Hi all
In Oct 24, I was diagnosed with a low bowel/rectum cancerous tumour and in Dec 24 I had a 10 hour operation to remove it, accompanied by an ileostomy and stoma.
I got on ok with the stoma bag; but I always hoped I'd have a go at REVERSAL as it is, surely, the gold standard to aim for?
fast forward to late October this year and I get a slot for the reversal operation -October 27th 
Operation goes well, the stoma site is stitched up and my large intestine-or what's left of it- is asked once more to join in with the alimentary canal! I can almost see a dark tunnel, full of spiders and webs and dust, unused for nearly a year creaking back into life....
It's been tough, won't lie. I had almost no appetite for 4 days and what came out of my bottom doesn't bear describing -'emaciated alien' is one description-...my sleep has been awful , I've felt nauseous often. But today, 1 week later, I feel green shoots of recovery. My tummy is not quite as tight as a drum and I fancy food!
I've acquired a few tricks and tips to date so if my experiences can in any way help anyone who might be about to undergo a reversal, or be thinking of having one, then please allow me to help! x
Hi Nevermind and welcome to the group.
Thanks for sharing your experience of reversal surgery, and for your offer of help to others who might be facing this. It’s good to read that you’re starting to feel better so soon after the surgery, so it sounds like everything is going well!
Sarah xx
Hi winwar97b207 River Peter3aa429 river-peter3aa429
So_ I am nearly 3 weeks after my reversal. It's been....challenging! I read beforehand about people spending the whole day on the loo-yep did that for some days 
Very early on after my Op I looked down and saw with DELIGHT that my stoma bag was gone, and a large bandage covered the site-mine had been stitched together with dissolvable stitches. I felt good!
A day after going home -so 4 days in hospital- I started to struggle..sleep was interrupted every hour by a sudden urge to get to the loo and my poor bottom became red raw in no time. I was bloated, I felt a bit sick, there was very little pain. I decided to wear incontinence pants in bed at night as I felt at severe risk of leaking.
BUT BUT-things began to improve. I started to eat slightly bigger meals-a bowl of cornflakes , drenched in ice cold milk . A modest chicken slices,pasta and peas for dinner. My tummy began to lose that drum-tight bloated feeling- I knew my large intestine , rendered unemployed for a year, was kicking back in 
.
A week later, I was eating well, I was still rushing to the lav and dared not venture more than a few minutes from a loo...but I had the feeling that things were improving.
Last 3 days to date - much better poos, sleeping better and have discarded the incontinence pants! Doing walks of a mile or more around my village.My stoma scar has healed beautifully, Ive lost 9 pounds in weight, and I no longer need a stoma bag and all the paraphernalia ! What's not to love 
My advice- DO IT-DON'T BE AFRAID!!! 
Thanks for sharing the positive vibe. Wishing you all the best on your recovery journey 
