Eleven Months of Recovery

If anyone has read my blogs you know I had a bowel resection on January 9, 2007. I never could find out any information about what took place during recovery when you are out of the hospital and home. So I wrote a series of blogs about my experience hoping to provide some information out on the web that might be useful to some other persons going through the same type of recovery period.

From time to time I've updated my progress and that is what this is. In 3 days it will be 11 months since surgery. In that intervening time I also had my gall bladder removed about a month ago.

I am happy to report that I think I am doing well. From a physical stand point I have lost a lot of weight, on purpose. I regularly exercise, I mean daily, a 50 minute strongly paced walk, and I try to watch what I eat. I log my vital signs every day as a means of staying in touch with how I feel. I use a lot of personal positive feedback by assess how I feel physically during my exercise period. I work very hard to keep the negative thought patterns at bay.

December 12 I go in for a follow up colonoscopy. Given the pathology results after surgery and my assessment of my well-being I expect the results of the colonoscopy to be clear. So, from a physical stand point recovery is good and the prospects for continued health very promising.

I do have some remnants of a psychological impact. I do have an irregular heartbeat. I had PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions) prior to surgery, but they have elevated in frequency of occurrence since surgery. I belong to a forum that discusses irregular heart beats and am relieved to find my self in a lot of company. The medical world has proven to me that my irregular heart beats are benign and will not cause me any health problems.

I believe that stress plays a big role in the onset and continuance of the heart beat problem. I have been thoroughly checked out and do not have any underlying heart disease or damage. Yet these irregular heart beats occur daily, and may last for some time. The frequency seems to be dying down, but still I get aggravated when they occur.

One thing that apparently occurs after major surgery is a fear of the disease reoccurring. This I've read is common. I am 62 years of age, I thought I had come to terms with my own mortality some years ago. Undergoing surgery, even though very successful, has reawakened that realization that I have fewer years in front of me than I have behind me. I do not find myself depressed, but I seem to have become aware how fragile our existence is. In some ways it has led me to a greater appreciation of my wife, my children, and surroundings. Yet I am plagued with the idea that I may not get to enjoy those these things for a long time. The thoughts do not dominate my existence, for the most part they intrude when I am alone, musing about life in general. I drive the thoughts away by refusing to let them occupy much mental space and time.

Everything has gotten better, including my mental attitude, so I expect these dark musing will lift even more. It probably is a progressive process of recovery of spirit just like the physical recovery is a progressive process.

My system seems to be settling into some form of regularity after the surgical intrusion. I now am facing some problems from the gall bladder surgery, a hand full of mixed nuts seem to make my stomach slightly upset and can trigger a series of bowel movements that can be rather uncomfortable and frequent. Other than that, I'm doing very well.

In a nut shell, life is OK. Some thoughts about dark things, but frankly probably not much more than the normal person encounters going through life. I certainly have an appreciation for persons undergoing medical procedures I never had before, and I am grateful for the quality of care I've received. This experience has certainly strengthened the bond between my wife and I and my recovery experience would have not been as positive if it hadn't been for her.

That is all for this day. Keep the faith fellow survivors, life is good!

41 Weeks After Surgery

It is hard to believe that almost ten months has gone by since bowel resection surgery. I think I have done well. I have dropped 60 pounds since surgery and have gone from 44-46 waist slacks to 38-40 waist pants. I am walking 45-60 minutes per day, I have gotten off most of the medications I was taking prior to surgery and am feeling very well. The other day I noticed that the general feeling of malaise (generally not feeling well) has pretty much left. I felt well much of the time prior to surgery and the weight loss but there would be days where I generally did not feel good. We might call them days where you feel "off." No specific complaints and I did not feel sick, just didn't feel well. I've noticed that overall feeling seems to be gone. There are days I get frustrated or aggravated with my irregular heart beat but I seem to be learning to live with that. There are days I feel a pain or ache someplace but I can always determine the source and it goes away quite soon.

I am going to have my gall bladder out in a couple of weeks. I found out from a CT Scan before surgery that I had gall stones but the bowel resection took precedence and the surgeon wanted to wait six months to a year before he removed the gall bladder. Well, it is now ten months and time for those symptoms to go away.

