Countdown to Ileostomy Reversal - What to Expect Post-Op?

Hey Happy9

My son had Fournier's Gangrene and had a massive abdominal surgery last August 18th, which was his birthday.

They at first thought he would have both a colostomy and a urostomy, but his bladder was not affected.

Won't go into too much on Dave's thread, but I am wishing you the best and look forward to more messages.

Warmest wishes.

Dianne

Happy-

Hope both your daughters have recovered and that you have a terrific spring break with them next week!    My daughter and her hubby are in this weekend (they live in OK); and it is so good to see them.....Aly has "grown" since the last time I saw her.....the baby is growing and thriving and I am preparing to be a first-time grandma in late June/early July!    It is sooo weird to think that my baby is having a baby soon.....still getting used to the idea!

Take care, and we'll be thinking of you!

Blessings!
Darla

Hi everyone,

Great news Dave! I am so happy for you! Really! You are done! No more surgery, hospital! You are back to you, just wiser. It's wonderful to hear those stories. Even though your doctor said goodbye to you, don't say goodbye to us! Please keep us updated.

My little one is sick again... have to go...

Happy always!

Dialing.....1-800- fon-a-friend

One ringy dingy......silence

Two ringy dingy......silence

Hello, Dave!

This is your pesky friend, just checking in to see how you are doing!

Drop us a line when you get a chance!

Darla

Hi there Darla!
Sorry about the tardy reply, I was merely waiting until after a doctor's appointment today to see if there was anything new to report...and there isn't...lol.

Surgeon is happy, nurses are happy..I'm happy.
Still waiting on word from my neurologist. He is all that's left standing between now and going back to work...

I'll keep you posted..promise..

Hope things are good with you.

Dave

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Hey

Glad to hear that things are well on the "Dave" front! No news is definitely good news when it comes to keeping folks informed but you know me....I like to check in every now and again just to say "Hi" and touch base with a few of my fellow ostomates.

Things are very good with me. I got out to a movie and dinner today; actually sat through the movie without a bathroom trip! Then went shoe shopping for some spring sandals after dinner! So things are getting a little better, bathroom trip-wise......a couple of weeks ago I would have had to rush home after dinner (even after a bathroom trip!).....today, I got about an hour reprieve afterwards. Small steps. Subtle victories!

I'm trying to decide what to do with myself, goal-wise, now that the worst has passed and even though I cannot return to the workforce at this point, I am thinking of starting a new project in the way of a new HR certification......something that I can complete 100% online and then take the actual exam at one of the local testing centers in my area. The course I am considering is pretty pricey; but it may be worth it in the long run if I decide that I want to try and return to a somewhat similar role than I left a while back. I'll never be able to go back to work in the capacity I did before and work those 60-80 hour weeks again with harsh, looming deadlines and corporate cutthroats, having to lay people off all the time, etc.; but perhaps a consultant role or something part-time could work out at some point in the foreseeable future. Personal goals are very important to me.....don't want the mind to stagnate or my skillset to become too outdated out in today's workforce. I enjoy working and contributing in the ways that I am able to do so.

I feel incredibly blessed to be at the point that I am in my recovery. Sounds like you are well on your way, too.

Keep me posted!

Your pesky friend.

Hi all!,

Dave, your recovery is great! I guess you are done!!

Darla, your recovery is also great! Movie, shoe shopping, dinner!! That's something I can't do yet...
Yes, yes, victories! That is definitely a victory. Just a short while ago, those things were not possible.

You are already on to the next step, online certification, wow! I agree we all have to have a goal, dream, desire otherwise nothing will happen. We have to know what we want and do something towards that goal!
It's so nice to hear "
Worst has passed
" Oh gee, I want to say that in the near future!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I try to think the best is coming soon!

I started to use a clip tail drain pouch and having a difficult time... Can anyone help? First, I didn't know I was supposed to roll up! Now I know and I do roll up but every time I drain, the clean part is getting shorter and shorter. How do you keep that part clean without getting less and less clean part left?

I know you don't have a bag anymore but if you know the trick, I would like to know.

Happy always,

Well hello, Happy!

Hope you had a great spring break with those 2 wonderful daughters and that you can have some peace and quiet this next week as they return to school!

