Ileostomy reversal before or after post-surgical chemo?

[tooyoung]

I did the reversal first and so far I'm glad I did (I've been through 2 rounds of chemo so far). I was told that standards of care said I had 4 months from my surgery to start the chemo. I reversed the ileo after 2 months and started the chemo right before the 4 month mark.

Good luck!

[dsl]

I am currently going through 12 rounds of chemo before my reversal in Sept. I have only 3 rounds left and as ready as I am to get rid of this stupid bag, I am happy that we are waiting to do the reversal after because of the diarrhea. I understand where you are coming from about your attitude has changed since the bag. Lately, I have been having alot of leaking issues and I am at my breaking point with this stupid thing. I have two small kids (4 and 18 mths) and they simply don't understand that my bag is leaking and Mom needs a minute. I just recently ordered a different kind of bag to see if that helps with the leaking and hopefully, it will make the next couple of months a little easier.

[chaim]

to tell you the truth i was on 5 weeks 5-fu and radiation and all the doctors warned me that i will havediarrhea especially by the end of the treatment but the fact is i didn't have and i was much closer to constipation most probably because of the no fiber diet they gave me
i don't know if that will be the same in the new rectum but it makes me a little bit less afraid of diarrhea

[Bobemakk]

After prostate cancer surgery I needed a temporary ileostomy due to an upper and lower infection of the colon and blood clots and ended up spending a month in the hospital. I am 64 years of age and in my 6th month of blood thinners (lovenox injections 100mg twice daily) but have about another 2 1/2 months to go to assure the blood clots are gone. I have the same problems as most, leakage from the ileostomy. I have confined myself to my home since the ileostomy leaked several times even after a new one was put on. I am cancer free, and I thank God for that, but since my cancer was agressive, the doctor wants to give me radiation treatments. I am not sure if the ileostomy will be reversed will be reversed first or after radiation, can anyone answer that for me. Thanks, my email is bobemakk@optonline.net

[sandyhodges]

hi. my name is sandy. I'm asking this on behalf of my neighbor who had a mass on his small intestine. it was removed but he had a temp. bag. he wants to have the bag removed before he goes thru chemo/radiation. my question is this: what would you folks recommend? would it hurt him to post pone the treatments.?

[chemo sabe]

You actually could have / should have started a new thread rather than reviving something from 2008. That said, I only take advice from my Doctors - opinions from a web site and from people you do not even know are not worth much to me but I will share my personal experience. My oncologist and surgeon were on the same page and following surgery, I started adjuvant chemo about 4 weeks after surgery. That treatment was 8 rounds of xelox (6 months). My take-down surgery happened about 5-6 weeks after completing adjuvant chemotherapy (that was last month, October 17 2012). So I had my bag from Feb - October of this year. Chemo gave me significant diarrhea. I was taking 6-8 immodiums a day following an infusion (oxaliplatin). Following my takedwn, the first week or two was really a bathroom battle. Since you asked for an opinin, I will tell you that I would not put off adjuvant care. I would start it as soon as the doctors said it was OK. I am a very active person and I managed with a bag through a very long and hot summer.

[nicola smith]

My experience is that I had a total colectomy, had an ostomy pouch during chemo, and a jpouch reversal a year after the surgery. Chemo causes the runs big time and radiation (which I didn't have) causes a very very sore butt. The bag eliminated the runs completely. I cannot imagine having to deal with the fatigue of chemo as well as the runs caused by the removal of the bowel and the burn of radiation at the same time.

I note your friend's mass was on the small intestine...most people here are dealing with issues of the colon or large intestine so perhaps that makes a difference? At any rate, I think your friend needs to see a good ostomy nurse and ask some more questions.

[kelltx]

My oncologist said she will start me on chemo a month after reversal.There is a waiting period between a surgery and the chemo. So if the chemo is urgently needed, then there is no time to waste waiting for surgery and then the healing time. Its better to talk to the oncologists or colorectal surgeon about what is the call of the hour.