Hi Everyone
Although I haven't posted recently, I have stayed current with all the postings..Hope everyone is doing well.
I am currently at the Cleveland Clinic and have a meeting with the colorectal surgeon...I sincerely hope that he will help me.....My home town GI doctor was not too agreeable for the surgical option...nothing works now except multiple enemas...he is talking about biofeedback but it is beyond me how that would help..well tomorrow is all that counts
Good night..take care
Phyllis
I'm finding that I have more reflux since surgery. As if there is less storage space or something. Ice cream gets me the worst. So far, Tums works pretty good though.
Phyllis,
I hope everything goes well today. Let us know. We'll be thinking about you.
Cathy
I went to the doctor yesterday, he said everything looked good. I have finally healed. I am so thankful for that.
Somer, Kathy- My mom recomended Bitter's compound. She said it help with your reflux. I think you can get it from a health food store. I tried it several times before. I really don't need it now.
Phyllis- Hope everything goes well with you. Let us know when your procedure is.
Blessings to you all,
Sasha
and just think i may be home from the hosp for my 2 year anniversary with my husband. i have been sick the whole time i have been married. if anyone has any good info about the abdominal swelling please let me know. i am so tired of looking pregnant.
Welcome back. I'm glad that you finally have a date for your surgery. It's like a light at the end of a very long tunnel. Abdominal swelling happens for a number of different reasons. First, constipation. Secondly, poor digestion. Inflammation occurs when we are unable to breakdown the food that we eat into easily absorbable components. The chronic constipation creates a toxic environment and that gives off a lot of gas. Well, you get the point. One thing leads to another which leads to another... it's like which came first the chicken or the egg?
I have to admit that I haven't felt swollen since my surgery, I eat what ever I want and I go 2-3 times a day. I don't feel toxic anymore.
We'd be glad to help you, you'll have lots of questions between now and then. Believe me that unless you've been through this, you can't know how it feels. So, talking to your friends and family is usually fruitless. They just don't understand.
This is the first step to recovery!
Cathy
Amen about the statement that your friends and family dont understand! I work with a bunch of nurses and even they did not always understand the reasons or purpose of things. Now in graduate school, I still have people who dont get it... and I will often forget that everyone doesnt know and make some comment about my mini colon... lol and people look at me funny!
Funny, on the rare occasion that I have diarrhea mine is pencil thin too! No GERD for me, but ice cream in large amounts is just NOT a good thing (cramping, excessive output) but in small amount (like a weight watcher dessert or something like that) I dont have any problems!
Only 2 weeks of school left. I just got sent home from clinical because I have a 101.4 fever and my doctor that I was working with thinks I have the starts of a pnemonia!
Hugs,
Emma
Robin- I was one of those people that looked not only pregnant, but real fat all over. I have lost about 25 pounds since both my surgeries. I know how you feel. The surgery was one of the best things I could of done for myself. I love being able to go to the bathroom not 1 time but 3 to 4 times a day. You said your doctor is taking out all of your colon, right? Are you going to have a bag? I had 5 1/2 feet of my colon taken out. He said I wouldn't need a colonoscopy until I turn 50 yeah. I am only 33 years old. I will be 34 at the end of May. But I totally know how you must be feeling. I hope everything goes well with you.
Cathy, Somer, everyone else- Hey I hope you all are doing fine.
Blessings,
Sasha
hello everyone,
Thank you so much for all the concern. I really appreciate all the help and understanding you guys have given me. I am doing pretty well , I am 2 weeks out and things are going pretty good , the diarrhea finally slowed down. I only go about 3 -4 times a day depending on what I eat. I have noticed some formed stools though the doctor has me taking a stool softner once a day. I did not have an NG tube at all . My veins did give out on the fourth day and they had to put in a picc line though. I am having some swelling around the incision still but its only been 2 weeks. And I also have some pain there , not much I really havent taken many pain pills since I came home. I am up and walking still resting alot though , no lifting yet, get to start driving this week. I think things are going pretty good. If there are any other suggestions please let me know. I did have to have an open procedure, it goes from my belly button to my bikini line. Not bad. Like I said not much pain. The pain before the surgery was a whole lot worse.
