Planning a Planned Arrival

Can't quite believe we're so close now! We had our 34 week appointment today with the c-section doctors, which naturally got me thinking about how you plan for a planned arrival...

I'm very much in the stage of pregnancy where I am completely freaking out, my dreams are stupidly vivid, I can't sleep for baby movement and all I can do is worry about what lies ahead. Will I be a good mum? Will baby be ok? What actually happens in a caesarean? I've read a lot recently that confirms that all of the above is normal and of course it's good to share my thoughts because it's not unusual to worry. It's a huge thing, after all! We've made a human being. I'm just going to have to wait and see, as I can't get myself all worked up over the unknown (a mantra I lived by with my Crohn's).

But my appointment today made me a tad nervous; it's the same as with my Crohn's ops in that you essentially consent to everything and wait and see what we find when they open you up.

We had confirmation today that due to previous abdo operations, my Gastro team will be in the theatre with the c-section team, myself and my other half. Hopefully when they make the incision, my bowel and scar tissue haven't caused too much of a problem in which case the Gastro team can bid farewell and then we can get baby out in a routine way. If however it obstructs what needs doing to access baby, they'll do their bit and then let the obstetricians take over. A little revolving door of surgeons around my nethers, if you will.

Like with any surgery there are risks; although there's been talk of a stoma and colostomy beforehand when I had my resection back in 2013, I didn't realise that it could be something that pops up in regards to when I deliver my baby. I guess in my mind I kept my bum issues separate from my front bum bits. There are of course risks associated with a routine c-section too, with everything from wound infection and bleeding to a hysterectomy. So yes, I'm a little worried. But as I used to say with my Crohn's ops, I was just another bottom to them - and this is just another caesarean. We have planned as much as we can and all we can do is hope that everything runs smoothly! In 30 days time.

Now I'm officially on maternity leave (post following shortly) I am just going to put all my energy into nesting and try not to let my worries get the better of me. And I'm also going to avoid reading some of the shite on the internet about how a c-section is the "easy way out" and that I'm "not giving birth" as I've had my baby "surgically removed".

I'll have to get back to you on that.

X

Journey to Bump

The road to pregnancy was an odd one for me. Not that there's a normal route to being preggers, mind. But before you read on, I don't want you thinking that this post is about the birds and the bees. It's more...the birds, the bees and the bowels? Bowels being the key part.

Having Crohn's and knowing that at some point in my life I wanted to have a baby, was a combination that I'd worried about since I was first diagnosed; I was advised to look at freezing my eggs (as fertility in Crohn's patients wasn't the best). The thing is, the thought of actually having children was so far away in my mind at the time, that it was strange to potentially make that decision at the end of my teen years. Who knew how I'd feel in five, ten years time?

I decided not to freeze my eggs. I felt that if having a family naturally was something that I was supposed to do, then it would happen. If not, then so be it. I'm a strong believer in a family being a family regardless of its set up and how you all got there.

When I got to an age and stage in my relationship where talking about having a baby was a real thing, I had so many questions for my consultants...Can I have children? If I am fortunate enough to have children, are they going to get my Crohn's? How would Crohn's effect my pregnancy? Will I be able to have a natural labour due to all my previous operations?

In a nutshell...I'm pregnant. So it seems that in the first instance, yes I am able to have children (well at least conceive). Whether this baby that I'm currently growing gets my Crohn's? That I don't yet know. Crohn's & Colitis UK's info on Pregnancy and IBD says that "5 out of 100 children born to couples where one parent has Crohn's might be expected to develop IBD. Even with genetic predisposition, other additional factors are probably needed to trigger IBD." We will just have to wait and see and hope that our baby is as healthy as can be.

With regards to Crohn's during my pregnancy - this has been a complete turn up for the books! It seems being with child is the best medicine! Who knew pregnancy would be so beneficial to my bowel?! As it stands my Crohn's has calmed down immensely; for the first time in years all my levels are settled and I'm not worried if I sneeze, I'll poo. If anything, it's quite the opposite. It's like my body has forgotten how to go to the toilet-toilet and that's the oddest sensation for someone that has, on average, probably shat 10-15 times a day for the last 7 years. If TMI, sorry. But, you know...Crohn's.

Fiancé and I are in the midst of talking to the antenatal team about my staying on Azathioprine and whether we go back on Humira. As unlike Aza, they're not yet sure on the use of Humira in the third trimester (although if urgent/required then they'll let you. Pros and cons, etc.) But it looks like I may not need Humira after all if things stay the way they are!

Then that leads me to the last question in my little list of worries: labour. The grand finale to this whole musical that is pregnancy. Actually getting the miniature person out of me. Gosh.

