Long depressing road

[Mooney788]

I was diagnosed with crohns in 2010 after years of diarrhea and fatigue. After my first colonoscopy I was treated for inflammation of the colon, meds included azathiroprine, pentasa, prednisone, and successfully cleared up until October 2012.

Since October last year the road has been long, went back on all my normal meds and had a perineal abscess lanced and packed, after another colonoscopy of the colon it came back with only mild inflammation of the valve connecting the large to the small, and I was taking off the prednisone and replaced with budesonide this was in jan of this year, after another month of symptoms worsening and now vomiting after every meal nothing was staying down and weight reduced dramatically, I was admitted back into hospital on the 20th march, under a different consultant cause my own was off on holidays he ordered a small bowel ct scan here this showed inflammation and thinking of the lining, so on the 22nd it was down to theatre for a resection of the small bowel, and 32cm was removed.

10days after surgery everything was looking up and I was in my local treatment room having my staples removed all 27 of them, got home and was delighted, although short lived.
10 mins had past and I thought I was in a horror movie there was a gaping hole go about 2inches and 2cm deep, watery blood everywhere.
Here we are 5days on and district nurse thinks it is becoming infected, awaiting swab results.
I have diarrhea maybe 10times a day, which comes as a sudden bowel movement, which can be touch and go at times.
Not on pain relief for wound at all.
Feeling very run down and extremely fatigued.
No appetite what so ever, finding it very hard to eat.
Extremely gassy burping lots, although not passing wind.
Feeling down but suppose this is expected.

Just wondering is the symptoms I'm experiencing now normal apart from wound opening, not due to see consultant for another 2 weeks.

Thanks

 

[Astra]

Hiya Mooney, just wanted to welcome you. sorry can't help, never had a resection, yet.
Someone will come along soon to help, in the meantime our sub section on surgery might have the answers for you.
Speedy recovery xxx

 

[Jim (POPS)]

Mooney,
First off welcome to the forum. I am sure that you will find the support that you are looking for and need.

I went through about the samething as you are going through. I had a resection and was sent home. After 2 days at home I was sitting on the throne and I saw a wet spot on my T shirt about 6" round. No pain or anything it just looked wet. I went to the ER because I was really new to all this and was kinda freaking out. While I was in the ER a surgeon came in to check it out and he took out the staples and open the wound back up. I could almost seem my insides, I was feaking out. He said that he might have to go back in and see what was going on but he decided to just keep me over night. The next day they were sending me home but they wanted to do a CT first just to make sure that everything was OK. After the CT they said I could have some lunch while they get the resalts back. While I was eating 3 Dr's came in my room and they ask how I feel, I said great and one of them took my food and said. "you may feel good but you don't look to good inside and we need to go back in and fix it, there is a big leak going on" I freaked out and called my wife and told her and she was going to rush to the hospital, but the Dr. said that they can't wait for her to get here before they take me into the operating room. Well, she did make it and I got a kiss from her and they took me in. Next thing I remember I woke up in ICU and there was a bag on my right side. I ask my wife "what the hell is this" (my wife also has a ilyostomy.)

I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and went from 140 down to 123. When I got home they had someone come every day to change the dressing and after 2 weeks it became infected and I had a absess that was 10cm long and 2 cm wide. It took forever for the wound to heal. I had a dressing on it from Nov. 2011 to june 2012. and it finaly healed. In Aug. of 2012 they gave me a reversal and took away the bag. This time I was lucky and didn't have a problum healing. (different surgeon) 4 moths after the resection they did a colonoscopy and they found inflamation in my small int. and they started me on Imuran, I've been on that for 3 months now and I belive its starting to work.

It is a long road sometimes but you will get there. Keep your head up and remember that you will get well and this will be behind you soon. Thats all we can do. I find that if I keep a positive mind I also feel better. I hope you get well soon.

Jim (Pops)