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Life without a colon

H

hedge

Just wondering what to fully expect after I get my colon removed in October. My surgeon gave me a 99% guarantee that I will not need an ostomy.

Thanks
 
N

njyupyup61

Hi, I joined this group before I had surgery. Last year.. Made some interesting discoveries. the people here are good and wise, experienced/ . I was on remicade for 7 months last year. IT didn't work and before I had an opportunity to switch to humira, I entered hospital.. I had been bleeding all year till it go so bad, drs recommended COMPLETE colon removal.

So xmas eve, 2016, I had it removed. The docs said the intestine was completely saturated. with blood. I have a stoma now. He thinks next year I can be hooked up.
to poop "normally". I HATE THIS EXTERNAL POUCH. IT TOTALLY SUCKS. .BUT I AM ALIVE.

you need to further elaborate with your doctor on what this dr will do to you. If you plan to have colon removed, how do you plan to evacuate ?? Internal pouch sounds like what he plans to do. Better educate yourself friend.

Very curious to hear from you and others if have ostomy will chime in, I would appreciate it knowing the other pit falls of having it cause going to U-tube and seeing these younger, happy people show you how easy and simple having a stoma works for them is not a very good representation of having it. and dealing with it..
 
H

hedge

He will be connecting my small intestine to my rectum. He said to expect 3-4 more liquid bowel movements a day. I was just lookinf for more first hand knowledge.
 
W

warrior2

hi. that is interesting. i'm thinking that will be done to me eventually. why he didnt do it while he was in there is a good question i shall ask my doctor.. i think the reason is partly due to allowing insides to heal.. but yur dr might be up on the latest technique.. which works in yur favor. my dr wants to do the hook up next year. you realize him hooking u up this way , you will need to learn to use your spincher to evacuate? what concerns me is the valve doesnt normally work that way and u have to teach it. so in meantime, guess what u need to wear while u train?? the small intestine is designed to just poop. the large intestine is design to hold, contract, evac.. did the dr mention any of this? how u feel about that?
 
H

hedge

warrior2 said:
hi. that is interesting. i'm thinking that will be done to me eventually. why he didnt do it while he was in there is a good question i shall ask my doctor.. i think the reason is partly due to allowing insides to heal.. but yur dr might be up on the latest technique.. which works in yur favor. my dr wants to do the hook up next year. you realize him hooking u up this way , you will need to learn to use your spincher to evacuate? what concerns me is the valve doesnt normally work that way and u have to teach it. so in meantime, guess what u need to wear while u train?? the small intestine is designed to just poop. the large intestine is design to hold, contract, evac.. did the dr mention any of this? how u feel about that?
Click to expand...
We did discuss all of this. Honestly, it sounds better than constant pain and anguish. I have a laundry list of a second round of questions for him, was just looking for first hand experience.
 
W

warrior2

im all for the removal of a diseased colon, sure.. just wish by now they had better ways, options for us. yur doc sounds pretty damn good to do this all at one time. this is a great option to be done, yet my doc didnt even consider it... i think that its wonderful to spare u the anguish and discomfort and embarrassment of a bag and its time consuming care. i am mad he didnt. and i didnt have time to even know this was a possibility!! i mean why do i have to wait a year to reconnect when u have an option to spare u an ostomy?? go buy a lottery ticket dude, u got luck.
 
H

hedge

I'm hoping it all works out in the end. I've been doing a lot of research about frequency of stools after surgery. It's just starting to get all too real.
 
W

warrior2

well share the info. i would be interested in knowing the number of bowel movements, the type of "stool" that comes out? is always liquid, nothing solid? the color of it?

i can tell you the small intestine will emit both liquid or solid and color varies altho i was told it should look thick like green pea soup.

realizing there's no control of the waste coming out of rectum, will it be messy? splashing? will the need to line toilet with toilet paper be necessary? cause with stoma pouch emptying uncontrollable, it sure makes a mess.

this is a gross conversation. but things need to be said and understood, dont u agree?
 
H

hedge

My surgery is coming up on Thursday. I just want the procedure to be over so I can move onto the next chapter
 
H

hedge

Surgery actually took twice as long as expected, 6 hours. There was a lot more inflammation than expected. I was released yesterday at about 4:30 pm.

My surgeon tried getting me off of cathedral and PCA pump too early, so that lead to a little set back.

Other than soreness and some draining, everything is going well
 
H

hedge

I’ve been actively getting up and doing more, within the limitations my surgeon gave me. Wife and I even went for a nice one block walk this morning.

I wish I would have done this surgery sooner
 
H

hedge

Final update. I was back to work after 3.5 weeks and have felt great. I wish I would have done this surgery sooner.
 
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