Posted 7/23/2012 5:50 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck! Remember to begin walking as soon as the nurses say it's time. They'll probably put you on stool softeners to relieve rectal pain, although I never had a fistula, but had my sigmoid removed due to cancer and it was painful. You get thru it. I relied heavily upon a sitz bath back then, even during the time I had my temp ostomy, it helped relieve pain and itching. You'll likely experience both.
I thought my reversal surgery was much easier to recover from than my resection. In terms of pain and getting back on my feet sooner. I believe it was a combination of daily walking (4 times a day) in the hospital, not lying prone in a hospital bed all day, doing the hourly breathing exercises and keeping track of all this. I took along a small notebook and recorded my walking trips around the surgical floor. I was determined not to have a very slow painful recovery (like my resection). It worked.
I did find that the hospital TP was like sand paper. You may want to take along your own, very soft TP. If you're permitted to, ask to use a sitz bath, that may help if you have pain in the rectal area.
I had no idea I couldn't return to my former pre-cancer, pre-ostomy diet but high fiber and fresh produce were all out for me - I had to go on a low residue diet and I'm still on it, to an extent 13 years later.
You'll cross that bridge though when you come to it, follow the diet you're instructed to and I hope you can return to your former diet. And lifestyle.
Good luck!