I still have some psychological issues. The cancer surgery apparently was more stressful than I thought. I ended up with an increase in my irregular heart beat and have been hospitalized for an A-Fib attack and spent some time seeing cardiologists in determining that I do not have a heart problem. Everyone has an irregular heartbeat, I am just more aware of mine right now. I am working on ignoring the event when it occurs and that does seem to be effective.

I still can have some pain when I have a bowel movement however it is because I may push too hard. The pain when I urinate is pretty much gone, and I have determined that that pain was caused by muscle strain from pushing too hard having a BM. I do encounter periods of gas when I eat, not always but I have no predictor for the event. Not only that I have a hard time controlling the expulsion of said gas and that has caused me some embarrassment. Thank God no one has fallen on the floor laughing, however I usually end up snickering.

I give thanks that the cancer was caught so early. I do have to go in for a follow-up colonoscopy an about a month, but I believe that will simply confirm the prognosis of the physicians who have evaluated my case. As I believe I said before, the Oncologist made a statement like, "your cured." I know nothing is 100% in medicine, but the growth was caught very early. Thanks to the Family Physician that agitated me for a couple of years to have the test done. It is a shame I waited as long as I did.

Anyway, I am still recovering. My BM's are not regular but my control has improved dramatically. I am much more comfortable in my daily life, and with the weight loss and exercise I have gotten back enthusiasm for working around the house, much to the delight of my wife.

For those of you that may read this, I pray your outcome, if you have bowel resection surgery is a successful as mine has been. I recall those early days of recovery and it is tough. But I've noticed continual improvement as I have gone along and I am sure you will to. God Bless All.

Posted by yoopertom at 5:23 AM


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Ten Months Update

How time passes. It is now ten months since bowel resection surgery and things are well. I now notice that having a bowel movement is becoming more of a routine instead of an adventure. I no longer suffer from leakage. The episodes of having to go right now or I would have an accident seem to have stopped. Those adventures made travel or shopping an interesting event. Often I would have to quickly abandon my wife in the aisle and head to the nearest rest room hoping that trying to keep from having an accident did not influence my ability to walk too much. I was afraid I would look like an idiot scurrying to a bathroom with the cheeks of his ass held tightly together.

I still have the feeling when I urinate that I can't control the back end too well and I get a feeling as though some bowel may come out, however it hasn't caused a problem. I pretty much accept the fact that I have to wash my bottom with a wash rag on occasion. That ain't all bad.

I am feeling very well. I do have episodes of gas after I eat that I do not recall prior to surgery. In addition there are times that I cannot pass gas quietly and have some funny but embarrassing moments in public. Nothing too disastrous like blowing out the windows in a store, or scattering the clothing in the men's area.

I still have the sense that there will be further improvement. The hemorrhoid I raised early in recovery seems to have taken up permanent residence. It used to disappear for long periods of time prior to surgery, now it is pretty much there all of the time. However, it is small, it is not painful, and other than a little noticeable when I shower or clean myself it is not a problem.

Life is settling into a routine where I feel good almost all of the time. My stamina is good, I do not feel tired in the afternoon to the point I'd like to nap. I lift, work, do all of the things I did before and I rest pretty well. Other than periodic episodes of an irregular heart beat I feel great. Yes, there is health after recovery, just be patient.

Six Months

It is now a little more than six months since surgery. Time passed quickly, although from day to day you were not aware of that passage. I have no pain from the surgery, and I haven't had for some time. However, my system is still adjusting to the new situation. I seem to go a little a lot in the case of a bowel movement. I still run into that feeling of having gone and not completed the transaction which leaves one with an urge to sit on the commode and go some more. I have learned to trust my body to some degree and ignore that urge and go one about my business, the old body will tell me if I really have to go some more.

I had a Dr.'s visit last week to finalize the six month check up. He was satisfied with everything, I described my on going saga of BM's and nothing I said alarmed him. The Doctor did make the suggestion that I take a glass of Citrucel once a day. I have started that new regime and it does seem to have had some impact already. I have a little more ease in going and the stool comes without the strain I was encountering.

I do feel a lot better. I have dropped about 50 pounds and my blood pressure is in the normal range, my glucose level seems to be under control so there are some real benefits because of the surgery. It is a shame that it takes such a catastrophic event to get us to change our ways. This is the best I've felt in probably 10 to 15 years.

I still get some pain in the lower muscles when I urinate or have a BM. I also find myself sitting on the commode when I simply have to pee, but that is because I have been surprised a couple of times and had to change my underwear. I find it safer to sit. I do not know if that will change, but I do know that if where I am at does not get any better I can live with the current situation.

