The doctor has been talking about reconnecting me sometime in the future. He said that he left quite a large section of my rectum and said that I would not need a J Pouch. He said that he could connect my small intestine right to the rectum itself. Has anyone had this done?? What was it like for you and what would one expect right after surgery?? Frankly, I am not sure if I even want to do this. "Maxine" and I are starting to get along famously and things are getting easier. I am not sure if I want to be cut open again and cause more stress on my already super stressed out body. This summer has been the summer from hell and I just want some peace and quiet for awhile and I am just getting the pain settled down and am starting to feel normal again. I already have lost half of my hair to the stress of three surgeries, two of which were quite major and one to repair a broken foot all in a row within a month and a half. I guess I need some guidence on this from those of you who have had this reconnection. Are there any of you who were reconnected and didn't have a J Pouch? I would like to hear how it was for you.
I think it is important to follow what you feel. After such a long process of being unwell, it is paramount to have a peaceful time of relative wellness before you agree to anymore surgery.
Perhas set a date for the surgery three months hence and enjoy your steady improvement leading up to the next bout of intervention. If you’re not ready when the surgery date comes around, cancel it. I wish you well.
Namaste
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I am the same ....waiting to hear any info on how the reconnection surgery goes ....As my surgeon is thinking about doing the same thing with me in the next couple of months :)
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It is with lots of trepidation I reply to your post, Freedancer. I'm not a doctor or health professional of any sort and maybe I should just shut up. Having some experience in this area though, I feel compelled to offer my opinion. I was connected about eight years ago; remaining colon to remaining rectum. Neither of those organs was significantly shortened and the reconnection went without a hitch. Almost! I developed a stricture which caused me to spend most of my life in the bathroom and suffer through all the stuff that comes with numerous BMs every day. When told a colostomy might be the "remedy," I said that wasn't an option. After seven years with my stoma, I wish I had resigned myself to it sooner. It's far from the worst thing that could happen and way better than living on the toilet and trying to restore the damaged skin and flesh below. Having the rectum connected directly to the ileum presents other concerns like, how does the waste solidify? How often will we need to use the bathroom?
Again, I'm not in the medical field but I hope my experience encourages you to ask all the questions you need to before going under the knife again.
Respectfully,
Mike