After much thought of having the surgery or holding off... I'm holding off...
I emailed the first Dr. that did my surgeries and asked her some more questions... I didn't really care for her response.
"Re the role of surgery – it is for your comfort and quality of life. The hernia that you have is very unlikely to ever cause strangulation of the bowel. But, you describe daily issues with your prolapse and hernia, so I offered to fix it. If it is not causing you any problems, then we can cancel the surgery."
I don't have much of a quality of life and not much comfort... I will continue to live as I have for the past umm years... I will continue to look for a Dr., if ever there should be an emergency and need of surgery and not just for "my comfort and quality of life".
The second opinion Dr. said something completely different from the first... he mentioned strangulation of the bowel... it can happen... just a matter of when... He was going to try laparoscopy and if that didn't work, then he would have to open the old way... The first Dr. was hoping to do neither; she was going to work locally on the abdominal wall. She didn't mention that if that doesn't work, then what???
Anyway, thanks to all that took the time to read and respond... God bless, Aileen
winnie
Aug 27, 2012 6:56 pm
Past Member
Aug 28, 2012 5:56 pm
What concerns you about surgery? You definitely don't want emergency surgery because you won't have time to even pick a surgeon. If you are otherwise healthy, you need to keep looking for a doctor you are comfortable with because when it's done, you will be glad. I didn't realize the pain I was dealing with until it was done.
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Posted by: Karen & Stella
Fay,
I am one of those few people who still have a lot of output at night. However, I suffer from short gut syndrome after seven bowel surgeries that led to the loss of much of my small intestine as well as my large intestine from the initial bowel cancer surgery. It does get better over time as your system adjusts, but an ileostomy can be a challenging adjustment. It's important to connect with a good Enterostomal Nurse - ET nurses who can help you problem-solve over time. It's been five years since my initial surgery, and I had a great visit with a new ET nurse in December. He really helped me with the problem of high output at night. I had been getting up every 90-120 minutes to empty my high output bag because of filling. If I slept for three hours without emptying, I would have problems. My ET nurse helped my husband and me make a nighttime collection system using a Rubbermaid juice container with a handle and my old CPAP hose. This is connected to one of my two-piece high output bags and allows for continual drainage. It isn't pretty, but it has been a real lifesaver. I guess the real message I want to share is to stick with it, find a nurse who you can work with, and together you will find solutions to whatever challenges you face. This website is also an important support for me and others. There is nothing you will go through that others haven't already faced and figured out. There is so much wisdom here. Read the materials they've put together for newbies. There are a lot of great suggestions to use. I hope things get better quickly for you.
Karen
I am one of those few people who still have a lot of output at night. However, I suffer from short gut syndrome after seven bowel surgeries that led to the loss of much of my small intestine as well as my large intestine from the initial bowel cancer surgery. It does get better over time as your system adjusts, but an ileostomy can be a challenging adjustment. It's important to connect with a good Enterostomal Nurse - ET nurses who can help you problem-solve over time. It's been five years since my initial surgery, and I had a great visit with a new ET nurse in December. He really helped me with the problem of high output at night. I had been getting up every 90-120 minutes to empty my high output bag because of filling. If I slept for three hours without emptying, I would have problems. My ET nurse helped my husband and me make a nighttime collection system using a Rubbermaid juice container with a handle and my old CPAP hose. This is connected to one of my two-piece high output bags and allows for continual drainage. It isn't pretty, but it has been a real lifesaver. I guess the real message I want to share is to stick with it, find a nurse who you can work with, and together you will find solutions to whatever challenges you face. This website is also an important support for me and others. There is nothing you will go through that others haven't already faced and figured out. There is so much wisdom here. Read the materials they've put together for newbies. There are a lot of great suggestions to use. I hope things get better quickly for you.
Karen
winnie
Aug 29, 2012 1:21 am
Hi LisaD, I'm still checking out surgeons to repair my second hernia and second prolapse.. but you're right.. I don't want to wait for an emergency..
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