I won't be allowed to do any pushing as - to quote my Crohn's surgeon - "my arse would fall out" and I for one am not ok with that and neither are they. We're all also keen to make sure that me and baby are safe, however that needs to be done. So elective cesarean it is. Scary thing is, is that our c-section date is already booked in! I now know categorically that I'll have babe in arms at 38 + 4.

Unless the little human makes an early arrival.

X

Snap Happy!

I have FINALLY worked out how to create a gallery for my blog!

I've put the majority of the photos that appear in my blog on the page, allowing you a closer look (if you want to anyway, as there are a lot of post-op ones!)

Available through this link or you can click the 'Gallery' tab across the top of the page.

Apologies if you're of a squeamish nature - but hey, ho. 'Tis part and parcel of Crohn's...

X

Scan Ramblings

The original draft for this post was short and sweet. But by default it has turned into another late night/early morning ramble because I can't sleep.

And so we begin...

I made a friend. A friend who was also having to drink TWO JUGS of ridiculous laxative type water: that cleared me out big time. [I just love the accents, 0:32] Cue mini scuffle between the two of us for the toilet.

She was under investigation to see whether she had Crohn's (cheeky opportunity for a blog plug, but also for support to know she's not alone, even though it may sometimes feels like you are.) But meeting her reminded me of how messy your thought patterns are when you're first finding out what's wrong with you. And even now, when you know what's wrong with you, you just need to know *specifically* what's wrong this time.

I know we didn't exchange numbers, but if you are reading this, I hope you're ok and if you need anything please get in touch.

It's crazy when you actually take the time to have a mini-reassessment of how much your life alters when you're diagnosed with Crohn's. Well I'm sure it would for any chronic disease...but I have Crohn's so I couldn't possibly comment on others - I have no experience!

It isn't just the obvious physical side of things that change; symptoms and what not. It's the mental side; how your perspective on things can be so different from what they once were.

When you're going about your daily business and realise that you've already done a mental calculation of where the nearest toilet is, can you get there in time, god I hope there's toilet paper, oh it's fine I have tissues in my bag already. Maybe even some spare knicks...just in case.

Things like that were never something to be concerned about before. But back to my scan...

I got scanned - lying on my stomach, wtf?! Got blurry vision from the injections, said my goodbyes and plodded on (both figuratively and literally).


That's it. I have no more news haha. I am now waiting for the cogs of the NHS to get turning, as I eagerly await what they've found inside me.

I am scared though. I feel like a vain, shallow person too. And I tell you for why!

I was Google imaging (don't) enterocutaneous fistula as I have discovered that this is the medical term for an abdominal fistula, which is intestine to outer skin. And the potential op/healing/management/scarring scares the living shits out of me. It's all just so open! And just, there.

I won't put any pictures on here in case some of you are reading this with your lunch or dinner. Wouldn't want to make you ill!

I already have a few scars on my tum and obviously I would rather feel better, than have less scarring but with aliens inside me. But I just feel like I'm going to need help to essentially cope with how I will look after surgery. It just seems so, I don't know, bleurghhh.

Pfft. My head just seems full again, like it was when I first started my blog back in January; so many questions, not so many answers.

In Other News

Now I'm not sure if I'm being paranoid, but I can pinpoint particular areas of excruciating pain on my tum. Plus the whole bottom-right-hand-side-not-my-actual-bottom-quarter of my stomach still feels incredibly numb. I suppose the best way to describe what it feels like when I touch the numb bit is this...

When you were a child (or a not so sensible adult) and you tied an elastic band around the end of your finger until it went blue. And the you touch things with that finger whilst you wait for the blood to come back. It's like that. You know you're touching it, you can feel it a little. But then also can't really feel anything at all.

So there we are. This week I am on abdominal-surface-busting watch, NHS hunting and trying to find out what happens now.

For a girl like me who loves a bit of organisation in my life, this is not so easy!

X

PS: Sorry-for-all-the-hyphening
PPS: I know I'm all wobbly-brained again; I shed a tear watching Ashley Banjo's Secret Street Crew earlier because it made me miss my dancing days. I'm officially a worried wimp. For the international readers amongst you, to be fair even the UK guys, it is not a show to cry about. Ever.

Little bit shit

As you all know I had my scan yesterday; originally planned as a CT and changed to a contrast ultrasound.

I didn't eat anything yesterday (as informed by the accompanying rules to the letter) and arrived ready and waiting. Fortunately it wasn't a contrast ultrasound after all, so no weird aniseed/vanilla/medicinal drink to have *sigh of relief* it was just a normal scan - I just needed to be empty inside for them to have a good ol' browse.

In my mind I told myself that I didn't really care what they found, or how bad it was, as long as I knew what I was dealing with...

Well they found something!

It seems I have an abdominal fistula. That's a little bit shit.

At this point I may have shed a tear or five.

I don't know if I cried because it was relief at there being a reason why I'm so bloated. Whether it was pure dread because after already having two previous fistula in my ass region, things didn't go so smoothly [did I tell you the time I had 9 perianal abscesses?!]

