Ducks in a Row

 It has been almost a month since I last posted an update.   I have been back to work, scheduled my 2nd surgery, and are getting all of my ducks in a row. The 1st week back to work was painful. My stitches were pulling from Fredrick, the stoma.  I was getting used to wearing a mask during most of the day, which made me feel short of breath all week.  Additionally, my massages cannot incorporate forearm glides for awhile or leaning all my body weight on to one elbow.  

I have realized that both brands of the ostomy bags (Hollister and Coloplast) given to me are good so long as they have the belt attachment.  Since I have an Ileostomy and Fredrick is close to my bellybutton, the concave bags are more suitable.  I have only had a leak once since my last update and it was my fault.  I had waited too long to change out my bag.  Rule of thumb: if you smell poop, but you don't see a leak or anything along the edges of the seal, change your bag.  It does not matter that you changed it the day before.  Maybe the seal was compromised when you first put the bag on your abdomen.  As a side note, sometimes the edges of your stoma site might bleed due to the edges of your ostomy bag rubbing close to your stitches.  It is apparently normal and will heal on its own.  I find that it is better for that to occur than for my skin not to be covered up and receive a chemical burn from any fecal matter.  

My second surgery is scheduled for December 3rd.  After my telehealth appointment with my bowel surgeon two weeks ago, I discovered that I had been mistaken.  I thought that they were going to reattach my colon and rectum this surgery, but they were already reattached and healing.  What is really being reattached is Fredrick, the stoma.  He will be going back home to be reunited with his family.  The bowel surgeon must cut around Fredrick, reattach him to the lower part of my small intestine, then stitch me back up.  Instead of 11 hrs of surgery, it will be just an hour to an hour and a half. I will have another few days of recovering at the hospital, but then I should be free.

Of course there are risks.  Where my small intestines are reunited, it might not heal or seal properly and fecal matter could infiltrate my abdomen and cause trouble, but it is only a 3% chance of that occurring.  If there is too much scar tissue keeping the surgeon from reattaching Fredrick, then they will have to cut a much bigger incision to free up the scar tissue first.  Lastly, there is also the risk that down the road of my life, a hernia can form around those bowel sites.  We are praying that everything goes well with the surgery and recovery and that there are no complications. 

December 2nd, I must do a HIPEC enema x-ray.  This is to make sure that my rectum and colon re-attachment site healed properly and there is no contrast fluid leaking into my pelvic area/abdomen.  Assuming that goes well, I will have the rest of the day to drink clear liquids and do bowel prep, which should be much easier than previous preps...because Fredrick will just cleanse everything into the ostomy bag.

December 1st, my husband  and I  will drive from Louisville to St. Louis after I get out of work that evening.  And the day before that I must make sure my negative Covid test results are faxed to the hospital in St. Louis. November 30th I will do the Covid rapid testing.   

THOSE ARE ALL MY DUCKS AND I HOPE THEY ARE IN A ROW.  Thank you as always for your support and prayers.  This has been an interesting journey thus far.  I will keep you all in the loop as the second surgery draws near.