I am having a hard time deciding when to have TD. I am going on vacation may 5. Should I wait to have TD until I get back from vacation, or schedule it for the next few weeks(by April 1)? I am also concerned about spending yet another summer recovering from surgeries. How long did it take for you all to feel ok after TD surgery? Also, did your surgeon leave your stoma site partially open? If so, how long did it take to close?

Alexandra,

I think you would probably feel okay overall to travel after a month. You should be recovered from the surgery and your incision should be closed by then.

However, it's a crap shoot how fast your body will adjust to things. If you are one of the luck ones that immediately starts out with only 3-5 trips to the bathroom a day - then no problem. If, however, you are like most of us... you will still be going to the bathroom 12+ times a day (possibly a lot more).

If it were me, I would wait so that I could enjoy my vacation without having to worry about finding a bathroom all the time.

As for the stoma site - closed or open, who is your surgeon here in KC? Dr. O'Brien did my surgery and she closed the incision with 3 vertical "loose" stitches. It was packed for a day or two while stitched (the packing was between the stitches. I had no problems with it healing up. I'm not sure how the other docs in the area do it. Meggido had her surgery done by Dr. Castera so if he's your doc you can PM her and ask how he does it.

Steve

I think it depends on how active your vacation will be. If you want to be active, wait. We went to Cancun 3 weeks after my TD. It was the only time we could schedule it, so we went. All I did was lie on the beach, sleep and eat (not a lot of eating). I didn't have to do any more because the resort was all-inclusive so everything was right there. It was great! I could never have done Europe or an adventure trip...

Dr. Castera is my Dr. He has been wonderful. I am still waiting for an abdominal wound to heal. It should be closed soon. I am just getting very anxious because my family and I are avid outdoors people. We do a lot of camping boating, tubing, theme parks, and water parks. I guess I am just trying to put the cart in front of the horse. I thought I was going to be done with all of this by now, but with all the setbacks and all, I am just anxious.

I would either go on vacation before the surgery or wait for a while after the surgery to see how you feel. As Steve mentioned, some people adjust really well to the pouch but others (like me) end up going very often through the day and night. Not a way I would be wanting to spend my vacation. At first after I had my TD I needed to find all the restrooms where ever I went just in case. It's better now but it's been 10 months.

I know you don't want to spend another summer recovering from surgery but at least when you feel up to it you will be able to get out and about. My first surgery was over the winter and I found myself house bound most of the time due to bad weather and icy conditions that I didn't want to risk slipping and falling and hurting myself or pulling the incisions.

All the best on whatever you decide.

Hi Alexandra,
Such a difficult question. I felt much better immediately after my TD. A couple of weeks after the TD I had no pain whatsoever and was swimming for exercise. I have had frequent BMs, but still, I can hold it in and haven´t even been close to accidents. Ever. My experience has been that I´d rather be on holiday with a new pouch than with an ostomy. But like we all say all the time, we are all different! If you can have a good holiday with your ostomy, it´s probably safest to have your TD after the holiday. That way, if you do have any complications after it, it won´t ruin your holiday. Good luck in reaching a decision.

I think 4 weeks is too soon to travel. It could take that long for your pouch to adjust, and it could take a little longer. If he leaves your wound open, you're going to want to stay close to home if there is a problem.

If you are going on an active outdoor vacation, I would definitely wait until after vacation. You will want to be able to enjoy yourself, and not have to worry about where the nearest bathroom is. I had a one step surgery in March, and I went on vacation in July. It was wonderful, by that time I knew what I could and couldn't eat, and how my pouch reacted to certain foods. I just don't think 4 weeks is enough time and you just might be putting more stress on yourself.

If you are doing well with the ostomy, it might be best for all of you to wait until after vacation. Then you won't have a timetable and you can recover at your own speed.

Good Luck with your decision,

janna

I could not have vacationed 5 weeks post surgery. I wouldn't vacation now, still not 100%. TD was December 10th. My stoma site was closed...thank god! You know best how you cover from surgery. I'm a slow recoverer!

Best of luck...have a great vacation whenever it is!

After takedown, I was back at school within a month and could sit through my 3 hr classes but like they always say everyone is different.

I would give yourself a little more time just to be safe. It would be a shame to have to spend more time in the bathroom then on the beach.

Hi Alexandra,
I would definately wait until afer TD. Right now you know how your body works, how it reacts, what to do, what not to do. Everything is going to be so new to you after TD. God forbid you should have a hard recovery, but what if you do? Then you have this nice vacation scheduled and you won't be able to enjoy it.
Hope you feel you make the right decision.
DeAnna

Hi Alexandra,

Actually I would do it before or don't schedule it (vacation)till after. See how you feel. Never no what could come up. Personally I could have went on a "lay in the sun" vacation easily the first week, but things didn't stay that way later on. (????) You can't guarantee anything.

I actually felt the best the 1st week out and then started to get more pain and irritation and frequency the next 3 - 4 weeks. I wouldn't have enjoyed any vacation at that point. But it didn't last long.

Oh and my doc closed my stoma sight completely....thank God. And never had any problems, pain, infection, etc.

Feel free to ask any questions or to PM me if I can help in anyway.

Laurie