fistula

garden gal

my small intestine formed a fistula out an old incision. Was transpoted from N.H down to Boston for a specalist to take over care. Saw him friday and he decribed the surgery to me and said it was a very serious operation and it could kill me. So needlous to say I hav been a basket case and my family too. All I have done is cry, I have worked and battled this cancer now for 2 1/2 yrs.I don't have options on this.. Any have to go through any thing like this while on chemo?  Kathy

kikz

I am sorry
I can't help you with any information as I have never experienced this problem. Didn't the doctor offer any other source of treatment? Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Karen

garden gal

kikz said:

I am sorry
I can't help you with any information as I have never experienced this problem. Didn't the doctor offer any other source of treatment? Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Karen

no
no maybe I.ll know more tomorrow. Kathy

garden gal

kikz said:

I am sorry
I can't help you with any information as I have never experienced this problem. Didn't the doctor offer any other source of treatment? Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Karen

no
no maybe I.ll know more tomorrow. Kathy

garden gal

kikz said:

I am sorry
I can't help you with any information as I have never experienced this problem. Didn't the doctor offer any other source of treatment? Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Karen

no
no maybe I.ll know more tomorrow. Kathy

garden gal

kikz said:

I am sorry
I can't help you with any information as I have never experienced this problem. Didn't the doctor offer any other source of treatment? Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Karen

no
no maybe I.ll know more tomorrow. Kathy

garden gal

kikz said:

I am sorry
I can't help you with any information as I have never experienced this problem. Didn't the doctor offer any other source of treatment? Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Karen

no
no maybe I.ll know more tomorrow. Kathy

garden gal

kikz said:

I am sorry
I can't help you with any information as I have never experienced this problem. Didn't the doctor offer any other source of treatment? Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Karen

no
no maybe I.ll know more tomorrow. Kathy

carolenk

garden gal said:

no
no maybe I.ll know more tomorrow. Kathy

You are supposed to stay on
You are supposed to stay on chemo while you recover from surgery? That doesn't sound right to me. I would take 6 weeks off chemo after surgery.

lovesanimals

carolenk said:

You are supposed to stay on
You are supposed to stay on chemo while you recover from surgery? That doesn't sound right to me. I would take 6 weeks off chemo after surgery.

So sorry, Kathy
I don't have any experience with this but want you to know that I'm praying for you and praying for a good outcome to your problem. Please keep us posted. We care.

Kelly

garden gal

lovesanimals said:

So sorry, Kathy
I don't have any experience with this but want you to know that I'm praying for you and praying for a good outcome to your problem. Please keep us posted. We care.

Kelly

they have
already stopped chemo. sorry for all the duplicate posts using and old computer in the hospital. surgical teams comes in today, the thing is the dr,s words that this could kill me. Fought

to hard and long feel good no pain ct scan looks good and then hear this, kathy

TiggersDoBounce

Kathy,
Where are you being treated in Boston? Is your family there with you? When is the surgery scheduled for?

Keeping you in my prayers..

Laurie

garden gal

TiggersDoBounce said:

Kathy,
Where are you being treated in Boston? Is your family there with you? When is the surgery scheduled for?

Keeping you in my prayers..

Laurie

i,m at Mass. General
Family has coming down every day, it.s been ten days now. I might know more today when the surgeon comes in I hope. realy scared.kathy

TiggersDoBounce

garden gal said:

i,m at Mass. General
Family has coming down every day, it.s been ten days now. I might know more today when the surgeon comes in I hope. realy scared.kathy

Kathy
I am just outside of Boston and am treated at Brigham & Women's/Dana Farber Cancer Center.
If you need a second opinion, I HIGHLY recommend them.

If you need company, let me know....I am sure you feel isolated in addition to be scared.
Have you been in the hospital for 10 days?

It is great your family is visiting daily...you need as much support as you can get.....

Stay in touch....Laurie

longtermsurvivor

small bowel-incisional fistula
This likely relates to prior surgery and immediate post op scar formation. As such, this complication has been in process for quite some time. This can happen after nothing more than benign surgery, it doesn't necessarily relate to cancer.

If he told you the surgery could kill you, it wasn't a personal assessment of your situation. That would be standard informed consent for the upcoming surgery (orr for any other surgery, for that matter). Yes, it could kill you, but it won't.

I don't blame you for being scared. There is no way to sugar coat it. This is a pretty major complication, but one that others have survived. Many others, in fact. No offense to another poster, but this is not the time to jump ship and get another opinion. Whomever is seeing you at Mass General will be an expert, and has been down this road many times.

