Post-Op Reversal Week One - A Week of Wonders and Challenges

Hi all-

Well, it's been a week and 2 days since my reversal surgery.

I came home from the hospital on Monday, Feb. 6....2 days earlier than I was originally slated to leave! Other than some minor glitches (more about these below); I have fared far better than I ever thought that I would at this early stage of my recovery! They were able to do the procedure laparoscopically; and for this I am most thankful! And, as I read up on a couple of folks whose reversals were done a week or two earlier than mine; it seems that many of us are healing well! Fable3 just had her reversal done on the 6th and is doing well so far; and Dave_Canada is scheduled for his reversal in about a week and a half. My prayers and positive energy continue to flow towards my fellow ostomates; as we all continue towards our journeys of health, healing and hope!

Here are some of my "week one" observations....

1. BM's

OK, this one is a mixed bag....no pun intended! ;) It is very weird being "bagless" after having the bag for over a year. The bowel hath awakened with a vengeance!

The doc has me on 5 mg. of Lomotil before each meal, and 5 mg before bedtime to help slow the BM's down. I am also taking hydrocodone 5/500 (2 pills) every 4-6 hours for pain, and to assist with slowing things down as well. The first couple of days after surgery, I was having about 20 liquid stools per day and a couple of nighttime accidents. Since I've been home, I haven't had any nighttime accidents, and the total liquid stool volume hovers between 12-15 per day. My BM's are more frequent and more liquid than some of the other reversal candidates due to the fact that I have no large intestine left. So, my reversal procedure consisted of my small intestine being attached to my rectum....no J pouch; I had enough rectum left to serve as a reservoir. In a couple more weeks (after some of the distention in my tummy subsides); I'll start on a regimen of psyllium husks before meals....this should "firm things up" a little bit, too. Silent victories. Small steps.

2. Wounds

I have 4 wounds on my lower abdomen. One is on the right, where "Old Faithful" resided for 13 months. It is healing from the inside out. Very clean, and together. One is right at/above my navel; and then another small one on the left, at the waistline. These are my "lapo-holes." The last one is on the left; where the jp drain resided for a few days following surgery. Again, no visible sutures. All areas healing nicely.

3. Diet

I am technically on a "soft" diet.....trying different, easy to digest foods that don't put a lot of pressure on things.....Greek yogurt, chicken, fish, eggs....good protein sources. I haven't done a lot of veggies yet. Have also done some brown rice, banana; a little french toast....some frozen yogurt. No red meat yet. Mainly water to drink.....I'm trying to avoid caffeine for now. So far, so good. Not a lot of excess gas to rumble around in my sore abdominal area!

4. Challenges

I had a lot of low blood pressure problems in the hospital, and to combat this the docs pumped me full with bag after bag of IV fluids; sometimes 2 bags concurrently. My BP normally runs low; so this really didn't help things and, as a result, I gained 30 lbs of water weight (yes, 30 lbs!) in 5 days! They didn't want to send me home on Lasix due to the fear of electrolyte imbalance and/or dehydration; so my tissues are still very waterlogged and the skin on my ankles and lower legs is on the verge of splitting! Does anyone know of a good OTC supplement, herb, tea? that might help get rid of some of this extra fluid?

5. Phantoms ;)

During the past several days, I have "caught" myself many times feeling over to see if my stoma (Old Faithful) is ok and if my bag needs to be changed! Old habits die hard, yes?

My first post-op appointment with my surgeon is scheduled for Monday, Feb 20th. I'll update again shortly thereafter.

And....in closing.....

I sit here barely able to see as the tears roll down my face. Rest in peace, Dawneagle (Carol).....you are an incredible spirit who is now free to soar with the Angels. Thank you for everything you are, and have been, to us. You will be remembered. FRIEND.

Darla

Thank you for such a clear, step-by-step explanation. I pray all continues to go well and you are back to what you want to be very soon. I know writing all that clearly was tough grieving Carol as you typed. I have to type very slowly as I cry a lot, too. Loretta So, so happy for you!

Thank you, Loretta. :) You are in my thoughts and prayers. I know you can make it through all the recent trials and tribulations! My heart went out to you, reading about that horrible hospital experience! Just keep exploring your options and don't settle for anything or anyone that's going to jeopardize your health and well-being. You deserve to be happy and as well as possible! I'm rooting for you, dear lady!