So yes. This it seems, is what's giving me grief.

Although not talked about much, abdominal fistulas are dangerous and difficult to manage for both the medical team and the patient.

By definition, a fistula is an open passage connecting the abdominal organs to the external surface; in layman's terms, it's a hole between one of the abdominal organs out to the skin's surface.

Based on when the problems started going crazy, I'm going to take a stab in the dark and state that this is the reason I have the fistula:

Fistulas caused by complications from surgery may involve an incomplete closure of an incision made on an organ or from an inadvertent nick by the scalpel that doesn't heal and may become infected.

Read more: About Abdominal Fistulas | eHow.com

***

I got told I will be called today - haven't as of yet - with a time and day next week to go get MRI'd for further detail.

Also on the chase for a follow up appointment with the surgical team. AGAIN.

***

To cleanse my brain, I called one of the lovely girls I met in hospital last night, as I felt like I needed to question/worry/rant about what I'd been told and I know she's been through something similar.

She was so helpful and told me what to look out for with my scar, how I was feeling etc.

Although I've had two fistula in my bum/pelvis, the abscesses it caused were near the surface, but were never really visible... unless you were in a yoga-twisted-acrobatic-move-with-accompanying-mirror. And by 'you' I obviously mean me. Because it would be a little bit weird if you were doing it too.

Whereas with this abdominal fistula, it's right in my insides and I'm assuming from what I've been told, it will be trying to work its way to the surface - typically through the weakest part of my skin. How convenient I have a 10cm scar right in that spot.

Apparently the redness of my scar should have gone down within (maximum) a month post-op. Well this is what mine looks like today...

Outfit theme of the day: Club Tropicana drinks are freeeee

 

  

(Please also excuse the lower trouser elastic imprint - part and parcel of the bloat and wearing clothes)

But as you can see, my scar from my kidney op is nice and white (near my belly button). Granted this was from 2009, but once the scab fell off it was pretty much like this straight away. So another thing to keep an eye on, I guess!

If I can get anything out of this ridiculous situation, I'd hope that it's at least a few months of normality and that it won't be too much longer until I generally feel better - both physically and mentally.

I'm doing ok. Just feel a bit let down by my body haha.

Fret not, as in the meantime, I shall look forward to the weekend where I shall be painting my nails, getting my hair cut off and enjoying what's left of the sunshine!

Toodleoooooo

X

Bloat... Moan... Bloat... Moan... Moan... Bloat

I literally feel like I'm going to burst.

This is what I was dealing with in the middle of the night, last night:

And no I wasn't naked. You just couldn't see my legs because there seems to be a slight bump in the way. And by slight bump I mean massive flamonge.

After posting it on Twitter (out of boredom and also out of the hope that someone will be able to say what's going on) I had a few people message me to say that even after their bowel ops, they were yet to experience this rotund being that is my bloat and that I should demand some answers/more info from my doctors...[thanks @HayleyShort and @Johnbradley1]

In my last post I explained that I'd been to see the GP and that I was trying to get hold of the surgeon's secretary to get my appointment moved forward so I can be seen.

Well JOY OF JOYS, that has happened. My appointment has been moved forward to 3rd April. It's not like that's almost a month away.........oh wait. It is. And I am not totally comfortable with being one big ol' bloated mess for another 3 or so weeks.

Problem is, I'm not yet at that 'terrible' stage where I would class myself as in need of A&E. But if push comes to shove and that's the only way I'll be seen sooner, then so be it.

I just think that it's quite frankly, bloody ridiculous that I am having to find ways to sneak into the system. Driving me nuts. Uh oh pistachio. (NUT PUN)

To be proactive I have since decided to email my bloat to my GP in the hope that as she has a medical title, she may be able to get somewhere with this whole thing. Will keep you posted!

Do any of you IBDers get bloated like this? Surgery aside. As I seem to have gone back to how I was pre-op, and I wouldn't have known I'd had the operation if it wasn't for my newly acquired scar...

X

The proof is in the pudding

Except it wasn't a pudding: it was lunch, and it was a salad. But still...I managed to do this yesterday...

This made me feel very proud - as sad as that is - because not only did I manage to finish the meal, it was at lunch with a friend (yes, my first proper outing!) and there was no bum-clenching runs to the toilet afterwards. #WINNING guys.

I think this means that I am a fully fledged 'solid food' eater now. Although I'm still erring on the side of caution; don't want to get carried away! So adjusted my diet to one solid meal, with two liquid-based ones per day and see how we go from there...?!

Another mini event this week that I want to share with you all, is that I am now SCAB FREE. Like a lizard shedding its skin, my final scab departed and I am now pure scar. And I like it. (Is that weird?!)

