Surgery

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BRAVESFAN
BRAVESFAN Member Posts: 14 Member
edited June 2023 in Colorectal Cancer #1

Not sure when it is

Just wondering what to expect..

Painful? Can I get in and out of bed by myself?

Etc.. please share details

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  • bdix4573
    bdix4573 Member Posts: 14 Member
    #2
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    What kind of surgery are you getting. I had an open LAR. Was out of the hospital in 2.5 days. No pain meds. Just some discomfort. The first day at home you may need help. Waking afterwards is the most important thing. Get up as soon as you can and get going.

    the worst part of this entire experience is waiting for tests, procedures, and results. Stay as positive as you can

  • BRAVESFAN
    BRAVESFAN Member Posts: 14 Member
    #3
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1706155#Comment_1706155

    I'm not sure yet..just diagnosed 3 days ago..just wanted to know what to expect. It's scary for sure

    Just hate waiting and want it out yesterday

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #4
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/326617/surgery

    Everyone is different, but for me, the only really difficult thing was getting in and out of bed. There is a good youtube video about using a sheet as a tool for getting in and out of bed by yourself. For me, the pain was not too bad, I got off the pain killers as soon as they offered that option after surgery and never took them again. I was out for a walk the first day I got out of the hospital.


    TIPS ON HOW TO GET OUT OF BED AFTER SURGERY - YouTube

  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    edited June 2023 #5
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    I'd get a liquid biopsy yesterday (before any pills, chemo and surgery) and more blood panels to share.

    We had a lot of recommended nutraceuticals, starting from the Life Extension Foundation recommendations for dosage, adding more stuff, skipping others. We added cimetidine (an old acid inhibitor) before, during and after surgery per LEF, for it's anti colon cancer properties against CRC. Cimetidine, a mild drug, works against a common but deadly CA199 marker, especially during the surgery era, roughly a week before and after surgery.

    We asked the surgeons to replace pain killer opioids (cancer promoters), replaced with trammadol (per the Life Extension Foundation recommendations) for surgeries. Both our surgeons and LEF liked celecoxib, an NSAID, for its anticancer properties.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    #6
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    Not too sure there is an answer to your question, no answer or a million different ones.

    Preparing for surgery by eating healthy. Recovering from surgery by eating healthy.

    Don't be scared of a little pain, and get out of bed as soon as they give you the go ahead. While it will hurt, the actually getting out part, once you get walking, less hurt, and absolutely necessary. Get the blood flowing back to all the right places, healing the hurts. It is worth a little pain, that is for sure.

    Don't let the fear overwhelm you. Roll with it, but control it - do not let it control you. Find something that helps you with through the worst part of your fear; for me it was meditation, being out in the wilds and listening to my 60's & 70's playlist - yes, I am that old. We all have our own ways of dealing with the bad things, just make sure they are good ways.

    Tru

  • DRL74
    DRL74 Member Posts: 4 Member
    #7
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    Mine was done via robotics then he did have to cut me open and gave me a colostomy. My colon was to thin to reattach. I have pain meds for the first day then he stopped them. I had about 20 staples. Little painful but took Tylenol.

    it hurt to sit up and get out of bed. I rolled out which the hospital will show how to do. But after a few weeks, all better.

    My reversal was more painful because my abdominal wall was having spasms and was put on more pain meds for two days then I was fine. No staples. Not as much pain when I got home but still rolled out of bed.

    The best thing you can do is walk while at the hospital. You will be slow and have a walker, but the nurses are kind and it makes a huge difference in your recovery. Don't be afraid to say it hurts and you find a way thst doesn't. I never let the nurses move my bed, recline, because they did it too fast and it hurt. I did it myself in small increments.

    2 months post op and I have little or no pain. Sometimes where the stoma hurts but it is mild.

    Don't push yourself to hard and remember to be kind to yourself. It's major surgery and you will heal. I tell myself that daily.

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