After 18 months....FINALLY

I am seeing the new surgeon on Tuesday. I won't lie, I am terrified. I love my loop ileo, Lily, she is a trooper, works well. But he reality is, my colon needs to come out. My relationship with this disease riddled thing is over,it needs to go. I would love to have a little end ileo, perhaps a little bit lower than where it is now. I want my hernia fixed.

Along with all of the things I want, I am preparing myself for the recovery. It took all I had last time to stay positive and do what I needed to do to heal. This time, while not emergency surgery, it IS surgery. It's being cut open, it's having body parts moved and removed. It's no sleep in the hospital, it's needles and tubes and that horrible hospital smell and how do you even start to describe the food.

I feel like I have been on hold for 18 months and need to have this done to move on with my life.

I have a list of questions, but am open to hearing everyone's advice.

Thank you!

Kelly

Hi Kelly,
I am sorry that I don't have anything to add, but want to wish you luck with everything. I know it is frustrating when you don't get responses. Hope that all will go well!
B

In November of 2012 I had a Proctocolectomy with End Ileo and Anal closure. Spent 5 days in the hospital being very well cared for and enjoying the wonderful pain meds. At the end of the following Feb. I went on a 5 day trip to Savannah, GA and all went well. In June of 2013 I ended up with a blockage caused by a parastomal hernia and had to have emergency surgery. Another 5 day stay, more good meds, more great care, but same liquid diet followed by horrible soft diet food. THEN...2 months later in August, another emergency surgery for another blockage caused by scare tissue that wrapped around my intestine and closed her up tight. ANOTHER 5 day stay, more good meds, great nurses (and the best darn colo/rectal surgeon in the world who did all three surgeries) and more horrible food. So in the span of 9 months I had 3 major recoveries to go through. Was I PO'd, sure but I had a lot of living to do after giving 6 years of my life to Ulcerative Colitis so I did what had to be done, obeyed my surgeon's instructions, and just got on with it.

You've been brave so far and Lily has served you well so you will continue to do what has to be done to get your life back. Stay brave, look forward to Lily II and know that we are always here to support you. PS...Can't give you any help on tolerating the hospital food but as soon as got the OK, I had my husband bring me a strawberry shake and fries......Never tasted so good !

I just had my step 1 8 days ago.
having my colon out of my body has been AMAZING.

There is definitely time needed as pieces settle back into place. But just getting that bigger out has been AMAZING. I felt better on day 3 post op than I did the entire 12 months I had UC!

I was ordering "real food" by day 3 dinner... I ate walleye and meatloaf and a delicious dessert!

I know this board moves slower than we would like sometimes... but dont count us out just yet!

A LOT of the views on this board are people looking at ostomies but havent had surgery yet... not a lot of advice to give, just more people looking for answers.

I have never had any surgery. My day 1 was painful and complicated, but once the pain was under control... I feel like a COMPLETELY different person.
my energy, my glow, my activity - its all returning! And its only been a week!

You'll be so happy to have that wrotten jerk out of your body!
good luck!

The whole situation sucks. None of us ever wanted to be put in its situation but at the end of the day we all were so sometimes you just have to get a straw and suck it up! Haha.

Either way, let's get some of those questions you mentioned and we can start providing some answers!

Best of luck and sorry if we don't always respond as quickly, it doesn't mean you don't have our full support!

That's great! I don't know a lot about surgery stuff but I can tell you I've had a flex sig, and while it's not fun, it is dealable. Last time I had one I had sedation which made it a breeze. Without sedation, it's very crampy and uncomfortable but it only takes about 5 minutes for them to take a look. Did he offer sedation? Do you have to prep? I usually do a fleet the morning of the procedure.

(((Larasmom)))
sorry I'm just seeing this now. you were there for me when I needed you (remember Friar's balsam and all the questions I had!) and I feel I let you down. so sorry.
I'm glad you like your new surgeon.
re: flex sig -- I've had one, it was easy peasy. doing the fleet enema is tons better than my pico-silax (sp?) experiences!
re: right vs. left. I was lead to believe before my surgery that right was temp. and left was perm. maybe yours is a bit confused because of it being an Emergency at the time...?

Best of luck with everything, Take Care, Jody.

Post Edited (JodyGM) : 8/7/2014 11:09:07 AM (GMT-6)

'course Im still fighting c.Diff... should have bought shares in DEPENDS TOO! lol