Rectal cancer

Drumeo
Drumeo Member Posts: 1
in Colorectal Cancer #1

New to site, would like to hear about members adjustment after their ilieostomy reversal.  Supplements for healthy colon? ways to mitigate urgency to go, etc.

thanks

 

 

Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #2
    Welcome to the forum

    I can't help you with your first few questions, but ways to mitigate the urgency is something I am still working on, five years post treatment (stage IV). 

    I did discover that my body would be triggered to go - like NOW - and that some of it was mind over matter.  When I first started to get out of the house, I walked around the block. Once I saw the house, my bowel would just let go. It happend a few days in a row before I realized that it was a subconscious reaction. I had to literally train myself  to use mind over matter to get past that stage. 

    I still find that my bowel gets triggered by places and I have to play the game all over again.

    I also kept a food diary and discovered certain foods would trigger more frequent bathroom visits. I have a part-time job now, and I have to be really careful what foods I eat a couple of days before I work or go on a trip, or have a meeting to sit through. 

    I was happy to drop the Depend underwear, but I do still wear a panty liner just in case. 

    Others will be along soon with their illeostomy & reversal stories. 

    Tru

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #3
    Welcome

    Mine was a reversal also and although the surgery was a complete success, I've got bathroom issues.  Everyone is different and responds to reversal different.  Sometimes rectal cancer can lead to more problems than colon cancer because you have more issues otherwise.  My reversal involved removing the rectum and making a J-pouch and not all rectal surgery is done that way.  Both the ostomy and reversal has it's drawbacks.  The one thing you want most of all is to be cancer free and sometimes we have to deal with the inconvenience to still be alive.  Let us know more about you, what point in treatment you are and if you have any more questions.  You can also read my "About Me" page and that will give you some insight as to what I've been through.

    Kim

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