Sugery#1 - Hospital Stay?

Hi! I just got home from hospital today after my first surgery. I am a 3-stepper, and it sounds like you will be having what I had done, just removing the colon and leaving the rectum. I had my surgery on Tuesday, and now it is Friday... so I was only hospitalized for 4 days. The doctor had told me to expect 4-7 days as well. I think that because just the colon was removed, and nothing else was done (no j-pouch created, etc.), the hospital stay is shorter than others who are doing it as a 2-step procedure and recovering from more after the first surgery. I did not have the surgery done laproscopically- I have a lovely incision down my belly. I don't know if that makes a difference for hospital time.

I hope the best for you with all of this!!

Hey, I'm a 3-stepper too. Oddly enough I was only in the hospital about 2/3 days after my first surgery.

I had a proctocolectomy w/permanent ileo, and was also told 4-7 days. I was in the hospital 6 days..... they would have let me out one day earlier, but I didn't feel ready.

Of course, if there are complications, it can take longer..... I ended up back in the hospital a week later w/an abscess, got 4 more days then.

Hope all goes well!

I had my surgery on a Thursday and I was out Monday.

I was ready to bust out of the hospital after 4 days, but due to the weekend and my doctor not on shift, I had to stay for 6 days.

I was off pain meds after day 3 and just sat there bored.

good luck and remember, eventhough it hurts, keep walking!

Thanks all.

Notsosickly - my surgery is next Wed. 1 week to go. After another accident this morning (absolutely NO warning), it can't come soon enough.

Excited and nervous at the same time, but can't wait to be done with this.

That's a drag to have to wait, but two weeks isn't that long. Hang in. It is so amazing to be done with urgency.... makes life so, so much better.