The Colon Club

Hi; As I type this my 87 year old father is having his colon removed due to severe blood hemorrhaging (history of diverticulitis). Bleeding is so bad they cannot determine where in the colon. I was briefed he will spend a few days in ICU before being moved to rehab then eventually discharged. I plan on traveling down to help him get settled in to his house after discharge. Are there any recommendations for changes/additions to the household/bathroom to accommodate his new life style? He was already relegated to a walker/canes due to bad knees.

I'm not sure if this will help, but my husband had me go out and buy 6 new big pillows, as he needed to prop himself up to sleep . . . he was basically sleeping sitting up in our bed, and he could not sleep on his side for a very long time . . . you may also want to plan to have high protein shakes available, as solid food didn't go well with my husband for quite some time . . . the high fat/high protein shakes helped him keep some weight while he was on a restricted diet . . . also, lots of comfy pants/jammies that are baggy and stretchy so that they can been worn w/o pushing up against any tender areas, or maybe even a nice new robe . . . not sure if any of this helps, but I wish you and your dad the best . . . here's to a speedy recovery . . .
jep

Hi and welcome,

The best advice I can give, make sure he walks, walks, walks those hospital halls and when he get home. Yes it's hard in the beginning, butt it really does help in the healing process, especially as the weeks from surgery become farther and farther apart.

While in the hospital, a wrap around robe is great for easy way to cover the back end of those lovely hospital gowns, not to mention probably IV tubes in his arm or where ever. Padded slippers are also a good idea.

Follow a low fiber diet for a few weeks once home.

Remember one day at a time.

Lee

jep wrote:I'm not sure if this will help, but my husband had me go out and buy 6 new big pillows, as he needed to prop himself up to sleep . . . he was basically sleeping sitting up in our bed, and he could not sleep on his side for a very long time . . . you may also want to plan to have high protein shakes available, as solid food didn't go well with my husband for quite some time . . . the high fat/high protein shakes helped him keep some weight while he was on a restricted diet . . . also, lots of comfy pants/jammies that are baggy and stretchy so that they can been worn w/o pushing up against any tender areas, or maybe even a nice new robe . . . not sure if any of this helps, but I wish you and your dad the best . . . here's to a speedy recovery . . .
jep

I bought one of those memory foam triangular pillows from Costco. I was propping myself up with pillows but they moved around a lot. The triangular thing helped me sleep on my back and kept the bag tilted downwards to reduce the odds of leaks and ruining the filter. This was for an ileostomy and I'd guess that the OP's father doesn't have one of these so it may not matter for this thing. But the triangular pillow is quite nice for doing this.

Night lights in the bathroom and on the way there.

Absorbent, disposable cloths for under sheets (medical supply house has them in boxes, unfold and put under sheet on mattress).

Books, magazines, puzzles, whatever his favorite is to keep mind engaged.

Table by bed or chair to hold everything.

I’m an occupational therapist and have worked in rehab for a while now (taking a break while I deal with my own diagnosis). I would say that when he goes to rehab, make sure to talk to the OT as much as you can, bring up any concerns about the home. If you’re unsure, you can request a home evaluation where the therapists will go with him to the home and see if he has trouble with any basic tasks. The OT will make recommendations for adaptive equipment and strategies. They may also recommend home care. At least where I was, we were pretty diligent about asking about the home environment on admission.

I hope that helps and let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks for all the responses. My 88 year old father is not doing well. He is having complications and not sure if it is a result of the extended hemorrhaging with following colectomy or a fall he took shortly before the colectomy but he has been intubated/sedated since the surgery a week ago. He currently is experiencing acidosis of the blood and they are bringing in a kidney specialist today to try to evaluate if the kidneys are involved. They have to get his blood stabilized before they can remove the intubation tube. Palliative Care tried to contact us earlier today so I am not sure if that is standard due to his present state or a red flag.

Apparently at 87/88 the surgery was too much for my father and he never recovered. He passed away on the 3rd.

Thank you all for your responses. I will close my account now.

Please accept our heartfelt condolences, for you and your family, over the loss of your father.

respectfully
CRguy

Sending you prayers and hugs.

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your father!*hugs* My deepest condolences for you and your family.