Sigmoid Resection ✅ - What a ride!
I realize this may be the umpteenth post lately of someone who has done the Sigmoid Resection surgery but I just joined the semi-colon club on 7/2 and have to say…what a ride! Not always glamorous but definitely worth it.
Am I still in pain as I write this? You betcha.
Am I glad that I did the procedure? Double you betcha.
Here’s why: my surgeon found an abscess and perforation in my sigmoid colon during the procedure, not to mention my colon was riddled with diverticula. Had I not been scheduled for the 7/2 procedure, there was a high likelihood that I would have ended up in an emergency surgery within days of 7/2 or within a week or two of the date. As many of us are aware, the chances of being stuck with a colostomy bag significantly increase with emergency surgery. I am counting my blessings.
The day of the procedure and following day were pretty rough. I was in a lot of pain and had a lot of nausea along with it, which we later figured out was likely being caused by the opioid medication, Duelodid. Once we swapped it out for morphine the nausea went away. Apparently nausea is a common side effect of Duelodid.
So here I am, day 3 post surgery and walking here and there, along with eating normal food again. Pain is still in the 6-7 range but I’m getting through it knowing that tomorrow will be even better than today.
Oh, and the Foley removal? Yikes. Wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn’t pleasant either. Prior to surgery, I practically demanded a 14 French (size) Foley instead of the standard 16 French size that OR’s typically use on everyone. I think this made the removal much easier. Fun fact: did you know that 14Fr is the standard size used in Europe? I learned this fact and said there’s no reason to use a larger bore on my urethra. Plus it lessens the likelihood of scar tissue formation etc when you use a smaller Foley.
My strength is coming back little by little and I think I’ll be ready to go home tomorrow.
Some random doctor was covering for my surgeon today and tried to discharge me this morning when I wasn’t ready to leave the hospital. I basically argued with him and said that I didn’t feel safe going home yet, where I wouldn’t have the resources I need to assist me with getting in/out of bed, safely using the toilet, etc. He threw out “long term care facility” as a veiled threat but I called his bluff and knew he wouldn’t be able to send to today (on a holiday), plus he would need insurance approval. Point is: you can refuse to be discharged. This is one of those hospital secrets they don’t want you to know about. It’s your right as a patient to refuse to be sent home if you don’t feel well enough.
Hope this info was helpful, fellow dv family.