OK, so I don't know if any of you know my past, but long story short blah blah blah LOL
I had diverticulitis, and went in to have it removed, well 4 surgeries later 2 of which were emergency ones, this last one on 12/31/2011...yup ringing in the new year under the knife, at least I got to spend it with someone (albeit my surgeon) who I don't get along with. Well she has told me that she won't try and reverse it again, and she has been referred to me as the best in AZ for colorectal surgery. She said that my intestines are too thin from diverticulitis to heal properly, has anyone here been told anything similar, and had a successful reversal? Or?? I am looking for options, as I have been told to get a second opinion, but when they say she is the best is there really a second opinion?? And I know I really don't EVER want to go under the knife ever again after these last 2 almost did me in! And the fact that my surgeon's favorite saying to me was "Well you're young and resilient, not like my other patients, so you shouldn't be in pain." It's very aggravating that I get stereotyped being "young" and I shouldn't be in pain. So 2 weeks out of the hospital and BAM, telling me to take Tylenol? Are you kidding me? Made me want to ask her, "Hey, have you ever had this surgery before, let alone 4 in less than 5 months?" Knowing that she hasn't. And she still blows me off. Tells me that my hernias are what's causing the pain, as it is making the rest of my abdomen stretch because of the compromised muscle from the hernias. But refuses to do anything about it, other than tell me to get menthol spray?? Well, it smells minty and that is about it, ok and really cold feeling, but doesn't help with pain.
Thankfully it isn't a lot now. But I have 5 kids and can't just sit around and do nothing all the time. GRRRRRR ;So I guess it's more pain to get rid of the pain?? But from what I hear the hernia repair is pretty easy and recovery sounds pretty fast. So we'll see, after having 16 weeks off in the last 7 months. I hope work will let me out for it, I do have vacation time I can take. Who knows....Sorry for venting guys...kind of went off on a tangent!!!
Hi
I have had 3 hernia repairs in 1 and a half years. I had it moved to the other side. The operation is okay, you are sore but it comes right. I have another one but I am not doing anything about it at the moment, but it does swell and stick out. I hide it with baggy shirts.
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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
Well, you're younger than me, but I won't get into that right now.
A second opinion is valuable, as is multiple estimates from contractors for work done on one's house.
When I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, I sought out a second opinion, not so much because I didn't like what I was hearing, but because it was cancer. I wanted to make sure I was taking the right path. Because I heard the same plan the second time around, I knew I could stay local with my surgeon and the specialists he referred me to (he's awesome, I'm sorry you are butting heads with yours). Had I heard a different plan, I would have sought out a third opinion.
As for pain management, perhaps your primary care physician can hook you up?
Learn about convexity and 4 myths surrounding it.
Woah, I hear you matey. That's total bullshit about the pain. I don't care how old someone is, we all get the after surgery pain. Age, my 9 ops have all never been pain-free. I just had 2 hernia repairs. I don't think for one bit that it's just a no big deal operation. I'm into my 3 weeks and yes, I'm in pain. Plus, I'm still trying to work out if the old stoma site, the repair of a much smaller hernia, looks to me like it wasn't successful. And as I'm a public patient here in Aust., my appointment is 4 weeks after the operation. I was cut down my rotten adhesions. Seems like I am feeling that same old adhesion pain again. And the much larger hernia has a cut, but hear this, just under the edge of the backing part of my pouch, and it's popping open. I'm trying to not blow my top. I also have a top surgeon too, but we are quite familiar as he has done my surgeries since I was 27 till now, 44. 9 ops all up, so we do have a good relationship. But I think too familiar nowadays. He has no problems cutting me as nobody will touch me because of adhesions. They are harder to cut through to get to the main job, hernia repairs. I'm getting stronger, but I'm still very sore on each side of me, the hernias I had to get fixed. And pray at least the larger one looks like there is a difference, and it was so big from midline scar to my hip. The other one was done from the midline incision, and it's very sore like a stitch, pardon the pun. Blahhhh. I have the first appointment back on Monday, 26th, so that's nearly 4 weeks, Feb 27th till now. I'm sorry, but if you get cut open, you get pain. If you don't, please give me the instructions on how to get to this pain-free bullshit. I would have no problem going back under the knife if my smaller hernia didn't work. But he said that would be the easy one to fix. He popped the little bit of bowel in through the incision from my old site and mesh repair. I see barely anything so different. I hope it will with swelling and the lot and go right down. But I'm so worried about my adhesions not being worked on. I have a high tolerance now since 