So, I had my ileostomy reversal surgery on November 14. The surgery went well, no surprises. The round hole in my abdomen where my small bowel poked out had been about 2 inches in diameter. The surgeon hooked my small bowel back together again, and closed the hole down deep by the muscle, but left the rest of the wound half-open, using a “purse-string” suture around it. Imagine the drawstring on a trash bag, exactly like that. However, it was not cinched all the way closed, so it totally looked like a volcano crater. The surgeon assured me this monstrous abomination on my belly would heal very well and I would have a minimal scar. I used to work in surgery, and I was not convinced. We always made it a point to close every incision in a nice straight line for the best cosmetic result. The edges of my wound were irregular and bumpy, and it was sticking out. However, I had no option but to trust him (not that I really care what my scars look like). I am now 5 weeks out from surgery, and I have to admit he was right! I currently have about a 1/2 inch little line of a scar, a little puckered but flattening out more every day. It’s amazing what the body can do. Speaking of the body….
The main issue during recovery from this type of surgery is that your colon, which has not been used for a while (usually about 3 months), now has to wake up and do its job. Mine was laid off for seven long months, and apparently, was quite upset about being told to go back to work. My colon had been enjoying an extended vacation, laying around the pool, drinking margaritas. And suddenly, the boss comes in and yells “get to work!” Well, that makes for a disgruntled employee, let me tell you.
I was prepared for this, I wore depends, knowing there might be times when I had little warning about needing to get to the bathroom. Let’s just say for the two weeks it was a game called “ten second warning”. And this game was played at about 5 minute intervals. I couldn’t leave the house, and frankly, I hung out in the chair in my bedroom because it was about 5 steps away from the master bathroom. Even then, there were accidents (thank goodness for the depends). And the pain! My colon was rebelling in ways I had never experienced. I will spare you the details, they weren’t pretty. I was not aware that a colon could be THAT angry with its owner. I was eating small meals, low fiber, and still my colon misbehaved. I started taking Immodium a few days after getting home from the hospital. It is an anti-diarrheal medication that slows down peristalsis. I was taking 1-4 of them per day, depending how I was feeling. Then after about 2 weeks of hell, my colon was like “ok, I guess I have to make a living somehow”. We agreed that I will take an Immodium once in the morning, and once at bedtime, no exceptions, even if I feel a little constipated. In doing so, and with our new work contract agreed upon, the past few weeks have been a lot more predictable. My colon and I are on much better terms. I can go places, and not really have to worry about where the bathroom is (although if I’m in an unfamiliar place I will mentally note the location of the bathroom before getting too far). I now get to decide when I will go to the bathroom, when it is convenient for me. Sometimes if I go once, I will need to go 3-4 more times in the next 30-60 minutes, so I have consider the timing. But for the most part, knock on wood, it has been going much better than I expected at this stage. They say it takes about a year after surgery to get to your new normal. Many people have lots of issues after ileostomy reversal and have to learn to cope; this is called Low Anterior Resection Syndrome, or LARS. One thing that is in my favor is that I never had radiation to my rectum, which the majority of rectal cancer patients will have during the course of their treatment. Radiation can make tissue stiffer, less adaptable. The way I was diagnosed was kind of backward, so radiation would not have been helpful in my situation. I am grateful for that. I may not have a rectum or sigmoid colon, but the tissue that I do have is healthy, un-radiated tissue. I am hopeful that I will have a relatively normal quality of life and rarely have to think about this annoying chapter in my life. I am looking forward to starting to run again and my goal is to do at least one 5k race in 2023.
As I say goodbye to 2022, the Year of Crap (pun intended), I look ahead to the rest of my life, cancer-free and feeling good. If you are 45 or older and haven’t already done so, make a pledge to yourself to get a screening colonoscopy in 2023. Colorectal cancer can happen to anyone, even with no symptoms, and the prevalence is becoming much higher in the recent years. It is treatable if caught early. If it is caught later, it can be fatal. Do it for yourself and those you love. To my colorectal cancer buddies, we went through this together and we are coming out the other side (or other end, if you will). I will always be there for you!
This is going to be the last post dedicated to my cancer journey (at least I hope so!). I will revert this blog back to a documentation of my running adventures in the coming months. I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year!
Life in the Outside Lane 