Hi Darla, what wonderful news that all's going so well for you. Long may it continue!! In a fit of frustration with my poor old Blackberry, I cancelled my membership last Wednesday night only to check in again on Friday to see how you all were doing, in particular to see Loretta's progress and then found out about my great mentor, Carol! I couldn't do anything at first I was so shocked. I had only emailed her to let her know that I am having surgery next Wednesday for my reversal and hernia. Oh, how blessed we all were to have her in our lives for a short while. So here's hoping all continues as well as it has for you. I'll keep you posted on how things go this end. God bless and take care, Colm

Colm, so you are going in on the 15th? I have fingers, toes, and anything else I can get crossed, crossed for you. You know we will all be there with you in spirit; and that Carol's spirit will be right above you; helping to guide your surgeon's hand and pouring out blessings from all of us for your successful procedure and complete, speedy recovery. I'll share a little funny with you....on the morning I went in for surgery, I got a thick black Sharpie marker and, on the upper inside portion of my opaque, closed-ended bag I drew a big ole' smiley face, and then by its mouth I put the caption "bye bye!"; hoping that this would lighten the mood in the OR right before my surgery and sure enough, it did! My surgeon said they were all cracking up when they saw it that morning. So, if you get nervous right before time on Wed.; you can think of that smiley face going bye bye to your bag, and perhaps this will calm your spirit a little beforehand. We'll all be lifting you up in prayer! Darla

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Thanks for the step-by-step status reports, Darla. It's sure helping to ease my mind as I approach the big day. According to my surgeon, he only removed about a foot of my bowel, so I am hoping that things tighten up quickly. I also pray for the laparotomy more than you know. I had it once years ago for a bad gall bladder, and then was sliced and diced for my ileostomy. Having experienced both, I'll take the scope in a heartbeat. I would also like to offer my condolences on the passing of your friend. I never had the chance to know her as you did, but it's obvious we have lost someone special to many people in a lot of ways. Take care and keep smiling. Dave

Dave - if he only removed a foot or so, you should firm up MUCH quicker than me; and if you have a good amount of rectum left, you'll be able to hold it better, sooner, too! I was cut to pieces, too, with my ileo...from just below the breastbone all the way to the Netherlands ;) LOTS of open wound there...I had a wound vac on that incision for about 7 weeks post-op! Soooo thankful this one was done laparoscopically! One thing you may want to ask your doc about, once you have the reversal and see what kind of incision you have, is putting a little bit of colloidal silver on it afterwards for a few weeks. It aids in the healing process. They did this for my ileo incision and I am putting just a tiny bit on the holes I have now. Be sure and ask your doctor about it, though....since you are diabetic, too, it may be a good option as a little extra healing insurance. You can get it as a spray at your local pharmacy or health food store. Thank you, friend re: Carol. Nice to have so many caring people here...what a blessing!

Oh Darla, thank you so much for those comforting words. They certainly help. And you're correct, whenever I get myself all worried about the surgery I can almost feel Carol's hand on my shoulder and telling me that 'this too will pass'. I can feel an air of calm come over me.

And yes please, I could do with everyone's positive thoughts and prayers this Wednesday afternoon (GMT) to help see me through.

Loretta, again your words of encouragement mean a great deal to me. It helps knowing that you're not alone on the journey. My prayers are with you too.

And Dave, let me wish you the very best of luck with your surgery. I know we'll all be behind you too with our prayers and thoughts. I know I'll be posting too as soon as I can after surgery to let you all know how things are. God bless and take good care, Colm

Colm, best wishes for a successful reversal and speedy recovery! It has been one month since my reversal, and, aside from minor discomforts, all has been moving along smoothly...ha ha. I will be praying for you!

Thank you so much, Beaner! All prayers very much appreciated! It could be a long surgery as they'll have to open me up like the first time. Yourself and Darla have been a great inspiration...again, thanks for keeping our spirits up! Godspeed your recovery. Take care, Colm

Hi Dave, good luck on the reversal. My husband had his done and only a foot of the bowel is missing in total. Could not do it laparoscopically though, so he was cut and sliced again. His BM was not liquid at all, came back normally very fast which he was very relieved.

Good luck with your reversal. My surgeon did mine from the stoma opening by pulling enough out to resect the ileum, then stuffed it back in and sewed me up. He did not want to go into the original incision if he did not have to, as he had already gone in the same incision three times before. He told me that I was the first one he tried it on, and if it would not have worked, he would have had several more hours of work ahead.

I've been told that I've had only small amounts of my colon and small intestine removed, but that the anastomoses could be inflamed, causing a temporary blockage. I've pulled myself off of all pain meds, all antiemetics, etc., and have been walking the halls of this hospital for 8 days. I had one small movement. I'm on clear liquids only and am totally frustrated and starving. The nurses and doc hear lots of bowel sounds. I haven't thrown up yet. What do I gotta do to poo?!?!?! Sorry for the vent.

Everybody is different. I did nothing for five days, which meant nothing but liquids until I at least passed gas. The good news is that they hear sounds! I was stark raving starved, couldn't believe I could even function without something in my body! Your body goes into a period of total rest. When it is ready to wake up, it will. The key is that it has to be ready to wake up. Don't be afraid to ask for something to keep you calm until it happens, or you will drive yourself nuts....

