Hi all!
It’s been a while since I’ve been on here!
A lot has happened since I last posted. My second C section delivery went well (healthy, beautiful son!), but I did end up having issues with my BP again post-delivery and dealt with gestational diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy. I did not end up developing an ileus! I went with just taking IV toradol post-surgery along with around-the-clock Tylenol and was able to avoid opioids. I made sure to get up as soon as I could to walk around, and took it slow eating.
Sadly, about 5 months later I very suddenly developed a closed loop small bowel obstruction and quite frankly could have died had we not brought me to the ED immediately and my surgeon acted quickly. My bowel was necrotic in that spot by the time they opened me up. So close to perforating. I was the sickest I have ever been. Thankfully I recovered fine, but it was traumatizing. I have to believe that my pregnancies had something to do with these obstructions happening. Not sure if it was the growth of my uterus and subsequent shoving of my insides around that resulted in my bowel twisting in scar tissue, but that’s what apparently happened. It twisted and got stuck in a scar tissue defect.
To top it all off, around December of 2020 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. They found granulomas in my J pouch. After all that….my major surgery to rid myself of UC symptoms for good…here I am on Humira and taking meds that I was so happy to be rid of when I said goodbye to my colon. I have severe disease as I have a fistula as well. It hasn’t been fun, but it’s manageable.
All of that being said, I am grateful to be alive and grateful for modern medicine. First and foremost, however, I give thanks to God and am so thankful for those I love who have supported me through it all.
I hope you all are doing well!