ileostomy reversal.

mommyof2kds said:

Hi Krista, the take down is
Hi Krista, the take down is supposed to be 6 wks after my chemo is done which will be in dec. I had my resection and ostomy on june 2. that will be 6 1/2 mths with the ostomy. I can stop chemo and get the reversal done, but will just have to finish the chemo after the surgery. I thought it would be better to get the chemo out of the way and then the surgery. Should I do it sooner and just finish the chemo after? So hard to know what to do.. Thanks Petrina

I am waiting for chemo to be finished. I just didn't want to have to deal with chemo and after effects and then a reversal. I say take care of one problem at a time. My surgeon won't do it it in the middle of chemo anyway but I wouldn't want that either.

Kim

mommyof2kds said:

Hi Krista, the take down is
Hi Krista, the take down is supposed to be 6 wks after my chemo is done which will be in dec. I had my resection and ostomy on june 2. that will be 6 1/2 mths with the ostomy. I can stop chemo and get the reversal done, but will just have to finish the chemo after the surgery. I thought it would be better to get the chemo out of the way and then the surgery. Should I do it sooner and just finish the chemo after? So hard to know what to do.. Thanks Petrina

If i knew now!
I had such an argument with my oncologist about this issue. Whether or not to get the takedown before i started the six months of chemo. I had heard about the time crunch with having bowel re-training problems, and didn't want to mess around with it. My oncologist strongly recommended that i do the chemo first to be aggressive. I didn't want to. He presented a strong argument, and won. Well, my surgeon could have done the reversal six weeks after the January 08 resection, then i would have needed maybe six more weeks to heal. As it was, i didn't start chemo until three months after the resection anyway!!! By the time i was finished with chemo, i had lost my insurance, and took a while to get it back. Then i couldn't schedule the takedown because my surgeon was booked. Finally, the takedown was scheduled for February, 09. Guess what?? They found a tight stricture while i was on the table, and she couldn't dilate it enough to give me functional bowels. I received two more dilations over the next few months, and finally had the takedown on May 1st. As a result of all this, i have not been able to get a colonoscopy for these two years since diagnosis. We're supposed to get one every six months for the first year or two, so i'm a few behind (no pun intended)!

Now my body is exhibiting all of my pre-diagnosis symptoms, and it's very probable i have a recurrence. Two years is the time most people get their recurrences, if they're going to get one at all.

This is a bit of a touchy subject for me because it's been the story of my entire journey. I was symptomatic two years prior to diagnosis, and if the docs had been doing their job properly, i could've been diagnosed as a stage I, or II, and be may be lacking many of the problems i have today. Nothing can be done about that, but i do hope that what's happening to me doesn't happen to anyone else. Information is power, and that seems to be the main thing us "non-medical" CC people can give to one another. I truly believe many of the doctors we have to deal with just don't know enough. Our own bodies, of course, know much more.

I wish you all the best with it, and please remind us of your reversal date in December so we can wish you the best, and pray for an easy recovery!

Hugs,
Krista

yncpo said:

Problems after reversal
Diagnoised with stage 3 rectal cancer in April 07. Chemo/radiation for six weeks. Rejuvenate for 8 weeks with tumor removed 25 Sep 07. Rejuvenate for 5 months while wearing a bag. Had no problem with the bag other 7 times the adhesive did not hold. Reversal 15 Jan 08. Have had little relief from constipation/diarrea. Number of GOOD days far less than not so good days. Balmex has provided much relief from burning of the butt. Have small bowel movement without my knowledge until the burning. Surgeon said it would be a year or two before I got back to a somewhat normal life. I am waiting for the miracle to occur. On my really GOOD days I don't go to the bathroom at all and can do most things I did before. On my not so good days, 10-15 trips to the bathroom is not unusual. A feeling of not completing a BM is very common. Two good days in a row is seldom. A BIG DUMP usually precedes a good day. I wear guards for men (pads) always.
I have taken the same approach as you, one day at a time. Do what I can when I can. If you, or anyone has any suggestions on what I can do, or what they have done, I would appreciate it if they would please share their thoughts.

Thanks,

Charlie

UOAA Web-site for temporary ostomies/reversals
If anyone is interested, the UOAA web-site has a separate group for temporary ostomies and reversals - here's a link - http://www.uoaa.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=25

I had my ileo for a year while I healed and went through chemo/radiation. I have no rectum. It took about 8 months for things to finally get to a point where it was managable, but I can live with what my "new normal" has evolved into.

The UOAA web-site has a lot of people going through this transition if you want to check it out. Some have great success, some don't - lots fall in between.

Illestomy
Hello My name is Suzan, and I got my reversal done back in 1996, I was the second case that the doctor performed on, and it was a great success, I do not take any meds, nor do I have an issue with it, the only issues I have is at night when or if I am stress my bowels will go on their own....
But if you stop eating after a certain time you will be able to control....

Try not to eat too many gasey foods.

Praying
I don't have any info, but I'm praying it goes very well.

*hugs*
Gail

mommyof2kds -
Well, first of all, I doubt anyone would recommend a reversal
prior to the completion of chemo treatments, and/or the possibility
of continued chemo treatments. An ostomy takes a whole load
off your rear-end, as far as burning from diarrhea, etc.!

Secondly, it makes a major difference "how much" of your
intestines have been removed, to be able to fathom what type
of results of a reversal will have.

For instance: If the ileocecal valve has been removed, output
will generally be faster and looser. If a large percentage of
your colon has been removed, there will be very watery and
loose output, along with very frequent output.

There are also various of rectal/anal removal procedures, all
that can make a dramatic difference in control, or lack thereof.

The gang over at UOAA can be of great help to you, since
they deal with ostomies specifically (not always cancer related).

The bottom line? You can always get a reversal at a later time,
so -do not- rush into making a decision!

In 2006, I was demanding a reversal, but was told it was too
soon after my initial surgery for a reversal. Now.....I'm glad I
didn't get the reversal. Only one foot of my colon remained, and
the ileocecal valve had been removed; my output back then
would have been as liquid as it was out of the ileostomy, and
very difficult to manage.

Today, now that I've recently lost 1/2 of my small intestine, my
output through the rectum would have been a continual event.
I much prefer being able to choose a place to empty my pouch,
than trying to find a clean toilet (or any toilet) every fifteen minutes
or less, all day and night.

You've got to weigh -your- situation, not base your decision
on someone else's experience.

I hope that helps?

Best of health!

John