two full laps around the surgical floor at one point.

First surgery - 7 day stay.
Second - 5 (I did so well I shaved 2 days off my stay)

I also kept the hourly breathing exercises up, 10 at a time. I'm not sure if they give you that breathing machine now or not (you blow into the tube moving the blue ball up high into the chamber to keep your lungs clear). This is another good way to recover faster.

After a while, the nurses left me alone, because I was being a "good" patient they said and I finally knew how nice, albeit having had major surgery mind you, a stay in the hospital could be! My door was shut most of the time too! I had my privacy (first time around I swear they paraded so many interns and doctors thru my room, constantly, I had no privacy).

I also only told a handful of people I was having the reversal surgery. I wanted peace and quiet in the hospital! It worked, my phone barely rang and I only had one visitor - my husband. First time? A parade of very caring visitors but very little privacy.

You sure learn a lot after you have major surgery. I will implement all of these strategies if I ever need surgery again. I know family and friends mean well, but their phone calls and pop in visits, do really hamper what you're trying to do - recover from very painful surgery!

Once my bm's started after the takedown, I was raw from going so much. I wish I had brought along some ointment. I would pack Aquaphor if you can and a bag of Stayfree ultra thin overnight maxi pads. They go way in the back of your underwear. I was petrified I'd have an accident and also in my husband's car. I told him to bring a beach towel and he did. He put a garbage bag under the towel just to be safe.

Good luck!