My surgery experience, my new stoma

I had surgery on Monday, 06/21/2010 and am still in the hospital today, Sunday, June 27, 2010. My doctor did the surgery we had planned, a colon resection, 1 to 1 1/2 feet of colon removed, fixed the rectum, hooked me up to a loop ileostomy, and he also found some weird things that he feels I was born with and he feels this probably contributed to my constipation issues. he started the surgery lapro, but ended having to open me up due to the weird adhesions that he found on my small intestines.

Day one was easy peasy....just got checked in, had low potassium, so surgery was delayed while I got potassium, then off to surgery. Surgery was 4 to 6 hours...not sure exactly how long. I woke up, it was painful, but I had a q-ball which delivers a type of novacain directly into the incision and I also had a pain pump. No epidural. This controlled my pain very well. Day one is basically a blur and I don't remember much.

Day two- Another easy day...I was still out of it and don't remember much...pain was well controlled.

Day 3- Horrible day with vomiting, bloating, and nausea....stoma starting producing just slightly. Pain well controlled.

Day 4-Horrible day, vomiting, bloating, and nausea. No med helped with this nausea, and believe me, they tried everything. Stoma producing, but not enough to stop the vomiting. Pain well controlled, but I went real easy on the pain pump due to vomiting and I thought this was contributing to my partial ileus.. This in turn caused my blood pressure to go through the roof...the nurses begged me to use my pain pump to control the pain, but I refused. I can be very stubborn.

Day 5- much better day, still nauseas and still vomiting, but alot less and my stoma is producing more and more.

Day 6- still nauseas, but no vomiting! YAY Pain is well controlled with the use of the pain pump. Antinausea meds are working and I can drink clear liquids.

Day 7- Today....doing much better. Still on a clear liquid diet, but getting hungry for some food. I still have pain, but it is very bearable. I am surprised at how well my wimpy butt has handled this pain.

My output has been tremendous, I mean, TREMENDOUS! I never knew a person could make such an amount of poop. But after putting out 500cc's to 700cc's every 2 hours all night long, my stomach has gone down and is softer. I did not have to stand up every 30 minutes due to burping, hiccuping, gagging....I had to do that every night since the surgery due to swelling up high that pushed my stomach contents up into my throat. YUCK, it was awful. I was finally able to sleep, not straight sleep, but still got more sleep than I have gotten since I got here.

My stoma has been very noisy which is a great thing. This farting has helped so much with the painful bloating. It is loud and me and my mom have laughed and laughed at these wet farts. My kids are sure to get a kick out of this. And it is kind-of nice to be able to fart again. I have been unable to fart or burp for several years now....

When I woke up with a full bag, it was also full of air too...it looked like it just might blow off of my side. LOL Last night I went walking and I walked and walked, not even thinking about checking my bag. Well, when I felt with my hand it felt like a huge balloon. I high tailed it as fast as I could back to my room and luckily, it did not burst. These bags are pretty strong I have seen.

I had 2 accidents yesterday while emptying, but not my fault. Once, the nurse lady did not put the clip on the bag properly....BIG MISTAKE! And the morning nurse was in a hurry and took the clip off of my bag while I was standing up. You NEVER, ever do that. All 750cc's of that foul liquid green stuff went all over my legs and the floor. YUCK So, yesterday, I got covered with poop, twice, but hopefully we got if off quick enough as not to damage my skin.

I am very nervous about changing my own bag. It is not as easy as it looks when it is on your own body....but, I am sure I will learn just as everybody else did. I also can't empty it on my own yet either. Hopefully as my body recovers and my stomach isn't as sore as it is now, then it will be easier to deal with. I also did not get alot out of my stoma nurses visits due to being too sick to participate, so tomorrow, I will be all eyes and ears. I am also going to ask if I can change my bag on my own with her watching because I am terrified to go home and have to change the bag. And believe me, I am on the bowel wing of this hospital and I seem to know more about emptying the bag than some of these nurses and I have only had this stoma for a week.

I am sure I will have lots of questions in the coming weeks for you veteran ostomates. Tracy

Post Edited (answers4me2) : 6/27/2010 7:37:34 AM (GMT-6)

I've gone to the ER a couple of times with a towel over my stoma, output dripping all over me. My stomas were incredibly hard to manage and not even the stoma nurse could keep a bag on for me. I got better at it than she was, but changes would take up to 5 hours at times because the output would never slow enough for me to change everything. I found that I knew a lot more about caring for it than any of the hospital nurses.