Yes, my friend, I am so thankful that my recovery is going so well and I am beginning to be able to do things that I have not been able to do in a long, long time.    Before I had the ileo, I had been in a severe lupus flare that kept me pretty much homebound for 3 years.    Then, 2 1/2 months before my emergency ileostomy, I had another major surgery where they removed a tumor pressing on my spine and causing my left leg to just "go out" randomly.....so I could never tell if I was going to fall or not until I put pressure on the leg by stepping on it.    Sometimes I would fall, sometimes not.    I put 2 holes in the sheetrock in my bathroom with my head....the result of falling while stepping down on that leg!    The tumor was benign, but it still had to come out because it was so severely affecting my balance.    So I was not even recovered from the spine surgery before my colon perforated and I went in for my ileo.    You can see why I am so thankful for these small successes!

When I had the ileo, I would set a small goal for myself to try something from my "pre-surgery" life every week...just a little something like walking for an extra half hour, or going to the supermarket, or out to eat somewhere close to home.    And, before I knew it, those little things were adding up to bigger things....so by the time my reversal rolled around I could stay out for about 3-4 hours at a time; I walked an hour a day, worked out......etc.    I am convinced that by "building up" before the reversal surgery, I have recovered much more quickly than I would have otherwise responded!    

While you are waiting for a reversal date, try something new every week.    Start out small....I didn't really tell anyone when I was doing this because if I did not succeed I wanted to keep it to myself.....so let it be a secret, if that works better for you.    Then, before you know it, you will be doing things you thought you couldn't do....you'll have that reversal date, and time will fly by as you move towards a successful reversal and recovery period!    And remember, you have all of us behind you cheering you on, too!    Oh, and I continue doing this "new thing" now as I recover from my reversal.    So far I am very happy with the results!    

You are doing better and better, and YOUR BEST IS YET TO COME!

Too bad we aren't close in proximity.....we could go shoe shopping or out for coffee or any number of "girl" things......we could call ourselves "Two Remarkably Recovered Chicks!"

Talk to you soon!
Darla

ps:    Sorry I can't help with the bag thing....the minute I got out of the hospital I switched to the closed-end bags and used them the whole time.....I hated the ones with the clips/velcro as I was always afraid of leakage or blowout problems with them!

Happyh9, I used those, and the ostomy nurse showed me how to roll it back, empty, clean with half a baby wipe, then roll it down. That way the pouch will
last a few days. Jean

Hello everyone!

I realize I haven't written much lately, so here is a little update on me.

Today marks 6 weeks since my reversal surgery. I once thought the reversal was a day that would never come, now I can't believe it's come and gone. I try to erase the bad memories of the last year and keep the good. One good memory is the first morning I woke, did a "bag check" and realized there was no longer a bag to be checked!

My mid-line incision is pretty much a faded memory now. The little lumps and bumps have all pretty much flattened out and the redness has faded to a thin, pink line. Even my sister, the nurse, commented on its appearance. The stoma site is still open and has a dressing change every three days. It's much smaller now and described as "very superficial". There has been no sign of infection and very little drainage. Nothing that isn't absorbed readily by the small dressing over the opening, anyway. The nurses estimate that within two weeks I will "graduate" to nothing more than a small bandage.

The pain is nonexistent for the most part. Abdominally, there is still the odd feeling of things internally finding their rightful place and moving around, but even those are less frequent now. I sometimes forget I am not 100% yet and do stupid things like trying to lift heavy objects. The worst feeling was thinking I had torn the old stoma incision open (I hadn't). One day at a time, Dave.

I tested myself this week and embarked on a road trip! The 6-hour drive to visit my sister and her family went off without a hitch. It wasn't until I actually hit the highway that I realized every move I have made in the last month and a half has been totally thought of in terms of where every public bathroom is along the way. It wasn't until I arrived that I thought back on what I had just done. The previous trip I made like this, I had a bag. I recalled the near constant bag checking as I sipped my coffee. So often, it was almost part of my mirror checks. Rear view, side, side, bag... I hadn't noticed the "freedom" right away.

Some old habits are hard to break. I still find myself reaching down to hold my bag when I roll in bed. No, I haven't been brave enough to roll on my stomach yet, but it will happen! I also noticed that my sleep is still broken into smaller chunks from obsessing over a possible full bag/leak in the middle of the night.

My grade 10 science teacher would be proud to know that my butt, at least, is pretty confident it knows the difference between gas and a solid!

Trouble is, when it is a solid, having only half a colon, there isn't a lot of notice. Sometimes bathroom runs are full lights and sirens.

For the most part, my movements have slowed to once or twice a day now... to be honest, it's almost better than it was before the ostomy..

