Hand Assisted Laporoscopic Ileocecectomy

[PENWESTERN]

I am scheduled for hand assisted laporoscopic ileocecectomy next month.

I am worried because my ten year old six inch stricture of the ileum used to cause great pain.
Five years ago the pain stopped probably as active inflammation subsided and fibrosis and scar tissue settled in. Does anyone know why my pain left? The doctors do not know. My ileum is still red, inflamed, ulcerated and strictured.

In Nov. I had a life threatening partial small bowel obstruction. I landed in ICU.

I am worried that this resection will bring back pain because I still have a lot of inflammation. I am 54 years old. Any advice?

For those who have been through this: How long off work (office job)? How long to drive? What did you stock your home with? Low residue foods?

Dr. predicts three day hospital stay and three weeks off work unless it converts to open surgery.

Are you glad for resection? Surgeon hopes I will not need Prednisone again.

I will stop Prednisone two weeks prior to surgery but if not he will give me a 100 mg Prednisone boost at time of operation. Anyone do that? Does that mean another long twelve week taper? Was it horrible?

Will I get TPN for a few days afterwards? I think he mentioned that before I could eat. How long to eat if he thinks I can leave hospital in three days?

I am also taking Imuran and Remicade infustions right up to the surgery. Anyone else continue these drugs right up to surgery? They are afraid of another flare. I am afraid of infection and not healing.

My biggest fear is I am not in pain now. I have urgent "D" while not on Prednisone. My last flare affected my mouth (Horrible Ulcers) I wonder if that flare was caused by the ileum stricture or just inflammation and it will continue.

It is so hard to decide. Did you have urgent "D" forever after resection?

I think my Dr. and my Surgeon readily recommend surgery for me.

Any thoughts or advice? I do not want to go back to active inflammation pain and I hate the idea after tapering Prednisone this week going back on high doses. I am at the point that Prednisone makes me edgy, snappy and full of fluid with a fat face.

I guess I just don't believe that I will live happily ever after and may be better off now because I am not in pain. I just hate the Prednisone which seems like as soon as I taper I will be back on it.

 

[Wolfie]

I'm in the same boat. 4-5 inch scar tissue in the TI and the doc said surgery is the best next option. I'm only on Asacol right now, just got off Pred. and the Doc said that I should probably never have to go on it again. The surgeon told me that I will have a long honeymoon after surgery. Now was she serious or was it a sales pitch. I don't know! Doc told me 3 day stay and 3 weeks off and I have a physical job (alot of lifting)
It's tough and I have the same concerns as my surgery is Feb 18

 

[Sojourn]

From reading different posts on the subject, it seems not all surgeons follow the same protocols on steroids and other drugs prior to and leading up to surgery. It probably varies depending on your condition, age, physical well-being, etc.

Before my surgery they wanted me completely off steroids, but had to rush me in anyway while I was still tapering off prednisone. Everything went fine, laproscopic right hemicolectomy. I was in the hospital for a week and back to work in three weeks. My only problem after the surgery was the D. It took a couple of months to get that under control and over a year later it's still a battle.