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Hello
My wife had her colon removed a week ago today.
In fact im sitting beside her now.
We are @ cleveland clinic.she has had uc for probaly 5-6 yrs.
Within the last yr also diagnosed with lupus.
Tried everything else . Drugwise.
Inc very high doses of prenazone for a long time.
As of late even that diddnt work.
Org dr said 7 days after surgery she could go home with a visiting nurse for a bit
She is in a lot of abdomin. And back pain still.
If anything its worse now then the day after.
They done a ct yesterday. And everything looked ok.
Shes no sissy shes been in pain for a long time prior to this.
Is this normal? Also extreme nausea. Doesnt want to eat. Threw up a couple times.
The staff here is outstandimg
.I believe they do all they can.
I just feel so helpless..

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My gf was by my bedside the entire time just like you are for her so first i want to give you a pat on the back..i have read stories where people have left their SO during this time so kudos to you my friend.

I was in alot of pain after mine as well, i was in the hospital for 1 week and 5 days, i through up alot and they thought it was a blockage, ct scanned showed nothing was wrong, my bowels were awake and everything i just couldnt stop vomiting. i kept telling them it felt like acid reflux, they kept giving me meds like fenigrin..idk if i spelled that right..and zofran..finally they gave me nexium for acid reflux, BOOM, stopped vomiting and was eating the very next day.
I can relate to the not wanting to eat, i was sorta hungry but it was more out of fear that i did not want to eat because of the vomiting and not knowing how things work with food anymore. Dont feel helpless, with you just being there for her that says alot to her right there.
dgtracy
I had a really rough week in the hospital after my first surgery. LOTS of pain and vomiting but all the tests showed everything was ok. I felt better about 10 days after. I contributed my nausea and vomiting to the anesthesia. I was out for 8 hours so they gave me a lot. I always seem to have a rough go with the anesthesia even though they give the anti-nausea meds...they never seem to help.

What pain medication is she on? They had me on morphine which didn't help and then switched me to Dilaudid (sp?). That worked much better. It usually does get worse before it gets better while in the hospital. That's good they did a CT scan to rule anything out. Hope she feels better soon.
mgmt10
It's tough seeing someone we love in pain. Just having my hubby there with me was a huge comfort. I hated when he had to leave. (we had kids at home so he was taking care of them) She'll be fine and having you there I am sure is making her feel better. Just make sure you are communicating to the nurses about her pain so they can keep her comfortable.
mgmt10
A tad better today.
Still isnt eating much
But I got her butt out of bed today 2 times.
And we have another date @ 9pm. She hurtin.
But the second time was easier. May have to change it to 10pm.
Hate to miss the new duck dynasty.
Mentioned the nexiom thing. Doc said hed check into it.
So we at have a schedule. Now for walks..
Hope she gets better soon. This chair im sleeping in is gona put me in the hospital. .
ST
I didn't realize how much my wife meant to me until I went through this surgery and she was there every moment she could be. I also have 3 children and lucky enough to have in-laws that were so willing to help out so my wife could be there with me as much as possible. I could probably even say she saved my life because I had septic shock and she pushed the nurse to call the surgeon immediately and I had my emergency operation. If it wasn't for her being my advocate at those times I don't know if I would still be alive or functioning the way I do. I give you a lot of respect and admiration for being by her side at probably the toughest time in her life. I have to warn you the journey does not stop after she gets out of the hospital. Its going to be a long tough road ahead with her recovery and having patience is going to be extremely important. I am 5 months post takedown and still battling some of the psychological effects it had on me. The trauma mixed with all the chemicals in my body made me a totally different person than I was before. I decided to seek therapy to learn how to deal with the new emotions I was having and am also continuing with couples therapy so me and my wife could be more understanding of each other. I have to say she is a strong woman for putting up with all of this craziness for so long. She will get better now that she ditched that diseased colon that was ruining her life and probably yours at the same time. Its always tough to see the ones we love in pain especially when we can't do anything and feel helpless. Stay strong you guys will get through this. Good Luck. You have plenty people on this site that are here for support.
P
Another really rough night.. really wondering now if something is wrong?
Feeling myself go from concerned and worried to angry.
Today is day 8. And she is much worse than day 2..
They moved her to another room after 6 days. After finding out her roommate was contagious.
Cant rember what they called the sickness. But I know it causes severe diariaha.
And is contagious. Especially to someone with auto ammune problems. Shareing a bathroom with her 6 days probably wasnt the best idea..I hope her dr comes today. Havent seen him since sunday.what they call his team does. Like I said before she isn't a sissy. Shes hsd seve eral other surgerys and 2 kids. She's always been a fighter and very strong.
This has really knocked her down. Don't know what to do? Dont see goin home in the near future..
ST
Her room mate they moved probably had c-diff from the sound of it. I gave birth two times as well and that didn't hurt nearly as bad as this surgery. After I left the hospital about a week later I developed an abscess in my pelvic area that caused a lot of pain and I ran a fever. But you said they CT scanned her so if anything like that was there they would have seen it. I would insist on seeing her surgeon today if she seems like she isn't improving. Keep us posted.
mgmt10
He did come in today.
Said its just going to take a bit longer.
One of the reasons he thought was because she was already on most of the pain meds they are giveing her now. She has been in a lot of pain for a long time prior to this.
Between uc lupus. Fibermiagla. Not to mention she also has ashma.. cardiac aritmia..
Sorry I know some of my spelling isn't great.
Running on 2 hrs of sleep again. She may be feelin a bit better today shes ornery as hell.said she is not walking right now.... and 2 bites of oatmeal was it. For brekfast.
Told me to leave her alone. Tried to convince me to go home..lol doc saif she couldnt leave till no more iv or ib drugs. And had to be eating solid foods.
Bottom line is I dont get to leave till she can. And im ready....
Never seen days drag on so long. Have chicken.green beans. And mashed taters comeing for lunch. And shes going to eat some I hope...
ST
Hang in there man like I said things can only get better. Her roommate might of had Merca which causes skin and bloodstream infections. That seems very common in hospitals these days. I know when I was hospitalized they had multiple cases of it. Its nice to have the room to yourself unless they through somebody else in there real quick which with that busy hospital they might have. Anger, stress, and worry are not gonna help to much so just try to stay calm it also will help your wife stay calm if she senses you are. Once again good luck.
P
Well today ls day ten.
She is the same and insists something is wrong.
Her roommate had c diff. Has run a fever 99-100. Mabe a bit higher.
@ 7 daws when they said a few more days I thought no big deal.
Really beginning to wonder now.
At whitts end. Was suspose to be back to work Thursday.boss has been real good
Out of clean clothes. Out of daily meds 2 days ago.
But the main worry is she is no better and not as good as she was day 2.

