:) I had my surgery last Thursday morning and the first two days afterward, I felt wonderful (absolutely no pain). That was due to an epidural block they put in my back. If you have a choice----get one!!! They can really help a person get through the worst of the operation pain. Of course, when they took it out on Saturday morning, I had a rather painful two days. More a case of bad abdominal gas cramps than any pain from the incisions. If you hurt, don't be afraid to ask for pain medications---in won't make you look like a wimp. My doctor did the surgery laproscopically and I had three little holes and one 2-inch slit-none of which hurt, just a little sore. My suggestions are (like everyone else having this surgery) get up and walk the hospital hall even if you don't quite feel like it, and try to eat at least a little food to get things moving. It seemed to me that too much of the food tasted sicky sweet and I would just shudder and gag. When I finally thought a big salty pretzel would just be great to eat----I knew I was feeling better. Came home this morning, fixed my own lunch and now I'm ready for a brief cat-nap curled up in my den. Unfortunately, I didn't lose the 10% of body weight that was suppose to happen---hopefully it's just all the IV's that have kept me pumped up----or should I say "plumped up". Thanks to all who were so kind to answer my many questions before surgery. If I can return the favor to anyone facing this surgery in the future, I'll be glad to forward any information that might be helpful to you.

I'm glad to hear your surgery went well. Mine is scheduled for Monday (the 5th) and I won't be able to have the laser surgery (my surgeon told me my uterus is in the way and he doesn't want to laser through it). I am not nervous at all because my surgeon is outstanding. I only have to bowel prep the day before and no restrictions on diet except for nothing after midnight the day before, but I am going to take it easy on my colon all the next week. It's great that you got to go home so quickly! I am setting a goal of being home in 5 days. What diet restrictions did you get for home? I stocked up on soup & cereal just in case, but were you told anything? And will you have to have stitches removed? I will have staples which will stay in for 10 days. Can you walk ok? How about stairs? I was going to stay at my aunt's for 3 days because I have 2 flights of stairs leading to my apartment. But if it's not necessary of course I'd like to be home, although I'll be alone with my teenage son. Thanks for any help, and great to hear about your success!

I am going for a bowel resection this Wednesday. I had surgery in July for an abscess/fistula as a result of Crohn's disease. The fistula did not heal properly which is the reason for the resection. It was not supposed to occur for another couple of weeks but the seton drain fell out of the fistula and the incision began to close. Yesterday I had no drainage and today I was draining blood so they decided to get me into surgery asap. In a way I'm glad as I have less time to think or get worried about it. I just have the normal fears everyone has when going into surgery, of not coming out. I'm not worried about the pain, as I've had plenty of experience with that, with Crohn's, and the surgery I had in July. My time in the hospital should actually be less with the resection than with the abscess/fistula surgery. But that was emergency surgery also.

Anyway, just wanted to share my experience. Tomorrow I'll be doing the liquid diet and Fleet.

Welcome home Clover....and happy healing!

Linda
re-section on Aug. 6th

Redneon---you may have a little different set of restrictions when you get home due to the fact that you'll have a larger incision. I have three holes and a 2 inch slit out from my navel. My stomach looks bruised below the navel (rather looks like an eggplant). The doctor said no restrictions on walking or climbing stairs---but no vigorous exercise for four to six weeks (as if I ever do vigorous?). I can drive without restriction as long as I'm not on any pain medication. I didn't even bother to fill the pain prescription that he wrote----I think I can handle any sore feeling with Tylenol. I have had lots of gas since I've been home and food doesn't taste very good---even things I normally like to eat. Another thing is that when I sit down to read, I seem to fall asleep easily----something I attribute to anesthesia residue. I think the fact that food doesn't taste particularily good is because my tongue feel like it has been roughed up---maybe that's from the anesthesia administration too. I vaguely remember them putting a mask over my face--but it wasn't frightening. I'm sure they used another method to keep me asleep. I think the surgery lasted about 2 1/2 hours---but remember it was laproscopic although someone said a regular incision surgery might be shorter (I don't know---maybe someone else can give you some information on that). I was in the recovery room what seemed like forever----they were waiting for a room to open up. Several others who had surgery were chatting with the nurses---so everyone must have had to wait a while and were pretty fully awake before getting to a room. The nurses were great and encouraged one to ask for pain meds whenever they were needed. As I said, I never required any until they took the Epidural block out. They gave me Perocet (which never works worth a darn for me) and then when that wasn't working, they would give me an occasional shot of Morphone (that worked great!) Good luck to you and the person having surgery on Wednesday. Just think, it will soon be over and you can once again feel good after a few days. I'll be anxious to hear how you get along and I'll be here to answer any more questions that I can.