When I eat I do seem to get gas right away and find myself in the position of having to raise my butt of the chair to release the gas. That makes it seem obvious and I don't like that. Plus, I do not have good control of when gas may be expelled so it can be a little embarrassing. It does remind me not to eat too much and try to keep the Southern wind down a little.

My stamina is not back where I would like it, and I do get tired at the end of the day. I have not been napping very often, occasionally I do, but for the most part I don't seem to require a nap in the afternoon. When I am working around the house I have to remind myself to slow down, stop and take a break on the porch and drink a bottle of water. I consider those things good however, and don't find the breaks objectionable. I also find myself debating whether the fatigue I feel in the evening is part of recovery or part of old age, I am 62. My mind says so what, my body seems to say "give it a rest."

If anyone is reading this blog, there is life after surgery. I do not expect a occurrence of the cancer. The Doctor and I talked about a follow-up colonoscopy in November of this year. At this point all signs point to good golden years. I pray for good results for every person who undergoes bowel resection surgery for whatever reason. I hope my thoughts have helped someone.

Recovery: A later perspective.

I had written about recovery at home back on February 19, 2007. I had been home approximately five week and was just starting to feel like sitting at my computer and writing about my first month's experience. I am sure everyone's experience is different, but I imagine there are a lot of similarities also. I am going to attempt to further document recovery. However, this is difficult. Much of what I am going to write about we do not discuss in polite company. It is hard to know what to expect from bowel resection when there does not seem to be much written about what happens some time after surgery. I think it is a very private experience and not discussed much. If that assumption is true, then there needs to be a lot of information put out, so let me do my part.

It has now been five months since surgery. I am still recovering. Oh, I am up and around. I'm back to work and active around the home. I walk for exercise quite often, I have many good days. However, my system reminds me from time to time that it is not happy about having my intestinal equipment cut apart and sewn back together.

After six weeks I saw the surgeon for follow-up. He told my wife, my color was looking good, I seemed to get around fairly good, and I was released to resume normal activities. HUH? I felt like shit. I did return to work in late February, but hell I shuffled around the college campus I am employed at like a little old man. I got tired after a little while and had to stop and rest a moment, or sit and rest. If I got gas, which I do quite often my area around my rectum would ache, then I would pass gas and it would go away, only to repeat as the gas built up again.

I was having bowel movements, but they weren't regular, still aren't. I went through about one week where I would have to go #2, and I would have to go 4, 5 and even 6 times within the space of a couple of hours. The consistency of the bowel changed from firm to diarrhea. My rectum would sting with what my surgeon described as an exquisite pain. I now know what exquisite pain is. It is a real sharp, piercing pain right around your anus one best described as an exquisite pain. It still happens, just not as often.

I felt sick to my stomach every morning at about week six. That eventually passed as I made sure I drank plenty of water. I would use the water bottles from a store, I'd just refill them with tap water. Food still did not taste good, it didn't taste bad, it was just blah! I was on a diet and didn't even realize it, food tasting so blah just was not to exciting to eat, so I ate just enough and would stop.

After eating, many times gas would form and I could not expel it very well which left me with a very bloated feeling and was actually quite painful. It would pass, but not before making me feel like eating wasn't a good thing. I would sleep fitfully, until I'd get up tight and take a Zanex. I recommend something like that, what I have are 0.5 mg tablets, I can take two if I want, but only as needed. I try to stay away from them, but I did have some nights where I was simply anxious, worried if I was going to recover and they helped provide me with a good night's rest.

The main difficulty I had was with my intestines. I would have a bowel movement for a day to a day and a half. Then it seemed like my system said, OK boy, we're going to get rid of all of it now. I would have sometimes half a dozen "BM's" in the space of a hour and a half. By the time I got to the 5th and 6th encore I was experiencing that "exquisite pain" and even tore some tissue and bled slightly from the opening as I cleaned myself. I did try to put Preparation H on my sore rectum, it helped relieve the itching or the pain, but I had a disappearing hemorrhoid that would appear at this time and add to the discomfort. Many a time I waddled out from the bathroom with a fairly strong pain around my behind.

Once I ate about 4 oz. of cashews in a twenty-four hour period and my system really rebelled. I went so often and my stools turned to diarrhea. It really hurt, and I have not touched cashews since. I also have not had a repeat episode like that since.

