ileocecetomy

This is my first time on this site. It seemed helpful so I decided to join and post. I was diagnosed with Crohns four years ago. I was put on entocort and prednisone. It didnt really help. I then went to azathioprine and remicade infusions every 8 weeks. Flares were less but still coming so they doubled the remicade. I had a colonoscopy two weeks ago and found that after four years of treatment my doctor still could not get into my small intestine even with a pediatric scope. The same thing happened initially four years ago. The area is too strictured. There is also a large nodule, very vascular and inflammed. My doctor has decided that an ileocecectomy will be preformed. She will do this laproscopically (or at least try to) and it will be on December 16th. I'm a little nervous because I haven't had any surgery for the crohns yet and because of this grow in nodule. She thinks it's best tobhave removed due to my age (29). Anybody else have this procedure done? Any insight? She told me hospitalization will be 3-5 days and diet will be normal. She said I will still be able to do some things but will feel like "one step forward, two steps back." Four to six week recovery. No driving for at least two weeks and no heavy lifting for 6 weeks. Thanks.

Samantha

Thank you. I will certainly look into it.


Samantha

Thank you. I will need to check yours out. Mine is all scar tissue as well and high risk for intestinal blockage.She is doing an ilealcecal resection. I'm just nervous.

When is your surgery scheduled? Try not to be nervous. You will get good pain medicine and you will get through it. Let me know if you have any specific questions, and let us know how it all goes!

I'm nervous about the pain. I don't take pain well.

Hi Sunny,
I had a similar surgery back in 1982 so it was an open incision, no lapro then. But when I had a resection in 2010 at the anastamosis site, they gave me a pain pump as well as a nerve block. I didn't have much pain at all in hospital, but did have enough pain at home that I needed to take the pain meds they gave me. Ditto on taking time to heal. Don't rush back into anything too soon even if it's lapro your body is going to go through alot. My biggest issue post surgery the second time was the adding foods back in , i was hesitant so I probably introduced food more slowly than I had to. But that will be your call depending on what you handle and how.

Make sure to take items with you that you will need in hospital. I would take my own slippers so I didn't have to wear those lovely hospital issue ones (just me). And my own clothes instead of a hosp. gown. I got so bored with the TV and tended to sleep alot more. And you'll want loose fitting pants to go home in also.

Take care and hope you do well.

Hi Samantha,
You won't be able to lift your son or carry laundry. I suggest that you get some help if you can for the first couple of weeks after you go home with child care and house cleaning. After that, you should probably be able to take care of your child as long as she understands that you can't lift at all. It is good to be up out of bed and walking around. It's good if you can freeze some food in advance. You will be able to do little things like fold laundry or cook simple food. You will probably have a lot of D for several weeks, so I wasn't motivated to go anywhere besides short walks or short trips for the first month.
I brought a bunch of books for the hospital and didn't read a thing! I liked having my computer or playing games on my phone. Most hospitals have wifi, and you can watch a movie on your computer if you have one. Mostly I was sleeping, or trying to get up and walk. My husband and best friend visited, but I didn't feel like seeing anyone else. Bring lotion and chapstick as it is usually really dry air in hospitals. I brought make-up and never put it on! Don't even bother with it! I preferred the hospital gowns in the hospital since you will have IV's. I wore one gown facing front and a second gown faced the opposite way. That way you are completely covered up, but you have the snaps on the gowns for the IV's. I liked having my own slippers and socks. I also liked sleeping in nightgowns after I came home because I didn't want anything touching my incision. Very large yoga pants (the kind that fold over with no elastic) are good too. I went to Target bought some stuff for recovering at home and I was glad I did. I can't think of anything else, but let me know if you have other questions.

Thank you everyone for your support. Now it is two weeks away and I'm starting to freak out. I don't know what to really expect afterward. How I am going to feel "inside"... wondering if I should just tell immediate family what I am going to be doing or to tell extended family as well... I find myself sitting by myself, thinking about it and then start crying. I guess I'm just scared... I can't imagine a room full of people and me anticipating the time that I finally go to sleep after the surgery and what it's going to be like when I wake up... ugh

Samantha

Thank you clonehead. I did not know this was crohns and colitis awareness week. Thank you for the tip. That is a good way to get it across without having to call out of the blue. I hope the pain medication works for me. I have a low tolerance for pain. I had the anesthesia recently for the colonoscopy. I knew what it was suppose to do because I am a nurse but it's totally different when it's yourself having the surgery. I remember the doctors using small talk with me until I went under. My heart rate was going up because I felt my speech get slower and it also felt like I wasn't breathing even though I knew I was. I have anxiety issues. I'm just nervous I guess. I'm praying all goes okay and I'm home for Christmas Eve (my daughter is 5 and I can't miss it). I've read stories that some people were in much longer than expected due to their bowels not waking up... ugh