I home and recovering

Diseases & Conditions Ostomies
1
Hello everyone,  Thanks for all of your prayers and wells wishes.
  I had the surgery on the 6th and I got to come home on the 12th. I have been stuck on my couch up untill a couple of days ago.   My bedroom is up stairs and there was no way I could climb them to get in bed so I was on the couch. 
This surgery was he!! recovering from. I didnt think i was ever gonna walk again. I couldnt stand up because my stomach muscles hurt so bad. but i can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, thank goodness.
  The surgery went well, I had to have a blood transfussion during the surgery and one the next day. They gave me an epidural for 4 days, that helped alot, but when i got home the pain was unbareable, they had me on oxycotton and diloted (sp) but it didnt help enough if i tried to move. they gave me muscle relaxers in the hospital but they wouldnt give me any for home.
 
I am doing much better now, i can climb the stairs to get in bed and take a shower. Most of pain is from where they had a drain/suction tube going in my side.
They cut out all the dead tissue and fistulas that were on my butt.  I have a huge deep hole there , its gets packed twiced a day and they say its healing real good, i am hoping it will be almost completely healed for our beach trip. were going on the 16th. it will be close. the nurse took my staples out from the insicion on my belly at the beggining of the week, i am still having a little drainage from a little spot one it ,she said it would be ok. i hope so.
  i really never thought it would be this painfull, i dont know what i was thinking, i always thought i was able to handle pain good ,but i reckon i was wrong. haha
  I'm glad i can laugh now.
My sister brought my son to see me on mothers day. that was so sweet. I am glad I am home.
I cant sit here very long, so i will have to catch up later.
I hope you all are doing well.
Hello to any newbies!
 

 
I Just tell myself, it could be worse !!!
          "Even with a Bag!!!"
                Tonia                                                                

2
     Hi, T Jane!  I'm so glad that you are back home but, oh my goodness, what a time you've had!  I feel bad because I told you how easy it was for me...and it was!  The worst part for me was the removal of my rectum.  I couldn't sit comfortably for weeks.  I also was tender where the drain was but I never had the problems you did.  I only needed Darvocet for a couple of weeks.  But, the great news is that you are getting better every day!  The worst is over now. yeah    I think your vacation might be just what you need.  You have been living with illness and pain and it has become a way of life for you, so to speak.  But, getting away and doing something so totally different than your normal regimen will probably help you loads!  Keep in touch.  I want to hear about all of your great progress.  Feel better...SOON!
 
Sherrine
3

TJane

I've been watching for you to update us.  I'm glad to know you are doing well.  You sound like you are going through just about exactly what I went through as far as the pain and packing the wound.  Luckily, my mom is Registered GI nurse (go figure) So she did the packing of the wound three times a day. 

Keep me posted as far as the wound healing over.  I'm interested to see if you do better than me.  Lets hope so...  By the way, invest in a donut shaped seat coushin (if you haven't already)  That made a world of difference as far as sitting goes and I ended up not leaving home without mine for about 3 years!!! You can get them in any drug store/pharmacy. Sometimes I still think I should use one because I don't have any padding in the rear tongue .

Take care and keep up the healing

4

Hi guys,

Sherrine , dont feel bad. I know everyone is different.  I am doing a lot better now. its been a month and I am glad i had it done, I'm not glad i had to have it done , but its better than suffering.

Bridgie-d ,   The nurse was coming every other day but she has stoped now becase its healing good and fast, ( not fast enough for me )  my husband packes it twice a day and when he is at work my best friend comes and does it,  I cant not believe my husband does it,  I totally fliped out when he said he would,  but he really didnt have much of a choice at the time but he could've backed out at any time, but he's still doing it. There have been a lot of times that i didnt think our marriage was going to surive, mostly because of this disease but now I know he has to love me to do this. he has taken great care of me.  any way, when the nurse first came on may13th she measured it and said it was 11 cm deep and 15 cm long, and the last day she was here on june 2nd she measured it again and it was 4.6 cm deep and 10 cm long, I think that is pretty good.  I am hoping to be healed by the fourth of july.  I am out and about and moving around alot and I was wondering if this could make the healing process slower? I hope not, I am still taking it easy, I'm not doing anything really.  how long before yours healed?   i really dont have any butt pain at all. sometimes it gets a little sore around the edges but i think that is from where it stays moist. I have a donut seat already from where the fistulas were so bad, but i havent had to use it.  we going to the beach next wed. and I am taking it with me just in case the ride is to long.

The place on my belly where the drain/suction hose was,(i say hose cause it was way bigger that a "tube" in my book, haha, ) it has healed and my incession has healed now i am waiting on my butt to heal.  my belly feels like someone has done Lord of the Dance on it but i know it wont hurt to much longer.

Thanks for your well wishes

 
I Just tell myself, it could be worse !!!
          "Even with a Bag!!!"
                Tonia                                                                

5
Hi Tonia,
Glad to hear you are doing better!
Mild exercise is good, walking is great, AS LONG AS THERE IS NO PAIN!
I walk alot after mine. My record is I was up and walking 2 hours after betting in my room when they removed my lower end. But that is just me, everyone is different.
AL

Sigmoid Colostomy / Crohns / Type 1 Diabetic / Ostioarthritus / Asthma / High Blood Pressure / High Colesterol / Migraines. Ain't life a joy?



* I think it may be time for a colorful metaphor*

6

T Jane,

My surgery was in the beginning of January 2001 and by May the wound had pretty much plateaued, (I don't have exact measurements).  That is when we first tried the "wound vac"  Yep it is what it sounds like, a vacuum that sucks the good tissue to the surface to promote healing.  Supposedly it works great except for the location of my wound, it was next to impossible to maintain a seal.  In august of that year, they did a debreadment surgery then put me up  in a hospital room where the nurses could help maintain the seal with the vacuum.  7 weeks later and really no better off than where I started at they decided to do the first of the muscle flap surgeries.  They took the muscle out of my thigh and placed it in the wound.  After a few weeks, that didn't take.  Many months of minor surgeries to debreade the wound, a new plastic surgeon later, they tried taking part of my abdominal muscle and place it in the wound from inside.  Again, a few weeks later that didn't work.  Finally in May of 04 after many more minor surgeries (37 total surgeries for my Crohn's diesease between April of 01 and May of 04 skull   and a third plastic surgeon later, they took muscle out of my other thigh and put it in the wound.  confused For whatever reason it worked the third time and I have been pain free, and sympton free since then!!!

I hope  I haven't scared you and if you have any more questions for me, I have a new e-mail (we finally have a computer at home!!)

shaine_bridget@msn.com

Take care,

Bridge