Reversal Surgery

Just wanted to report that I have just completed the first of two surgeries needed to complete my reversal/reconnection. Actually, I had considered it for years and had already decided not to undergo the surgeries. I had a good system and had learned to live quite comfortably with my ostomy, plus at my age, I just didn't want to go through all the time, pain, and discomfort. Then the peristomal hernia I had developed trapped my bowel and almost cut off its blood supply. After 8 hrs in the emergency room, I was about to be prepped with a nasogastric tube and put on a helicopter back to Houston. As a last-ditch effort, I asked the ER doc to try one more time to manipulate the bowel back into my body cavity. After about 5 min of pushing, poking, and prodding, and much pain, suddenly the bowel dropped back into my body cavity, so I dodged a major bullet. My surgeon in Houston told me we needed to go ahead and make the repair of the hernia. He then said that as long as they were in there, did I want them to try to reconnect me? I honestly wasn't sure at that moment. He told me to think about it and let him know on the day of surgery. I talked to a friend who had been reconnected to ask if he was happy he'd had it done. He told me he was totally glad he'd had it done and encouraged me to "go for it". After some prayer and serious thought, I made the decision to make the try. The surgeons were honestly doubtful they could do it due to my weight and male-sized pelvis. But try they did and were successful. And now I say HOORAY! I'm now at home recovering and actually looking forward to the final surgery to close my temporary ostomy and open the bowel to my anus.

Although soon I will no longer qualify as an Ostomate, I will always remember the good, caring, and helpful people I've had the pleasure to "meet" on the site. If anyone is interested, I will report back on my progress through the final surgery and onward.
Bamatex

I definitely want to hear how the second surgery goes. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I feel it will be a great encouragement to others that are considering the reversal surgery. Also, thank you for your always positive attitude. It is people like you that I have met on this site that have helped me in my emotional acceptance and healing. You have been very uplifting and even though you will no longer have the ostomy, I do look forward to a continued friendship. My prayers will remain with you and I wish you success with the surgery and a quick and complete healing afterward. Always, Debi

I wish you the very best. That really sounds like good news. I am in the same boat also. My doctors started getting me prepped for early next year. Take care.

Oh, thanks for posting this subject!! I'm counting down the days to my reversal. I'm currently undergoing post-op chemo and will hopefully be finished sometime in January (trying sooo hard to not get sick and to keep my immune system strong).

Does anyone know how long the waiting period is between the last chemo treatment and reversal surgery? My surgeon also said that the reversal will be a piece of cake relative to the 'big' surgery.

So glad I'm not alone!!!!!!! It can be scary stuff!

Sharon

I too would like to be updated... I am a permanent ileo and my rectum and colitis were so severe and my anus was so far gone. I had a j-pouch and nothing ever seemed to work right. I want to hear success stories out there about the body bottom and how it can recover and get back to near perfect... (Not 50% perfect... I want to hear it being almost perfect... the way it all used to be when we were all healthy). I want to hear it all... Please tell me if the parts recover in total... the way they were working before... I wish everyone well in this crazy journey we ended up on, but there is a reason for it all... Nothing happens by chance... Love to you all and keep up the great sharing... Michael..

Sharon, this all goes for you too... Please keep me updated... I will be thinking of you in January if that's when your reversal is supposed to happen :)

Hi Michael,

You are so right! Nothing happens by chance.....no coincidences......not sure how I would have made it this far without the people on this site!

HA! And a little healthy sparring is good for the soul!!!!! Tee hee heeeee

Much love and hugs,
Sharon

Really good luck to you. You are one of the lucky ones who can be reversed. I myself had severe colitis like another person on here had a failed J pouch after trying to keep it.
We should all stay positive but there are those days when you want to be normal but life doesn't stop.

Sam

But....I need my reversal in the next couple of months and even though a reversal is a blessing to be able to have ...when it is in a bag I can see the consistency and know I am not too constipated, or if enough has come out today, and it doesn't hurt when it does come out, I don't forget how many days it's been.....now just a little mucus in my rectum feels like a torpedo. Has it shrunk too much in diameter, what about all the hemorrhoids, why on earth am I scared to go back to normal? Please stay on line long enough to answer our post op fears....Best of luck.

We will all be on here for you, Faith...

I will begin by saying that my bottom never seemed to work right ever since I can remember. So for those of you who can get back to that good working bottom, I am envious if not jealous. But I do have some doctor issues I will address.

Most people believe that just going back (reversal) is good because they will have their bowels back (and that's what most doctors tell them, that in time it will only get better). But to go back to that situation with all the pain I remember, and leaking and mucous stuff, of which most doctors still don't tell the real deal truth, is where I have my problems with doctors who hang this carrot out for all those so yearning to be back to "NORMAL". If I could have my bowels back and have them work great and have a great BM, of course, I would want my bowels back. And for 24 years, they tried to get mine to work right. And in truth, the doctors kept stringing me along because I too didn't want to be an ostomate. And I allowed them to string me along, but I have since learned that I need to be my own health advocate.

My normal is now a permanent ileo, no pain, no problems ever. We all are struggling with adjustment to the original normal we want to get back to, but for me, that train left the station many moons ago.

I do wish that all those reversals go well for everyone wanting them, and I do hope to hear that their anus' and rectums work great. But to have pain in that region again and all the downside that can come from those parts not working right, makes me very happy to remain the ostomate I am today.

I would like to know if any of the people on this site who are going back to normal (reversal) have been told by their doctors what the percentages are with regard to their bowels being as good as before, even after all the surgery and chemos and radiations. Somebody please tell me that you are being told the percentages.

Michael

As you and some others know, I am in the process of being reconnected with a J-Pouch. My surgeon has told me that I will probably have to empty the pouch (bowel) between 4 and 6 times a day, which is manageable. It's really a function of what and how much you take in. I talked with a friend who has a J-Pouch and has had to empty as many as 8 times a day, but that's the exception rather than the norm. As I said, it depends on what and how much you are eating/drinking. As for your question about my bowel getting back to "normal," it's important to understand that my bowel function will never get back to "normal." When your colon is removed, you are forever changed in the way your remaining bowel works. For example, the colon absorbs most of the liquid out of the food slurry that comes down from your stomach and small intestine. Without a colon to absorb that liquid, you can never expect to have a "normal" bowel movement again. The days of well-formed solid stools are gone forever, so I don't expect that. At best, I will expect bowel movements with a consistency between water and oatmeal, no more "floaters" and "sinkers" HA! But that's just fine with me. It's much better to have reasonable, realistic expectations than to be disappointed, frustrated, and angry over something that's impossible to achieve. I'm already blessed to be given the opportunity to function even somewhat normally, so I'm not about to complain if everything isn't absolutely perfect. I consider just being able to poop out of my butt again and not into a pouch as a huge blessing.
Bamatex