It's confirmed, my surgery is on Tuesday....

Hey guys, a while ago I said I needed surgery but it wasn't scheduled yet. I got the call yesterday that I'm going in on Tuesday! ahhh. I'm super nervous. I thought they would give me a bit more notice, but I guess it's for the best. I went in for my pre-op today, they said that if all goes as planned, I'll be out of the hospital on Friday morning, so fingers crossed for that. They're doing my surgery through a single incision in my belly button. Has anyone here had any experience with this type of surgery? Usually, it seems like everyone I've seen post here has done it the regular laprascopic way with multiple incisions. They told me that this is a pretty new way of doing it and they don't do it this way for most people. Hopefully everything goes as planned, because if it works out, I'll only have a small scar going down from my belly button, which would be great.

The doctor also told me that more than likely, I'll be off medication for 6 months after my surgery and they'll watch my blood counts to see if I need to be put on anything sooner. He said he wants to give my immune system a chance to reset itself. He said after that, he wants to put me on either Remicade or Humira - I'm leaning towards Remicade since I don't like the thought of giving myself injections haha. He also said he was going to do a colonoscopy 3 months after my surgery to see how everything is healing. How soon after surgery did you guys go back on medication? I was kind of surprised because I thought that I would be going on Remicade right after.

I'll keep you guys updated, I'm quite nervous but looking forward to hopefully feeling better afterwards as well. It'll be my first surgery, which I definitely wasn't expecting only a year after being diagnosed!

Oh yeah, and I was saying how on my endoscopy it was showing something in my duodenum. I've got Crohn's there too. yay!

Post Edited (Valerie3) : 3/12/2010 3:19:49 PM (GMT-7)

I've got inflammation, a perforation, abscesses and a fistula, all between my ileum and ascending colon. Not sure exactly how much they're taking out, haha.

Good luck! I hope all goes well.
I did not go on any meds for about 1-2 months.
I did find out 10 months later that my Crohns had come back and my next choice of meds was Remicade or Humira. I chose Humira because I could give myself the injections as opposed to Remicade and sitting for hours with an IV in your arm.
I hate needles and Humira has a epipen so you don't see the needle. If i can give myself injections, anybody can.

Valerie- Old vet here...Good Luck! I had my tubes tied that way and in comparison to the full incision from belly button to pelvic bone for the resection it was a breeze. Expect some cramping especially for the first few days. The gas they pump you up with has to disipate in the body and the only way to get rid of it is to WALK...WALK...WALK even though you won't feel like it. The abcesses & fistulas are a horse of a different color. I haven't experienced those yet. I was started on Remicade just prior to surgery and continued on schedule every 6 weeks after surgery. However, I am a moderate to severe case and initially it was very difficult to get my symptoms under control. I later built antibodies to the remicade and I am now on Humira weekly. The injections(needles) themselves truly are not bad because they do not go into the muscle, only the skin (much like a diabetic insulin injection). Hang in there...relief is on the way!

It's not the needle, it's the drug IN the syringe that stings like fire! I'd still rather do the Humira at home that the infusions. I had to do them in an oncology room (depressing), but did keep things in perspective.

Valerie sending you good wishes for your surgery and that it leads you to a long long remission. Remember to take maintainence meds afterwards, so you don't need a repeat. Hugs~

Just wanted to say good luck on your surgery!! I hope your recovery is quick :) I'm sure it will provide much-needed relief.

I've been on Humira and it really only burned for a tiny bit...no biggie! Plus you control the syringe so if it burns too much, just slow down :)

Valerie wish you all the luck in the world for your surgery. I just had my gall bladder remove by scope and had 3 incisions. The one at the belly button was 2 inches in length. Let's hope your is as short.

Thanks for your support everyone. Another funny thing is I actually (THANK GOODNESS!) don't have to do a prep for my surgery!! lol. All I need to do is a liquid diet tomorrow, and stop drinking water 2 hrs before I come to the hospital, which I'm super happy about. I don't really get how that works though, means I won't be cleaned out for the surgery? Seems kind of unpleasant for them.

Awesome , I'll get some gum. I hope they give me a pain pump instead if I ask for one, I would much prefer it over an epidural.

What's this world coming to?
No prep???
Hope you have a quick recovery!

Valerie, According to my G.I At the university of Chicago. With some of the best G.Is in the country said there is STRONG data showing you CAN go back to remicade after stopping. Plus. Data shows that remicade after surgery is a real good way to form a good chance at reducing new surgery.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/137418.php