Surgery Update

 After surgery and a little complication, I'm finally out of hospital, but at least I'm home now.

Surgery went well, so now I have a temporary ileostomy. We were going to do a permanent ileostomy and proctectomy but with active peri anal disease going on at the time, it was decided to drain and pack multiple abscesses and have a temporary loop ostomy. The proctectomy and permanent ostomy will be in another 4-6 months to make sure the fissures, fistulas and abscesses are gone. That's the plan anyway.

I'd like to thank all the doctors and nurses at the Royal Columbian Hospital for taking good care of me while inside.

It's taking some getting use to having a bag now, physically and mentally. I know it has/had to be done, but I realized that this is the final step in my long journey, or battle you might say, in fighting this disease. There is no other way to go. I have had Crohn's for 32 years now and 30 of those years dealing with peri anal disease. I had learned different techniques to mange the multiple fistula's and abscesses and they finally got the best of me. Now I wait to see if the re routing of my bowel will help ease the peri anal disease, then I can get the proctectomy and permanent ileostomy.

This will be my NEW "normal" and after all these years, I'll be starting all over again.

So, we turn yet another page and start a new chapter in my book of Life.

300,000 Views !!

 Noticed this morning that my blog has reached over 300,000 views!!

Thanks to everyone who has come by. Hopefully I was able to help in some way, even it was just to have a giggle. What started out as a diary for me has blossomed to what it is today, a place for everyone to either learn something new or for just to follow along on my long journey.

I cannot express enough my gratitude to all who have read my blog, thank you!!

On a side note, I am still awaiting a hospital bed for my surgeries. It's a weird feeling. I have never, in all my Crohn's years, had to walk in the front door of a hospital for surgery. For all my surgeries, I have already been in hospital through the ER and admitted through them. The wait is bothering me, but mentally, not physically. The longer I wait, the more I think about it. It sucks. I know it needs to be done, but try telling that to my head.

The wait continues....

Surgery Time !!

 Had my colonoscopy this morning by the colorectal surgeon. Everything went fine, but as usual, I don't remember leaving the hospital let alone talk with anyone. With new COVID measures in place, after my procedure, I was wheeled out of the hospital by a porter, so I don't remember talking with the nurses or the surgeon. Normally my wife is there and she can listen to the doctors and nurses with what happened and if anything was discovered.

Fast forward 4 hours later and I get a call from another hospital telling me they have my bed ready. Ummmm, what??  I mentioned that I just had my procedure and cant get to the hospital today, plus the fact I had no idea WHAT I needed to go for. They didnt know either, other than they were to secure a bed for me.  A few minutes later, I got a call from the surgeon.

She asked me if I remembered our conversation during the procedure. I told her that I dont even remember coming home. She laughed and said it is always strange to her because I was very lucid and was talking with her. Nope...dont remember.  Anyway, she couldnt get the scope past my small intestine because of inflammation and stricturing. Keep in mind, that I only have a rectum which my small intestine is attached, so that's not very far in. She mentioned because I "looked good" compared to when she saw me last, that she recommends the surgery sooner than later because I would tolerate the surgery better. Nope...dont remember that either.  She wants to get me into a bed even though the surgery probably wont be for a week or so. It's either that, or it wont be until the new year sometime. She was going to see if she can get me into the hospital by Monday or Tuesday so I had time to wrap my head around it because it was happening so fast. I agreed.

Now, of course, my head is spinning. So many things to do to prep. I have bills to pay over the next few weeks....done. Need to get my hospital bag updated and ready....done. I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting.

Now, if I can just get my HEAD ready for an ileostomy and proctectomy......