That’s done (proctectomy!)

I did it, that’s over, thank god. If you’re not sure what this blog post is about, then you can go back and read some of my updates here.

I had a completion proctectomy on 1st December, on my own, in Sydney and it wasn’t fun. 

I have some more information and thoughts on what I had done over on my Instagram in the highlights.

I flew to Sydney the day before my operation and bunkered down in a hotel to do the bowel prep. Even though I already have a stoma, my doctor wanted a clear bowel so it wasn’t in the way. He was performing the proctectomy using a robot. He said recovery times are faster. In the moment it sure didn’t feel like it, but it’s been 11 days now and I am pain free (just uncomfortable). So he’s right.

The first few days are always the hardest. I just cannot do painkillers or opioids of any kind. I lose my shit. I have the worse anxiety, panic attacks and dream like crazy. I was in such a state one night they had 2 nurses and a doctor trying to calm me down. They even gave me a Phenergan and the nebuliser to get my breathing to slow.

In a nutshell, my bum is going ok. A little sore and I just have to prop myself up on either side of my bum cheeks (lucky there’s plenty of cushioning already!). My stoma needed to be re-done because doc discovered a prolapse in behind it when he had the camera there. I had no idea, but I guess it’s better to be taken care of now. So that was causing me the most trouble with pain over the first few days. I basically had that operation all over again. And then I wasn’t allowed to eat for 4 days until it started working ago. Oh the gas! That pain is next level.

As soon as I stopped all the big pain killers I started to get my brain back and could do the work to heal. 

Overall I did not enjoy or cope very well with that hospital experience. It messed with anxiety. I probably didn’t go in to this operation mentally well, but I am pretty tough and got through it. If you’ve found this blog post and are about to have this done, all I can say is – it’s not painful and the recovery is ok, it’s just that you need PEOPLE. People to be with you there, and people when you get home.

I found even the first few days at home super traumatic because I was still waking in a fright and couldn’t sleep well. 

My boys have been with me since I got home. I love having them here but I also don’t think I’ve still had enough time to rest because even though they try to help it’s still all about getting food, doing washing and dishes. Next week I am hoping to have less chaos and more silence so I can continue to recover. But they have kept my spirits up. So much laughing all the time!

It will probably take weeks or months for my bum to heal because there’s risk of infection hanging around. But that’s ok, I can manage it.

I did feel bright one of the days during the week so I washed my hair and got dressed just to come alive!

Today (Sunday day 11 post-op), I am still feeling a little sore and exhausted. I didn’t realise how tired I would be. My stoma is working, but a little lazy and that’s probably due to the lack of movement from me. My bum is ok. I can sit for short periods of time, and it’s not painful, just uncomfortable.

Thanks everyone for your wonderful messages! You kept me going that’s for sure.

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