What's One More Health Thread

Whether the reversal is done in one step or two, you're still on the path to a full recovery, and I wish you well. ♥️

Well, that sucks. How did your colon come to rupture? Love, and hoping for the best.

I had the same procedure 3 years ago. You'll be fine - - I am and I feel great now. The only issue I had was with the strong meds they gave me after going septic. Those antibiotics put me in a tailspin that was brutal. I didn't realize I could barf that much (since my stomach was empty!) On the flip side, I found the entire process to be educational if nothing else. If I were forced to undergo another procedure I'd be ok with that, now knowing what to expect. Best wishes and good luck to you. I'll be thinking and sending healing thoughts your way!

All the best VOTN! You'll be fine! And I look forward to hearing about it afterwards. Add me to R2 in wondering how this came to happen?

Are you OK VOTN??

Is your surgeon from Ukraine? How did you deal with the ileostomy? Large intestine? Small?

Hey. Got through the surgery. There were some complications, nothing major, just scar tissue and bleeding. Things were dicey at first, but seem to be moving in a good direction. Still in the hospital, but hope I can make it to solid food soon.

As to how it initially happened, I don’t honestly know. I had a bad salmonella infection that I probably picked up in Mexico. The hospital I was at didn’t treat the obstruction correctly, so I had a rupture and then the emergency surgery. But I woke up to no bag, and just wanted to cry.

‘No bag” are two of the most beautiful words in the English language to wake up to. I am so happy for you that that is over now.

I know that you are a doctor so there’s nothing I know that you don’t, but as a fellow resected - welcome to the club.

Thanks, ElderLez. I still don’t know what my post-reversal life looks like, but I know I can sleep on my side again soon. And won’t need to carry a change of clothes everywhere I go.

So glad you came out of things well, VOTN, and that you heard the beautiful words "no bag". Good on you! All the best for the healing!

Seriously, couldn't evolution have gotten rid of our need for our digestive systems? Just somehow develop a way to get all the nutrients from food and evaporate the rest. The butt can then just be for fucking, as nature intended, haha.

So many people are having problems in this area at the moment, it really sucks. I'll say again, really cool to hear you came out of it well, mister.

Was thinking of you and so happy it has worked. I can't imagine how horrible carrying around the 'bag' must have been. Wishes for a good recovery now.

Are you sprung yet VOTN?

Adults don't start sentences with "so."

At least, tell us you ruptured your colon the fun way.

Good thoughts to you VOTN.

Keep us posted on how you're doing. None of us want to have to ask for your stuff.

Just saw this. So glad everything went well with the surgery and hope you're well on the road to recovery,

[quote] Are you sprung yet VOTN?

Nope, probably stuck until Monday. I will say Mount Sinai is a very nice hospital and appears to recruit its surgical residents from Abercrombie catalogs.

Hmmm I guess that’s what happens when the hospital president is a gay man; the residents are not just brilliant, but also better looking. Seriously though Sinai has great doctors. My surgeon was amazing and I can’t say enough nice things about my gastroenterologists then and now.

Have you watched The Knick? They took out all of my intestines through my belly button cut to look for any more fibrosis to do an ileoplasty after the resection proper and all I could think about was the scene near the end of the series. It’s gross, I know, but part of me wishes I could have conscious to see it.

I'm glad everything went relatively well, VOTN, and wish you an uneventful recovery. My stint with a temporary ileostomy (following colectomy) was a difficult experience. Anyone with a permanent bag who might stumble upon this thread in the future, you have my utmost respect for putting up with that shit (so to speak).

[quote]appears to recruit its surgical residents from Abercrombie catalogs.

Nice! Enjoy VOTN, you deserve that after what you've been through.

[quote]Nope, probably stuck until Monday. I will say Mount Sinai is a very nice hospital and appears to recruit its surgical residents from Abercrombie catalogs.

I've always subscribed to the theory that you want ugly doctors who have something to prove, no opportunities for social life and spent the time studying, and seek to be the best doctors to one up all the people who ridiculed and bullied them.

I certainly wouldn't want doctors who used their looks to sweet talk professors for grades and win internships and residencies.

Voice I've always enjoyed your posts. Sorry you've had to deal with all of this. Onward and upward. And here's to solid food

VOTN made it! Well done big fella :D

Can't imagine what it's like to knowingly go into a surgery like that, I'd have bricked it and probably bolted. Respect for your courage. That said I did have keyhole on my gut as a newborn (a then-risky experimental surgery) and lived so I guess we're kinny now!!!! DLrs are like roaches we don't fucking die!!!!!!!!

Dang.

Good heavens VOTN, I didn’t see your post until now. I’m glad you’re on the mend.

Did you fat whores who got ruptured colon take too much antipsychotic meds with first gen antihistamine? That's why your shit tunnel bursts.

