Kristin's Chronicles: 3 Weeks Post-Op Surgery #2 Update

Almost three weeks post-op surgery #2, and I’m juuuuuuuuust getting to an update. Just to recap....

Surgery #1 was at the end of June, and they removed my colon and gave me an ileostomy.

Surgery #2 was on September 27th, and they built my Jpouch and created a new ileostomy with both “ends” at my stoma in preparation for surgery #3.

Surgery #3 will be connecting the ends at the site of my stoma and taking down the bag. It will be a fairly simple surgery compared to the other two!

This surgery was much more painful than the first. My surgeon said I BARELY had enough small intestines to create the Jpouch and still have some extra for my ileostomy. She had to work hard to get everything to stretch.

I think these were the main reasons for the increased pain/uncomfortability this time around:

-Larger incision (similar to a c-section but a bit longer)

-drain tube that had to be removed and sutures removed

-a bridge was temporarily put in to keep my stoma in place (that had to be removed and sutures removed)

-Tons of sutures internally and lots of healing in my Jpouch that was built in this surgery

-A new stoma that also had to heal.... again.

-More nausea this time I think because my food goes through me even quicker now with so much of my small intestine being used to make the Jpouch.

My fatigue and lack of energy this time around has been worse too. (But maybe more like what you would anticipate?) I tease that it felt like I actually had major surgery this time. Ha! Today was the first day where I didn’t wake up and immediately want to go right back to bed! Soooo that’s a huge praise!

I’m making myself go for walks each day. Some days I get more steps in than others, but it’s so nice this time that it’s not 100+ degrees out like it was after my first surgery. It makes it sooo much better for walking outside because that intense heat just drained my energy this summer (and it usually messed up the seal on my bag when I went out in the heat. Imagine putting a sticker on your arm in the 100 degree heat and expecting it to stay stuck to you. Nope!)

My restrictions are the same as after the last surgery — no lifting, pushing, or pulling more than 10 pounds (that’s about a gallon of milk) for 6 weeks. No pushing a stroller, lifting will, pushing a cart at the grocery store, etc) We are almost halfway there! Woohoo!

I’m learning how to care for my new ileostomy as it’s a bit different than my first one and uses a different ostomy system/appliance. I seriously am still so proud of myself every time I look at all the ostomy supplies and change my bag out. Sometimes I feel like I should have an honorary degree in ostomy care. I’m also very glad that I only have 9 more weeks with it and then byyyyyyyye.

I haven’t gone back to the office yet (I work part time at a financial office), but I started working from home this week. Up until this week, I hadn’t driven myself anywhere, but I’ve gotten out a little bit this week, so I’m hopeful that next week I will feel up to going into work and easing back into things.

There are a million thank you’s we could say: to my parents, Matt’s parents, our family, and all our friends .... thank you for praying and for your encouraging words! Thank you to those who have helped with meals and gift cards to take the burden off me to cook dinner. For those who have helped with Will, watered our flowers, helped us financially with these extra expenses, for the cards, flowers, encouraging texts and emails, and a million other ways behind the scenes. We are sooooo humbled and unbelievably grateful for everyone’s support and help. We are so thankful we get to walk through this long season with your support and encouragement!

We also found out that surgery #2 will be in December before Christmas. We are BEYOND grateful that we can get it allllll done in one year for insurance purposes. I will admit that I’m disappointed that I’ll be in recovery mode AGAIN over the holidays. But also unbelievably thankful for amazing medical care.

We have much to be grateful for and we continue to be so thankful for your continued prayers for healing, increased energy for me and stamina for my caregivers, patience as I heal and rest, and for good, restorative sleep (I like to sleep on my stomach so my sleep has been affected drastically by these surgeries but it’s getting better. And I know....sleeping on your tummy is not good for you. This is me working on it! Haha), to not overdo but to also be up and build my strength back up.

I’m often reminded of and reflect on 2 Corinthians 2:9-11 which is my prayer because I am often finding myself weak and imperfect:

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I’ll be honest, I’m not always thankful for the circumstances I find myself in, but I am thankful for the way God is molding and changing me through all of this. Asking for help, depending on others, being served rather than serving, and being vulnerable have always been uncomfortable for me so I’m thankful for the ways God has stretched me and provided grace upon grace upon grace for me and my family.

This was long! If you made it through the whole thing, bless you! Also, some people have asked for visuals so here are visuals in the pamphlets they give us on what actually happens in each surgery. If you don’t like visuals, just go ahead and stop scrolling now. :) I promise there are no pictures of me -- just the actual process....