Written on March 9th, 2015:
"It has been three days since my third and final surgery... my "ileostomy takedown." After the surgery, I woke up in the post-op room and I was in pain, yes, but not nearly as much pain as I have been during the past two surgeries. I was given pain medication right away and after that I seemed to be able to tolerate it. When they rolled me up to my room, I even was able to move myself from one bed to another rather than making the workers lift me up. I was on a lot of medication so i don't exactly remember the details of the day but I know I was sleeping on and off a lot and not moving much. I also remember I kept feeling down on my abdomen for my ostomy, just because I've gotten into the habit of always checking up on it.
Here's my new stomach! The bottom incision is from surgery #2 and
where the dressing is now is where my stoma used to be!
Jerry got a picture of me knocked out.. (my hair looks so dark!)
After this surgery, I didn't have a catheter in like I have the past two times, which means I would have to get up myself and go pee when I had to. Like I said, I could actually get myself up without much help the first few times go try to go. However, for some reason, I felt like I had to pee so badly, but I WASNT GOING. My nurses and I tried every trick in the book (turn on running water, put your hand in a cup of water, poor water over yourself)... and eventually after doing a few bladder scans and ALMOST having to get a straight catheter, I went!
The same day I had my surgery!
The pain from this surgery is a bit different than the last. It only hurts on my right side, where my stoma used to be, and its more of a sore feeling rather than a sharp stabbing pain. The day after, the doctors came in to change the dressing on my wound, and it actually looks like a gun shot wound in my stomach. Its a perfect circular shape on my lower right abdomen. During the surgery, they used stitches on the inside of it that will dissolve them self in order to close it up. I was so happy when I first saw my stomach without my ostomy... even though it helped save my life, I'm glad that I can move on from that part of my life and start to feel "back to normal"
All day Saturday, I wasn't able to eat or drink anything, so I was miserable to say the least. Yesterday, I was restricted to only being on my "clear liquid diet" again and after eating three bowls of jell-o, I decided I would rather starve than try to eat any more of that! I think I had eaten my body weight in jello and that point and felt nauseous just thinking about it. Finally, I was given the okay to eat this morning! So I ordered something that was pretty light on my stomach.. I had an english muffin and then a side of vanilla greek yogurt. It all went down really well and I feel great as of right now. I just ordered lunch.. Mac and Cheese and mashed potatoes!
I will hopefully be able to go home tomorrow!"
-- JKL
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