sorry vanessa i am 5 months post opp christine.only realised after id
posted me e.mail.
>
> Hi fellow friends/ostomates!
>
> I wrote back in June - due to complications my surgery was rushed
fwd. I saw
> my surgeon for the first time and was admitted to hosp. 3 days
later. So
> there wasn't much preparation time.
>
> I had my op on Friday 20th June at night and was quite sick for a
few days
> after. Not sure if it was the morphine or the stoma not working or
both but
> I quit the morphine and the stoma started working and then I was
fine. :) I
> stayed an extra 24 hrs and went home on the 26th.
>
> I'm recovering very well physically. I didn't prepare for recovery!
I'm very
> independent so it was slow to start with but then I seemed to reach
a
> turning point and all of a sudden I could walk stood up straight
(and lose
> my duck waddle LOL) and was off painkillers very quickly, altho' I
hate
> taking meds for anything and so after 20 months of UC and meds it's
nice to
> not have to take any pills at all! My wound/scar split in 3 places
but is
> healed over now. I'm managing well with my ileostomy. I'm using a 2-
piece
> drainable that I only have to change twice a week and those are my
most
> anxious days as then I have to look at my stoma but it's shrunk
twice and so
> it's not half as bad now. :) I suppose it will take a while to get
used to.
> I have had the post-op blues and been quite withdrawn at times and
seem to
> have these yo-yo highs and lows but I suppose that is normal.
>
> You know, I had been ill for so long and running on low-to-empty
that I
> think I had forgotten what it was like to be/feel well and have
energy. It's
> wonderful! Honestly, I find myself getting excited over the thought
of being
> able to do the simplest of things again and have a new-found
appreciation
> for life! I was merely "existing" with the UC and battling thru' to
the end
> of each day. I'm not sure I want to risk what I have now by going
for the
> J-Pouch surgery. I know I will have to have at least one more op to
remove
> what's left if I don't. I think I still have some UC there which
adds a bit
> of a twist to it all but I'll be seeing my surgeon again in Oct. to
discuss
> what's next.
>
> I guess I'm bound to have my ups & downs with this. Like sometimes
I'm
> excited to be getting back to "normal" and then it hits me that no,
my body
> is different now and won't ever be the same. Sometimes that makes
me sad for
> a moment but it passes quickly as I think of how much better I feel
and of
> all the life that the UC was robbing me of that I can have back
now. And it
> s still early days so I'm not up & running yet but I am up &
walking and
> that's an improvement on before. So far, there's more ups than
downs and
> when I count my blessings I have so much to be thankful & grateful
for. :)
> Rather than think that the UC has gone and taken a part of my body
with it,
> I prefer to think that a small part of my body was sacrificed to
save the
> rest of me. For that is what it comes down to.
>
> "Thank you" to everyone who responded to my original post. You've
all been a
> great help and support to me and I thank you sincerely. Love to
all. :)
>
> Warmly,
> Vanessa
>
>
> "You must be the change you want to see in the world."
>