Chirstine,

Direct message from a telelphone conversation I just had with Tracy, after your ileostomy at first you will be on ice chips. THey want to be sure your intestines wake up and you don't have ileus before they let you even drink anything. Tracy says NO APPLE JUICE! (It is a stimulant to the small intestine as per her post). She drank it prior to ALL the enormous amount of output. I would also add just lightly sweetened DECAF tea is best and she said that is working. Fruit juices tend to really stimulate the small intestine. So just passing along helpful hints from Tracy who has just been through this and from me who is going on 3 years with this. I still cannot tolerate too much sugar, fake sugar except stevia, or too much salt as the effluent just really increases and leads to dehydration. This is only meant as helpful info and I wish you well tomorrow.

Rosemary

Oh, Christine, you will be fine! Like I said, I had an NG tube placed, too. It is easier to have it put in when you're rather than have it later if you need it. It's no big deal. You really don't notice it except if you drink something. Your surgeon knows what he is doing. If he says no prep, then you'll be just fine! I can't wait to see you posting about how much better you are once you're all healed. And it's good advice to get a home nurse. I have had one for months. It was nice to be able to call them when I was really frustrated with the ostomy bag (not that they could do it any better, but sometimes just having someone there is nice).

Christine, the ng tube is a great idea. Maybe this will keep you from having those few days of vomiting and nausea like I did. YUCK I bet you will be much, more comfortable with the ng tube in and it will be placed while you are asleep. I wish I would of insisted on an ng tube with my surgery. This should keep your tummy empty and then you shouldn't experience any nausea.

As far as no bowel prep...I think they clamp off each end of the colon and just pull it out. No chance of leakage this way.

I know you are very nervous. I remember thinking, I can't believe I am doing this the morning of surgery, but very glad I went through it since the doctor found more wrong than we thought. I can now burp, which I couldn't do before surgery, and fart through my stoma, which is nice to be able to get rid of gas.....again passing gas pre-surgery was almost impossible.

The bag has actually been through alot of trials and tribulations, yet, it is still on....YAY Hoping it will stay this way. The stoma nurse has already called Edgepark and ordered me some stuff to be mailed to my house....she also ordered me some special scissors to cut the thingy, not sure the name, around the stoma....she told me when I am released, I will leave with plenty of supplies until mine arrive. I do plan to call Edgepark tomorrow and order some more stuff, like m9 drops for odor, which by the way, hasn't been an issue with me not being able to eat....the output has been pure green liquid....not that gross at all. Now today, it is changing a little since I ate 4 crackers, 2 teaspoons of pureed cream of chicken soup and 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate pudding. Some of the output is stuck around the stoma and it has thicker pieces in it, but still lots of green liquid....

I have had too much output, but now I am worried I may not be having enough output. I am sure this will be a major worry until I learn what to eat and what not to eat. UGH, I hate the learning and wait game.

What time is your surgery? Please post as soon an you are able and don't worry about pain. They have pain management doctors that worry about your pain and will get it under control.
Tracy

Hodaya, it feels weird...the stoma is squishy and if you accidentally push down on it, it absolutely has no feelings. I can actually feel the gas moving through my intestines, which is very strange, but this could be post-op gas pains????I can tell when poop is going to come through the stoma and I can also already tell when the stoma is fixing to fart, therefor, I should have time to either run away or try to cover the stoma to muffle the fart. HEEEHEEE So funny! It has been awesome to just be able to poop with no effort on my part.

I have been having way too much output, several liters in 24 hours alone! WOW! I was drinking apple juice, but have since stopped that! But today it has really slowed down and it it has some thick pieces inside of it....I am not sure what my totals are for today after my several liters yesterday, but it is probably 1/3 of what came out yesterday. I hope this is normal......:(

Your surgery should be a little easier since you already had your colon removed. Did your doctor tell you this too? Is yours going to be temporary? When are you having surgery? How long will you be in the hospital?

OH...and how long do you have to have a catheter in you? Did they give you heparin? The surgeon said I would probably get that...ugh...what a b**** to be old.

I got Lovenox shots every day every time I'm in the hospital. It's pretty standard, I think. They do not hurt me at all, though. No big deal. I always got them in the thigh. I do bruise like crazy from them, though.
I had a catheter in only for a day every time. I demand it out because they bother me. I can't stand them and I'm really sensitive to them and have to move them around or they don't drain right. They prefer to keep them in longer, but I say "no, I'll get up"

Tracy,
Sounds like your ileus is over and your "dumping" is slowing; that's all good. Remember mashed potatoes and my experience...go easy on those they are starchy though soft. You are really doing great. Pudding is good to eat and so is yogurt if you have no issue with dairy.

Christine,
Best wishes for tomorrow. Remember everyone's experience is different. But Tracy's recovery is pretty typical of what I know of this. Mine was not the norm because I had all that internal damage going into the ileo surgery. But Tracy is coming along right about on schedule.

Hodaya, Yeah already not having a colon, your surgery should be a piece of cake, but expect some ups and downs as they are the norm. I think you will be thrilled as 17 years is way to long to fight the battle that you fought.

Rosemary