It's not my intent to gloat or throw this in anyone's face. I know there are those of you out there that face a permanent ostomy. I just wanted to give some hope to those pondering a reversal and maybe hesitating. I was once there myself. I know everyone is different and may have different underlying medical issues, but for me, I am so glad I went through with it.

If you happen to be new to this site and are reading this, don't be shy... ask your questions... the people here love to help and have lots to say!

Best wishes to everyone here and good luck.

Hey, friend

Been missing your smiling face around here.

The things you have written here make my heart happy. It is so wonderful to see you doing so well and getting back to the life you were meant to have.....a life where the possibilities for each new day abound.....a life filled with joy, and laughter, and hope.

I know what you mean about the "phantom" thoughts and urges and flashbacks. I have them all the time, still. I still find myself "bag checking"; especially in the middle of the night when I awaken and in the early mornings....or when I am getting ready to leave the house. When I catch myself, I smile. My stoma site has completely healed and is just a little pink dot now, about the size of a dime. I am getting stronger day by day.....I was out for about 8 hours on Saturday and then another 5 or so hours on Sunday and, other than being tired, did great and enjoyed my weekend immensely! I have rediscovered my passion for reading.....something I left for a while due to lupus messing with my eyesight.....so I am stacking the e-reader up with several good books that I have been "eyeing" for a while.......things in my world are definitely looking up as well. We are both greatly blessed and highly favored.

I chuckled when I read your "lights and sirens" comment. Unfortunately, my bathroom trips are still riddled with those....but the trips are lessening somewhat since adding the Opium Tincture to my "cocktail" along with the Imodium and fiber. As you say, one day at a time.

I've added a couple of "testing" adventures to my journey.....thinking of taking a trip to Houston (about 4 hours from me) in a couple of weeks to see a dear friend from Boston who has invited me to her family crawfish boil......and, I have tickets to see "Jersey Boys" in June; something I have wanted to do for a few years now but could not afford a trip to NYC to see it.....it's coming to Dallas now and I am way excited that I can finally feel well enough to go and sit through an entire show!

So, are you going back to work in a couple of weeks? Looking forward to it?

Please keep us posted. You will remain in my thoughts and prayers as you continue on your journey of recovery and re-discovery.......and, remember, as Emily Dickinson so aptly states, to "Dwell in possibility."

Your pesky friend-
Darla

Darla,
Please don't consider yourself pesky for even a moment. I feel guilty for letting my writings here lapse.
I'm so happy to hear that you too are headed in a positive direction. To hear the things you have done along with the things you are planning makes me smile.

Yes, I am returning to work in a couple of weeks. It's with mixed emotions, but it is time.
Mentally, I wasn't up for it even as recently as a month ago. Perhaps it's the surgery, perhaps it's the nice weather we have been having, but I find myself having more feelings of contentment than I used to. It seemed to me I was having what I call anxiety attacks at the thought of work and some other things, but now it seems to have gone the other way.

Sadly, there is one demon I have to face, and that won't be easy. When I took sick last spring, I was just beginning a new relationship. She stuck by me through the hospitalization, the rehab, the sleepless nights. She even consented to let me stay at her home on discharge to make things easier. Then came the morning at the end of August. We were less than 24 hours from leaving on a week's vacation to her family cottage. She awoke, told me she "couldn't do this anymore"...not explaining what "this" was. She dropped my suitcases at my feet and left for work. While she was gone, I packed my things, dragged them all to my truck using my walker, and left. That was the last time I saw her or spoke to her. She actually went to work and told my friends that we were still going to her mother's as I was packing my things to leave her house.
Ok, so your first reaction is probably like most others..she isn't worth it, it's a long time ago..and things like that..Yes, I agree with that, however, we work together...yeah..ain't that a kick in the head.

I have been in touch with another coworker..she has had 10 months to tell "her side" of what happened and drum up sympathy for herself..trouble is, none of it is based in truth.

However...I digress..often..

I just want to walk back into work, feeling and looking like a new man..and I hope she feels that she made a mistake. My mother never raised me to wish bad things on anyone, and I really don't wish her harm..I just want her to feel bad for awhile..like I did.
Sorry if that exposes a not so nice side of me..I guess I'm still mad. Sure, people break up. Adults don't lie..that's the difference..I was left stunned.

Other than that, yes, I look forward to seeing the guys that work for me, co-workers from other departments and having some social contacts again. The good news..my work shirts and pants all fit me 30 lbs ago!..they hang off me now!

