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Posted 1/13/2004 2:39 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Everyone,


What can I say,I've now joined a very elite group of people around the world.Yes, I now am a fully paid up member.

A couple of months ago I made my mind up that before the begining of the new year I wanted something done one way or the other. It would be the reconnection of the pouch or it was going to be a perm ostomy. One way or the other I was not going to have this drag on & on for another couple of months with no garentee that I could be using the tail end again. I just wasn't prepared to wait. I just didn't want to be reconnected then have it fail.I had been having problems & thought to myself something is just not right with the pouch,skip it and avoid an extra operation,I just can't afford to fail.


I had sent my surgeon a letter that something had to be done so that I could get my life back,( I haven't worked in almost 18 months from the UC to now) I never thought I'd say it but I miss working.


I had a meeting with the surgeon & the stoma nurse. I explained to the surgeon how I felt and told him we need to make a line in the sand and get on with it. We talked for about an hour,he wanted me to realise that if I got the surgery there was no turning back,that was it. I excepted it and told him this is what I wanted. If I had to life with a stoma well lets just get on with Living.

He explained the risks and at the end of the day you have to just take your chances. The biggest risks for a guy as the possiblity of ED.

He was also concerned about the amount of bowl he would have to work with once the removed the pouch.The bowl that was used for the pouch could not be use,but he would have to wait and see what was re-useable.


I went in on the 16 Dec. On the table the next morning with an epadurial (sp?). Everything went according to plan.My luck was changing.I spent 2 weeks over Christmas in the hospital.I was however allowed to have day release from the 25th to 30th. I was out on the 31st about 11am.


I was in The High Dependence Unit for 3 days. Then in the ward.I had the epadurial in for 3 days then asked for pills as pain relief. I didn't want the morphine,I just didn't do anything for me.I was up and in the bath on the 3rd day.I started slowly walking the ward on the 4th, just to get me going.After about 5 days the reduced my pain relief. To be honest I was really taking paracetamol.

My stomach wound looks great,nice and health.The most uncomfortable thing I have to say was the removal of the stiches from the tail end. I need a couple of pain killers for that. I had 8 stiches to be removed.The tail end wound is healing great.I'm up & about doing my daily routines now.

I have to see the surgeon next Monday.I'm hoping that with in 10 weeks I'll be ready for work.I've gotten this far I just want to make sure that I don't rush myself back to soon.


I have to that everyone on the site for allowing me to vent my feelings at times.Everyone has been very supportive & when I read about others that make these choices,it gave me the strenth to move ahead with my life as well.


Thanks,

Johnny







Posted 1/13/2004 4:53 PM (GMT 0)

Johnny


Welcome back to the fold! I'm so pleased that everything has gone well for you. As you know this is one choice in life you cannot regret after having it done, because you cannot go back to how things were prior to the surgery. I too had an epidural in for 4 days and I lost complete use of one of my legs. It scared the cr4p out of me but I believe it helped far better than the morphine. 


I too have no regrets 3+ months down the line from a colectomy. I didn't have the rectum removed we saved that pleasure for another rainy day but so far things are great for me too. I do still have some rectal activity (if you know what I mean!) but things are much better than ever before.

My surgeon has now changed the diagnosis from CD to Indeterminate CD but they are swaying more to UC now. They have suggested the pouch but I said I was as happy as I could be with the ileo and I didn't want to run the risk of losing part of my small bowel should the internal pouch be unsuccessful.


Did you lose too much of your small bowel?


I was sad to hear that you'd be in over the christmas holiday as it's a time to enjoy with friends and family. I read that you got day release so that wasn't a total washout and I guess you got to 'enjoy' it a little better than you could have. I spent both my birthday and wedding anniversary in hospital in 2003 and was determined not to spend Xmas in there too.


Wish you a speedy recovery and all the best in your quest for employment.


NU(UK)

Posted 1/13/2004 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Johnny,
Welcome back! I was wondering how you were doing. It sounds like you are truly on the mend and that is great! You should pat yourself on the back for being so brave for the past year, having such a good attitude about it all and making such difficult choices. It has been 7 years for me since making it permanent and I have no regrets. Have you considered a rear tattoo that reads road closed? My brother thinks I should get one....so far he hasn't sold me on the idea. Enjoy the rest and I hope that you are feeling like new soon. Keep us posted on how you are doing! Nancy
Posted 1/14/2004 4:33 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Gang,


Thanks for the support.


The surgeons said that they saved quite a bit more that they thought they could of the small bowl. They also said 2 things that were very comforting to me, firstly was that the nerves down in that area were fine,with on damage. This was my third operation in that area & this risks of nerve damage increases, that was one of my biggest concerns.


Secondly, he said that if I was to be reconnected with the pouch,I would have ran in to some problems down the line,& the likelyhood was a perm Ileo. He said that I made the right choice and avoided myself another operation down the line. 


I myself had a dead right leg for alomst 3 days due to the epidural. It must have been down to the way they positioned me during the oppo. I wasn't too freaked out about it cause I could wiggle my toes. It is one scarly feeling.


Now I just tell everyone,sometimes things in life just don't go the way we plans it. I'm very lucky,I had UC and not Crohn's. I have mobility and total use of my mind.(Others would say different.)I really don't have it all that bad,you only have to look at some of the poor souls that are in the hospital. No one walks this earth without paying for something. The ostomy is my payment. It's a massive improvement that having UC.


The Tat on the back end,made me laugh,you may have something there!


Everyone take care,

Johnny 


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