Colonoscopy before colostomy reversal, is this normal in others experience?
Posted , 4 users are following.
I've had a couple episodes of sepsis from diverticulitis perforations. and an abscess explode that led to an emergency surgery, and I am having a colonoscopy tomorrow and I'm wondering if this is routine?
I ask because my surgeon advised he wants to check the colon before reattaching it to see if any more diverticulitis needs to be cut out during the reversal, but I don't see many posts that include a colonoscopy as part of the reversal prep.
I am kind of a nervous wreck about the surgery and recovery, after almost dying in the hospital 3 times in 2 years out of nowhere + emergency surgery has me trembling thinking about another surgery / recovery / hospital stay.
I couldn't wait to get the colostomy reversed, and as I've put distance between my last hospital experience, I'm just terrified of the procedures.
I'm even more terrified I might wake up from either procedure wearing the colostomy bag to news it can no longer be reversed, I know it's stupid to worry about things that haven't happened, but with such terrible health issues in my last couple years I seem to have developed a healthy fear of getting this colostomy reversed.
Did anyone else in the reversal procedure waiting line also get just a crushing anxiety leading up to the procedure? The fact that a colonoscopy has to be done first just feels like a second point of failure in getting my reversal π
The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!! :p
0 likes, 10 replies
vic_07103 rommon
Posted
yes if im recalling correctly i did have a colonoscopy before the reversal. and i was not told i was getting the reversal until i woke up from surgery and it was done. they could not be sure so would not tell me before surgery so yes the the sky was falling but that was ok because i was going to tape it with flower power duct tape and go swimming in the ocean -- (thats what youtube tells you to do if no reversal and you have to keep the ostomy) οοοand you are wearing a bikini. all is well when you begin recovery and i will be thinking of you!
rommon vic_07103
Posted
Since my emergency surgery that he performed, the surgeon didn't make it sound like there was any way it wouldn't be reversed, I saw him just a month ago to check out a superficial wound next to my stoma and he said the only thing that would prevent a reversal is a respiratory illness that would complicate the sedation.
Do you live in the US and had a reversal done semi recently? I have honestly never read on here that someone was just not told a colostomy was temporary until your post, that seems kind of cruel or just a different health care system I am guessing?
vic_07103 rommon
Posted
well then you're good to go! i live in the US, Its not about where i live; i had super care and was told by over 100 nurses how great the surgeon was (i was in the hospital for four months with a broken neck and back on the same day!) and was very lucky for my emergency surgery...its about the length of the colon (lg intestine) that was left ---after removing more than a foot long diseased portion ---and not sure if it would reach when reconnecting it back to rectum.
rommon vic_07103
Posted
Ahhh ok, I thought you might be across the pond where surgery seems much more restricted, my main concern was something regrowing (diverticula) before the surgery to complicate it.
Though the surgeon didn't talk about the reversal ever in terms of maybe, I cannot wait to wake from that colonoscopy today!
vic_07103 rommon
Posted
Rommon, good luck today and keep in mind diverticula does not grow. Diverticula usually develop when naturally weak places in your colon give way under pressure. that pressure is you straining. you can add more water to your daily intake --8 --8oz bottles suggested, is just one small way to change things up but even HALF that amount everyday would help greatly. Or another way is one of the many tasty flavors of grit free fiber in convenient little packs for 16 oz water bottles..... this is for down the road a bit after some recovery of the reversal....
rommon vic_07103
Posted
Surgeon was amazed at colon health and vitals under anesthesia, cleared for surgery! π
vic_07103 rommon
Posted
congratz! of course this is a much simpler and less worrisome surgery than the first so onward and upward...AND Sounds like you already enjoy healthy livin! continue to stay positive during recovery, it still takes SOME time.:)
Guest rommon
Posted
You said you had a lot of pain in your back and in your stomach was it like bad cramps all the way around your lower back in your stomach or just the one spot on your back that was sore can you describe it more details and how many days did you suffer with that before heYou said you had a lot of pain in your back and in your stomach was it like bad cramps all the way around your lower back in your stomach or just the one spot on your back that was sore can you describe it more details and how many days did you suffer with that before he was rushed to was rushed to ER
rommon Guest
Posted
I do also have a broken ligament from a shoveling incident in my spine, which I had a microdiscectomy for, which is shaving off the bulging portion of the L4 and L5 spinal discs to relieve the pinch on the nerve.
When I was honestly expected to die (first ER visit) for Diverticulitis was triggered by trying to sleep off a high fever and going to the doctor the next day with pelvic pressure and pain, and it was found the "flu" was actually sepsis that I just let go for 24 hours so I showed up about dead on arrival.
Once released I had such crazy IBS for 2 weeks, it was like constantly having lightning shooting to every part of my body, up to my chest and down my rectum / testicles / urethra (my god that hurt).
Since then the worst pain aside from recover of emergency surgery was the abscess rupture, that was the only pain that ever made me pass out in my life, that was INSANE. That was when I got my emergency surgery / temp colostomy.
Surgeon did colonoscopy today and said my vitals and colon looked great and I am ready for surgery immediately for the colostomy reversal π
rhonda62323 rommon
Posted
Rommon,
So happy to hear your great news! Please keep us all posted on your recovery! I am just out 3 weeks with a colostomy bag because of Complicated Diverticulits (4 absecesses and ulcer on my rectum). Only second bout with DD but after around 6 weeks 2 hospital stays and 5 different antibiotics surgery was pretty much only option. I have to let my bowels rest for at least 4 months and then they will perform bowel resection.
So I completely understand your fears and concerns with outcome!
We are all pulling for you! It sounds like your a fighter so stay strong we are all here pulling for you!
Rhonda