Hi everyone, just checking in. I am 2 weeks post-op from colostomy reversal today! I'm doing really well. I'm walking 10-15 minutes 4 times a day and cooking for myself. Oh, I wash my dishes too, but that's the extent of my cleaning. LOL. Gotta take it easy. Since the doc gave me the green light last week on being able to eat anything I want, I have incorporated a few foods into my diet so I have a little more variety. However, when Stomie arrived, I was terrified to eat anything because I was so scared of getting a blockage that I never returned to my normal diet. Having said that, and because of diverticulitis, I think for me, it will be a long time before I return to my normal. I still have rectal pain when passing gas and pooping. It's not constant nor very painful. It does hurt when I go into a sitting position but goes away when I am comfortable, so I'm still moving slowly and resting a lot. I don't need any pain medication. Every now and then I can still feel bubbles in my abdomen, but it's not frequent nor painful anymore. I use the abdominal binder every day. I put it on when I wake up, take it off midday for an hour or so, and back on until I go to sleep at night. I have soreness and a bit of swelling at the incision sites only and not all over my abdomen as I previously had. That feeling like I did a ton of stomach crunches is gone. The pain under the stoma site is gone and I can sleep on both sides, although it's definitely more comfortable on the non-stoma side. Pooping is still erratic, in that, daily, the consistency, the frequency, and the timing are not the same. I don't have diarrhea anymore. Sometimes it's almost formed and sometimes it's loose but not watery. When I have the urge, I feel a little pain in my rectum, so I go right away; I don't hold it. I no longer use an adult diaper, which I was using when I left the house and to sleep at night. There is one thing that I've noticed, and that is swelling in my pubic area. I didn't have that out of surgery, but I guess now that I am up and walking more, it's coming back. I had it the whole 8 months with a stoma, and the doc always said it was from the surgery. My pubic area swells up quite a bit, but it isn't painful and there is no discoloration. I will talk to my primary doc next week at my appointment. I did do some research, and it appears as though swelling in the pubic area happens quite frequently with tummy tucks and can remain for several months after surgery. I figure this might be my case since stoma reversal and tummy tucks are in the same vicinity, but we'll see what the doc says next week and I will report it. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
I wonder if the fluid is a seroma? If so, I think it just eventually reabsorbs... Glad to hear you are doing well! I get occasional pain in my old stoma site but am not sure if it's from my new hernia (which is in a different place now after surgery) or just phantom pains. They don't last, so that's good. I went back to work today... 8 weeks flew by!
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Well, I hit the two year mark. I went back and read my posts from when I first found this site. I was very fortunate in that I stumbled upon it only 4 weeks post op. I have said many times that this community really saved me. The first 2 weeks after my surgery I shut down completely. It wasn't until about the 3rd week that my son came in to my room, flicked on the light and told me I was going to have to get back to living because I was scaring him. I had fallen into such a depression. He ticked me off, but it also made me stop and think- what was I going to do? Feel sorry for myself and sulk, or be grateful I was alive.
I've re-read my journals from that time and it was after my son kicked my butt, so to speak, I took an honest inventory and had to dig deeper than I've ever had to. I mean, I had survived a pretty nasty divorce, after a pretty crappy marriage and that was tough. But this was different. I felt like I was now a handicapped person who would be limited in their life and be looked at as a freak. My mental state was precarious, at best.
But then I found this site. I just lurked a bit before posting. I read so many of the other stories and I started to see just how full my life can be, I was not handicapped, and certainly not a freak! The stories of survival, the sense of humor, the support and compassion was inspiring. It was then I made myself get out of the dark, and get my sh*t together.
Not all rainbows and sunshine at first, hardly! But with grace from myself - to myself, and the kindness and willingness of the folks here to be supportive, non judgemental and openly share intimate details about their life circumstances, l not only survived but thrived.
I think of all the years I had suffered with such extreme pain, barely functioning, and the many hospital stays and how that is all behind me now. (All fingers, toes, and legs crossed that I never have to go near a hospital for myself ever again. I think I'd rather have a fork stuck in my eye. I loathe every about them.)
So, to everyone who has been a part of this journey with me, to say thank you is not enough. I'm forever grateful to know you all. My Angels, each one of you.
And as the Grateful Dead famously said,
"what a long strange trip it's been!"
Im so happy I'm tripping with you all.
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8 weeks post-op already, wow that did fly by! Congrats!! I'm so happy you recovered well (except for that stinkin' hernia)! I'm going to have to ask my doc about a seroma. I've never heard of that, but I will definitely be asking. Thank you for that!
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