Stay calm. It is going to be ok.

garden gal

TiggersDoBounce said:

Kathy
I am just outside of Boston and am treated at Brigham & Women's/Dana Farber Cancer Center.
If you need a second opinion, I HIGHLY recommend them.

If you need company, let me know....I am sure you feel isolated in addition to be scared.
Have you been in the hospital for 10 days?

It is great your family is visiting daily...you need as much support as you can get.....

Stay in touch....Laurie

Thanks
Yes I,ve been hear ten days. They have me on tpn and are looking at everything to make sure w hen would be the best time to operate. Would love the company But I'llbe ok just scared.kathy

garden gal

longtermsurvivor said:

small bowel-incisional fistula
This likely relates to prior surgery and immediate post op scar formation. As such, this complication has been in process for quite some time. This can happen after nothing more than benign surgery, it doesn't necessarily relate to cancer.

If he told you the surgery could kill you, it wasn't a personal assessment of your situation. That would be standard informed consent for the upcoming surgery (orr for any other surgery, for that matter). Yes, it could kill you, but it won't.

I don't blame you for being scared. There is no way to sugar coat it. This is a pretty major complication, but one that others have survived. Many others, in fact. No offense to another poster, but this is not the time to jump ship and get another opinion. Whomever is seeing you at Mass General will be an expert, and has been down this road many times.

Stay calm. It is going to be ok.

Thank you
Yes this is from my hyst. and a large hernia. Just hearing some encouraging thoughts help. Thank you ssooooooooooooo much for the reply. Kathy

mopar

STAY STRONG, KATHY
You've been such a strong woman, but don't get down on yourself - your fear is normal. I'm not familiar with this type of situation, but it sounds as though you are in a good hospital. I also wouldn't expect that chemo would continue right after surgery - your body needs time to heal and build your immunities again. But I'm sure that can all be ironed out later.

Please let us know what they decide to do. Praying that there will be other treatment options, and that the doctor can 'rephrase' his assessment of the surgery to quelch some of your fears.

Sending hugs and prayers, Kathy.

Monika

ktamp

I've had two colon
I've had two colon resections for colon cancer. I assume they are going to do a resection on you? They were hard surgeries but not the end of the world. The worst part was the ng tube used the first time. My hysterectomy was harder than the resections as I had so much endometriosis they had to do alot of clean up. Death is a risk in any surgery. It isn't necessarily an indication of how bad off you are. Ask me anything. I will talk you through what to expect with a bowel resection.

Kaleena

Kathy:I am sorry you have
Kathy:

I am sorry you have to go through this. Although I have not had major surgery while on chemo, I did have an open wound while on chemo. I had my hysterectomy and then they found cancer so they a month later did staging surgery going over the same incision from before wherein I developed an infection. I ended up having a 3 in deep open wound which I had packed everyday for at least five weeks until it healed. During that time I also had a port put in place.

Anyway, all surgeries should be taken seriously. As with police officers, there is no such thing as a "routine traffic stop". Your doctors didn't say that wouldn't do it they just have to tell you the possible consequences (as with any surgery). Did your doctor say that the operation could kill you or that if you don't have the surgery done it could kill you? I know when at the doctors office getting news it can get quite confusing once we focus on one part of the news.

Sending you comforting hugs.

Kathy

garden gal

Kaleena said:

Kathy:I am sorry you have
Kathy:

I am sorry you have to go through this. Although I have not had major surgery while on chemo, I did have an open wound while on chemo. I had my hysterectomy and then they found cancer so they a month later did staging surgery going over the same incision from before wherein I developed an infection. I ended up having a 3 in deep open wound which I had packed everyday for at least five weeks until it healed. During that time I also had a port put in place.

Anyway, all surgeries should be taken seriously. As with police officers, there is no such thing as a "routine traffic stop". Your doctors didn't say that wouldn't do it they just have to tell you the possible consequences (as with any surgery). Did your doctor say that the operation could kill you or that if you don't have the surgery done it could kill you? I know when at the doctors office getting news it can get quite confusing once we focus on one part of the news.

Sending you comforting hugs.

Kathy

thanks everyone
Doctor said the surgery could kill me, so hearing those words where very hard.
they will have to remove my bowels,untangle them. the small bowel will be cut and put back together, hernia will be repared and then a mesh liner will be used to hold everthing in place.will keep you updated thanks everyone kathy