Met With The Surgeon Yesterday, Off Into Hiding I go...

abrub said:

You'll get through this

Somehow we manage.  Keep yourself as busy and physicallly active as you can until surgery; you want to be in the best shape possible.  Pain control is usually good - I can't do opioids (I itch more than the pain) but I get an epidural which has worked wonders for me (and with another surgery coming up in February, I will request again.)  (Note: my last surgery was over 10 hours because of scar tissue.)

You have all of us here holding your hand, and we'll do what we can to support you.

Alice

That was truly one of the loveliest things said me in quite some time. I'll be holding all of your hands too. Funny you should mention opioids making you itchy they have the same effect on me but the hydrocodone I take for neuropathy gives me such relief from the pain that the trade off is worth it. I think I'll ask about an epidural too, couldn't hurt (yuk yuk) Thank you for the great advice and I'll stay as busy as I can and walk as much as I can prior to surgery. Which speaking of best of luck on your up coming one in Feb, I hope I 'll be seeing that cute little birdie of yours (chickadee?) many times before that.

Peter 

beaumontdave said:

My surgery was open, they

My surgery was open, they took the sigmoid section out and stretched the remaining part down and resected. The main nerve concern the surgeon mentioned was that which deals with erection, which was concerning until the wife kind of bumped me awake a couple weeks after, and I got to celebrate that which I hadn't lost. The one lasting effect was that I don't ejaculate, it goes the other way to the bladder, something termed a retrograde emission. The other reasons for the open surgery included removing a swollen appendix, and fixing a bellybutton hernia.  So there's my experience, with an incision from button to bladder, I got released a day earlier then scheduled [five days], and it took some months to get any real regular bowel movement. The removal of the sigmoid section made hitting the bathroom a more immediate thing, and the output bounced from liquid to hard to pass for quite a while. The epidural had me awake and comfortable soon after the colectomy, and I felt fine for quite a while. I have a high tolerance for opoid medications, so when I asked for something, they brought it, but then brought a heart moniter that sounds an alarm if your beats drop under 50. That thing kept me awake and miserable the whole first night, so be careful what you ask for. Best of luck to you, and a quick recovery, as well.............................................Dave

Thanks for being so honest and sharing you're story. I'm so totally glad for you that you were able to regain erectile function. I haven't been as lucky, nerve damage from the MS and circulation issues from the diabetes have left me as Rodney Dangerfield liked to say "jealous of stiff wind" and for a long time this alone totally eroded my self esteem - now I'm older and wiser and no disease nor the scars they leave behind define me. My husband of 30 years isn't complaining and neither am I.  

abrub said:

You will have to ask for the epidural

That's not an automatic, you do have to request it, but BOY is it worth it!  I've had them for my last 2 (3?) surgeries, and they made a huge difference.  (Unlike the epidurals given to women in labor, you still have use of your legs and will be able to walk.)  I had mine for 5 days last time.  They started me with fentanyl, but I started to itch, so they just used one of the caine drugs after that (bipuvacaine) which worked well.  

Thanks!  I'll be looking for more support as my next surgery draws closer.  And the bird in my picture is a Bluebird that was on our feeder.

Alice

And I'm loving that the epidural works so well, tomorrow I'm calling to request one or at least learn more about it. The surgeon was talking to me about a Morphine drip and Dilaudid I was just looking for got the assurnace that pain will be well managed an epidural never came up, but I'll bring it up. It seems most everyone here has had numerous surgeries I wonder why that is, that's a stupid question I suppose because the answer must be that this pesky cancer comes back - ugh. In my case if I do get an ostomy of some type I'll have another surgery to reverse it so that I get and totally understand. I hope my cancer stays put but I guess only the shadow knows.

Alice I am sorry you have to have another one, it's scary and it hurts I do know this from experiance although this is the largest operation I've ever had - but please know I'll be here cheering you on ( literally, I have these huge pom poms and do a good deal of cheering on) and at 60 I'm quite accomplished at it. I'll also be wishing you well and hoping for a speedy and comfy recovery for both of us, thanks again - Peter

plsletitrain said:

Confidence in surgeon

I'm glad you're confident with your surgeon.  With all the physical and mental challenge that we have to face, the last thing you'd want to worry about is if your surgeon does it right.  So to me, putting your trust in your surgeon is one of the biggest factors to a successful mental preparation.  It would be the perfect tandem: you and your body physically and mentally ready to lie on that operating table and him being competent enough to do the job.  You'll come out just fine.

I just wanted to share my experience when I had my colectomy (please pardon me if I'm oversharing).  I think my case is an example of how being mentally prepared is very important. As I've mentioned before, mine was an emergency resection because the tumor was already blocking my colon (or somewhere inside) making it impossible for my waste to come out.  My surgeon said had I delayed it for another day, it would have erupted already causing my waste to poison me inside.  So I was prepped for the surgery.  But my surgeon came 3 hours late.  I know, what's 3 hours right? But when you're in agony, and I meant intense pain, every second is hell.  I was lying on that operating table, all alone, with the pain just making me want to operate on myself already instead of waiting for the surgeon, and I did not have anyone to talk to.  For me this is the meaning of mental torture.  Having to wait there in agony, while reeling from the fact that just hours before that, I was given the news that I have cancer.  All I did was to pray and told myself, one at a time.  Do this surgery and think about that cancer stuff later. Literally my eyes were locked on the door waiting for my surgeon to finally arrive.  After 3 hours, he finally did.  I can't fault him though as he had other emergency surgeries that day.  