Wishing you the best, VOTN!😘

After I successfully ate my overcooked fish and bland mashed potatoes at lunch, I successfully argued that keeping me overnight wasn't going to do much to change management, and the surgery team agreed.

So, home now. Nervous about it, but home.

Yay!!! Good for VOTN. I left before I ate my first solid meal, but only because it would have too close to the car ride home. It’s so delightful to finally be home in your own bed. How is your husband handling things? Is he nervous? Is he waiting on you hand and foot?

The good part of all this is now that you have a new-updated shute, you can eat anything you want, correct?

Lay off the opiates from now on.

Glad you came through this, VOTN. Hope you're feeling better and enjoying being back at home.

[quote]The good part of all this is now that you have a new-updated shute, you can eat anything you want, correct?

Eventually. I have to stay on a low fiber diet for the first few weeks, and then reintroduce things. I'd just like to be able to get back to eating vegetables with seeds and skin. Oh, and mushrooms, I haven't had one since May.

VotN, God speed!

Get back here ASAP so we can kvetch about the election together!

Oops! You're ba-a-ack! 👍👏👏👏

Talk to you tomorrow! Muah!

Saw my surgeon for my three-week follow-up. Was told I can start eating normally (like, how I ate before the ileostomy) and lifting weights, although nothing too heavy for another few weeks.

I broke down crying in her office. NYC gays, if you need anything with your bussy attended to, I cannot recommend Dr. Alex Ky more highly.

Just now stumbled on this thread -- so glad everything went well, VOTN, and that your road to recovery continues!

Glad you had a good outcome! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving and get well soon, VOTN. Always enjoy your insightful comments.

Cheers and well done you, VOTN.

[quote] They took out all of my intestines through my belly button cut to look for any more fibrosis to do an ileoplasty after the resection proper...It’s gross, I know, but part of me wishes I could have conscious to see it.

They did keyhole on my gut when I was newborn, for pyloric (rare in girls, I was one of the first to have the surgery). Though I obviously remember nothing about it, the thought still gives me the creeps.

Happy Thanksgiving VOTN! You certainly have much to be thankful for and I hope you get to enjoy some of your favorite foods tomorrow.

First time I'm seeing this thread VOTN but to echo the others, very glad you're recovering.

I can feel an Agatha Christie or Murder, She Wrote coming on, in celebration!

Yay for a delicious and unfettered Thanksgiving VOTN.

Honestly, I just want to smoke copious amounts of pot.

At least your colon won't be stopping you!

Good for you VOTN. Just in time for Thanksgiving.

Also, I didn't realize you were in NYC. For some reason, I thought you were in London.

Wow, VOTN. Had no idea. Been following you since way before you took the MCATS.

Had a years long saga with colorectal cancer, resulting in a resection with colostomy bag, then an attempted "take down" 8 months later, but it had spread. More colon removed, and ended up with an ileostomy bag for another 5 months, then finally a successful "take down" (reconnection). Was in hospital for a total of 5 weeks for the 3 procedures. Could only consume low fiber/low residue foods (Jello, Cream of Wheat, and Ensure) throughout the process. I hate the term "take down" because I do medical research and it's the term we use to euthanize mice and rats in disease models to harvest their organs and tissues to analyze drug effects. Anyway, I recall that after the reconnection, it was a long time before I could eat solid foods. Glad that 1) your hospital stay was relatively short, and 2) that you'll be able to enjoy real food soon.

Your post brings back unpleasant memories, but after a metastasis to a kidney that was easily nipped in the bud, have been cancer-free for 4 years. My sympathies that you had to deal with this at your young age. Happy that you were treated at a world class teaching hospital.

At this moment, am recovering from lumbar spine fusion - a consequence of a degenerated disk caused by all of the ab muscle cuts and having no core strength. I never bothered with doing exercises and lived to regret it. Today, they are VERY stingy with opiates, and absolutely no benzos, so recovery is miserable, but prognosis is good. I hope you have better meds and wish you a speedy recovery!

r27, ElderLez, we've had pleasant exchanges here (you live in VT, right?). Didn't know you endured a resection. We have much in common! Wishing you a wonderful, New Englandy Thanksgiving.

VOTN I wish you further wellness & good health ❤ I've been around this joint long enough to know YOU'VE been around here as long or longer 🤣 But seriously I saw that authenticated name as I scrolled and it did make me smile ❤😊

VOTN, I missed this post until just now. Best of luck with a speedy recovery. I will be sending good thoughts your way.

Good health to all who are enduring much, in recovery, or are fortunate enough to be well!

