Journey through the Takedown Part I
An end to a series of surgeries in sight!
The date: June 25 2010. The duration since my pouch surgery: 9 months. The question: Why wait so long for the takedown? Many people have asked me why I waited so long to reconnect my bowels and enjoy what so many people take for granted: the perfect poo.
I have heard many stories about pouch surgeries going smoothly and many not-so-smooth ones. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category. In August 2009, 3 days after my four hour pouch surgery, I developed a rare condition that nearly cost me my life...again. We found out my bowels were strangulated, causing vomiting, fever, and eventually sceptic shock. It was not pretty. Thanks to my surgeon's quick reactions, however, my bowels were spared and I was okay, albeit devastated by several operations in just a matter of days.
Having spent a total of two months in a hospital bed, including two weeks in intensive care, I had no plans to return there any time soon. Besides, I was used to having a stoma and quite pro at changing the bag (personal record: 47 seconds). I was also recently accepted at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and thus, had no intention of changing my lifestyle before finally starting studying again.
I know what youre thinking - stupid, right? Or perhaps paranoid. Well I believe so too. Luckily, the prolapse opened my eyes just in time because I realize I will be better off studying without having to worry about leakage! Now that I have thoroughly strayed off topic, it's time to return to the takedown operation...
Step One: Appointment
I met the surgeon at the Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. By this time I was convinced to have the surgery done. So we schduled the an X-ray and a pouch endoscopy, two crucial investigations before having the takedown.
Step Two: Gastrograffin
The purpose of this X-ray is to get an idea of the pouch shape and size. (This is especially important if you have your takedown surgery in a different hospital than your previous ones). The doctor inserted a cathiter in the stoma down to the pouch. Next, he pumped a dye called gastrograffin into the pouch via the cathiter, all the while using the X-ray machine to capture the inside story. Watching the moniter beside me, I was amazed as the die took the shape of a small sac. They were happy with the shape and size and I released the contents before going home relieved.
Step Three: Pouch Endoscopy
Compared to a colonoscopy or sigmoidscopy, this procedure is nothing. Lasting about 3 to 5 minutes, the doctor used a flexible rod-like camera to view my pouch as well as the last 20 or so centimeters of my bowels. Believe it or not, I watched along on the big screen tv while the nurse brought in some nachos. Okay, the last bit didn't happen but I did notice I had a hairy butt. I award this procedure a 2 out of 10 on the pain scale, and a solid 7 for entertainment. Haha.
Note: I have heard of doctors pumping gastrograffin from the bottom end, upwards and out of the stoma. Consult with him about pumping it from the stoma into the pouch, because I found it completely painless (1 out of 10 on the pain scale). Let me know what he says. Please?
If you would like to comment on this article, or recommend another one, contact the author at essamrashad@ohpoo.net.
Look forward to my next article: The Aftermath of the Takedown Operation - Part II