Clover,

Sounds like you are doing great---welcome home. Remember to balance your being up and around with rest.

Maggie

I know how hard this is and i hope you the very best in a speedy recovery. Think positive :) Kindest regards, A.W.

Hope we all hear from Redneon soon as to how her surgery went on Wednesday. I'm actually feeling pretty darn good. I even did a half-mile walk this morning. Not the usualy pace or duration (2-3 miles) but at least I'm moving. Except for having lots of gas---especially in the evening, I'm doing good. My three holes and one slip from the laproscopic surgery don't seem to be even sore. I haven't braved trying to sleep on my stomach yet, which is my favorite position, but I have been sleep fairly well. We even went out for supper last night at Texas Roadhouse. I had grilled chicken, some green beans, a few bites of cauliflower that wasn't steamed soft enough to suite me, and a wonderful yeast roll. The best thing I have found that satisfys my cravings are pretzel twists dipped in creamy peanut butter. Food has begun to taste better, but my tongue still feels like it got "roughed up" somehow during surgery and food tends to sting a little. The doctor did put me on some huge Potassium "horse pills" since he thinks my levels were too low. Thanks everyone for all your good thoughts.:)

I think Redneon goes in for her surgery on Monday, the 5th.

You sound like you're doing great!

My mouth was cut at the side and I had a horrible sore throat for a couple of days from the endotracheal tube. Everything felt better after a couple of days.

Take care,
Linda

The area on my stomach near the one small incision feels "itchy". Also, I have a little fat "pouch" just above my navel. Don't know what is causing either one. I have not scratched except very lightly through my clothes. I suppose it's just the skin healing---but I'm not sure what caused that "pouch" unless the surgeon pushed some fat up there.
I really am doing well except that I would love to roll over and sleep on my stomach--but I'm too "chicken" to do that yet. I have been able to tolerate eating most everything that is within reason.

Hi there, thanks for the good thoughts. Yes, I go in Monday and I can't wait! I felt absolutely horrible the past 2 days and was worried that I had another infection, but I feel better today. I don't need another infection this close to surgery! Clover, it's so encouraging to hear how well you are doing. I am having the full surgery rather than laser, but I hope the recovery is not too much more. I did have laser gall bladder removal and I have 4 tiny scars from that. One incision became infected but healed up fine and it just looks a little "poofy" like you describe. No big deal at all and you have to really look hard to see them. Not like the 3" incision I will be getting, time to retire the bikini! I am setting a goal to be home in 5 days, so I will get on here and update when I can. Thanks again and hope your recovery continues to go well!

Hello, I had my surgery last Wednesday and just got home tonight. Everything, apparently, went pretty well. The surgeon was able to do all of it laparoscopically except for the removal of the abscess/fistula, and there was already an incision there for that.

So I had almost a total of five days in the hospital after surgery and it was the worst part, waiting for the intestines to "wake up." The first couple of days I was really hungry and had vivid dreams about eating tasty food, but by the third day that wore off. I used the morphine pump liberally the first two days, and by the third day I was using it sparingly. They put me on a clear liquid diet on the third day and I began passing a little gas on fourth day. I had my first bowel movement today after taking suppositories yesterday and today (:mad:). And it wasn't much, but it was my ticket out of the hospital.

