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I am 6 days post op today for an abdominal revision.

My beloved surgeon did it all laparoscopically...

I had been having sever abdominal pain, blockages, hypatic flares, daily nausea, fatique, pain when eating or fasting, bloating, cramping and problems with my K pouch access (could find the right direction for the catheter).

My liver enzymes were high and my liver 2xs its size with no obvious disease (no tumors, cirrosis, necrosis, fatty liver disease or anything else that was obvious).

They did a dozen tests including echo-endoscopyn MRI, ultrasounds & 3D ultrasounds. Nobody could find just one thing that fit.

So I was sent to a top specialist via my hepatologist who refused to let me live this way. The specialist looked at all of the test results and scratched his head, told me to go back to my historic surgeon and said goodbye (all in under 10 mins).

My surgeon listened, talked and asked questions. Booked O.R. for 10 days later.

The plan was simple...remove a small cyst by my liver and a gallstone in my common bile duct (he also removed 4cms of the common bile duct along with the stone). Check out a loop of bowel that has caused me problems before (it was covered with adhesions so he liberated it)...but he got a surprise when he discovered that my small bowel was glued to my liver...the Ah-Ha moment...that is why I was in so much digestive misery...it took him over an hour just to lyse it without losing any bowel or injuring my liver.

He then sat me up and checked my pouch which was 'down' again and sitting on my bladder...he picked it up and tacked it back onto the abdominal wall.

All in all just under 3hrs...

My anesthesiologist was incredible...I do not know what he did but I did not wake up in recovery or when they took me back to my room (I always wake up and remember)...it took me til after 3am to wake up...with no sore throat, no nausea, no coughing, no dizziness...nothing...just a bit sleepy.

The best wake-up ever...a whole new method of light anesthesia with no intubation! I had never heard of it before.

2 nights in the hospital and that's it. I came home, removed the leg bag and am recovering nicely without any major pain or side effects. Light diet, mild pain meds, anticoagulants and support hose...that's it.

I guess that this is what you would call a rave...

I am so grateful!

Sharon

Attachments

Images (3)
  • Pic 1 surgery 28 09 21: Cyst
  • Pic 5 surgery 28 09 21: Everything that he removed
  • Pic 3 surgery 28 09 21: Common bile duct
Last edited by skn69
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Hi Jan,

Thanks and yes, you are absolutely right...without good surgeons who talk and listen to us we cannot survive.

Off to work in Belgium for a full week...could never had done it without the surgery...I bless him.

Now I have to deal with my liver and figure out what is wrong with it...

Sharon

Baby steps...it is always baby steps!

Jan, I guess that I forgot to update my update...I came home from Belgium early...With a cast on my leg! Yup, I misstepped and twisted my angle practically out of the socket...the sidewalks and bike paths are the same color but the bike paths are about 2 inches lower than the sidewalk...I put my foot on the edge and went down sideways, hard...short story: ambulance, EMT who literally had to yank my foot back into alignment to get the circulation flowing again, it had turned blue...and then they had to cast me...no idea how hard it is to use crutches when you are over 60! The bathroom in the hotel felt like miles away from the bed! 2 days to get back to Paris (transport nightmare, used a rideshare app in the end)...I had to stay on liquids for a few days just to avoid having to go back and forth to the bathroom!

By the way, NO One knows what a K pouch is around the world! Very hard to explain to them when they haven't got an inkling of what I am talking about!

P.S. the Belgian hospital was So Clean and spotless that it looked like a movie set...And so did the doctors and nurses...all kind, helpful, gentle, caring and professional!

Sharon, You need to be bubbled wrapped when you go out! My goodness, a danger to your own self.Hope that heals very quickly🤗You are certainly correct on the lack of knowledge on the Kpouch, hospitalizations when I had mine was unbelievable, they knew nothing, and had no supplies unless it was the hospital it was done in. But was a learning experience for them and personal even came to take a look!

So glad to hear you are doing well again always good to have an update from those we care about.

Janice

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