Had My Resection Done.... (Pic!)

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NicoleKS

NicoleKS

Joined
Aug 26, 2010
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132
It was scheduled for Feb the 15th but I was hospitalized on the 30th of Jan for an obstruction so the doctors and surgeon decided to go ahead with the resection on the 4th of Feb since I was already in the hospital and things weren't improving.

Recovery sucks. I feel like crap. My stomach hurts and my incision burns. My throat hurts and is very dry. Grrr. I can't wait to be be feeling better. I haven't had anything to eat in a week. I just wanted to vent. And share a picture of my Battle Scar.....



24gq7m8.jpg
 
Hi Nicole. I think I'll ask them to cut to the right of my belly button instead. :) Sorry to hear you're all sore from it, but what they did was a life savior and you'll be jumping around pretty soon. Wish you a speedy recovery and keep us posted. :)
 
Nice pic Nicole!

Awwww hun I hope you start feeling better soon.......:hug:...... and this leads to much better times ahead. Thinking of you and keep us posted!

Lots of love, :)
Dusty

PS. Roo has been in remission since her op nearly 5 years ago.
 
Ari said:
Hi Nicole. I think I'll ask them to cut to the right of my belly button instead. :) Sorry to hear you're all sore from it, but what they did was a life savior and you'll be jumping around pretty soon. Wish you a speedy recovery and keep us posted. :)
Click to expand...

I was very surprised by the shape of the incision! I didn't think he going above my belly button. I was told "from the belly button down". I hope it heals well.
 
that is a pretty incision, if there is such a thing :D

mine was 10", and they also went above & below my belly button, & straight through it so i have two little ones now!

you're only a couple days after surgery, it's normal to have the pain & discomfort you have now, but hang on in there, you're on the right track now, and you'll soon be past this sore patch.
 
Nicole good luck I bet you will be feeling much better soon. Seems like surgery helps people alot!!!
 
That is an impressive incision. looks kinda like mine - but you have a nicer curve around the belly button! I hope you feel better soon - every day will get better.
 
Hope you heal up soon!...Take it easy, and hoping for many many many years of remission and good health!
 
Hi Nicole - It seems like your surgeon did a nice job with the incision and it should heal nicely. keep it cleen so it does not get infected.

I am sure you will feel better soon!
 
Hi Nicole

That's a fab train track! Mine looks like that after my hysterectomy but longer!
You'll feel much better when the staples are removed. Keep moving tho, or the muscles will seize, I know it hurts like buggery, but you gotta do it.
Speedy recovery
xxxx
 
Oh the memories of the pain. Not good times. I hope it heals properly and soon! :D
 
You'll start to feel considerably better with each passing day! I agree with Joan that you need to get up and move around, even just a little bit. It makes everything better.

Lots of cocoa butter after your incision heals - it will help with the scarring.

Hang in there and keep us posted on your progress! - Amy
 
Thats some nice handywork by your surgeon, i hope your recovery goes well. I could barely sit up until about 3-4 days in, so looks like your doing well already.

Get well soon!
 
Hi Nicole,

your throat probably hurts because you sleep on your back and breath through your mouth. At least that's what happened to me until I was able to sleep again on my side. Are you allowed to drink? I had lots of ice chips during that time ... it helped.

Good luck and speedy recovery. All the best :)
 
LOSTnut said:
your throat probably hurts because you sleep on your back and breath through your mouth. At least that's what happened to me until I was able to sleep again on my side. Are you allowed to drink? I had lots of ice chips during that time ... it helped.
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I think you are right. I would love to be able to sleep on my side but I just can't yet! I am distended again so we backed off the clears (jello, tea, water, etc) so now I am only taking sips of water to take my meds. Now I am receiving nutrition through a picc line. My first one starts in about an hour.
 
NicoleKS said:
I was very surprised by the shape of the incision! I didn't think he going above my belly button. I was told "from the belly button down". I hope it heals well.
Click to expand...

Hi Nicole ~ hope you are doing ok.

From the resection i had done in 2008 i had exactly the same shape incision you've had.Once they took the metal staples out it stopped burning and healed up slowly over the next few months.Now it just looks like a white line down my abdo.The worst scar i have is from my right side hemi (12 half yrs ago). its about 20ins across (left 2 right) but its not as neatly cut.
I hope your recovery goes well & i hope you never have to get to this situation again.
 
