colostomy surgery on friday....scared : (

So I finally have my surgery this Friday after 2 years of trying to deal with fistulizing Crohn's, and flares all the time. I'm really thankful in a way, but all I've had is ankle surgery. That's nothing compared to this. What's worse is that I thought it was going to be a laproscopic procedure, but it's not. I was talking to my ostomy nurse and she basically told me that I wouldn't have a belly button anymore and I freaked out. I think the surgeon is going to accomodate my belly button fears and cut around it, but jeez, if I had woken up with no belly button I'd have been really mad! ha. Anyway, I'm probably going to be admitted early because I've been on remicaid, and the main reason I'm having the surgery is because it doesn't last a full cycle. It's not been 7 weeks when I can usually only go 4 without getting sick. I've lasted a lot longer than I thought, but now I can barely keep down gatorade and water. : ( I don't really see any other options but to go to the hospital and have a glucose drip at least. I'll start passing out if I don't. I'm terrified for this surgery. I know it's not supposed to be life threatening or anything, and I really trust me surgeon, but I'm just afraid I'm not strong enough. I really want to make a quick recovery since my surgery is conveniently right before Christmas. I know I don't have much of a chance of being out on Christmas. But somewhere around there would be nice. So yeah, I guess I don't really have much to say, just wanted to vent. I'd appreciate any happy colostomy stories. ha. Thanks everyone.

Molly

Molly,
It's completely normal to feel scared, but I can assure you that everything is going to be just fine, and you are going to feel so much better once you're rid of that diseased colon. I also had fistulizing Crohn's and avoided surgery for 7 years, but those were also scary years, because I never knew when I was going to be in a horrible flare.

I had ileostomy surgery in February 2006 to rest my badly diseased colon, but it flared 8 months later, so I had it removed in October 2006. It was the best decision I've ever made. I knew that the Crohn's was gone the day after surgery, because the pain that I had felt before surgery was gone! I had a different kind of pain from the surgery, but knew that it would go away as I healed.

I have not had to take any medicine since surgery and feel better than I did before I got sick, because now I really appreciate my good health. Before Crohn's, I was completely healthy but took it for granted.

Having an ostomy is so much easier than having Crohn's. Everybody poos... we just do it differently! Just think, you'll never have to run to the bathroom again!

Please ask us any questions that you may have and keep us posted on how you're doing.

My thoughts and prayers are with you,
Cecilia

It will be fine, it's not fun to have surgery but you will feel tons better. I had UC, but what cecilia was saying, about feeling better from the Chrons, i felt the same way, i woke up from the surgery and i felt better from the UC, almost clean. And i also knew, that even though the surgery pain was there, it was going to go away, whereas the UC pain or the chrons pain doesnt' go away! think of it that way, a short bought of non-fun for a life time of fun!
I didnt' have any trouble with my clothes, most of the other women dont' either, so don't worry too much about that.

Hello Molly,
I just wanted to pop in and say that I have had an ileostomy for 23 years due to Crohn's Disease. I too wasn't thrilled about having it initially. I was only 24 and it was permanent for me. It had been so long since I felt human before my surgery that once I finally recovered, I have never looked back. As others before me have said, you will have your moments. But the beauty of having surgery done now is that you have us to talk to!! The internet is a wonderful thing. Didn't have it when I had my surgery and I sure could have used it. Please keep us updated on your surgery and ask any questions you may have -- there are a lot of really nice and very knowledgeable folks here. Best of luck to you and be patient with your recovery.

Molly,

If you are reading these posts, I was just wondering how you are feeling about your upcoming surgery?  Do you have any other concerns or questions that we might be able to help you with before Friday?  Will anyone be able to log into this forum and keep us updated on your surgery and recovery?

Also, I just wanted to let you know that there is a chat session tonight (Tuesday) beginning around 8 p.m. and you are welcome to pop in.  Just click on CHAT located in the dark blue bar above, then choose OSTOMIES and log in.  I hope to be there at some point.  If you are not successful in logging in the first time, be sure to choose the Ostomies chat room from the pull down menu.  Sometimes I forget to do that getting in a hurry and you will get an error message.  Hope to see you there!

Molly,
Glad to hear that you are doing okay. I'm new to this site. But my husband lives with a iliostomy for the past 14 years. He's had crohn's for the past 28 years. So never let your guard down of not being check with crohn's my husband right now is going through a battle with crohn's he's getting IV antiboitics and they are talk about but a TNB line in to stop his eating so his fiscula's would heal. He has 2 that leads to his back and they put a tube to drain the other one to a little bulb. He had little problem with his ostomy since he got it. Back in 2001 he also had to have a reconstruction from the right side to the left side and 10 inches of his small removed. As soon as the infections are gone he will be put on remicade.
Get Well Soon...
Peggy

Molly,

I'm so glad that you're through surgery and are doing well. Please keep us updated on your progress and feel free to ask us any questions. I'll continue to keep you lifted up in prayer.

Cecilia

hello all,
im new too and am not looking forward to an ileostomy sometime next month. I have the same concerns as you did molly and I was wondering how it was going for you. I tell you this site has made things so much easier for me, i can finally say ileostomy without bursting into tears.

the pics of the stomas still frighten me, i thought it would be better to have a stoma that didnt poke out to far, but molly are you saying this is causing a problem for you?