Well, CT scan revealed a partial blockage that will be surgically corrected tomorrow afternoon. Will let you know how I come out the other end!!! Take care, Fable

Fable - Bless your heart! I was hoping that you would not have to endure anything else, but when things were a no-go for so long, I thought you might have a little something still needing attention. My prayers will be flowing for you as you undergo your correcting procedure tomorrow afternoon. It'll be ok.....you WILL come out of this bagless and goin' like a fool soon! A lot of people hit a little bump in reversal recovery and have to go back to the hospital....at least they didn't let you go home just to have to march you right back in! Things will go well tomorrow, I just know it. Please keep me posted, ok? Darla

I know it's easy for me to say as I am not affected like you, but look at it this way. Your suspicions were correct, and they are being addressed. Hopefully that's a relief to you as opposed to not knowing. Keep the faith. Dave

And to you, Darla, I ask how things are progressing? I can't thank you enough for your words of encouragement and support. Don't forget that your loyal readers need your updates too! Keep smiling. Dave

Dave - I had to go to my PCP yesterday for the swelling caused by too many IV fluids being given in the hospital; trying to get my blood pressure up. I am still holding on to over 20 lbs of fluid that has seeped into my tissues... PCP put me on Lasix and gave me a steroid cream for the places on my legs and feet that have started to split from being stretched out so much. So now I'll be going out BOTH ends 15 times a day! This should help with the waterlogging, though. My PCP told me that I should have been put on steroids for a few days; it appears that my adrenal gland shut down temporarily from surgery-related stress, causing the BP problems. So where was SHE a couple weeks ago? My surgeon called her in for a consult but she never showed! Reversal-wise, everything is still healing and progressing. I have a post-op appointment with my surgeon on the 20th; the day before your reversal. I'll update all again after my appointment on Monday. As for YOU.... hope your pre-op stuff goes splendidly. It will. We are all lifting you up in our thoughts and prayers and you, my friend, are about to embark on a new and exciting journey.... just think about all the wisdom you can share with others! You have gallantly fought your way back to this point, against the odds, and you will triumph with this reversal! Wishing you blessings and calm nerves! Darla

I'm still praying for you, Darla, Dave, and Colm. Keep healing. I just know you're each going to resume the full life you had before your ostomy. Loretta

I've always found it amusing, some of the names people have come up with for their stomas. I never had one for mine, the most obvious choices like 'Old Faithful' long ago taken...until this past weekend, when mine began to make some of the loudest noises it has ever made, of course, during a quiet moment at dinner with my family. When my niece giggled and asked why my tummy was so loud, I explained it away as my stomach doing band practice. (No, I don't know where that came from) Her reply? Guess it's the horn section's turn. The horn section. I go for a pre-op appointment in the morning, and the horn section is due to be permanently silenced on Tuesday. One bit of good news I got today, a visit with my family doctor for blood work revealed a hemoglobin A1C result of 6.3. Sweet! You diabetics will know what that means. Keep smiling, everyone. Any news on Fable?

A 6.3....that's pretty darn good! May the horn section be with you! ;) Haven't heard from Fable today.....hopefully we'll get some news tomorrow.

Dave, that is great news and I know how happy you must be to begin Silence of the Horn. Good luck on Tuesday. I'll be sending prayers your way. Loretta

Silence of the horn... classic. Thanks for the prayers, Loretta. I'll take all the help I can get. Got some confusing information today at my pre-op consult. The gas passer assured me that they have no choice but to open me up again, regardless of what my surgeon has led me to believe. Oh well, I guess I will find out Tuesday when I wake up.

Hi guys - Quick update: I got out for the first time tonight post-op for a meal....went to a nice Italian seafood restaurant and had seafood stuffed shrimp! Best part....NO ACCIDENTS OR LEAKS! Man, it was weird not having to worry about my bag!! I did have to take a couple of potty breaks, but I was able to get out to eat! YAAAAAAY! A little more progress, and a nice date night with my hubby! ;)

Yay, you! You are both a joy and an inspiration! Congrats on the progress.

I am a believer in maintaining great expectations for surgical outcomes. Why? Sometimes we might be tempted to restrain our hopefulness if only to protect ourselves against disappointment. I would prefer to remain positive, not because of any naive commitment to the Pollyanna principle, but because there's therapeutic value in optimism. After my reversal in 2004, my confidence in a rapid recovery paid big dividends when I found myself in a county-wide golf tournament just 10 days after the procedure. There are no guarantees in life, only percentages. Expect the best! PB

My gosh, Prime, I did not know that! I thought you were still a bagger. What wonderful visions you swinging a club so soon after reversal gave me! Fear is all that is holding me back. I've even got the money saved. I sold my second car and cashed in a CD. My recent CT scan at the hospital showed I am a perfect candidate for reversal. I am just so frightened after the horror of that blockage. Thank you, thank you for writing this. I had no idea about your history. How wonderful of you to have stayed with us after your reversal and recovery. We so need examples like yourself to keep our hopes up. Loretta

Darla, I am so delighted about your outing. It is a dream of mine to actually be on a date with a nice someone and eat rather than just sitting there holding my breath and stomach in, praying nothing that shouldn't come out will. Hurrah! What terrific news today. Loretta

Okay, Dave, my prayers for your success are being upped. You seem like such a strong, fearless man. I'm sure that even if you wake up stitched from teat to thigh, you will heal and have the same sort of stories as Prime and Darla to tell those of us still waiting in the wings. Loretta