My only concern, after reading your post, was the rate at which my stoma site is healing. I guess I had it figured it would be farther along by now..

Hey Darla and Dave. Hope you don't mind if I tag onto your forum. I have really been interested in your musings and am so glad you both are recovering well. Thanks so much for sharing the good and the "not so good." I am 9 weeks out and doing pretty well, I think, but not progressing as quickly as I had hoped. I will have days where I have 25 stools (no diarrhea, but mostly small in size) with urgency and other days where I feel constipated and the stool is hung up at the anastomosis - reattachment site. When it does that, I have the sensation of having to go but it's not there. My surgeon said that is called tenesmus. Hoping that will get better.
I am so impressed with your travel plans. I am hesitant to do that, but you are giving me encouragement. I see my surgeon on Friday. He has been wonderful, but I made an appointment to see a GI doc for Monday. Just felt maybe he could manage my bowels better and hopefully get me regulated. Since I had a colostomy rather than an ileostomy, my incision is about 2 inches and they sewed that up during the reversal. I will always have that scar as well as the very long one from around my navel (that looks ugly now) all the way down. It is deeper than previously because he just cut along the same line as in October. But I don't think I'll be wearing a bikini anyway! Hope to hear more from you both as you continue this LONG journey.
Patrice

Also - if I knew how to post a picture, I would. Waiting for my son to help me with that.

Hi Patrice!

Good to hear from you and to know that you are doing well....Dave and I try and keep folks updated on our progress and "compare notes" from time to time so we know we are not alone on this journey! It does help to know that there are people out here who share similar experiences, both physical and emotional.....the good times, and, as you stated, the "not so good" times, too. In my case, I am often reminded of that Michael McDonald song "It keeps you running.....yeah it keeps you running!" as I am still in the "tweaking" stages of my bm regulation. One BIG difference I have noted between those of you who have large intestine left and me (I have no large intestine left) is the consistency/frequency of stools.....most of you seem to hover between normal, constipated, and occasional diarrhea; I am constant diarrhea....NO in-between. It is getting better as I am adjusting the Opium Tincture, Lomotil and Metamucil pills to more of what I eat/when I eat.....but it will take a while, still, to get down to the 5-7 per day predicted to be my "new normal." I am impressed that Dave was able to take a road trip less than 6 weeks post reversal....that's great progress! As for me, it will be a leap of faith to go to Houston for a weekend but I believe I can do it with minimal difficulty....I will just adjust my eating to allow for a long car trip and eat my main meal when I arrive at our destination instead of on the road. I am so excited....this will be the first "road trip" I have taken in 3 or more years and I am going to see a dear friend that I used to work with.....I introduced her to her first Margarita while in her stomping ground of Boston several years ago; and she introduced me to some killer New England dishes as well as some genuine Northern hospitality! She and her new beau will be visiting her brother in Houston and I will be honored to attend their big annual crawfish boil and birthday party! Can't wait!

I think it's a good idea for you to see a GI guy to follow up on your symptoms post-reversal. We love our surgeons dearly but that's what they are....surgeons....not really versed in a lot of continued follow up care that doesn't involve cutting. You'll have to let us know how that goes and whether or not a GI doc could shed some better light on regulating things.....I may go that route, too, if my dilemma doesn't start to resolve itself somewhat after a few more months. I have read several accounts from reversals who had no large intestine left, and the general consensus is that it takes anywhere from 8 months to a year or more to become more regulated.....the remaining rectum has to learn to "hold" more, and the small intestine has to learn to absorb more of the water, like the large intestine normally does. One day at a time.....

Bummer! It looks as if we both will have to cancel our MAXIM bikini-shoots for this summer due to extenuating circumstances, but perhaps I can convince Google Maps to take a pic of my tummy for their next "destination" user interface! Oh well, at least we are alive and relatively well.....I will save those skimpy swimsuits for those who can wear them....those (like me) who can't, we'll just flash some cleavage from time to time and keep 'em wondering!

Please tell your son to get with it and help you post a pic on here so we can see your smiling face!

Darla

PS: Dave, I have some musings to share with you on your last post.....stay tuned. We had a really horrible day yesterday, weather wise, with 12 tornadoes touching down within 20 miles of us....lots of hail, high winds. My head is clearer today...been giving lots of thanks to the Man Upstairs for keeping us safe!

