ASKING FOR PRAYERS AND SUGGESTIONS POST SURGERY

okthen
okthen Member Posts: 232
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone. Just posting asking for prayers for my husband Jack who will have is LAR tomorrow morning. He has been doing the prep all day and looks so worn out and sad....I just wish I could take all this away for him. He is a wonderful person who has been through so much in the last year, not even including this cancer.
Those of you that have been through this, anything you wish you had after returning home, anything that would have made you more comfortable? I will have a few days to get whatever helps him so any suggestions are appreciated.
Our plan is to bring our kids up to see him on the second night, but kinda wondered what someone whose been through this already would suggest. They are 12 and 14... wondering if he will be more comfortable the first night. I know, everyones different and we will go with flow, just going to take a little planning as his hospital is in another town.
I know you all don't know me well, but it puts comfort in my heart that he will be receiving prayers, thought, or well wishes from all over. Thank you all so much for your help that you've provided to me up to this point, you are all very special people. (o:

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • okthen
    okthen Member Posts: 232
    #3
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Thank you Kathy!
    LAR -Lower
    Thank you Kathy!
    LAR -Lower Anterior Resection. He is doing the wonderful "drink this gallon of gross stuff then take 4 laxatives" prep.

    We just assumed it would be the same prep as for his colonoscopy so we really didn't read the directions till last night. It was a bit different with the biggest thing being the time. He wasn't supposed to drink till 7pm,,which took an hour or more,,then take 4 laxative pills..he is a bit concerned about sleeping and not waking up to get to the bathroom.
    I am pretty sure he';; have an NG tube the first night which hopefully will be gone for sure the 2nd. Our daughter is definitely a daddys girls and it will really upset her to see him in pain or with tubes...think I'll stick with 2nd night, but as I said,,we'll go with the flow.

    I came to this board in a panic, I remained in one for a long time and still have my moments, but reading threads here has made me feel informed, and to me that brings a calming. My husband not so much. He is in the dumper, expecting the worst, afraid to hope for the best. I have always been that way also, but coming here and learning more has helped. (o:
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    okthen said:

    Thank you Kathy!
    LAR -Lower
    Thank you Kathy!
    LAR -Lower Anterior Resection. He is doing the wonderful "drink this gallon of gross stuff then take 4 laxatives" prep.

    We just assumed it would be the same prep as for his colonoscopy so we really didn't read the directions till last night. It was a bit different with the biggest thing being the time. He wasn't supposed to drink till 7pm,,which took an hour or more,,then take 4 laxative pills..he is a bit concerned about sleeping and not waking up to get to the bathroom.
    I am pretty sure he';; have an NG tube the first night which hopefully will be gone for sure the 2nd. Our daughter is definitely a daddys girls and it will really upset her to see him in pain or with tubes...think I'll stick with 2nd night, but as I said,,we'll go with the flow.

    I came to this board in a panic, I remained in one for a long time and still have my moments, but reading threads here has made me feel informed, and to me that brings a calming. My husband not so much. He is in the dumper, expecting the worst, afraid to hope for the best. I have always been that way also, but coming here and learning more has helped. (o:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #5
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    2nd night........
    I would think he will be much more alert the 2nd night but then again if he worries alot the daughters may cheer him up. It may take speaking with the daughters beforehand to let them know that dad is ok but expect to see tubes and such so that the sudden sight does not scare them. I saw my father just after his bypass surgery and "WHOA" that was scary but only because it looked as though he was in grave danger which he wasn't..Simply ask the girls..let them know what to expect and also that he may be kinds out of it all day the first day and in pain but morphine might make him a little goofy as it does me just so they know what to expect and then leave the decision to them...It will help make them more independant as well, Love and Hope to you and yours.........Buzz
  • C Dixon
    C Dixon Member Posts: 201
    #6
    This is what I did...
    When I was first diagnosed and had the colon resection,, my children came to see me the night after the surgery. They were 15 and 13 year old twins at the time. One of the twins swims year round and had a travel meet scheduled. To keep things as normal as possible, we sent her on to that.

