Hi
‘it’s been sometime since I posted. I had my loop ileostomy reversal after key hole surgery for grade 3 bowel cancer over a year ago and am doing well.
I hope that my post reassures those who are at the early stages of recovery.
I have been to USA and to Greece twice, was pleased that things held up well. I am using liquid Imodium and psyllium husk daily to help regulate my bowel. Before long journeys I do not eat after 3 to 4;00pm the day before and avoid breakfast ( eat an oat cake or bar ) until I am confident that facilities will be within reach. I take approx 4 mg liquid Imodium first thing in the morning on the day of travel , if I have had a BM. I wait a little if things haven’t moved.I carry Imodium tablets ( the anti cramp and wind ones ) to use during flights or if I start to feel a bit unstable.On flights , long journeys I try to be gluten free and eat regularly avoiding any trigger foods ( chilli , sweets etc ) . I carry spare clothing as an emergency but have never had to fall back on these .
‘If it’s a really long journey I will wear the dreaded ‘pants ‘ , again these have been as a reassurance rather than a necessity.
My flight to Los Angeles was 10 and a half hours , journey to Heathrow two hours , with a 3 hour wait before take off, followed by a one hour trip to mys sons home outside of Los Angles . It was all fine.
I can go for 3 plus weeks without what I call incident ( those moments when you go in stops and starts and then end with a flourish ) . I am working hard to remember pelvic flour exercises to help with control and it is heaps better.
i was going to gym regularly until I caught the Christmas cough bug that many had ! Hoping to return this week as I felt it definitely helped.
I drink socially but have several days off each week to allow my gut and brain to rest! Red wine, cider isn’t great but white wine seems ok.
My next step is to try at least a week without any medication to see exactly how I function, but I have avoided this up until now as I am a tad anxious that it will be awful and stop my daily routine !
‘There are 2 things that bother me , one is I am sure a state of mind thing and the other I would welcome tips for.
1, I get really rancid smelling flatulence a lot . I drink green tea, mint tea . Any tips ? It’s really horrible. I am hoping to drive down to Greece soon with my dog and a friend and possibly share rooms en route .What can I do to eradicate this ? I can’t keep blaming the dog ! My friend is aware of my issues but has not been confined with me !
I eat almost normally ( although curry , chilli is a definite no no for me ) .
I started using lacto free milk straight after surgery not sure if it helps but have stuck with it at home. I take actimel almost daily to help balance my gut.
Love fruit and vegetables , fish and most meats.
Beef ( too much of it ) can cause a sudden change in bowel movement
2. I know that there’s no answer to this BUT wouldn’t it be nice not to have to think about the toilet all the time? I do loads of stuff and manage.It impinges on doing things spontaneously but I should be less self indulgent and embrace the fact that I am one of the very lucky ones and shouldn’t whinge !
I am extremely fortunate that at the moment I am all clear of cancer and know that this is a minor confidence knock .
Kindest regards to everyone out there.
Hi ,
Good luck! I take it you have a loop ileostomy / colostomy? The operation is straight-forward, takes about an hour or so. They cut the skin loose from the stoma, sew up the bowel (I had a loop colostomy), pop it back in the hole then glue the wound shut. I am certain it was more complicated than that, but that was how my surgeon described it! 
Recovery was very quick compared to the resection operation. I was in the shower the day after surgery; one of the nurses offered assistance but I managed on my own. Discharged after three days. I then spent a week recovering and doing nothing before starting to work again. What sort of work do you do? I am an office worker and can work from home, so I started less than two weeks after the op, but by the end of that week fatigue caught up with me and I crashed for most of that Friday. After that my energy started to come back, so it was better. I started driving after four weeks. I would say if your work entails anything more strenuous than sitting behind a desk all day, four to six weeks as an absolute minimum. Best to check with your consultant or colorectal nurse.
Worst part for me was that they refused to feed me for a couple of days after the operation. 
Day before the op I couldn't eat and was taking bowel prep, Op was on the Wednesday, Thursday I was allowed liquids only and the first solid food they gave me was the Friday evening. And even after discharge you will have to take it easy with food for a while, sticking to low fibre for a few weeks.
Have you checked out the Ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support? There are some interesting posts regarding reversals. Check out this post as well: https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_experiences/ileostomy_and_colostomy_discussions/f/ileostomy_and_colostomy_discussions-forum/160097/ileostomy-reversal---my-tips-tricks-of-dealing-with-the-grizzly-bear?pi5520=1#1287261
Hope all goes well!
Yolande
