Judy
Im new!
Posts: 2
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Post by Judy on Sept 3, 2003 13:27:23 GMT -5
Hi All!
Thanks for listening. I had a colostomy in April. I don't really have any difficulty caring for it, and my life has pretty much returned to normal. Diverticular disease was the reason for my colostomy. The Dr then did a colonostomy, looking through both ends of the bowel. There is still disease in the lowere end of my bowel, and he says no more can be removed, as it would cause me to constantly have diarhea. I am considering having the reversal, but no one can give me a gaurantee that this won't happen again in 10 or 20 years. I am only 42 yrs old, and would hate to go through this again hen I am 70. My recoverery from surgery was quick and complete. I don't know if I should have the resection done, or stay as I am with my colostomy. I dont know anyone who has gone through this, so any insight into this would be helpful. Thanks!
Judy Judyjdmurph@aol.com
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Post by MTBG01 on Sept 3, 2003 13:56:15 GMT -5
Judy, My husband (just turned 43 on the 5th of August) is sort of in the same situation but with a better outcome. July 23rd of this year, a diverticuli ruptured. They did emergency surgery and removed 12" of his sigmoid colon and suited him with a colostomy. He is having the reversal surgery done September 17th. The surgeon feels that he has removed all of the infected intestine and that he should be able to return to a normal life. However, like you, no one will tell him, with any certainty, that this will not happen again. So, I guess I am sort of in the same boat as you, other than my husband and I do know that the resection is going to happen. Best of luck. Ellen
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Post by Jason_D on Sept 3, 2003 15:26:06 GMT -5
Hi There, This is a very difficult question / situation because no one can really predict the future, and every person is different. I would be inclinded to take your Surgeons advice as 100% accurate and live your life to the full until it should return, and hopefully it wouldnt. What does everyone else think?? Buh bye now, Jason D.
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Post by Cathy T on Sept 3, 2003 17:36:14 GMT -5
Have the reversal.....any chance at a normal life should be taken and held onto for as long as you can....just as I did after the first nephrostomy, I had 1 year of living normal before it happened again (I'm 41) and I'm very thankful for that!
The hardest part of this for me is knowing that both my colostomy and nephrostomy are PERMANANT and irreversable this time. I can't imagine 10, 20, 30 years going through what I have to do every day emptying and cleaning all these bags (1 colostomy and 2 urine bags)......but we all do what we have to do...
If I had any chance, I'd sure take it. Good luck!
Cathy
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Post by julima on Sept 4, 2003 2:06:18 GMT -5
Hi Cathy Would you mind explaining what a "nephrostomy" entails? I'm a newbie ostomist and have never come across this term before, tho' I gather from your sig it's to do with kidneys? Thanks. Julie XXX
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Post by MTBG01 on Sept 4, 2003 7:35:27 GMT -5
Hillary, I would say that the reason you feel this way is because you don't have anything to compare it to. And there is nothing wrong with that. I don't actually have a colostomy, but my husband does and it has been really tough on him. One advantage of having a colostomy is not having to find a bathroom when you have to go. It just does it. For you, live with a colostomy is "normal". For those that have recently received, it's not normal. My husband does not want to return to work until after the reversal. He's really embarrassed about it and can't wait for the reversal. He ends up in deep bouts of depression because of it. The depression only lasts a day or two and I try to keep him from getting down but there are days that he will just cry, all day. This all has to do with each person, individually. I think that if Judy has the opportunity for the reversal, I'd go for it. But regardless of her (or anyone elses), each day should be lived to the fullest. You never know when your time will be up. I almost lost my husband over this whole thing. I was lucky enough the have picked the right hospital to go to when this happened. This has dramatically changed out live, and brought us closer to each other and closer to God.
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Post by gtorichie on Sept 8, 2003 20:20:19 GMT -5
Hi Judy.. To me if things are fine for you right now and your life has basically returned to normal... why change? Especially if you have no guarantees that you wont have to go through the entire ordeal again.. AMEN I have also had a colostomy from birth (im 25) im also urinary incontinent and the way I see it is that I can walk talk and do anything i put my mind to so WHY CHANGE? but at the end of the day you need to ask yourself are you going to be kicking youself for not doing it in 10yrs time??
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corvus
Posted a few msgs
Posts: 24
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Post by corvus on Sept 9, 2003 4:34:33 GMT -5
I am considering having the reversal, but no one can give me a gaurantee that this won't happen again in 10 or 20 years. I am only 42 yrs old, and would hate to go through this again hen I am 70. My recoverery from surgery was quick and complete. I don't know if I should have the resection done, or stay as I am with my colostomy. I dont know anyone who has gone through this, so any insight into this would be helpful. Thanks! /quote] Hi, My history is a little differant but I am facing a symilar decision, I am 55 years old and had a colostomy last Feb after 18 months of illness with 4 hospitilazations totaling 70 days, 7 in the IC unit, two opperations. Generaly I am ok with it, i feel much better but the surgen a few days ago said I could have it reversed in several months if I continue to recover. I will have it done manily because i swim a lot [one to two hours per day 5 days per week] and people have generaly shunned me at the pools, so it realy boils down to body immage for me. No one can say for sure that I will not have to have it done again if it comes back but I will cross over that when it happens. the down side for me and maybe for you also [ask your doctors] is that it is possible that I will require another operation to remove more large and small intestion even if I keep the bag, and that is the reason I will have the reversal if possible, I figure that cannot lose since nothing is guenteeded, I guess it all depend on you, me I try to take charge of my life which kept me alive in Nam and has served me well so far.