    After my HIPEC at Duke, everyone was a year older and the other twin spent one of the nights with me there but it was late into the recovery. The other twin once again had swimming, so she didn't come up. The oldest came up but didn't spend the night. We travel to Duke from SouthCarolina.

    For this last liver resection, all children took a turn with mom. I will say I was doing very well T this point and that I wouldn't want them staying with me the first night after surgery.

    I like having them there and they like being part of the process. Yours are younger so st staying overnight might not be best but visiting might be very good for them. You can probably deduce that no one in my family is left overnight in the hospital by themselves. That has been the law since before my Grandmother.

    Take Care,

    Catherine
  • Sonia32
    Sonia32 Member Posts: 1,071 Member
    #7
    I will ...
    pray your husband has the LAR done safely and recovers quickly.

    Hugs
  • ktlcs
    ktlcs Member Posts: 358
    #8
    Sonia32 said:

    I will ...
    pray your husband has the LAR done safely and recovers quickly.

    Hugs

    Don't Have any Advice
    A far as the surgery goes, ut just wanted to say my prayers are with you and your husband and children during this time.

    Kathy
  • khl8
    khl8 Member Posts: 807
    #9
    ktlcs said:

    Don't Have any Advice
    A far as the surgery goes, ut just wanted to say my prayers are with you and your husband and children during this time.

    Kathy

    I had the resection, and I
    I had the resection, and I preferred not to have visitors the first few days, I was in alot of pain, but that was just me.
    As for when he comes home, a recliner available is number one on the list. I actually slept in it a few days as it was more comfortable than the bed. When I did finally get in the bed, I used one of those body pillows to support me so i could lay sideways a but as this is how I usually slept. My first few days at home were a blur and my appetite was nothing, so have lots of good light food depending on the diet to keep up his strength.
    Kathy
  • dorookie
    dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
    #10
    How did things go?
    Praying for your hubby...sure hope things went well..

    HUGS
    Beth
  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #11
    okthen said:

    Thank you Kathy!
    LAR -Lower
    Thank you Kathy!
    LAR -Lower Anterior Resection. He is doing the wonderful "drink this gallon of gross stuff then take 4 laxatives" prep.

    We just assumed it would be the same prep as for his colonoscopy so we really didn't read the directions till last night. It was a bit different with the biggest thing being the time. He wasn't supposed to drink till 7pm,,which took an hour or more,,then take 4 laxative pills..he is a bit concerned about sleeping and not waking up to get to the bathroom.
    I am pretty sure he';; have an NG tube the first night which hopefully will be gone for sure the 2nd. Our daughter is definitely a daddys girls and it will really upset her to see him in pain or with tubes...think I'll stick with 2nd night, but as I said,,we'll go with the flow.

    I came to this board in a panic, I remained in one for a long time and still have my moments, but reading threads here has made me feel informed, and to me that brings a calming. My husband not so much. He is in the dumper, expecting the worst, afraid to hope for the best. I have always been that way also, but coming here and learning more has helped. (o:

    I wouldn't count on the NG
    I wouldn't count on the NG tube being removed right away, necessarily. After my LAR, I had one in for over a week (which I think was a good thing, because I wound up with no bowel issues to speak of). It looks worse than it is -- it gave me a sore throat and made it hard to brush my teeth, but that's all. Just an irritation.

    --Greg
  • luv3jay
    luv3jay Member Posts: 533 Member
    #12
    Hello okthen!
    I had an LAR
    Hello okthen!

    I had an LAR procedure in early 2009. It was a rough recovery, even for someone who has had 2 previous c-sections! Nothing made me happier than seeing my babies (ages 15, 13 & 11 at the time). If he's anything like me, he will need help getting up and down...even sitting on the toilet is painful. Walking up and down stairs is difficult at first. My surgeon wouldn't release me until I passed gas and had a bowel movement. And they make you get up and walk the very next day. Oh, also my stomach was bruised so it took a few months for me to regain my appetite. Of course, I had just had my liver resection 8 weeks earlier so I wasn't fully healed from that. I will be praying for your family.

    Sheri
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #13
    prayers
    Praying everything goes very well.

    *hugs*
    Gail

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