I recently had Covid-19 (still coughing somewhat), broke a toe a couple weeks ago (the orthopedic hard "sandal" is tragic), and took a minor spill in the bathroom today. But all in all, I'm looking forward to a Thanksgiving meal with three friends. (Can you believe one requested my Green Bean Casserole?! Yes, the French's recipe!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi R45! I grew up in Western Mass not too far from the Vermont border. I have lived on Long Island for a long time now, which sadly isn’t very New Englandy on Thanksgiving, but I will get to walk on the Boardwalk. If you are at UVM, I am a big fan of Cathy, not sure if she is still there. You were on the mush diet for over a year???!! I was only on it for about seven weeks and despite my love of pastina it took all of my will power to not eat delicious vegetables and die. Like VOTN I had my resection done at Sinai, but Sergey Khaitov was my surgeon.

VOTN I hope you’ve been smoking copious amounts of pot already.

Happy and healthy Thanksgiving everyone!

Hot OP. Most Dlers would still gladly eat your asshole or what remains of it.

Happy thanksgiving all!

Hi ElderLez @ r50. No, am actually in San Francisco. World class medical center for treatments, except for poor pain management after recent spine fusion surgery, so am up at 5am taking my weak opiate with booze. Maybe copious quantities of pot soon, but it makes me cough. My years long partner/fiance lives near Boston. Have a relative in Southern VT and I visit both places often. I swear there's another fabulous Lezzie here who lives in VT. Maybe it's rescue-chick? Am so glad your resection went well. And apparently VOTN's went well too, so far.

VOTN - take a food diary. Go slow with the solids. Every one is different, but I lost half my colon. So thankful to not have the shit bag, but can no longer digest fried , salty foods, things with legs, raw fruits and veg with skins. Lactose intolerant. But there's a universe of fruit pie, steamed veggies, noodles, salmon, Tofu, and delicious Vodka drinks out there. All good!

Happy TD, all!

Yes! Happy Thanksgiving to all of us.

Part of me wishes I wasn't working my moonlighting job today, but the other part relishes getting time and a half for my semi-generous per diem rate.

[quote]Every one is different, but I lost half my colon.

I lost the majority. My only real change for the moment has been upping my fiber intake, which has actually been fine and seems to have started to regulate my...functioning. I'm going to try onions and peppers, but probably not until tomorrow, since I won't be working if there are problems. I am honestly nervous about it, but I think I can manage.

R53, I'm pretty certain that rescue-chick is straight, though she fooled me at first! (Not deliberately, of course. I just mean that I assumed and that she fits in so well here that you'd never know.)

VOTN @ r54, am so sorry. Have gotten sick every trip to Mexico. Had no idea something like that could do so much damage to so most of the intestines. Ensure that everything is well cooked. I keep a jug of Propel with Benefiber in my fridge. You have to stir it up, but it does make a decent mixer once you get used to it, lol. I kept a change of pants and underwear with me for several years until getting to know my diet since there's so much less "storage space" down there. No need for that now, several years later.

BTW, what medical specialty did you end up going into after getting your DO? Haven't been following DL much for years and lost track of you.

Sending hugs.

[quote] kept a change of pants and underwear with me for several years until getting to know my diet since there's so much less "storage space" down there.

Oh, I had that throughout my ostomy experience. Thus far, nothing with my post-reversal life has gotten dicey, but I confess there is some paranoia about it.

[quote] kept a change of pants and underwear with me for several years until getting to know my diet since there's so much less "storage space" down there.

As befitting my level of insanity, I'm a psychiatrist. Actually, I ended up a subspecialist, so training is finally almost done.

R53 nice to see you again. Sorry to hear about your pain. The lack of research into alternative pain killers is really disgraceful. Anything that isn’t owned by an Institute at NIH gets short shrift and as far as I can tell pain management falls in to that category.

Speaking of vodka, I only lost 8 inches of my terminal ileum, which for some people means no side effects at all, but I’ll be taking questran for the rest of my life. Before I got that prescription I found wine to be a trigger for a bile acid malabsorption attack. (My doctor said that wasn’t a thing, but it was for me.) Vodka on the other hand was just fine, so Moscow mules were my go to drink for a while. Gin and tonics for scurvy, Moscow mules for tummy troubles. It’s strictly medicinal.

r58, lol! Meditation does help, but you have to lay down, relax, listen to soothing voices, and let go of anxieties about everything going on in your life and on the planet. Oh, and breathe, too. Fuck that! I want pills and instant euphoria, damnit. Got screws and rods and bone grafts in my vertebrae. Just don't have time to get down on the floor on the subway or at work for a 45-minute session.

VOTN - so proud of you. There's a shortage of psychiatrists in my area (there's a shortage of all medical professionals in general in the US as we age and as education costs explode).

[quote] Just don't have time to get down on the floor on the subway

It's the lack of time that's stopping you? ;-)