.
ST
Could a lot of this be from her other problems? I agree, if she's used to the pain medication, the stuff they are giving her probably isn't cutting it.

Could you have someone familiar with her other problems come for a consult? You really are in one of the best places for this and the staff is just wonderful. I just wonder if the colorectal team says everything is fine, but they aren't looking at her other issues.

She really needs to get walking. I really didn't want to do it, but it really helps. It's so hard at first, but it does get better. I remember that an 80 year old guy flew past me. He encouraged me and I did get faster and better.

Maybe you should take that trip home to get a hot shower, some food, clothes and meds. Sounds like you both need a break.

Also, when I was at the CC, they never would give us a clear indication how long we would be in the hospital. I really didn't have any complications and I was in there 8 days and then another night in a local hotel.

Hang in there...both of you.
D
I don't mean to scare you, but I was in the hospital 5 weeks after emergency surgery to remove my colon.

I had many complications, I refused to walk because of pain and that was the worst thing I could have done to myself. When I finally had somebody who could take care of me at home, I was released from the hospital.

Going home was the BEST MEDICINE ever! The comfort of being near my own things, my own bed and the motivation to make my "nest" clean and comfortable (I had moved in to my new house 2 days prior to hospitalization)gradually made me get stronger.

I went from eating nothing at the hospital (down to 98 lbs after losing 30lbs)to a non-stop eating marathon.

You can still get home health. I went home with a PIC line for antibiotic drip, abcess drain bag, very little training on my osotomy bag, and infected surgical wounds. My Mom and sister did an awesome job at becoming familiar with new medical care. If they were uncertain of how to take care of some of my issues, a nurse is only a phone call away.
Lesandiego
things are looking better.. started feling better saturday. just changed her to solids today. she needs to have something besides water in her bag and they may cut her loose.. shes sure giveing them a hard time today.. she wants to leave.. misses the grand babys and her own bed..walking real good and eating some.
nauziea has let up. still sore but bearable. i was really begining to wonder...
thanks afor all the replys.. will check back when i finaly get to go home. been gone 14 days today..luckily i have alot of good friends and family to help me out @ home..
ST
my friend the suffering during surgery can be one of the most painful experience your dear wife will have in her life, for me it was the first, second and third time. You wouldn't believe how many doubts and fears I had, but, eventually, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.
and for sure your wife will consider this experience enriching for the rest of her and your life...
please stay strong both, as you will be happy soon. Smiler
I
Well we got to come home tuesday afternoon.
It took some convinceing to say the least.
Think that was the most horrible experience of my life.
Was like a 15 DAY NIGHTMARE.
Anyone needing this done all I can say is do your homework.
She needed it done no doubt.
Research your choices. And anyone that tells you the cleveland clinic is the best.
Call me. 269 317 4230. We have some very good hospitals here in kalamzoo mi that I wish I would have checked into first.. thanks for all the replys.
It really helped. She is
getting a bit better. Eating some.
Still a lot of pain. But much better since we got home..
ST
Glad you are home and she's doing a bit better. I think it's worse when you are stuck in the hospital. I bet she bounces back quicker now that she's home and comfy in her own bed.

It's a brutal surgery. I remember the pain all too well but I still say I would do it over in a heart beat. It's so nice to live without UC. You're a great hubby for seeking out help here for her! This is a great site if she needs it in the future. Smiler
mgmt10

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