The Colon Club

Surgery couldn't have gone better. Laproscopic sigmoid colectomy. He got the entire tumor. Margins are clear. Colostomy is gone. I think I had a bm. Gas discharge...i think so? Jello and broth today, discharge tomorrow or Thursday. So far so good! Now I wait for the pathology report.....

So happy to read that the surgery went well! Here's to a swift recovery

Excellent news ! Delighted for you !
Hope your recovery is going well !
Stu

Very glad to know your surgery went well!

I am scheduled to leave the hospital tomorrow. Everything has gone well. The only thing question mark is diet.

I do know a low residue diet but I'm not sure of when to eat and how to avoid for the dreaded sudden BMs.

I was thinking of not eating at before and during work and eating only at home.

If anyone has any tips and tricks & tricks for post colectomy eating I would be grateful to know them. Hope everyone is well!

I had a colostomy too, and our cases are similar, though I am Stage 2B. My reversal was on July 14, and I would say that the BMs decrease significantly each day. My rectum was left intact, so I had good control, but in the first 2 weeks I would just go out for very short errands. I also trained myself to sit in the toilet in the morning after my coffee whether I had the urge or not. I’d say that I am pretty much back to normal BM (1 or 2xs a day). Walking is key. When are you planning to go back to work? I’d say that after 4 weeks, you’d have a better idea about your BM routine, and you wouldn’t need to be limited to low residue diet.

As for eating, eat small amounts throughout the day. Introduce vegetables little by little and don’t eat too much of it in one sitting. A month after reversal, feeling so good and normal, I made the mistake of eating a (raw) kale and quinoa bowl for brunch from my favorite place and a Korean rice bowl in the evening with LOTs of vegetables. I ended up in ER the following day with an obstruction.

So they advanced me to solid food and I ate meatloaf, mashed potatoes and cooked carrots. No action from my bowel.

i've been walking and had some hot tea but gas pain has increased slightly. I'm mad that I ate lunch but they said it was okay and I was hungry.

That's wonderful news! I hope your recovery goes well. *hugs*

Pathology report: Stage 2, 0/36 nodes, good margins.

JMRWife wrote:Pathology report: Stage 2, 0/36 nodes, good margins.

Love that you named your tumor Mrs. Wiggins! I named mine Oscar (after the grouch). Glad to hear they got her out of you with clean margins, and that no nodes came back positive. Also glad to hear surgery recovery went well for you.
--Tracy