Hi all, I made it through my reversal on January 30. The surgeon said I had minimal adhesions and the connection looks great. The pain is much less than my first surgery and I'm doing ok. There is some urgency with the bathroom but he said it will work itself out.
Will post more later. Thank you all!
I'm very happy for you - well done you and your team.
Take it easy and savor the moments you have. Celebration to plan!
It is so encouraging to learn of the triumphs - your family, friends, and your support team will be delighted - such a relief for you all.
BW
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ waves from the hills ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jayne
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Great news! Onward and upward says this 4 foot 11 incher recovery booster... Wishing you a speedy and healthy recovery 👏 JB
Thanks for letting us know, DexieB. Wonderful news on your surgery going so well.
🎵🎶 Looks like you made it!! ..oh yeah 🎶🎵 Cause you had feared and we were there, sending you care and chasing the fear ..🎵🎶 The best and only way to shake it.. Oh yeah..🎵🎶.
Wonderful news, Dex..!! 🥂🤸♀️🤸🤸♂️💃🕺
Barry and I are sending healing vibes. xox
Fantastic news, never had any doubt. Well done, Dexie! Take it easy but keep updating us on your recovery.
Thanks everyone! I know I still have a long way to go, but I have had your support, so that has been a huge help (and Oxy helps too) 😂. I didn't mind the ostomy as much as the hernia, and I have to say I am relieved to have that gone… it was a lot on my 5'2" frame. Now I have to be careful not to cough, sneeze, or lift for quite a while! The stoma site is open and healing from the inside out, no staples or stitches. I have 4 small incisions, so a huge difference from the large incision I had during my emergency surgery. No stomach drain or NG tube this time either 👍 I do have a slight sore throat, but it could be from the breathing tube. My 14-year-old fur baby won't leave my side, I'll have to post a pic ❤️. Will update more later.
That Oxy is the best. Wish I could use it 24/7. You be careful on it. Makes you loopy but no pain indeed.
And don't feel anxious to reply. We aren't going anywhere. You get your rest. Always tomorrow. :)
Great news, Dexie! I hope everything goes smoothly in all aspects of the word. 😀
I am so happy that all went well for you. Rest up and take good care. And yes, your bowels will be back to normal before you know it. I'm 6 months out now and starting to exercise pretty full on. Just remember, slowly, slowly. All the best, Bill.
Excellent news. Like you, I don't mind the stoma, hate the hernia. Take it extra easy. Keep us posted on your progress.
Congratulations 🎊 🥳👏💐 ... It's always great to hear things went smoothly with any kind of surgery!!! Good luck with your recovery!!!
Congrats! I am so glad you are doing well and that all went well with the surgery! Wishing you all the best!
So wonderful to hear your reversal went as well as could be, relief for you of course, DexieB.
Wishing you all the very best for your future.
Glad to hear that your reversal surgery went well. I had emergency colon surgery on 12/25/23 and woke up with an ostomy & bag. I have been told by the surgeon that I can have reversal surgery around April.
How long did you have the ostomy before the reversal surgery?
Your story gives me hope that I can have my ostomy reversed.
I had it 8 months. So far it has been wonderful… I will post more info later, but I was terrified… it went fine and I have no regrets!
So I am having a little setback. Turns out I now have a virus... just before my surgery, my husband got sick. Of course, I tried to avoid him, even slept apart for many days, but it was almost impossible not to get it living in the same house. He had gone to Urgent Care, and all the tests for COVID, flu, strep, etc., turned up nothing. He hasn't had his voice for about 10 days now. I thought I had escaped it, but then my throat felt funny, and the fever started Friday evening. Of course, I panicked, thinking about my last hospitalization with the 104+ fevers constantly. I didn't know if I had a leak and was getting sepsis, or if it was a virus. My fever was 100.2, and my doc had said to call if it was over 101. I called anyway. Since I didn't have any other symptoms of a leak, they decided it was probably a virus.
I'm trying not to cough and sneeze, but the body does what it wants, and all I can do is brace my abdomen. I am going to be very sad if my hernia comes right back, as the coughing is what caused the hernia last time. I decided if I have to have another hernia repair, I'm going to stay alone in a hotel room for one week before and after surgery so I don't get sick!
Hoping this virus passes quickly, but my husband is on day 15 with it. Then again, I am a little bit tougher than him, as I was lightly cleaning and cooking yesterday while he laid around looking like he was the one who just had surgery 😂.
