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Posted 9/30/2015 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
I have a friend who had her surgery in Seattle. She has a colostomy, not an ileo, but she has one of the top doctors in the world! Wish I lived out there, I would go to him in a heartbeat. His name escapes me now. Was your disease in the rectum or colon? I still have NO results and it will be two weeks tomorrow. I phoned the surgeon's office this morning and the girl I spoke too was a real crank. Hopefully, she will never be in my shoes. I am still waiting for him to call back, almost five hours later. My follow up visit is next week, the 6th of Oct...but this waiting is making me over anxious.
Posted 10/1/2015 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Christine. My UC started out left sided and ended up with the entire colon, but I had it for almost 20 years before I had my surgery. I would love to know the name of your friend's Dr since he's a top surgeon. Mine retired and he came highly recommended. The surgeon who is going to do my hernia is not a colorectal surgeon so I'm a little worried about that. He just does hernias. I asked him if for some reason he would need to create a new stoma what his experience is doing those and he only does two a year. I have thought about a second opinion but I wouldn't know who to even try. He is at a top rated hospital and it is also a teaching hospital, University of Washington and they have a top rated GI department so I feel good about that.
Posted 10/1/2015 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
His name is Dr. Allesandro Fichera at the Univ of Washington Medical Center. OOOOOH how I wish I lived out there. We have such duds here in south Jersey. As of yet, I have not received a call from the guy who did my biopsies and it is two weeks today!!! I made four phone calls in the last few days. His receptionist is the rudist person EVER!!! Well, he's going to get an earful next Tuesday during my appointment.
Posted 10/2/2015 1:49 AM (GMT 0)
Cristine, Thank you so much for this info. This makes me feel so much better. The hernia surgeon I am seeing told me if he has to redo the stoma he can always call on the colorectal team to assist. When he ordered the scope of my remaining couple of inches of rectum they accidentally scheduled me with Dr Fichera and then changed it when they realized I needed a GI doctor and not a surgeon for the scope, so I know he works with him. I meet with my surgeon tomorrow and I think I will request him if they have to make a new stoma 😊
Posted 10/2/2015 2:22 AM (GMT 0)
Christine, Yay I didn't misspell your name this time! Still no results? You must be ready to choke someone. Can you try contacting human resources and explain the trouble your having. They do the troubleshooting for patients with complaints and often will get things resolved when nothing else works. Just a thought....
Posted 10/2/2015 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
My surgeon called yesterday afternoon. He must have just received the results himself. He did extensive biopsies, cut off the enormous skin tag I had there since my UC days and that was a job in itself. He said something about a granuloma...but I didn't get the drift...all I was worried about was dysplasia or cancer....NONE...WHEW!!!! He does NOT recommend surgery. He said at my age, 69, it is too much of a surgery to go through. He also said NO oral prednisone because of my severe osteoporosis and the fact that prednisone almost killed me in the past. I go to him on Tuesday. He wants to check where the skin tag was cut off. I still have to take three sitz baths a day, use Tucks and Neosporin. Still uncomfortable, but I expected that. I was so relieved, when I hung up the phone I thought I would upchuck. I think it is the unknown that scares us to death.

I am still going for that second opinion on the 27th of this month and taking the entire biopsy report with me. Yes...if you need surgery, go to Fichera...my friend said he saved her life. She was really in bad shape. Good luck to you. I sure hope you feel better soon.
Posted 10/3/2015 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
I am the friend from WA whom Christine has told you about. I can't say enough about U of WA, Dr. Fichera and his team. I had 2 surgeries, both with complications and came through all of it with zero problems or complaints.
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