I will be having a colectomy performed on Dec 20. I had Stage 3 colorectal cancer 15 years ago which was treated by surgery with colectomy, radiation, and chemo. I had the colostomy reversed after 1.5 years. Now I have fistulas in the colon at the anastomosis which are leaking into the urinary tract and causing infections. This time, the colostomy cannot be reversed because the radiation has continued to erode the tissue and it has become too friable. The surgeon has told me he may have difficulty sealing off the remaining rectal portion (stump?). So here are my questions:
I've had IBS-like issues before cancer and after. Some days I eat something and then have to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes for several hours after. I don't expect the colectomy will have any impact on this -- is that correct? Will I need to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes to empty the bag? Is there a chance I may wake up from surgery with my rectal stump removed -- some of you have had some horror stories on this. Obviously, I should ask my doctor this question but if I have a choice... I have always had a gassy stomach and know that won't change. In fact, I remember with my last colostomy sitting in a meeting and it sounded like I had a whoopee cushion. I've read much of everyone's advice on this site so I suppose this isn't really a question. I may be 60 but I like to do things (scuba dive, ski, hike, kayak, travel) and I try to dress non-frumpy (guess my low-rise skinny jeans won't work anymore). Activity and fashion advice would be appreciated. I'm already depressed and expect it will be worse. I remember wanting to vomit every time I looked at my stoma. But after reading some of your posts I see that I should stop my whining and get on with it. Are there any other pre-surgical questions/choices I should ask my surgeon?
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