Hi Andrea If you read my signature you will see that my situation was very similar to yours. My polyp was removed via EMR but found to have penetrated the submucosa to T2 level, moderately differentiated, no vascular invasion. I was offered watch and wait or ULAR. I think it's important to different...

So pleased to hear it went well.
Gentle healing.
Jan

Hi TL I think you make a really good point. I certainly wonder about the long term impact of taking the laxatives. However, for me, after having a particularly traumatic experience with a barium enema, I just can't bring myself to even think about doing them myself. I'm currently using relaxation ex...

Hi there, I also had an EMR prior to having my ULAR. My mass was very flat, about 15mm in diameter, and also very low in the rectum. My advice pre-EMR was that the procedure carried a significant risk of bleeding for about 2 weeks after the surgery and that I might have a small amount of spotting af...

In fact I've found laxatives better for improving consistency and predictability. Thanks Jan - when you have a moment I'd be interested in hearing about this. I'm doing 4-6 Imodium/day on the theory it slows the bowel, but would be interested to know what you meant about laxatives vis a vis consist...

Hey Judy,
The big day is here (well, at least it is here in Oz time, maybe not yet for you). Have all my fingers and toes crossed and have done my "rack off Murphy" chant for you.
Wishing you a gentle recovery.
Keep us posted.
(((hugs)))
Jan

That's gorgeous Steph, how wonderful to have a partner who can normalise your stoma and not make a big deal out of it.
Look forward to welcoming you to the reversalists.
Jan

Sorry for hijacking your thread Judy but I just wanted to say hi to Cathy. Have been thinking about you Cathy and how you've been going. I'm glad to hear that things are improving. As you say, not what you would have imagined yourself putting up with a year ago, but still manageable. That describes ...

He put his hands out on either side to clear the hallway, as though I was carrying a bomb or something, and then led me to the private bathroom in his office. He then waited outside the door until I was done "just in case I needed anything else" lol. Judy Hahaha. ..This is a classic. ..mi...

Hey Judy, That sense of humour is definitely what you need to pack for your reversal :D Have to tell you that the ONLY time I had a public blowout was at the pre-reversal appointment with my surgeon. Now wouldn't you think that a colorectal surgeon would have bathrooms that catered for us bagged up ...

Hi Andrea, This is a really tough decision. I had to make a similar decision a year ago. Unfortunately, neither choice gives you 100% certainty. The local excision/watch & wait route risks missing possible lymph node involvement, but is no more traumatic than a colonoscopy. The LAR/ULAR path giv...

Hi Judy, After reading stories about the leak test, and having previously experienced a barium enema, I too was quite anxious. It turned out to be a breeze. For me, I had a gastrograffin enema, they used a very fine catheter so no pain, all done with dignity, and the much anticipated rush to the loo...

Hi Judy, Looks like you're well prepared. The only thing I would add is some non-alcohol baby wipes for those times when you're away from your bidet. I found that one of those microwaveable heat pads definitely helps with spasms. Sometimes I would alternate hot and cold and that seemed to help as we...

Hi fellow reversalists Jim, I'm 9 months out and the size of my stool is still a lottery. More days now with normal size but still many days with narrow stool. Seems that time is the factor here. Wally, I think time is also the factor for changing multiple small stool into one larger effort. I agree...

Hi there, I'm 8 months out from reversal and experiencing similar episodes of tenesmus. Not nearly as frequent as they were, but still often enough to be bothersome. As I tend towards constipation, when I get an episode of tenesmus I have lots of pain and strain to pass small amounts of very firm st...