2008 of all pain relief. I have had a 3-year battle and overcome the addiction, even though I went to pain clinics, the whole lot. But the adhesions apparently are like concrete chewing gum. So yes, I think definitely go elsewhere. If I could have, I would have. Whether my top surgeon is great or not, I would have gone anywhere. There are many top surgeons more adhesion (scar tissue), the less doctors will even think of touching you. My hernias were so painful. I would become sick with the dragging and loops of bowel that had fallen through. Please get another surgeon and get rid of this top surgeon. I'm sure she is not the only good surgeon in your country. Please get those done. They get bigger and bigger, and 5 months to major operations, I think I would run to somebody else. I have met a lot of surgeons, and they have good and bad points. Don't think you can't see someone else and push hard, darls. See someone else, yes, younger. Woopee, pain is pain. I had the worst pain at 27 after my op. No one said, "Well, you're young." Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. As you might see, I'm pretty pissed off right now, and I'm not young anymore. Pain is pain, for shit's sake. LOL, just had to make myself laugh out loud. Ouch. Oh, by the way, I had a nice big fall over our beach only 3 days out of the hospital, and they didn't even say, "Let's get a scan to see if you tore anything!" This is your life, not theirs, right? I hear you loud and clear. Do to them, see if they can take it. Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
SORRY BOUT THE RANT I THINK I NEEDED TOO ...AND MY PUNCTUATION I KILL THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ,?! " : ? THERE JUST THINK THESE ARE IN THE TOP REMARKS LOL OKAY PAIN MED TIME TOODLES PLS GET ANOTHER DOC ..............................MOOZA XXXXXXX
How to Stay Hydrated with an Ostomy with Collin | Hollister
Thank you guys for all of your insight and advice. I have an appointment with a surgeon, not affiliated with my colorectal surgeon, to see about getting my hernias taken care of. And with a gastro as well, in hopes to either figure out why I get these pains and get it taken care of, or to at least get some kind of relief. AND CHECK THIS OUT... So after my last emergency surgery, I was in intensive care for 2 weeks. I didn't know until now that it was the cardiac ICU. And afterwards, even now, I am having to take this heart medication, as they said that after my fourth surgery, my blood pressure was too high and so were all of my other stats. I asked my surgeon if anything happened while I was under, and she said no, everything went fine. Well, why am I on heart meds now, with a history of low blood pressure and heart stats? Why now do I have the extreme opposite? She couldn't and wouldn't say anything other than it must have been stress. My wife told me they had a really hard time getting me out of it. But who knows.
Thank you everyone. It has given me some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. I don't feel like I am crazy. Ok, well, I am a little crazy anyways... but not as crazy as my surgeon had me feeling. And just pray for me that the next surgeon I meet is at least nice and listens to me!!!
I do not offer any of my suppositions to alarm you, but as potential testing options to pose to your new doctor.
After my 2nd surgery back in 2010, I had heart problems and was put on drugs, monitored, blood transfusions, etc. I had peritonitis and was in ICU as well. Turned out that my electrolyte imbalances (due to not eating or drinking anything and not having TPN for 5 days prior to 2nd surgery) was wreaking havoc in many areas of my body: kidneys, liver, and heart. One of the infectious disease docs explained to my husband that my heart just couldn't handle the trauma of all that my body was going through in such a short amount of time and it was experiencing its own side effects. I am like you... LOW BP (100/60 is my norm) and GREAT heart stats ALWAYS... except during that period when I was recovering from 2 surgeries and massive infections.
My oncologist and the infectious disease docs ran full panels daily and treated me accordingly for 3 weeks AFTER I WAS RELEASED from the hospital. Sure, it was a pain to have labs done every day, but thank god for home health nurses, right?!
You are doing a wonderful service to your health by getting away from your current surgeon. I hope your new doc starts with managing your pain and with basic lab tests at the very least. Please keep us updated!
Well, your problem sounds like a part of mine. I also had diverticulosis for many, many years and then colon cancer and had an emergency operation. I was told I had a very thin intestine and not to think of a reversal. The bad part for me was I didn't have a good surgeon, and they placed the colostomy so low and I have pain most of the time. The good part is my PC doctor tells me to just take the pain meds when I need them and don't worry about addiction since the meds are being used for pain. Also, I am a lot older than you, so I guess they think, "What the hell, let her be an addict.. lol." I am now waiting to see if I am walking around with active cancer or not as they can't tell as the mass lights up on the PET scan but showed no malignant area with a biopsy. I will be going for another biopsy in about 6 weeks, but living like this is no fun. Hope this helps. Hometown