What I'm trying to say is, just think and believe that you'll do just fine (which I know you will because you have a great surgeon and you're a strong fella) and you will.  You'll be able to face any struggle when you believe and condition your mind that you can do it. We'll be thinking of you and praying for you to breeze through the surgery.  I also wish it would be laparoscopic but if it all goes down to open surgery, you'll still manage.  Take it easy and know that there are people (real and virtual) who care for you.

Please don't think for a second that you're over sharing, when you're as frightened and messed up as I am which has nothing to do with my cancer it's my usual state of being - I jest. But that said your experience is critical for me to hear. Because even despite small differences and different out comes you've already been where I'm about to go - and just the fact that you're willing to talk to me give me a road map, and a map makes it easier to end up in the right place.It's harrowing to hear you had emergency surgery, the tumor I have has blocked most of the passageway which it what makes passing anything so rare of an occurrence and so minimal in output. I've read about this kind of agony the book The Fecal Man purse - A Survivors Guide To Colon Cancer. I've read some similar stories her on this very forum and of course my doctor and the surgeon have made me painfully aware that although a bowel rupture isn't a risk I face now it sure would be if I chicken out and postpone the surgery. Pain, searing, crazy, un Godly agony kind of pain, the kind if pain that's so surreal your mind can't process it, you can't  wrap your brain around changes you and it changes you forever. I don't know what you went through during those three hours that you waited and I don't want to know, not ever. But I do know that there is a level of pain that breaks you it reduces you to nothing.

NewHere said:

You Got This Peter

I need another colonoscopy but this time between my ears. 

If you can write something like this, you will be fine.  I laughed at this, which I needed.

You have selected a great doctor and you will soon be looking at this in the rear view mirror and moving on.  My major concern was a ostomy bag myself.  Like you, I was told in all likelihood I would not need one and on the off chance I did need one, it would be reversed.  At the time I was looking being told I had cancer, pretty big tumor, would probably need chemo and my concern was the ostomy.  

As to the catheter issue, I was shocked when I woke up and found thay I had one.  I was sure as h-ll no one mentioned that beforehand.  Pretty sure I would remember (I have been trained to put in catheters.)   It was not horrible when they took it out, but I was not a big fan.  In fact when I had a met to my lung and had to go in for surgery, my biggest concern was to have the surgeon not put in a catheter.  Not the possible pain.  Not that a piece of my lung was coming out.  But my catheter.  There was not a catheter.  But they did put in a chest tube.  I really got to specify no tubes of any kind if I ever have surgery again 

Sounds like you have good knowledge of your diabetes and what you can do.  Pretty much everyone in my family on my maternal side are diabetics.  Type I and often from young ages.  They did pretty well overall with diet.  So at the risk of telling things you proabbly already know, and not meaning to be out of line, a bit of diet and exercise could help even with a couple of weeks to your surgery.  A quick thought -  it may even be worthwhile to hire a nutironist and trainer for a couple of weeks.  Getting ready for surgery and putting yourself in the best physical and emotional place you can be is paramount.  Even if means being a bit self-indulgent/selfish whatever phrase one would choose by splurging for a dietician/trainer to just be there for you.  Plus taking the onus of thinking about that aspect off your shoulders, and Sean's shoulders, a bit can't hurt.  

Something else to look into is hyperbaric treatments - I just checked Yale Hyperbarics .  Looks like they do not have it at Yale, but refer to others.  (Note:  I backtracked to check Yale and added the links, so some of the information which follows I wrote first, so it may be a bit redundant if you checked the links first.  )  It is approved for about 10 things under insurance - don't have the guide in front of me right now - but it includes things like burn treatment (including those from radiation treatments for cancer patients) and diabetic wound care at a certain level.  Basically you breath 100% oxygen in a hood for a period of time under pressure in a chamber.  Usually the only thing to do is clear your ears, like you do when in an airplane but in reverse since you would be effectively landing and then taking off.  Your blood sugar may  be a little high there though.  I think 300 is high end cut off, but again not checking the books right now.  Some doctors are familiar with hyperbarics, many are not.  But in Europe it is often used before surgery to help with blood flow and and recovery from surgery.  An important note - there are places out there where HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment) is used "off-label" by people who are spewing less than valid claims about HBOT.  Claims from curing everything from bunions to cancer.  There are legtitimate and proven uses for HBOT and some of the charlatans out there undermine it.  But wound care and healing are definate things where it can help.

By the end of November this whole surgery thing will start turning into a memory and story to tell.  Until then you will get anxious and go through a range of emotions.  I know I was in my gown ready to go into surgery and I really considered running out into the street (cold February day) to avoid it as it was about to happen.  Figured a psych evaluation at Bellvue would be easier to deal with.     

As Alice said, a bunch of people here who have been through this are here for you to help you as you go through this.

 

"I know I was in my gown ready to go into surgery and I really considered running out into the street " 

abrub said:

I hope it's not taffeta!

It looks so sad when it crushes! (Taffeta, Darling, taffeta!) Love your sense of humor.  My husband showed up for a post-op visit for his minor knee surgery wearing a Utilikilt.  He figured it would be easier for the dr to check him.  Dr walks in, sees D, stops, shakes head and laughs.  (He's gotten to know us.)

Keep smiling.  I love your attitude!

Alice

You know what Taffeta is, Marry me. Really Alice I'm smitten (my parent's named me Smitten, I changed it) I know when I see that little Blue Bird I'm going to experiance  something wonderful. David sounds really great, I toast the two of you. And now because the topic of the day seems to fabric I whisk you away to the late 70's and the TV show Hollywood Squares - remember when Paul Lynde was asked why Motorcycle riders wore leather? His response ( in my best paul lynde voice) Cuz Chiffon Wrinkles.