Been gone for a while...not for good reasons

My step 2 ended up hitting me just as hard as the first. My CC surgeon says I am not a healer. This is not something a young person would ever expect. It is possible prednisone permanently damaged my healing.

I had my surgery January 11th. Within a day or two of coming home I did not feel quite right. I did not want to eat and I could not stand up for more than a couple minutes. I started to have fevers on and off. One morning I could not get out of bed and decided to go to the ER at my local hospital. I hate going there, but CC is three hours away. They held of on giving me a CT scan, because I've had so many. They admitted me on antibiotics. Over the next couple days my fevers got worse. I also started having a lot of pain in my rectal area, but didn't think much of it. I thought it was from the surgery.

I ended up getting a CT revealing an abcess located adjacent to the anastomosis site. A drain was inserting through my butt cheek all the way into the abcess. I was awake during this and it was the most pain I have ever experienced. I cried the whole time.

This was over the weekend, so I waited to call my CC surgeon until Monday. When I told him how they inserted the drain he was NOT happy. I was transported my ambulance 3 hours to the CC. He did a EUA on me (exam under anesthesia). The exam revealed 2 leaks in my pouch. He repositioned the drain directly up my bottom into the abcess.

I ended up in the hospital again shortly after that with a horrible flu. After six long weeks with the drain, I had it removed on March 15th. I had another EUA, which revealed stool in my J-pouch. Apparently, my loop ileo was pushed in so far that some of the output was leaking into the pouch. This exam was suppose to be an outpatient procedure, but I ended up getting a stoma revision. I now have an end ileo. The weird part is, nothing was disconnected. I still don't understand how he created an end ileo with a j-pouch, but I trust him.

I have been home for a little over a week now. I am just now starting to feel human again since January. I lost 12 pounds and am now underweight. My skin is still quite raw from the drain. I have been using Calmoseptine, but it still itches. I assume it will take some time.

Takedown is scheduled for April 26th as long as the pouch enema test goes well the 25th. I knew this journey would be hard, but wow, what a rollercoaster ride I've been on.

I don't know what to say except, oh sweetie pie. Iam so sorry you had to go through all that. That's got to be the end of complictaions. Just rest up and take care of yourself for the next month. The reversal is not a big deal.

so sorry to hear you have gone through all of this. Lesson learned though... avoid your local emergency room. After colon removal.. you are officially too complicated of a case for the local hospitals! Take the 3hour drive to CC

hope you are getting lots of rest and slowing getting your strength and weight back.
good luck

On a good note, I had a lot of study time while in the hospital and passed my boards. I am officially a registered nurse!

What is the enema exam like for the j-pouch? I hear it is uncomfortable.