I had begun walking the day after surgery. Some physical therapist, and her assistant, almost literally pulled me out of bed to get me up and moving. This is supposed to help in getting the intestines to wake up. After that, each day, it was a chore but I forced myself to get up and walk up and down the hall of the hospital. The third day I even walked down to the entrance of the hospital, IV in tow, and smoked a cigarette until security came by and admonished me for being in a "clear-air" zone.

Back at home now I feel pretty well. I only have pain when I get up or down or stand too long. I took the dog for a good walk and it didn't bother me too much. I really feel like ordering a pizza, no, think I'll wait on that. They didn't give me any regiment on reintroducing normal foods into my diet but I'm going to take it easy for the next couple of days. The only restriction they gave was foods "as tolerated."

Overall, this was not as bad as the abscess/fistula management surgery I had over the summer. I think partly because that surgery was urgent and I was not well so my system took it harder. That surgery, though, paved the way for a more successful resection surgery this time as they got the abscess drained and the fistula more clearly defined and matured. That made it easier to remove all of it during the resection.

I am now home after my surgery (resection). I have a massive incision since I had to have the open surgery, so it's about 5-6 inches, with staples all along, plus I had a drain so I have another deep hole which will result in another scar (sigh...). Plus the epidural which they ended up not being able to use because I had a severe reaction to the morphine, so they had to pull it out and start an I.V. with Demerol. This all sounds terrible, but it is much less uncomfortable than I expected. I did expect a good amount of pain which I have, but I am able to move much easier than I expected, and got home one day earlier than my goal. I am hungry but am taking it slow. My lucky son just ordered a pepperoni and olive pizza, which I will skip on...:(. All in all I am very relieved to have it over with, and I know the scar will fade with time. I'm not a spring chicken so I guess it doesn't bother me as much as it could (although obviously I mentioned it several times, so it does bug me). But it is a relief to be on the way to a full recovery and hopefully will be able to eat a good Thanksgiving dinner!

My incision is a little leaky but pain free, I am mostly sore and those first few BMs are proving to be painful, but each day is better.

Thanks for all the support...it's made a huge difference!

Congratulations! This is my ninth day after surgery and went out for Mexican food. I had some bland soft tacos with just meat and cheese but it was good.

My biggest problem right now is I have mysteriously developed an itch or tickle in the back of my throat which appears randomly. Then I am forced to cough which almost kills me with the pain, not to mention that I am afraid of busting my colon open again. The itch is always in the same spot which makes me think they must have cut or scratched me when they put the tube down my throat. Also, I have had steady spotting since my surgery which was heavy the first 2 days and now is lighter. My doctor can't explain it. Leave it to me to have wierd complications!

Redneon.....

First of all, welcome home. I'm sure you're glad it's all behind you!

Try gargling some saltwater for your throat....or sucking on a Halls or something similar. Even hard candy will work.

I had a bad sore throat for a couple of days after the surgery. Those coughs are brutal when you're not prepared and able to brace !

Good luck,
Linda

Thanks for the welcome home! It's good to be home. I will be staying with relatives for a couple of days. The pain level is still pretty high although I am dealing with it. I do miss the I.V. Toradol though! Bowel function has returned pretty good, so I will plan to eat a little more, even though it is slightly painful to have a bowel movement, but that pain has reduced too. The biggest thing is to be home and not in the hospital any longer! Even with my (extremely) limited wardrobe options it's better than the backless gown!

Bowel function has returned pretty good, so I will plan to eat a little more, even though it is slightly painful to have a bowel movement, but that pain has reduced too.

I'm wondering how long it will take for BM's to return to somewhat normal. It's been almost two weeks now and they're still loose and diarrhea.

After my colostomy reversal I had loose bms for a little while, 2-3 weeks, but when I ate more solid food it got better. Give it a little more time. Imodium worked really well. Good luck---- and hold a pillow over your belly tightly when coughing. I always had cough drops with me because I was afraid to cough.