Tweety 
Hi everyone. I too am glad I had the surgery. Life is wonderful and GOD is good. I had mine on 31 Jan 06 and this is my second week back to work. I was really tired last week, but this week is better. I just feel so much better and everyone is telling me how I have a sparkle in my eyes and my skin looks so good. It is the best thing I ever had done. I am going to the bathroom about three times a day. I suffer from anxiety and have a stressful job, so when I need to go at work, I get a little nervous and have to concentrate and that bothers me, it is like I am afraid I am going to mess something up, you know? But at home and on weekends, I am relaxed and I am in and out of the bathroom quickly. When I do have diarrhea mine is thin also - must be a thing with us now.
My daughter is 27 and she visited the same surgeon that I used, she has seen him in the past and she has loops in her colon. She is doing the sitz market test next week and depending on the results he told her she was probably looking at surgery. She has been on all the medications that we have all been on. I wished I had had it done 10 years ago. She is miserable, don't we all know about that.
I have lost 20 lbs and I feel great, hoping I don't gain it back. I was so bloated and that does not happen anymore. When I eat, I get full, but not bloated and before I could just eat a small amount and BLOAT.
Those of you that are like a year out on your surgery, do you bloat? What about constipation, please tell me that won't happen anymore?
God bless,
Nonna
Nonna,
I had my surgery February 2005, a couple of months over 1 year ago. I do not have ANY bloating. I'm with you, I wish someone had offered the surgery to me 10 years ago. Never felt better!!
Tweety,
I'm so glad you are feeling ok. Rest is important to your recovery. I remember I was excited when I was able to finally drive. I didn't care where I drove, I just wanted to go!
~Somer
Hi Everyone,
This is a report on how my visit to the Cleveland Clinic was. I saw Dr Geisler, although he was running 2 hours behind schedule he took and hour with myself and my husband and explained the risks, benefits and what I was going to go through. Prior to speaking to me, he reviewed reports and x-rays and when he came in he went right to the surgery...no convincing him that there was a problem or anything....what a relief that he believed me...
I am having surgery on 6/19. It will be laparascopic with 4 holes and one will be larger than the other and he will be using the previous bikini cut a had from gyn surgeries to pull the intestines through. I will be having total colectomy with ileo-rectal anastomosis. I asked about a partial colectomy since my problem is on the (L) and he was not in favor of that due to anatomical restraints. He has a 98% success rate. 5% of his cases have to be converted to open usually due to previous surgeries. there is about a 2% chance that a may have to have a temporary ileostomy. If I have surgery early, I will be walking that evening (sounds unbelievable). If lap I will be in hsp for 3-5 days if open 5-7 days. No NG tube unless problem develops.
Prior to surgery. I will have to have a defacography just to make sure there are no additional problems...He said no point doing the surgery if it won't be fully successful due to a secondary proble. I will have a 2 day full liquid diet prior to surgery and the day befor op I will have to take the whole bottle of miralax in 2 liters of fluid over a period of time and 4 ducalax pills.....
It was well worth the travel from New York to the Cleveland Clinic....
Phyllis
Hi R
Isn't it possible for the doctor to make your surgical date sooner?
Hi! Mom23
Darn glad to see you recoverly at home. I hope you are feeling better with the exception of little pain and plus actually having BMs with the assistance of laxative, enema, etc. Did you have a sub total colostomy through the laproscopic method or open method? Did you end up with a temporary bag (ileostomy). Or did you just get automatically connect from you small intestine to your rectum? So glad you are home. Home is the best place to recovery from such an extensive surgery.
Please reply when you are feeling better.
Take care and get plenty of rest!
Angel