Back to the now well trodden corridors of the hospital and it was nice to see my consultant in plain clothes for a change (rather than latex gloves etc....).
He's a very nice chap and we get on well cos he likes beer and football, but NHS deadlines prevent us from getting into much more than a couple of lines of chit chat, today was just comparing injuries. Anyway today's appointment was a bit of mystery to me and so once we got off the injury subject he said "Now would you like to get rid of your baggy and have a reversal". Oooh I can have one then, all the tests have shown my rectum is once again back to its old self, if a little shorter!
He then spent 5 minutes telling me all the possible nasty side effects and the very small % of people that get them, so the chances are very small, hmmm.... Risk 1) After they reconnect you they have no idea how long your bowels will take to start working properly again (some never do). Risk 2) They don't know if you will regain the ability to "hold it in" and "push it out" (you get the picture) it takes time for the body to learn this again. I didn't realise reversal meant you go back to being like a baby!!!!!
Other risks ain't worth mentioning really. But after all this he says "we just don't know how anyone will react after the reversal op, we have no way of telling. Do you still want to go ahead and have the reversal?" I wanted to say do bears sh&t in the woods, but said "why of course, it will be fun finding out".
So the die is cast, and I ask "when will the op be, before Xmas?", silence before Oh leaned one says "Hmmm not likely cos I'm going on holiday for the whole of November. Probably next year". "But I want to go to a ball in February, will I be able to go?" I ask hoping to get him to "do me" in Dec. Oh skillfull one says" Oh yes, you should be able to go but sit near the loos."
Finally I am also going to get my first post op scan, but only cos I asked if this would happen, apparently they (or he) don't see much value in them, but he said we will do them as a routine.
So that is it, as far as I'm concerned it's full steam ahead, to reversal.
Tight Lines
Tim xxx