Hi all,

Happy Easter!
So, everybody is doing well and heading to a new venture, great!
I am going to see my surgeon on Monday, April 16th!! Finally, I have been waiting for this day for a long time. I don't know when the surgery will be scheduled, but sooner the better!! Please don't let me wait any longer!

I have a question. What do you mean by "open stoma site"? Don't surgeons stitch????
Open means, you see your intestine?? There is a hole??

Darla, I am the same as you. I don't have a large intestine, none, all gone. It will be a connection of ileal and anal. My stool will be liquid and frequent. The only difference is, my surgeon will create a J-pouch using the small intestine. And because of that, I need to have two more surgeries.

I am happy to know you are getting around, longer and longer each time.

Dave, wishing the best for going back to work and dealing with your ex-girlfriend. People come and go. She was not the one. It's good to know before marriage or kids! You will find the one.

Patrice, nice to meet you!

You have a date to see the surgeon! That's good news, it all starts there.
When I say open site, I believe it's all stitched internally, but the outside, the fleshy part, the fat and skin are left open. My original hole was about 3/4 of an inch deep and about 2 inches long. The nurses packed it with wet gauze and covered it with a new dressing every day while I was in the hospital. It's much smaller now and not as deep. The nurse was here just yesterday and now it's just covered by a large bandage.
Yes, they do close them up sometimes, but my doctor chose not to. He considered closing it with a mesh like a hernia repair. I was so sick and he was so worried that even on the reversal there was a chance he may have to go back in, that he chose to leave it open. Same thing for my main incision, he stapled it closed, but did not use any mesh.

There are lots of different scenarios, your doctor could do lots of different things. Just because it happened to me, doesn't mean it will happen to you.

My insurance company has pushed my start date back by another week...just when I was getting mentally prepared...lol.

I'll let Darla talk about the j-pouch as I have no knowledge of these things. Best of luck on the 16th and keep us posted.

Have a great weekend.

Hey, Happy - and Easter Blessings to you and yours, too!

So you have an appointment on the 16th to discuss your reversal?? What wonderful news!

I can't wait to hear what your surgeon has to say....perhaps you will walk out of there on the 16th with a tentative date for Part 1 of your reversal.....the J Pouch!

I will definitely keep you in my prayers, dear lady.....YOU keep ME posted on your progress, when your J pouch is getting done, etc.

I am so excited for you!

Darla

I sincerely hope that your reversal goes as smooth as mine, next to the best thing that ever happened to me.......................what was the best thing that ever happened to me?

That first fart after a year of wearing that bag! PRICELESS!!

Yeah, but I bet you were holding it in for such an auspicious occasion hehehe

You better believe it!    After a year?    

Loved the chicken!

Hey, guys and gals!

Here's a little something to remember on this post-Easter week....I know that some of us will face new challenges next week as they return to the workforce.....there will be long-awaited reversal hopes confirmed for others......and others will reach new milestones with their recovery and healing processes......

People are often unreasonable,
illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and G-d;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Have a great day, everyone!

Darla

Thank you, my friend.

Hey there Darla:
Yes, thank you my friend. You so rock!
You have no idea what this poem has done for me at this time in my process of getting Ed to his final stages of healing. You see, I too have to heal and try and get back some kind of life for myself.
May God bless you always.

Thank you all.
Yes, Monday April 16th! I have been waiting for this date since December last year. Like you said, what I want from this meeting is the definite dates for the next two surgeries!!!! I need the date!!

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Dianne....
Awwww.....thank you so much for your kindness.    You have no idea what an inspiration you guys are to me...I appreciate you so much!!    This poem has been such a place of solace and conviction to me at several stages in my life......most were dealing with change and healing......like after my divorce, and during tough times with illness.....I am glad you could find some comfort here, too.    And yes, I have been thinking about you and how you will be getting back to YOUR life and praying for you, my friend......that you will have peace, and assurance, and the understanding that everything will work for the good because you are good and have had so much to bear yourself.......it is the caregiver who bears the greatest load and it is the caregiver who sacrifices himself/herself for the sake of another who cannot.......
You are a warrior, dear lady and I cannot wait for updates from you not only about Ed's progress, but about your life as well.    YOU SO ROCK!!!!!!!!

Blessings.....
Darla

I will be waiting with bated breath, my sweet friend.

Darla

'Soi'tenly, my friend.     (There's a new 3 Stooges movie coming out soon that I WILL see!!!!)

