claud7669@aol.com

Hi. I had a colon resection one year ago after having radiation and
before having chemo. Now that I'm in remission, I'm ready for a
reversal but test indicates a narrowing and radiation irritation in
the area where the radiation was given. My second opinion dr. says
the narrowing is pliable enough to allow reversal only if I maintain a
liquid to semi-liquid stool by eating certain foods (I've no idea what
they are...). I have to decide within a month as he tells me my
intestines will start to atrophy any time soon. I'm a 34 year old
single female and desperately want to get rid of the bag. Has anyone
been in the same predicament? Would you go ahead with it? Any idea
how I approach the diet I am supposed to eat? I'm pretty sure it's
opposite of any anti-cancer diet as well...I'm emotionally upset over
this and am hoping I make the right decision...
Thank you,
Claudia

paul m. cook©®

Hi Claudia,

I guess I don't follow. You state your colon may start to atrophy sometime
soon? Did I read that correctly? If so, what option do you have to reverse
the colostomy?

Paul

claud7669@aol.com

Hi Paul,
Yes, my doctor, which happens to be my second opinion doctor, says
that if I don't get my reversal within a month from now (it will make
one year from the date that I got my ileostomy), then my chances of
atrophy will be high, therefore making reversal impossible. Thus,
it's now or never making my decision even more difficult since I don't
have time on my side to research and to make the ultimate
decision...it's quite a predicament...
Claudia

paul m. cook©®

I see, I thought the atrophy would have been from the radiation treatment.
Yes, I am aware that reversals done long after the initial ostomy creation
can be tricky. Same with having them reversed too soon.

You are in a bit of a bind. The very worst thing that could happen is that
at some point after the reversal you have to have a permanent ileostomy.
That puts you right back to where you are now. Not having the reversal
changes nothing as it currenty stands. It would seem you could not wind up
in a worse situation regardless of how you proceeded. So perhaps have the
reversal and take the chance. Staying on a diet that creates liquid stools
would be hard as any strict diet would be. That seems to me to be the hard
part.

The worst case is that you end up having three surgeries and a permanent
ileostomy. But the final outcome, the permanent ileostomy, could happen
regardless of which path you choose. So if it were me I think I'd go for it
and see what happens.

Paul

al evans

Every case has it's own limits, but my Dr. has reversed colostomies as much
as 7 years after the original surgery, he says that that is the upper limit.
I think that the muscles become very weak, and recovering continence is
challenged the longer the time frame. Unless there is something specific to
your case which is limiting you, I would say you have longer than a month. I
am outside Philadelphia, if you would like to contact the team who did my
care, email me, and I will send you their address & phone. There is a guy in
Vegas, who is considering a reversal after 23 years, which is likely to set
a new record, he reads this group, so I am sure he will chime in.

I just had my reversal on 9DEC, and although I am in a lot of pain still,
and I am weak etc., there is nothing like working plumbing! A friend of mine
questioned my eagerness to have the reversal surgery, when I was feeling
fine before the surgery, and set myself up to spend the holidays eating
scrambled eggs with decaf tea and dry toast. I suggested that when he got up
the next day he tape a ziplock bag full of stool to his belly and see if it
didn't change anything, especially if the people knew he had it there...

I would say that it is time to get it done if you are feeling up to the
surgery. If not, I would speak with another Dr. about what the consequences
of waiting would be. Your surgery will not expire on a day like milk, there
will be a long slow period of slow change. From what I have heard the
process of relearning continence is the issue.

My Dr. is of the "sooner = better" school, generally the minute the bowel
will function he is going in, mine was 7 weeks, he does 4 weeks for younger
patients.

Good luck, whatever you decide.
Æ