Home from surgery

I am so grateful to be home. I developed a uti from having the catheter having to be put back in so the bumpy five hour drive home wasn't fun, but so happy to be here now. I have to say I feel pretty great. Right after surgery it was worse than I thought it would be, but now it's better than I thought. I have some stuff coming out of my rear, but was told this was okay. I am controlling pain with medication. I am getting the hang of the bag, but can't wait to get rid of it. I was going to go back to work and have it done in the summer, but I really want to get it done with so the last surgery may be our spring break trip.

I am praying everything continues to go well. So happy I decided not to wait and get it over with. For a long time I kept hoping my disease would just go away or that there would be a cure. I am so glad that I decided to not waste any more time on this disease and went for it.

A big thank you goes out to all of you who have had this surgery and encouraged me. I think I would have waited a lot longer if I hadn't heard all the positive stories here. Thanks for helping me get my life back.

Thanks Sue! You, scrapgirl and Christine were my biggest cheerleaders (there were so many others, too) so thanks.

I have been having a lot of blood rectally, but that seems to have slowed. Now it is a small amount of light brown stuff. How long does that last? I don't feel like I need to have a bm, but when I sit down to urinate, it comes out and I don't feel like I have control. It doesn't bother me because I haven't had any accidents and there is no urgency...it just comes out when I need to pee :o)

Normal, normal, and normal and it will probably continue until your reversal!! Don't be shocked when you find that you have an actual bowel movement with your ostomy. The reason is that you have a diverting ostomy so the majority of waste will empty in your bag but some will divert to your pouch. So your new pouch is actually functioning and doing its job. Isn't that nice to know?

Sue

Yay for being home!

Welcome home!!! I thank you for all your sharing. I had no idea that one's symptoms could be as you explained..

Thanks Sue for explaining...

Good idea to have your plans for surgery to be completed by Spring break...summer will be more enjoyable for you.

Heal well!

q

Don't discount that the biggest contributor to your fatigue was UC, not necessarily the drugs you were on. The severity of UC, that leads to surgery, takes a TOLL on the body. You will recognize the positive changes as you gain more time in recovery.

Sue

This is great news....now you will just continue to feel better and better

I was so nervous you would not believe it, but besides some setbacks, I didn't hear about anything bad happening to anyone. I would have been a lot better, but I don't react well to anesthesia. So my first day wasn't great. After that it was much better.

Everyone says that walking really helps. They were right. My doctor wanted me to walk five times a day and my parents who were there with me really pushed me. So try to walk as much as you can even though you don't want to.

Chew really well when they allow you to eat and don't eat too much, but try to eat something. I wasn't hungry
at all and had to force myself. Tell your parents to get a lot of G2 Gatorade for when you get home. My doctor said water wasn't my friend because it doesn't have sodium in it.

Bring headphones into the hospital.

If you have an ostomy, it does take getting used to...I am still getting used to it. The nurses and your parents will help you.

And, know that you are on your way to getting your life back. Soon you will be able to do all the things that you haven't been able to do with UC. I encourage you and your parents to go to the ostomy board on healing well. Please let me know how you are doing. I'll keep you in my prayers. Honestly, it will be fine and you will be so much happier.