As far as the reversal, it is going very well. My bathroom habits are almost back to normal, no accidents. I've only taken 2 oxy pills since my release last Thursday and find myself not having to take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as much as I was. I don't have an addictive personality, so I wasn't too worried about addiction with Oxy. My problem is that I suddenly think I can do whatever I want because I have no pain, then I do too much. So... my fever has been gone since Saturday at least. Just waiting for the cough to go away! I have to say that honestly, my bowel prep for this surgery was worse than the actual surgery, and I don't know why because I've done 4 of them before and never got this sick, but that is a story for next time 😊
I love Barry! I was obsessed in grade school, and my parents took me to his concert. What a great memory! 🎶🎵
Plenty of rest, plenty of fluids. Are you wearing a support belt? I think they really help. I wore one from the time I got home, a medium support at first, then as I healed, a maximum support belt. They seem to work, for me anyway. Definitely feels safer when you cough or sneeze. Just a thought. Bill.
I hope you and your husband get over the virus very soon. I sneeze at least 5 times a day. I have to brace my stomach. I have a very big one, so I always hope it doesn't cause a hernia.
Yes, I have it on during the day just in case, but I find it hard to sleep in, and sometimes I cough at night… thank you.
Oh Dexie, that's all you don't need while recovering from surgery! I'm amazed how quickly they let you out of the hospital... Is that standard in the US? Why was the bowel prep so hard? Do you mind giving some info on that and any tips or advice? I'm still anxiously waiting for a date for my reversal. Wishing you all the best and take it slowly x
Hello! My surgeon said all along I should be out in 2 days…. I think it depends on how quickly you can eat and keep it down, pass gas, and poop, with no signs of infection in the wounds, etc. For me, it all happened quickly. I had my first small poop the day of my surgery. The next day I was eating cream of wheat for breakfast and roasted turkey and mashed potatoes for supper. So I think because I didn't seem to be having any issues, I was good to go. Surgery was Tuesday, and I was released Thursday afternoon. My last hospital stay was 21 days, so I was happy to go home sooner than later.
The bowel prep the day before…. yikes. For some reason, I started getting nauseous about an hour after I took the 4 laxatives, which was at noon. My doc had prescribed Zofran for nausea, which helped a little. This prep was different from others in the way that I had to take 4 laxatives at once instead of 2 at one time and 2 at a later time, so maybe that was why. Thank goodness my wound nurse had ordered me a high output capacity bag with a drain on it because a regular bag wouldn't have cut it. I also had to take a bunch of antibiotics at scheduled times, huge pills which didn't help my nausea!
I got a migraine and started throwing up at about 5 pm when I started to drink the Miralax and Gatorade. It took me 5 hours to drink what I was supposed to drink in 2 hours. I called my doctor, and they just said keep trying to drink it slowly. I had taken Tylenol, but it didn't help. Only ibuprofen seems to help my migraine, but you can't take that before surgery. Pretty much all night I alternated puking with draining my bag, then had to shower with special soap before bed and also in the morning. I felt soooo sick. I think my migraine was causing the puking, so maybe you won't have that problem if you're not prone to migraines.
At the hospital, they gave me an IV for dehydration right away, and I started to feel a little more alive. I was at that point ready for a giant nap and pain control. I honestly felt better after surgery than before! They used some numbing meds in my abdomen during surgery, which helped immensely. I couldn't even feel when they packed and unpacked my stoma wound the next day. They also used several different types of injections and medications to target pain. Of course, there is still pain, but compared to my previous surgery, it was much better.
Things I recommend:
High capacity bag with drain, and tubing to connect to a bigger bag for sleeping. Anti-nausea meds if your doc will prescribe. Drink water in between Gatorade drinks. I think part of my problem was I didn't. And a barrier cream so you don't get a sore bottom when you start pooping in the hospital!
Now if only this darn virus would go away!
I hope you get a reversal date soon 😊
That's really useful info, Dexie. Yes, the prep sounds pretty gross, but it obviously did the job. With my original op, I was also in the hospital for 3 weeks, so it's super encouraging to know you were home so soon. How does it feel to be bag-free? Do you need to do multiple bathroom dashes? I hope that is not too much of a problem. Keep healing, all the best, and WELL DONE! Jane 👏