Advice.

Hi.all the best with your op.

Why dont you click on peoples user names to read their bios and get some ideas of how they got on.might give you some ideas.

Feel free to ask anything by the way,however trivial it seems.

Kath

Hello JBJ, I've been wondering how you're doing.

It's odd, this business of not feeling ill - I'm the same.  I think it's just something we need to be thankful for compared to our fellow sufferers with other types of cancer.  I assume it's an effect of the particular organs in our bodies which are impacted - sensations around digestion are day-to-day for everybody; over-indulgence can make us feel 'ill' but this is 'normal' so when something is really wrong it doesn't flag as 'bad'.  It's a bit, I think, like the difference between back-ache after efforrt and chronic back pain caused by some issue - we don't seem to see that sort of difference in the digestive system.  The experience of our clinicians and the results from their machines tell us that something is deeply amiss, but we don't feel bad.  There's no feedback from our bodies.  Mr W. O. Bentley of 1920's racing-car fame was, when elderly, taken out in a modern supercar.  His reaction was to the effect that 'you know you're going very fast- all the dials say so - but there's no sensation of speed because cars are so smooth nowadays'.

In our case your initial bleeding was, I suspect, like my sudden blockage - an alarming development but without pain or 'illness'.

It must be very confusing for you not knowing whether to expect an ileostomy or a colostomy.  I had no time to dwell on things (for which I'm grateful - admitted Sunday, first operation in the day on Monday - I think I was a bit near to the wire).  I'm a planner by nature, like you, and I'd have been all over the Web trying to find out about things.  With hindsight I can see that it would have made little difference because we have to cope with our particular and personal situation once the necessary procedure is done.

You seem to have done as much mental preparation as necessary.  You've now got a fortnight to wait, which must be distressing.

My suggestion to you is that you try to enjoy the fine weather and let all the info you've got sort itself out at the back of your mind.  Don't try to second-guess what things will be like.  Like most clichés 'we are all different' has a real meaning.  You'll have plenty of time after the operation to assess your new circumstances and find out how YOU feel about things.  You'll also have people near to advise you on things as they arise.  One such thing is vaping.  I don't think vaping is allowed in hospital, but in any case you don't know if you'll feel like vaping.  I used to enjoy my Fiday half gallon at the pub - I've lost any urge for session drinking for now (over a year) but I don't yet miss it - it may return with summer evenings, it may not.     

Do please let us know how you get on, and things you'd like to talk about.

If you and I aren't in touch before your operation - good luck! 

Hi JBJ

I can’t advice on a colostomy but can say about my diet with my ileostomy

Small meals and often in the early days.  Half Fish finger sandwich with mayo, salted butter on white bread. which I really enjoyed
I ate beige to start. Introduced after two weeks.
Now I eat , drink and enjoy a varied colourful diet.

i vaped up to the day before then stopped. There was no way I could stop that I was too stressed. I did all the pre op exercises and that helped. 

I hope all goes well.