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May 31st surgeries!

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Ostomies
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Posted 6/1/2012 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys! I know other people were having surgery this week too, so how did everything go?

I now have a J pouch and temp ileo!! Just 8 more weeks with an ostomy, if everything goes well. I cannot wait!

On a side note, who ever decided to put morphine instead of dilaudid in my PCA?! I was crying for an hour until that was changed... and I rarely ever cry.

And on another side note, who ever decided that this hospital should use Hollister instead of Convatech? I'm allergic to Hollister but I can't change the bag until I see an ostomy nurse.

Yikes. I should've been more prepared.
Posted 6/1/2012 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
Happy to hear surgery went well, despite your pain management. Don't you just hate that! I too had issues with pain management for the first 2 days post colectomy. First day PCA I managed, then second day complained it wasn't enough because I was so weak and tired, so they gave me something 'in addition' to dilaudid, but next injection of that additional one, the nurse discontinued my dilaudid. I complained, lost all my strength, became paralyzed like and lethargic for 4 hours until shift change and the new nurse asked residents to give it back. I will never forget that.

See if the nurses will get you a Convatech? They supply everything I thought. Even if they prefer one manufacturer, there's always patients like yourself that are allergic. If not, call the patient advocacy section of the hospital and see where that can get you.

Wishing you continued progress!
Posted 6/1/2012 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you!

I had my brother bring me a Convatech bag from home and although the ostomy nurse apparently had some emergency to attend to, the nice surgical resident helped me sort out all the different dressings on my skin and the pelvic drain and my new loop ileo with that plastic piece still underneath of it.

Also, I was cut open from belly button to mid-pelvic bone o.o did not expect that.. but it still wont prevent me from wearing a bikini this winter ;P
Posted 6/1/2012 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
Stem to stern we call it LOL! I have a great design b/c of that incision plus 2 c-sections, I'm like a perpindicular sign LOL!

Glad you got the products that work for you and sounds like you are in great spirits! When I came out of surgery I had the PCA and pain balls. I had NEVER heard of them before and they were a pain in the ass to maneuver with but they did help. Get that dilaudid back and keep it :)
Posted 6/2/2012 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
what are pain balls? xp
Posted 6/2/2012 7:17 AM (GMT 0)
When I asked my doctor how bad he was going to have to cut me, my doctor called my cut stem to stern (it right below bikini line to right below ribs at the breast bone). I call it being gutted like a fish, especially since he did take out some of my "guts". :)

Jen
Posted 6/2/2012 7:18 AM (GMT 0)
Oh yeah.. I'm with Theresa R.. What are pain balls?

Jen
Posted 6/2/2012 8:16 AM (GMT 0)
ive never heard someone say 'gutted like a fish' before xD

I'd say I was cut stem to stern but isn't that belly button to ribs? mine was the other way down. xP like 'navel to pelvis'
Posted 6/2/2012 9:00 AM (GMT 0)
Theresa R. I'm not sure where you are from. I'm Southern. From Tennessee. I grew up in Memphis, TN and still live in he general area. Maybe it is a regional phrase. :)
Posted 6/2/2012 9:08 AM (GMT 0)
And mine is pelvis, curve around the navel, and continue to almost the breast bone. (it is a little over to the side). I guess they had to cut me so bad since my colon was falling apart when they were operating and were trying to get it out before I septic. :(

I do have a friend that does skin work (like beauty treatments and removal of tattoos, etc). She said she can work on my scars when I'm done with all my surgeries and healed up completely... probably early 2013 is when we will start if everything goes to plan. My doctors are planning on having me "fixed" with my JPouch, if I don't have too much scar tissue to have one, by Christmas. :) My friend told me she had great success working on her C-Section scar. I know I will always have the scars but if we could tone them down a little I would be happy. But I have to have this little hole by my navel to finish healing before I can consider it. :)
Posted 6/3/2012 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
I'm from Mayland... and I guess I just never have heard someone use that expression unless they literally meant a fish. It just sounded weird for a moment for me. :P

& I will probably just put some silicone scar sheets over my scars once the surgical glue has fallen off. Last time I sorted picked it off... but I feel that this time since that center scar is so big I better just leave it alone e.e (but urghh so tempting!)
Posted 6/3/2012 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hello, I'm back now too in the land of living after my surgery on may 31. Oh mAn does it hurt. Also had issues with my PCA. Had an epidural till yesterday, which left my left hand side completely numb, and the right without pain relief. Additionally the epidural site was leaking and sore to the touch. So they removed the epidural and put me on oxycodEin. So yesterday afternoon I was seither spaced out Or nauseous. Great - not. As my left Leg was completly numb, the physio didn't allow me to walk. My tummy is now rumbling with gas pain, I neeD to get my legs moving asap beforE the pCa knoCks me out. What's dilaudiD? Monika
Posted 6/3/2012 8:40 AM (GMT 0)
Dilaudid is a pain killer. Highly addictive. When I had the first surgery, it was what they gave me for the break through pain that the morphine couldn't control. They gave me a combo shot of Dilaudid and something for nausea. I hope they do that again for my next surgery. It is a different surgeon so there is no promise on that. It worked better than the morphine or the oxycodone/percocet I have now.
Posted 6/3/2012 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
"The brand name Dilaudid is more widely known than the generic term hydromorphone, and ... It is thought to be 6-8 times stronger than morphine, but with a lower risk of dependency."
from Wikipedia

I had no problem with withdrawal from dilaudid or oxycodone with my last surgery. Neither of them make me nauseous, though they can make me slightly sleepy. I've switched from iv to oral dilaudid now.. my pain level is ok but id like it a bit lower. my nurse mentioned trying toradal but my GI is dead set against me taking that stuff. so I'll talk to a pain management dr tomorrow to see if they have any good suggestions. if not - a 4 or 5 of 10 isn't so horrible.
Posted 6/4/2012 10:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there, just been tolD by one of the registrars, that iF I urgently wanteD I coulD go home today. As I srill have a wound drain which produces >100ml of fluid in 24H, they'll remove thiS today anD place a small stoma bag over it. So I'm going home aCtually with 2 bags. Expecting a potential leakage issue, I'll hold of my departure and wait until tomorrow. It's very NHS though, they get you out no matter what. Luckily I started walking yesterday, total ward is 74m long, did about 30m yesterday, today I'm already at 100m. Plus my surgent just told me is very, highly likely thAt I'll be disease free from now. Horray!!
Posted 6/4/2012 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
I going home today!

Just got my drain removed. Strangest feeling yet... Why does that make me so much more uneasy than pain?
Posted 6/5/2012 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
Congrats on going home!

I thought having the drain removed was weird too, just kept pulling a tube out of me, no idea it was so long.

Careful everyone on the transition to oral pain meds. Dilaudid kept me vomiting all night long after my first surgery, that was the worst part....
Posted 6/7/2012 6:51 AM (GMT 0)
I've never reacted badly to anasthesia or narcotics :p morphine is just weak >:-(

I ended up with a prescription for an oxycodone elixir which I must say is absolutely wonderful! Works quickly like an IV but for a long time like pills.
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