New Year's Health Update

I started back to work full time this week. It’s been exhausting 💤 but I think being back in a routine is helping me feel better! I’m also probably feeling better because I’m finally over the cold or influenza 🤧 that had me bogged down from before Christmas until recently.

Today I had a follow-up appointment with my colorectal surgeon, 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Umanskiy (who is awesome, by the way). My remaining wounds are looking healthy and healing well. We also set another surgery date… April 1st! 🔪 One surgery on Halloween, another on April Fools Day!

The next surgery will remove what’s left inside me of my rectum and anus and we’ll take my butt out of commission. Really, it will be sewed up, which is commonly referred to as “Barbie Butt” 👙👠 (which cracks me up! (I said crack!)). My gastrointestinal tract will end with my small intestine and my ileostomy*, which means #PooBag4Life! And I’m fine with that. I had prepared myself 🧠 for that possibility. 

Since my insides were in such bad shape 🥴 (Doc again recapped how horribly disintegrated my colon was), and my ulcerative colitis** always affected the lowest portion of my GI tract the most, I’m just not a good candidate for the j-pouch procedure that would have re-established internal plumbing and done away with the ostomy bag. We will remove what’s left of my lower GI tract so it can’t get inflamed 🔥 or infected and I’ll embrace the ostomy life!

Since I’m feeling better being back in a routine, I’m ready to get back to my fitness 💪 routine as well. My goal is to get in awesome shape by the time of my surgery so that healing will be easier. (Last time I went into surgery three-quarters dead ⚰️ and out of shape, plus they had to slice open my abdomen…healing was/is rough. (Dr. U. hopes to not need to slice open my abdomen next time thanks to robotics! 🤖))

So there you have it. That’s where I am, that’s where I’m headed. 

A little further educational content:

*An ileostomy is when the ileum, which is the end of the small intestine, is brought to the surface. Not to be confused with a colostomy, where the colon is brought to the surface.

**Ulcerative colitis is kind of forever. Sure I won’t have any remaining colon-related parts left, but UC is an immune system issue. I still have a jank immune system. In my opinion, surgery is a way to treat the symptoms, it is not a cure. There is no cure.