Thank you for sharing this photo. I have not had surgery like this myself (yet...and I type this word reluctantly) but it does look to me like he did a good job. I hope you are feeling a little better tomorrow...not eating and drinking for so long...its got to be so hard. Soon you will be in your own bed...with your jammies on...hang in there! Keep us posted.
 
Awww, recoveries do suck and it's only been two days for you. I'd honestly give it two weeks before you get any relief from incision pain (for my much smaller surgeries, anyways.)
I hope you get some relief from your throat pain really soon, and fast healing. Glad you made it through okay.
 
Picc line is good -- at least you don't have to worry about nutrition and dehydration, although it is no fun being tethered to the bed.
I feel for you and hope things will improve quickly. And, hey, if you are in pain take the offered painkillers. No sense being a hero in the hospital and endure pain when you don't have to.

:getwell:
 
Oh yes...pain meds for sure. No shame in that at all. I remember when I had my C-section...I just kept pushing that button...and pushing and pushing...I didn't realize it was on a timer. I wish my husband had not told me...I was enjoying the placebo effect in between! Take care and I hope soon we will hear from you that you are feeling better!
 
Nice zip nicole lol.ive got exactly the same and it healed perfect,i woke up from surgery expecting a wee keyhole scar as thats what the surgeon said was happening but under the knife they said it was to much infected bowel so had to go in through the middle,initialy it was hard getting up and walking but i forced the issue and was up and about quickly,i lasted a week in the hosp b4 i pleaded with the docs to let me go home and as soon as i got home i was off the pain meds.i also missed my 6mnth old daughter.
i was in a morphine induced panic when i woke from surgery as i was swollen and thought they'd cut out my belly button.DOH!!!! the looks i got were hillarious.anyhoo hope your up and about soon pal,i might be due in for more surgery soon so im going to ask they go across the stomach next that way i can play nots and crosses if im bored.....
 
Knots and crosses...is that the same as our tic tac toe? I bet it was hard with a 6 month old since you could not lift her for some time...sorry you have to go back in again.
 
impressive scar!! really hope you feel better soon, the 1st week is by far the hardest then give it a couple of weeks and you'll be great. Hope your able to eat really soon
 
archie said:
impressive scar!! really hope you feel better soon, the 1st week is by far the hardest then give it a couple of weeks and you'll be great. Hope your able to eat really soon
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I see you had a resection in November.... How are you feeling since the surgery?? Did your Crohn's symptoms go away? And what did your scar look like? How much did they take? They took two feet out. I don't know if that is average or what.
 
yeah that looks like a good staple job, I just had my second resection in October and that is how my staples looked and it healed quite well. i had 4 feet of my ileum removed in 2000 and felt great for 3 years afterwards but got cocky and stopped taking my meds and it came back. So that's my cautionary tale. In october I had about 7 inches of my descending colon removed and i was back to work just shy of 2 weeks after the surgery. but it took me about 5-6 weeks to be able to hop in and out bed. Take it easy!
 
Hey Nicole,
How are you feeling today? I'm just wondering did they take you ileocecal valve out too? Was it the small intestine you had removed? The readon I ask is that I just had my endoscopy and colonoscopy done today and he found my valve is stuffed. He is sending me for a MRI to do a small bowel study but he did say that surgery is on the cards to remove around a metre of small bowel, and the valve at least. I am so so so so scared of this thought as I have 3 small kids and I thought it was a key hole surgery but looking at your photo I couldn't have been more wrong. Eeeeek. I hope you are feeling better today. you are a real trooper!!!
 
yeh spingirl its the same.aye it was hard but had to be done as she was a wriggly wee thing and knowing my luck id probably have got a boot to the guts and bust myself open but cpl of weeks and i was sorted.i know its a bummer but needs must i suppose as i cant go on living like this with constant D and having to worry where the loo's are,just got some keys for disabled loo's but there bloody massive lol
 
Eeeeek is right. I have surgery in my future (not sure when but one day I'm sure) and my husband, although supportive, just doesn't really understand this disease. I look ok...so it doesn't really sink in. I showed him this photo and he has been SO nice to me ever since. Thank you for posting. It was hard to see (especially when you know its your own destiny) but its also nice to hear the good outcome. I hope today you are feeling a bit better and every day is one more step in the right direction. Thoughts are with you...
 
don't you think the bathroom thing is just plain stupid...everyone should be able to use a bathroom if its a place of business. I can see someone's home but if you are open for business you should be open for bathrooms too. Perios. There should be a law. Just sayin'...

