CT Scan and Second Surgery

Saturday morning I had a surgeon visited who had requested an emergency CT scan. They weren't happy with the pain I had that morning and wanted to see what was going inside my body.

After a quick scan the surgeon came and visited me and gave me the bad news. From the scan they could see fluid and liquid buildup inside my body but they were unsure to where it was coming from. He told me it could be a leak but I would have to be cut back open for them to have a look.

At 1pm that day they had assembled their surgical team from their weekend (Peter Mac is amazing) and I was wheeled to the theatre. This time I was given an epidural which numbed my abdomen since I was still in a bit of pain. I found it numbed certain areas of the abdomen but didn't provide full coverage. Shortly after I was put asleep again and cut back open.

I woke up in theater again and my first reaction was to check to see if I had a stoma again. I slowly patted my stomach and then felt that telltale plastic Ostomy bag feel. My world span, I knew it was back.

I spoke to my surgeon shortly after who explained there was a leak between the small and large bowel that they couldn't seal. He decided to give me another illeostomy for at least 6 - 8 months before we try the reversal again.

Life's a bitch.

Waiting for stuff to pass

After ICU I was transferred to Ward 3 for recovery. Recovery involved trying to eat, which was difficult because I was bloated from surgery and trying to walk around, which is difficult after being cut open.

Apart from that the big moment we were all waiting for was any bodily movements to pass through. Tuesday came and went, Wednesday came and went, Thursday came and went..... nothing. My surgeons assured me it would happen, I would at least pass wind or something very shortly. Physically I was feeling pretty good, I was up and walking around the ward I was just bloated which meant I had no appetite.

Then Friday came and went with no movement. At about 2am Saturday morning I was suddenly in excruciating pain. My nurse asked me to rate it out of 10 and I gave it a 7 (my pain all week had been a 1 or 2). After the doctor examined me by pushing on my stomach the pain shot up to a 9 (I'll never rate pain a 10 just incase there is a worse pain). 2 morphine jabs later and some Oxycodone my pain was still about an 8..... not good.

Unfortunately at that time of the morning there was nothing that could be done. I endured about 6 hours of intense pain before it finally left. 

Reversal

Finally my reversal date had arrived, Monday 11th February. I was to be rid of the pouch for once and for all. My surgeons advised I was to spend 12 days in hospital after surgery since as well as the reversal I was also having a splenectomy (Spleen taken out) and a hernia repaired. 

Monday morning arrived and we were in Peter Mac bright and early at 7am. Literally after 30 minutes of forms and getting changed I was walking down to theatre ready for the surgery. I love not having to wait in a waiting room for an operation. 

I was wheeled into the operating theatre where they prepped me for surgery. I spoke to my anesthetist who asked me if I had an epidural or a mophine button last operation. I told him I was pretty out of it but definitely had the morphine but not an epidural. Last time the morphine made me feel a bit sick so he said we would try a different drug that may give me hallucinations.... sounds good to me I replied. 

As I was about to be put under I realised that the lights above me looked like a laser I recently had seen in a James Bond movie. Perfect.... I then told my anesthetist that I was pretty certain that my hallucinations would be him playing an evil character and me playing James Bond. To his credit he then put on a Dr. Evil voice and told me "It's now time to go to sleep Mr. Bond". 

I woke up after the operation in the theatre, my surgeon visited and was pretty happy things were successful. After that I was taken to ICU for a day, before a bed would be ready on ward 3. I spent the rest of the day and night in ICU in and out of sleep waiting for the effects of the drugs to wear off. Luckily I wasn't in to much pain so the pain relief must have been working. 

After the first day in ICU they attempted to get me out of bed. I managed to sit up but felt extremely light headed. I then sat on a chair they provided and nearly passed out, a few minutes later I was alright to sit out of bed for about an hour..... before my head started nodding trying to go to sleep.