Coping With Colon Resection

i’m a 55 y.o. male with a history of diverticulosis. last month it was determined that i’d need to have ~8″ of my sigmoid colon removed via “traditional” surgery.

i had the surgery two weeks ago and, despite having developed / survived dvt’s, i couldn’t be happier with the results.

surgery apparently went well and i was moved to a semi-private room. when i woke up i had a few lines in me, including morphine drip. no pain… not much of anything, really… just existing. (had little foot thingies on my feet to reduce the risk of clotting.)

1st couple of days i was on ice chips / IV. about the 3rd day i was walking a bit (don’t forget to take your robe with you!) and using the pca drug to numb the pain that came with getting in / out of bed and walking.

day 3 i was on clear liquids and doing fine. day 4 on liquids / light solids and doing fine. day 5 was due to be discharged but they discovered dvt’s in left calf and lungs. NOTE: IF YOUR LEGS HURT, TELL YOUR NURSES AND YOUR DOC AND MAKE SURE THEY INVESTIGATE AND RESPOND!

i stayed in for a total of 8 days and have been home for 8 days now. all of my parts are working fine, i’m sleeping in my own bed and very ambulatory… am back to driving short trips / store, etc. i notice that i tire easily, so i’m not pushing myself… the body takes time.

while i watch what i eat - i eat lite meals now to avoid pressure in the gut area - my diet is pretty normal except for the restricted vitamin-k due to blood thinners. very surprisingly, i have had no near accidents.

i realize there are tremendous individual variables that affect the outcome of these surgeries, but for me it’s been a much easier experience than i believed it would be.

best success to everyone.