Getting prepared for sugery possibly on Jan 7, 2020

That will be quite the gift, getting a new bag. 

I know there will be folks helping you with the whole bag side of things, but I can jsut share a few general surgery ideas that worked for me. 

I made sure I had my iTunes because the music definitely helped soothe me to sleep, and keep me entertained during the day. 

A nice roomy nightgown or robe. Something soft. Maybe take two or three, because I know I bled through my bandages at one point.

 It seemed like those first few days, everyone who walked through the door wanted me to raise my nightie and check my incision. Plus, when I walked around - and that is more advice - it was nice not to be showing my rear end with those awful hospital gowns, which are also very thin and uncomfortable. 

Walk, walk, walk as much as you possibly can. It hurts to get out of bed those first few days, but walking is so beneficial, that its worth the pain.  You will heal quicker, you will have a bowel movement quicker, and it makes you feel good; especially when you pop in to visit other patients and realize there are others suffering so much worse than you are. 

Drink plenty of water. Hydration is a key to healing as well. 

Keep a notebook handy, to jot down all your questions.  The nurses are usually angels, but sometimes you get one that isn't so pleasant. Don't take any negativity and report them.  

A soft pillow, especially for the drive home. Mostly to put across your belly, becasue if you cough or laugh, or go over some speed bumps, you want something there to soften the blow. 

Try and keep off the pain pills as soon as you can. They can really constipate you. 

Well, there's a start. HA! 

Have a great Christmas season.

Tru

I'm right behind you by a couple months and will be having my surgery in the Spring.  I look forward to your update on how it goes.  January will be a good month for healing and lying low awaiting Spring where you can emerge with a new outlook and hopefully all healed up and ready for this new chapter to unfold.

Hoping others add to the list of items to bring to surgery and what to expect.  In the meantime, enjoy Christmas with family.  You're right, your sisters would be so happy that you get a chance so many are denied to live, love and enjoy life.

Happy Holidays,

Joy

I had APR surgery with a permanent colostomy almost three years ago for a low rectal tumor.

One of the most useful things I did before surgery was to go on You Tube to look for videos on colostomy care. When I saw how many videos were made by people in their 20's (often ileostomies for Crohn's Disease), I thought, "If they can deal with this, then I can too!" The hospital nurses may or may not be very familiar with colostomy care. If you can see a WOC nurse after surgery, that can be priceless, especially for custom solutions to ostomy problems. If you start to have any skin issues around the stoma, be sure to get care right away - you don't want that to get out of hand.

If you have APR surgery, you'll DEFINITELY want a soft pillow to sit on for the ride home from the hospital. I used an old bed pillow, which I ended up carting around with me for about a year after the surgery. APRs can sometimes take a really long time to heal completely. My nurse also arranged to give me a dose of pain medication right before the car ride home.

At first, changing the ostomy appliance was a really slow process, because it seemed like there were all these different steps and supplies. It gets better quickly with pratice. I don't really have to think about it now.

Walking will be really slow at first (well you can imagine why!), but you can still do it and it will slowly get better.

Please feel free to ask specific questions.

Trubrit said:

Happy New Year gift

That will be quite the gift, getting a new bag. 

I know there will be folks helping you with the whole bag side of things, but I can jsut share a few general surgery ideas that worked for me. 

I made sure I had my iTunes because the music definitely helped soothe me to sleep, and keep me entertained during the day. 

A nice roomy nightgown or robe. Something soft. Maybe take two or three, because I know I bled through my bandages at one point.

 It seemed like those first few days, everyone who walked through the door wanted me to raise my nightie and check my incision. Plus, when I walked around - and that is more advice - it was nice not to be showing my rear end with those awful hospital gowns, which are also very thin and uncomfortable. 

Walk, walk, walk as much as you possibly can. It hurts to get out of bed those first few days, but walking is so beneficial, that its worth the pain.  You will heal quicker, you will have a bowel movement quicker, and it makes you feel good; especially when you pop in to visit other patients and realize there are others suffering so much worse than you are. 

Drink plenty of water. Hydration is a key to healing as well. 

Keep a notebook handy, to jot down all your questions.  The nurses are usually angels, but sometimes you get one that isn't so pleasant. Don't take any negativity and report them.  

A soft pillow, especially for the drive home. Mostly to put across your belly, becasue if you cough or laugh, or go over some speed bumps, you want something there to soften the blow. 

Try and keep off the pain pills as soon as you can. They can really constipate you. 

Well, there's a start. HA! 

Have a great Christmas season.

Tru

Ditto to everything Tru said.  But be sure to bring slippers along with your bathrobe.  Walk early and walk often.

Try to schedule a morning surgery, as the waiting (and the prep) will leave you drained.

Train for the surgery like an athletic competition.  Be in the best shape you can be.  Also, there is no harm in putting on a few pounds before you head to the hospital.

Maybe more for men, but also for women, shave your lower arms, because they are going to be putting tape on and pulling it off like crazy--at least you can avoid them pulling the hairs out.

Work assertively to get the doctor to clear you for water at first and food as soon as possible.

Be awake or have a family member for the early morning rounds, that is when you can get approvals for the things you desire.

I agree with avoiding pain meds.  At first they give them to you automatically.  Ask what medication you are being offered and if you can decline it.  Many people live their day from pain med to pain med and the nurses get used to it.  They were surprised and pleased when I did not want the meds.

Get out of the hospital as soon as possible.  It is hard to sleep there, there are infectious diseases there, and home is where you heal.  Start on the doctor (the gatekeeper for everything you want [if it is not a written medical order, it does not happen in the hospital]) immediately about what you have to do to get discharged, and when it can happen.

I love the idea of a rented Cadillac.  I went home in a rented Kia SUV, and each speed bump in the hospital parking lot was like a knife in the gut.

Finally, live, laugh and appreciate each day, both before and after the surgery, to the greatest degree you can.

SnapDragon2 said:

Thank you so much, SoCal42! 

Thank you so much, SoCal42!  I wrote down your other advice and now the tylenol/ibuprofen trick.  I am going to get the patches for just in case.  Yall are amazing!!!!  I am so happy I found this site.  It takes some of the stress, fear and anxiety away.

We still need to be careful with OTC's that have proven side effects on the liver, espeically if we are dealing with mets to that area. 

Tru

I didn't have any gas pains, and they did not give me any restrictions to my diet post surgery. They just turned me loose with a "go forth and conquer".   Wish they had warned me about a few things...  Like broccoli... Remember to chew your food thoroughly before swallowing.. Without being too descriptive, what goes down in chunks is harder to process.

Kim has it right about the loose clothing. I ended up just wearing one of my nightgowns home because my tummy couldn't take the pressure of the waistband of my sweats.  LOL let's talk underwear... Depending on what type you wear, you might need to get some new ones.. I used to wear the hipsters.. But the waistband hit right smack dab in the middle of my shiny new stoma, so they are now out.  I don't do bikinis, cuz I've got that "I've had three kids" fat roll (yes, yes, I'm a heffalump), so guess who is now the proud new wearer of granny panties...

To me, the best thing you can do at this point is roll with it... Your life has changed forever and there is no going back. Laugh at stuff... Seriously... It's so much better than crying over it.