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Post by Jason_D on Sept 9, 2003 7:23:52 GMT -5
Would you mind explaining what a "nephrostomy" entails? Julie, Heres what emedicine.com gives as the definition of nephrostomy.... === The term nephrostomy refers to a passageway maintained by a tube, stent, or catheter that perforates the skin, passes through the body wall and renal parenchyma, and terminates in the renal pelvis or a calyx. The nephrostomy has multiple functions but most commonly is used to provide urinary drainage when the ureter is obstructed and retrograde access is inadvisable or impossible. It also can be used to gain access to the upper urinary tract for various antegrade endourologic procedures, such as intracorporeal lithotripsy, chemical stone dissolution, and antegrade radiologic studies of the ureter, as well as double-J stent placement. Nephrostomy has several other functions, including the following: - An avenue to remove or dissolve renal calculi
- To obtain direct access to the upper urinary tract for various endourologic procedures
- To diagnose ureteral obstruction, filling defects, and anomalies through antegrade radiography
- To deliver chemotherapeutic agents to the renal collecting system
- In tumors of the renal pelvis as prophylaxis after resection for local chemotherapy
====== Hope that helps. Jase.
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Post by julima on Sept 10, 2003 2:11:55 GMT -5
Yep, thanks Jason. Cathy, I take my hat off to you and hope you manage to incorporate dealing with all those bags into everyday life. This is probably a stupid question, but is there no way your two urine "outlets" could be directed to a single bag? (((HUGS))) Julie XXX
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Post by honeybear on Oct 5, 2003 9:47:30 GMT -5
Hello Judy, I had a reversal done in May the cause for the colostomy was a ruptured diverticular. I had the colostomy for 10 months, and it was easy to get used to. Although it would not have worried me if they couldn't reverse it I think that if the reversal is an option then why not go for it?
Like you nobody could promise me that it would never happen again, I didn't even know I had diverticulitis until that day. My grandmother has had diverticulitis all her life (since her mid twenties) and she has terrible pain whereas I had no symptoms, hers has always been controlled with antibiotics when inflammed and so far no rupturing. She has also had parts removed over the years but never an ostomy, she is almost 90.
The decision is ultimately up to you but if you have a reversal and end up with a colostomy again later down the track then at least you know you can deal with it ok.
Take care and good luck with your decision. Jennylee
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MTBG
Im new!
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Post by MTBG on Oct 7, 2003 7:44:59 GMT -5
I have a question for all of you that have or had diverticular disease. Have you been given any restrictions on your diet? Are you allowed to eat nuts and seeds? Before, during or after you colostomy? I'm sure that I'm going to get mixed responses with this question but I'm interested to see what other peoples doctor's have told them on this topic.
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Demmie
Posted a few msgs
Posts: 27
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Post by Demmie on Oct 7, 2003 17:49:34 GMT -5
Well - Im back ........... admission to op - 36 hours op to discharge in 5 days less than a week altogther . I am back on my feet walking after 48 hours, drains drips IV catheters all removed afer 24 hours - wind first sign bowl is working agin soon after - first motions within the next six hours - then HOME ! - I cant beleive it was so quick and it went so well ........... My first was rupture divetuslosi with blood posiing and massiveinfcetion - motnh in hospital and then kink in bowel took long time to sort ......... SO my advice on it - go for it .......... remember nothing is every guaranteed in this life good or bad ....... but I know this was a good decision for me .......... A one very happy ex colostomate .........but one who will always give help and understanding where I can . Knd regards Demmie
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Post by Jason_D on Oct 8, 2003 5:19:27 GMT -5
Great news DEMMIE!!!!!! U go Girl!
Thats fab. After a crappy few days its nice to finally have some good news.
And ofcourse it goes without saying that just cos u no longer have the bag you arent welcome here no more.
Far from it. You are still welcome in all the sites services n message boards n chats. ;D
Take care, hope the recovery continues to go as speedily well as it has so far.
Cheers,
Jase.
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corvus
Posted a few msgs
Posts: 24
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Post by corvus on Oct 9, 2003 23:29:57 GMT -5
thanks for the good news, my reversal is set for the 22 of this month and I hope to have the same type of recovery and thanks Jason you are doing a GREAT SERVICE to the comunity thank you very much
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