Hello everyone, I'm Meghan. My husband, Russ, had colon cancer 13 yrs ago w/ a
one-step j-pouch. His cancer was due to Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (he's
the first to have it in his/our family, spontaneous mutation). His pouch is
shot now, a royal mess inside & the pre-cancerous polyps are coating the little
bit of rectum they left in him, so he's going in for an ostomy in place of it
within the next 3 months. We were hoping he could 'wait' until the beginning of
October because of other medical procedures we have coming up before then (and a
Make-a-Wish for our son that is due the end of September), but the pre-cancerous
aspect may have us schedule for next month if there is concern about waiting
(doctors are split on waiting 'til Oct). Russ was very upset about switching to
an ostomy, at first... he is now eager to be rid of the problems and pain that
his pouch have given him the last few years. We've done a little research &
have found that a lot of people who switch b/c of ongoing problems feel genuine
relief once they've adjusted, even gaining more than is 'lost'. Russ is really
hoping this is the case for him. He's nervous, too, though (of course). We
live in Northern California and plan to have the surgery at UCSF, about 2 hrs
from our home. We'll decide in about 2 weeks (when we have more info) whether
to wait 'til the beginning of October or move everything around so we can try
for mid-August instead.
little extra info --Our 14yr old son, Wyatt, has Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
like Russ, and he also has Inflammatory Bowel Disease (and other medical
conditions as well -quite a few). I have no bowel conditions, but have bladder
and spinal problems (and a few others). It's a lot of work to juggle the
medical care for the 3 of us, which is fairly constant (not a week goes by
without at least 2 medical appointments, if not 3, 4, 5, 6, or more) between the
3 of us. Wyatt and I are both mildly disabled and need assistive aids some of
the time, not all. We are a very interdependent family, relying on and
supporting one another to get things done -although Russ has typically been the
physically strong one. We are all a bit concerned as to how Wyatt & I can help
Russ in his surgical recovery --physically.. what he'll need, what we can
prepare for ahead of time, set in place, etc. Any helpful suggestions, advice,
shared experience, etc would be GREATLY appreciated for both the surgical
recovery and Russ' adjustment to living w/ an ostomy. I'd very much like to
help his physical and emotional adjustment to the ostomy in any way I can.
Thank you for your time,
Meghan, Russ' wife