Surviving a Colonectomy: My Journey to Recovery

So far, so good. I thank God for my surgeon as well. He was brilliant and very kind. Thank goodness your wife and doctor reacted quickly to the situation. All those surgeries to correct what ibuprofen damaged in a couple days. Hopefully, with each passing day, you gain more strength back. Someone told me that it takes years before the body is completely healed from major surgery. I do believe it because my first couple of years post-op, I would become very fatigued at times. Sometimes I think maybe it is age-related too....oh no. Take care and have a nice weekend. I hear we are supposed to get some snow on Sunday....the first day of spring. LOL. LH

I'm doing great in the past couple of days and will take them as I get them. I have to get scoped because of bleeding somewhere and they have no idea where it's coming from. I don't have low blood all the time, but I've had low blood for about a year or so. I'm John, by the way. People get a kick out of me because right now I started another project and I'm building a garage off my house by myself. Many family members are shocked at how I can be dead one day and the next day I'm digging a ditch. That's part of my problem because I can't sit still. I like to use my hands and as long as I'm on the upper side of the dirt, I try to get something done all the time. I guess my life is creating all kinds of things. I bought a sawmill over the holidays and have been trying to cut lumber. I'm actually using the wood I milled to build the future antique store that I'm hoping to have built by the end of the year. I don't know what's going to get me first, my health or an accident. Lol I'll talk to you soon. JMann.

Hi John, wow, building a garage off of your house. That is great! Do you ever worry about hernias? I know that I do, so I try not to lift anything heavy. It gives me a reason to ask for assistance...maybe I ask for more than really needed....LOL. Hope your scope goes well and the bleeding resolves. Anemia is terrible as you always feel drained and tired. I had some bleeding about 1 year after surgery and found out that I had an ulcer. Really, my entire body went haywire after surgery. I developed allergies, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and the list goes on. So weird as I never had these concerns before my surgery. One doctor did say that the trauma to my body with the UC/inflammation and major surgery caused these outcomes. I hope they are only temporary and resolve. It has improved so I am very grateful. Like you, I seize the moment....carpe diem....I live each day to the fullest...even if it is a simple task like going to the store. I make going to the store fun because I am so happy that I can actually go to the store again. These chores that I disliked in the past have taken on a new meaning for me. I like them now. Take care. Hope you have a nice Easter if you celebrate and if you don't, have a great weekend. According to the weather report, sunny and high 60s. Spring is here at last! LH

Well, I have another surgery coming up in the next month to move my illy stoma to my left side. The skin around my stoma has become thin and it split open two weeks ago. Needless to say, after losing two pints of blood and being rushed to the ER, it can make someone very nervous about having a stoma. It's going to be probably my longest surgery yet, and the surgeon feels about 24 hours or more. My recovery will be another long one and take several months. They said I could be in the hospital a week or two months. I'm not scared of the surgery, but I am scared of the new pain I could experience. I've been in pain for the last 5 years, and initially, it would make me drop to my knees, but I've become accustomed to the pain. It's amazing what would initially put you down doesn't after a while. I don't know if I will feel a new pain or not, and that's what scares me the most. And pain meds are useless to me now. They don't work unless I want to become a vegetable, but the pain is still there. Taking pain meds makes it so I can function, but it doesn't dull the pain. I can't take any NSAIDs or any OTC pain killers because that's what caused the problem in the first place. I'll let you all know how it comes out. I'm counting on the worst but praying for the best. Oh yeah, I also could end up with a feed bag the rest of my life too. Depends on how much more intestine they have to take. I currently have 7 inches hanging out of me.

Hi jghandymann, thanks for your post and update. I am so sorry to hear about your upcoming surgery. I will be saying prayers for a quick recovery. I did not realize that you have been in so much pain with your current stoma. I agree, losing all that blood would make me very upset as well. I remember from a previous post that you were doing some limited construction work and repairs. I hope that the docs can relocate your stoma to a better place so that things work well and you can go back to your life. I was on TPN (IV feedings) for several months prior to my surgery 3 1/2 years ago. My frustration with the IV feeding was setting up the tubes as I am not very mechanical. It took me a while to learn the process. But, in the end, I could set up the equipment. Take care jghandymann and please keep us posted on your progress and write back when you can. Sincerely, LH

Hope all's well, luv..............Mooza

Mooza, so glad to hear from you. How have you been... It has been a while? Hope to chat soon. Take care. LadyHope

Geez jghandyman,

We'll be praying for you! Hope all comes out well. I'm sorry you're having to go through this and wish you well in your recovery.