Yes, constant D is really hard and worrying about bathrooms. Even when they have them...like at the ski resorts...there is usually a line...I have to get in line before I have to go!!! Its not easy.
 
NicoleKS said:
I see you had a resection in November.... How are you feeling since the surgery?? Did your Crohn's symptoms go away? And what did your scar look like? How much did they take? They took two feet out. I don't know if that is average or what.
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Hi I had 1 foot of small intestine, ileo-cecal valve, appendix and a little large intestine taken out (not sure what average is either but I don't think 1ft is that much compared to some people). I feel great now back to normal, the fatigue has gone it took a good 4-5 weeks though, my surgery was planned so not emergency so it was keyhole assisted so have a 4'' scar through the belly button which required to be dressed every other day for a month due to it oozing etc but now it looks ok it's even starting to fade a wee bit. My Crohn's so far seems to have gone and i'm off all meds but before May this year I was never troubled by it anyway. I do feel as though some foods still irritate me but it hasn't put me off from eating them, i'm able to eat fruit and veg now it sometimes feels more like IBS, which I didn't have before either. I get the odd strained feeling at my belly button but I have a physical job (which i'm now back to full time and have been for a few weeks). I also get strong cramps before I need to go to the loo, but all in all a lot better. I hope you to feel better really soon and anymore questions just ask.:thumright:
 
NicoleKS said:
I see you had a resection in November.... How are you feeling since the surgery?? Did your Crohn's symptoms go away? And what did your scar look like? How much did they take? They took two feet out. I don't know if that is average or what.
Click to expand...

Now theres your problem!, how did you get two feet in your bowel?

No but seriously, i think they took two foot of my Large bowel, my surgery was last May and i'd say im still recovering, what you should remember though is everyones different in recovery and surgery. My scar looks similar to yours except a bit less tidy because it came apart when the staples came out and had to be redone :eek: My symptoms havent gone away although the surgery wasnt planned.

I hope your home and eating soon, its so depressing being in hospital let alone seeing others eating when you cant...and its even worse when they're moaning about it!
 
Hi!

I'm going to have my surgery in the early year 2012. I have three stenosis, total of 20 cm. I'm meeting my surgeon next week and I'm starting to freak out.

I was diagnosed in -98. I'm now eating Azamun (azathioprine) and Entocort (cortisone).

Stenoses are the problems with me and the horrible abdominal pain because of obstructions. No fistulas yet and hopefully I don't ever get one.

I'd love to hear more from your surgery and if you could post a recent pic of your scar? :)

Hope you're doing well!
 
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Suvii said:
I'd love to hear more from your surgery and if you could post a recent pic of your scar? :)

Hope you're doing well!
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I too am interested how each doctor approaches surgery. It seems like there is great variety, even when the procedure sounds similar.

Here is a photo I took this morning, exactly two weeks post bowel resection. Took out about 10 inches of ileum, the ileocecal valve, and appendix. Also repaired an ileosigmoid fistula that was very low in abdomen, close to the rectum according to the surgeon. The slight bruising is due to the heparin shots (ouch). No skin sutures. Steri strips will stay on for approximately a month.
 

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Hi everyone! I've attached a picture for those who are interested in seeing my scar now that the incision has healed. I was just discharged from the hospital today after 3 days due to another obstruction that thankfully resolved itself on its own. No surgery for me again (yet!). Hope you're all doing well.
 

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Nicole, your scar looks really good and tidy! Now I can kind of let out a sigh of relief. Your tummy looks very firm and fit too, so it looks over all nice! :ybiggrin:

How long has it been since your incision? And how many centimeters did they remove?

Sorry if I'm asking too much questions, it's just that I'm really curious and can't wait to meet my surgeon and bomb him with all these questions, hee hee! :whistleinnocently:

Over all I'm feeling really blessed with my disease, all my symptoms are because of the stenosis (I'm not quite sure if this is the right word, I'm used to talk of Crohn's disease in finnish, not in english!). Obstruction pains are so awful! I'm always keeping my knees at my chest ja just moaning because of the pain. It sucks so bad!

Well, I guess I better continue working now..

I'm so glad I found this place and saw these images. Now it feels more concrete and all the horrible imagionary pictures are almost gone. It's not that bad anymore. Thank you! ♥
 
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