Colon Resection Surgery for Diverticula

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2004
Colon Resection Surgery for Diverticula
18
Tue, 01-18-2005 - 8:47pm
hi, this is Crystal Clear,
Just got out of the hospital yesterday, my sons were happy to have me around again even though they are self reliant. DH very happy to have me back. They took out what appears to be my sigmoid colon and part of my desecending colon. Was in the hospital for 6 days.
Can tell you all about the whole experience if any needs to know about an experience of this surgery.
Cystal_Clear

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Wed, 01-19-2005 - 9:29am

WOW

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2004
Wed, 01-19-2005 - 2:48pm
Hey Wren,
I will tell you about it and it may be in a few postings as I get tired very quickly these days.
I'm very lucky, I had my colon resection done laproscopically, no huge, massive scar!
I have 3 small ones that measure about a 1/2 inch to 1 inch and one scar that's about 3 to 4 inches long but very neat.
Can't imagine having that huge scar from the old way of doing the surgery. i had to be on a clear fluid diet for a couple of days before my surgery and on the second day had to take to Fleet enemas (that was not fun).Although I went out and bought the softest TP I could find and some very gentle wipes, I still suffered from a sore behind after I was completely emptied out. Oh well what can you do.
I walked to th operating room and saw my colon BE xrays posted all over the light boards. They showed me some of the diverticulm and it reminded me of blueberries attatched to a fat branch. I was also lucky in that they knocked me out before they even put the IV needle into my hand! :) (NICE DOC)The operation took about 3 to 4 hours total.
I did get very sick in the RecRoom and it's not fun dry heaving when you just had abdominal surgery. I wonder if that's a reaction to anesthesia?
When they put me in my room,I don't remember going there or being put in my bed, nada, nothing. I remember waking up and asking if they were able to do the laproscopic surgery or if they had to resort the conventional and was releaved to hear that they were able to do it all in LapScop. One thing, boy did my back hurt! I am guessing it's from all the gas that went into my abdomen. My first day was a write off, DH came up right after being moved to my room and DH and sons came up later in the day but I hardly talked and was asleep most of the time. Oh yeah I woke up with a catheter,Iv and Iv painkillers. Will write more later.
Crystal_Clear
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Wed, 01-19-2005 - 3:10pm

Thanks

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Wed, 01-19-2005 - 9:25pm

Hey Crystal_clear!


I wonder what happened to you.

 
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2004
Thu, 01-20-2005 - 11:33pm
Hey all,
Continuing on with the saga.
The next day they had me sit up but boy was I in a state of extreme nausea. I suffer from severe motion sickness and I have often wondered if this adds to my nausea after surgery?
The biggest concern was pain management, bowel noises(you know the kind I'm talking about)and fluids. I didn't make bowel noises for two days after my surgery. Quietest period of my life. they listen to your stomach with a stethascope, they can hear your stomach, small intestine and large intestine. I started walking around on my third day,slowly and surely. I still was attatched to a pole with IV fluids,Pain meds and a catheter. oh yeah I had to wear those funny looking stockings for a few days and when I woke up I had an oxygen thing sticking up my nostrils. The staff was very nice.
I didn't have typical stitches which I am happy about because my DH had staples for his gallbladder and said it was uncomfortable getting those out. I got some kind of strips that hold my incision together at the surface and disolvable ones below. those strips stay on even in the shower, and I have had a lot of showers since then.
Will continue later
Cyrstal_Clear
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Sat, 01-22-2005 - 12:31pm

Hey there Crystal_Clear


Thanks for the update and I hope you have a great recovery.

 
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2004
Sat, 01-22-2005 - 9:13pm
Hey all,
Well when I was first getting up and around, I came down with a bladder infection, so I has to go on antibiotics for that. I was also getting a blood thinner to ward off blood clots. Once I got active they quit with the blood thinners.
My pain medication was a pump that I could press a button and it would administer it but the first day I was so out of it I forgot it was there and when they reminded me about it the next day I did not want to press it too often in case they thought I was a big baby.
Needless to say I ended up having a lot of needless pain because of my stupidity.
When they took me off the Iv pain meds and said I could ask for pain meds when I needed them but needless to say I did not ask as much as I should have, not even close. I hate bothering people and I don't want them to think I'm a big baby.
My stomach looked pretty bloated to me but it looked bloated in a line atraight across the area below my belly button, kind of like some one filled a fat bike tube and stuck it under my skin. The largest incision hurt the most and it hurt in my back in the same area, not sure why. Now that I am at home I still try to take very little pain killers but I just learned from a board that I am going about it backwards..... I don't like the groggy feeling from pain meds (which work on the pain like a charm) and so I don't take them during they day if I can avoid it. But I have discovered that most of my pain comes from getting active therefore I avoided pain by not being too acitve. I read that I should take my pain meds so that I can get active... I'm going at it backwards.
I finally had a BM, 11 days after my surgery. Doc said I would probaly have some blood in it, the first couple times going and I did with this one.It was uncomfortable and my bowels still were tender after. I still get tired quite easily and nauseas if I am up and around too long. But I am taking care of myself and my DH has been good to me. My sons think I should be running after them more than I am but they will have to wait.
Will continue on later
Crystal_Clear
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Mon, 01-24-2005 - 10:41am

Hey Crystal_clear!


I have to agree with what everyone is saying about the pain.

 
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2005
Wed, 01-26-2005 - 7:38pm

Hi Crystal,

I'm so glad you are doing well after your sigmoid resection.
I had one in October and have found that most people don't know anything about the procedure or what it entails.

After surgery I had several large and small blood clots (for which I am still receiving treatment) and since I am probably lots older than you, I feel lucky to still be here!

I still don't have much energy, but try to walk about half an hour a day and keep reasonably active in the house.

Lots of luck to you and let me know how you are doing as you go.

MV

Community Leader
Registered: 10-01-2002
Wed, 01-26-2005 - 7:50pm

Hi MV and welcome to iVillage,

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