I'll be away for a couple weeks

[A Theist]

A seven day hospital stay? I don't think my dad had to stay that long after a kidney transplant...

Hope all goes well.

Thanks Faith. Thanks Moros...back in October I had to have emergency surgery for a perforation of Diverticulitis. According to my surgeon I was within just a few hours of dying. Six days prior I noticed some pain and swelling in my abdomen area but thought nothing of it. But each day after, my pain got worse as did the swelling. I was awakened one night with a lot of pain and then decided to go to the emergency room. My perforation was so bad, the surgeon removed six liters of feces and infection from my abdomen and 16 inches of my sigmoid colon was removed. Because my colon was so inflamed, the surgeon could not reconnect everything at the time of the surgery. I had to wear a colostomy bag for three months before I could have a reversal surgery to connect everything again. So, tomorrow is my reversal surgery and the surgeon estimates 5-7 days in the hospital. The surgery will traumatize the colon and it will shut down for a bit. For a couple days afterward I'll be unable to eat or drink anything until my colon "Wakes Up". Then I'll be on a liquid diet for a couple days and then afterward, solid food. My stay will depend on how long it takes my colon to respond, which the surgeon estimated the 5-7 days. The last time, I was in the hospital for 10 days! Prior to my first surgery, I ran no fever, my heart rate was strong, my blood pressure was excellent, and my lungs were good. My vitals were excellent. I had no idea that there was actually anything seriously wrong with me. Fortunately, I'm in very good physical condition, and that attributed to my coming through the first surgery as well as I did...(that, and some killer pain meds!)....But in any case, I can't stress how important it is to have regular check ups with a Gastroenterologist.