The Colon Club

Hi all I had my surgery to have the lymph nodes removed from my peri aortic. At the same time then did my ileostomy reversal. All went well, they say they got it all again. I see my oncologist on Monday to see where we go next. We are planning a trip to Disney in 2 weeks and I am wondereing am I crazy to go that soon after surgery? I plan on taking a wheelchair with us when we go cause I know I will not be able to survive the long days of walking. We had to postpone the trip twice already once for the liver surgery and once for the chemo after the liver surgery. The kids are so excited about going I don't want to disappoint them again, plus I really want to go. I just hope I can survive the drive it is about 17 hours. How long has it taken some of you to recover from your reversal? I have been doing laps around my living room to stay moving about 6 5 minute walks. Any other suggestions? Thank you

I've been blogging my August 20 reversal here:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9501

Ten days out, I wouldn't hesitate to go to Disneyland. I would definitely expect to tire more easily than normal, but anyplace with decent bathrooms (DL qualifies there) would be a place I'd be comfortable visiting at this point. You will need to watch what you eat. I'd figure out what works best for you and pack a lunch rather than risk eating something that might unexpectedly turn on you.

As to the bathroom thing, I went from about 8:00 this morning until 2:00 p.m. without needing to visit same, so it's really not a huge deal. For me, at any rate, continence is not an issue.

I know others have fared far worse. All I can do is explain what it's been like for me.

Thank you for the info. I will keep it in mind. I am still running to the bathroom between 5 to 8 times a day. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since surgery.

Recovery for this type of surgery seems to vary widely by individuals. I can understand your wanting to do this trip with your kids. If you feel you can do it - give it a try. If you're driving - what's the worst that can happen? You turn around and come home - or you end up staying in the hotel room. The wheel chair is an excellent idea. I was on the slow side of recovery, so this would not have been an option for me - but others have fared much better.

Listen to your body and listen to your heart, and proceed accordingly. Make sure you bring plenty of supplies with you. By this I mean food that you can eat and your body handles well, butt burn cream, lots of TP and/or baby wipes, (TP in hotels can be rough), any pain meds you might need and any meds you are taking for constipation and/or diahhrea. And the all important Depends! Bring your doctors # with you in case you need to call him/her while on your trip and have a plan ready in case you do need to seek medical attention while you're on the road.

Thank you for the advice. I saw my oncologist today and she said to go ahead and go. She prescribed some medicine for diareah. I already have the depends just in case and we have a porta potty we will be taking in the van with us. My oncologist is referring me to a radiation doctor to see if they want to radiate where the lymph nodes were taken out. Hopefully all goes well.