Hey Darla.
Things are moving along nicely with Ed. I took him to see our GP today just to err on the side of caution.

His incision looks good and it is completely dry. No infection present.

He has been complaining about back pain the last couple of nights, just at night when he is in bed and the Dr. gave him some muscle relaxants to start taking tonight. Hopefully, it will be what he needs to give him a good night's sleep and be pain-free.

He is slowly getting back to his old self but he still lacks his mental capacity he had before his surgeries. I am hoping this will come with time. The surgeon said it could take up to a year to get back to where he was as his surgery was so extensive and the drugs given him massive.

There is still no sign of incontinence. We are so happy. The power of group prayer is amazing. And I will forever hold dear your suggestions that the dear Lord will be guiding his surgeon's hands in the OR to take him back to where he was. It certainly has worked so far.

I have asked for a referral to a dietician for Ed so they can help him make wise food choices on his own as his supports will not be there much longer for him. Hopefully, they will be able to give us some good advice and some easy food choices for him.

As for me, I have sought out counseling to help me get back to my life. I just don't seem to be able to find that place I was in before August 2011. Mindfulness and meditation sound like they will be the order of the day for me from here on in.

Hoping you are doing a little better each and every day and that you are away from the tornadoes that are causing such devastation in the southern States right now.

Dianne

Hey Dianne -

Good news, physically, on Ed's progress. I am so thankful there has been no incontinence to date....and if there hasn't been already, there probably won't be. I know that was one of the things I feared most with the reversal process....I had read many horror stories about incontinence for months after a reversal and sometimes even a year or more! Luckily, I haven't had one bout of it since coming home from the hospital from my reversal surgery....and for this I am most thankful! I even took a road trip this weekend of about 5-6 hours each way to see a dear friend that I had not been able to see face to face in 9 years! It was so good to reconnect with her again and we picked up just like we see each other every day! I only had to stop for potty breaks twice each way while on the road....I cannot express how freeing this felt for me and how it encourages me to press forward even more as my recovery progresses!

One thing I will mention to you regarding my own mental clarity following my emergency surgery back in Dec. 2010. When I first woke up from being on the vent for 2 weeks; I was very foggy and couldn't remember much at all about my life....I remembered family and friends ok, but details were very frustrating and about a week after I got off the vent I had a grand mal seizure. First one ever and I haven't had one since....the docs explanation was that my brain was so traumatized and overloaded from everything that had happened plus all the drugs they had me on; that it in essence "rebooted" itself via that seizure. I know that everyone held their breath right after that happened, hoping that nothing would change in my personality or mental abilities......and I am happy to report that for the most part I have fully returned to my ornery old self! I do, however, still have problems with memory to a certain extent....both long and short term....in random instances. The docs told my hubby that the drugs they gave me during all that trauma could possibly result in some permanent memory loss.....I think that mine has been minimal, but I do think I have some memory loss that has not and probably will not return. It's really weird and random, but it's there. It also took about a full year for me to remember some things and to not feel so foggy, so maybe it will take Ed several more months as well to regain the majority of his mental capacity. It's only been 8 months, right? Both of you have been through so much in just these few months. I also have a little bit of lower back pain at night or when I sit too long in one spot.....probably due to continued healing around the anastomosis site.

Sounds like you are on a great road to healing with your decision to seek counseling to help you get back to your life. You won't ever get back to that exact place you were before; your life has been forever altered and you have gained so much wisdom and experience since then; but also great heartache and pain and fear......things you never asked for but for some reason have been chosen to endure these things as a part of your journey. We need others to help us sort these things out and move forward knowing what we know now.....even if we wish we didn't know some things! You will be in my thoughts and prayers and I would like to continue to check in on you in a friend capacity as you help me so much in my own journey!

We had a scare with the tornadoes a couple weeks ago...one came within 10 miles of my home and retracted before it hit our neighborhood; and then my daughter who lives in Ok City, OK had a scare this weekend as there were tornadoes dancing all around her home. She is even more on my radar at present since she is pregnant, so I checked on her several times this weekend via phone and internet to make certain things were ok. Few things unnerve me in nature, but a tornado will definitely make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my hands quiver!

As my recovery continues, I do thank the Man Upstairs every day for his continued blessings in my life. My health is slowly returning; I am in a good place in my relationships; and I have several new friends that I have met here who bring me smiles, laughter, challenges, opportunities; and much warmth and kindness. I do appreciate you so much!

Take care, dear lady!

Darla