Surgical Update: Part 2 J-Loop Construction Complete

I'm currently back at home recuperating from the my being in the Hospital for the past ten days and it occurred to me that I haven't updated my blog.  Well blog, a lot has changed and a lot has happened so I'll do my best to bring you up to speed.


Recap: Febuary 8th, 2011, I underwent the first of my three surgeries to remove my large intestine completely (colectomy). Just to help aid in terminology the Colon and Large Intestine are synonymous terms.  During that surgery my all of my colon was removed from where the end of the small intestine (ileum) meets up with the large intestine (cecum) and leaving 12inchs of my rectum.  This removal was essential for my to be rid of the Ulcerative Colitis that had severely diseased my colon.  The last part of my small intestine, the ileum was left protruding from my right side as an ostomy, hence I had an ileostomy.


This was the first part of the three part surgery to rid of Ulcerative Colitis completely and yet still retain function of my anus.  This procedure is commonly called the "J-loop" surgery, or Ileoanal Reservoir.  

Here are a links that discuss this procedure and pretty much everything technical about what I'm going through.:
http://www.ostomy.org/ostomy_info/pubs/IleoanalReservoirGuide.pdf

Here is a great diagram of my procedure

Ever since February I've been getting my life back. It's been amazing finally being free from my diseased colon.  It felt like my whole body rejoiced to be rid of it.  Slowly my weight came back and so did my strength.  I got use to having an ostomy bag constantly stuck to my side.  One thing most people don't realized that everything comes out the ostomy, waste and gas, and nothing out of my normal end.  I never had to worry about passing gas.


August 16th 2011, I underwent Part 2 of my surgeries.  This one opened me up again and created the ileoanal reservoir of "J-Loop pouch" and using that 12inch of rectum left to ensure that there was enough tissue so the pouch could be sutured to my anus.  Further up steam of my small intestine another ostomy was formed.  This is necessary so that the newly constructed internal pouch can heal together with out having waste passing through it, which could cause complications.




My stay in the hospital was a little longer than expected sue to a small bowl obstruction.  A common yet unwanted complication that comes with any bowl surgery.  Basically the bowels get shocked from having been manhandled and they take a while before they settle and begin passing fluid and waste through them.  In my case the bowels took longer than the rest of my body was ready for and just like a kink in a water hose, I was clogged up.  I had to have a NJ tube place in my nose down past my throat down to my stomach wear the build up fluid had to be drained.  This tube was very painful and uncomfortable.  I can easily say this was the hardest part of the my whole ordeal that I've had to go through. After a a full 24 hrs of the NJ tube and keeping all the backed up fluids off my system, I removed the tube in my sleep.  Which wasn't planned, I didn't even realized what had happened, I thought I was dreaming.  I was fortunate that  I didn't have to have it replaced because I bowls began to respond correctly and I was able to be  released back to home on the evening of Aug 25th.


Since then it feels a lot like before, I'm tired and weak.  Being in the hospital and with the obstruction I had lost over 20lbs. so I've been trying to eat as much as I can.  I ended up taking naps throughout the day and  generally taking it easy.

Here is me pre-surgery just hours before going into surgery

Here is me post surgery.

Here is me with my NJ tube I had to pump liquid contrast through it  before going to get a CT scan.

Here is a close up of my belly post surgery. On the left is my ostomy  and on the right is my abdominal drain.

Here is me finally able to move around the Hospital floor.

Here is me before I was released.  I really did get that skinny.