There were some days I felt absolutely pain free and at ease. I treasured those days, they did not last long and for the first three months I never had two of the days in a row.

One odd thing that happens, even today although not as bad, is after I had cleaned out my system I would get a feeling of having to go, but when I sat on the commode I might get what came to be known as my "rabbit turd." I would have some small movements and they would be accompanied by some light, feathery mucous. Nothing hurt, it just looked different.

One funny thing I have developed is what I call the "noseeum turds." The bowel would be so shaped that when it hit the water of the commode it would pass go and not look back. Many a time I wanted to see what event had transpired only to see nothing. The bowel had slid through the water in the commode and went down into the trap out of sight. I knew I had gone, but had no proof to examine.

One of the other frustrating things is after a "clean out," I would experience the sensation like I had to go. Yet, when I sat on the commode nothing would come. This was also the times I might experience the "rabbit turd" effect, but my system was sure telling me I had to go, when I couldn't. I might go a little but the rest of the bowel wouldn't come and then when finally cleaned myself and got up it would retract up the colon and sit there as a reminder of my failure, plus making me feel like I had to go right away again.

Hope this isn't disgusting you, I do not know how to say it politely. I just know that recovery is long. I still do not have what I consider to be my normal stamina, or I have days when I tire easily. I will tell you this, I feel much better than I have for years. Several things I think, account for that. First, the operation was a success. Second, I have built my lack of appetite into a diet and have lost 46 pounds since surgery. I have actually lost 69 pounds from my heaviest all time weight which was just three and a half years ago. I am much more limber, I can bend with ease and when I work under my truck I don't look like a beached whale trying to right itself.

I have had a couple of negatives. Just after two months my heart decided to have an atrial fibrillation episode, otherwise known as an "A-fib" episode. I was in the hospital for two days as they got my heart under control. I had taken the medication digoxin (Lanoxicaps) for almost eighteen years for that very reason. I had an A-fib attack back about 1989-90. The cardiologist felt that probably the heavy load of stress I was carrying from surgery was the primary contributing factor. It did really unsettle my morale and had me quite fearful for a while. However, I have no underlying heart defects, I experience PVC's (premature ventricular contractions) but so do a lot of people. PVC's are not life threatening issues, in fact neither is heart arrhythmia unless it is brought on by a heart attack, then it is often fatal. Needless to say, I spent many a night, in the dark, with my fingers checking the regularity of my pulse at my neck.

The other set back has nothing to do with either bowel resection or heart, but I pinched my sciatic nerve going down my left leg that had me in some very heavy pain for about two weeks. I am taking prescription doses of Ibuprofen (3-200mg) three times a day. It took a while, but it does seem to have helped. I did have an MRI that indicated I have a bulging disc and some scare tissue from a previous back surgery some thirty years ago might be impinging on the nerve. I will see a neurosurgeon next month to discuss treatment alternatives. And yes, I did read the article about back problems going away on their own within three months and too many Americans are having back surgery when they don't need it.

I also had to fight through some survivor's problems. This is common I've come to learn in cancer victims. Its like, a flaw was found in an otherwise sound system and will it come back, and when. I was told by an oncologist that I am back at the normal risk for a person who did not have colon cancer, that is how early the polyp was removed. I do from time to time dwell on the fact that I have fewer days in front of me than behind me, but I've been in that situation since I turned 50 twelve years ago.

I am much better after five months. I do recognize, however, that I am not completely well. My digestive system reminds me from time to time, and I do experience some pain. There are times that when I urinate I get a painful feeling at the rectum/anus. It's like that whole muscle structure is tied together somehow and wants me to know it isn't happy yet. Sometime urinating is very painful, like my penis hurts, but most of the time the sensation is normal. That pain also seems to be coming less frequently.

Must of my discomfort revolves around having a bowel movement. Many times nothing happens, however if a day and a half elapse without some sort of bowel movement I can expect an episode. Those to seem to be lighter.

I do not know if this helped anyone. I doubt anyone will ever read it. It is out in the public forum though just in case someone stumbles on this blog looking for information. I intend to be patient, I believe that most discomfort I experience is associated with healing and getting back into sync. I think in another six months I will be reporting that I am functioned pretty much back to normal. If not, I will accept the situation as being the best I can hope for. Good luck to you and yours.