I don't know if it's because this is the first time (in a very long time) that I can see that part of my stomach easily - as opposed to it being on the underside of my pregnant looking bloat. But it's so neat and reminds me of the pretend scars you draw when you're younger haha.

Luckily, as my scar has turned out very well, I haven't had to have a mental adjustment to how I physically look with it. The only physical adjustment I have had to make is getting used to my body being more 'normal'; less bloated, more like my old figure. And it makes a pleasant change from the last 4 years! But yes, I'm very much aware it's wishful thinking to have the body of my 20 year old self again ;)

But in all seriousness I genuinely feel like this operation is the start of something wonderful. And even if I get just a year of normality, it will make such a difference. 

So to underline the rejuvenated Harriet.2 I decided on a voluntary change to how I look...

TA DA! Bye bye hospital-length hair. Hello fresh new bouncing bob.

X

Home Sweet Home

Oh hi there. Sorry for the few days of nothingness.

Slowly been adjusting to being back at home...

Don't get me wrong, I bloody love it! But it's also quite a challenge, as you're very protected in hospital; things at the right height, a variety of bars to hold onto in the bathroom, your medicine brought to you as and when you need it. And obviously I don't have all of this at home, but I am fortunate enough to have an amazing boyfriend. Literally couldn't have done any of this without him.

They also said around 80% of my recovery will be done at home - so at least I know it can only get better?!

But for now, here's a brief round-up of what you've missed this week:

FOOD

Managed to have (and finish) macaroni and cheese last night. Also successfully eaten smooth mash potato with gravy. Everything else has been either jelly/custard/yoghurt/soup. On the plus side, have now lost just over 3kgs since last week...every cloud and all that. But MY GOD I cannot wait to eat a proper meal! I'm fed up of salivating over food adverts haha.

TOILET TIME

This, I've found the strangest. After a bowel operation, there's the natural expectation of changes in bowel activity. But apart from the few days last week (NG tube, and what not) my insides have gone right back to how they were; 5-6 times a day, and extremely loose. But I'm assuming that as I heal, this will change to a more 'typical' toilet time? As surely part of the point of my op was to help me have normal day-to-day activities.... Who knows? Only time will tell.

MY WOUND

Well this is looking ever so neat and tidy! I'm actually very pleased with how it's turned out. As it's not something in which you have a choice in the aesthetics, I was preparing myself for a mash up of scars on my stomach. But the surgeon has done a fab job, and hopefully as it fades over time, it will be part of a natural crease in my skin.

I also had the ten staples removed today. Very odd experience. I'm slowly getting feeling back in that area (as the nerve endings were severed) so only felt the last three staples being removed.

Still on my antibiotics for the collection they found under my wound - don't want to leave myself open to any complications. But with an outpatient appointment scheduled for a few weeks time, we are on the right track!

MY MIND

I'm also noticing that I have a mini mental battle with myself. In some ways it's harder being on bed-rest post-op, than it was being at home before my op. This is because to avoid boredom before, I would clean/tidy/general potter around my house. Whereas now, all I can do is sleep. Because cleaning/tidying/general pottering around my house will do more harm than good.

All in all, just need to get used to general movement as each muscle slowly kicks back in, and my nerve endings stand to attention. But already noticed how each day genuinely makes a difference. 

Will try not to leave it so long before I post again...

X

Operation: COMPLETE

As you know, I was hoping to keep up to date with writing down how I was feeling whilst I've been in here. Except that was more difficult than I imagined as I've essentially slept most of the last two days.

So here's a recap of what I can remember since Monday...

Monday

 

7am and we arrive at the Surgical Admissions Lounge. I get told I'm last on the list - but there were only three people in total for gastro surgery, so that wasn't too bad! 

However I didn't get to go down until 3pm, and needless to say by that point I was absolutely starving and in desperate need of a glass of water. Turns out I could have had water up until midday, but no one checked as to when I'd be going down until it was too late for me to drink anything.

 

I'm now gowned up, holding my man's hand in the lift as we descend down to the operating theatres. Turns out he could only step out the lift with me, as he wasn't allowed through the double doors: cue brief mini emotional breakdown, cuddles and lots of "I love you"s. 

Luckily I had such a LAD of an anaesthetist. I asked if they could prolong that floaty feeling before I started to panic/get knocked out. And that he did. Nice one Mr.

Woke up about an hour and a half later in recovery in excruciating pain. I was awake enough to have a sneaky peak into my gown...and there was no scar down the centre! Wahoo! But I was still in a lot of pain so they got me hooked up to the PCA machine asap.

After a four hour wait I finally got to go up to my ward - spaced out of my brain and very emotional - ready to just crash out and sleep.

Tuesday

 

Had a really difficult night's sleep. Woken up every hour for observations and then needing to press my PCA button to knock me out enough to fall asleep again.

 

The good news is that I had my first set of visitors coming in the evening and I also managed to walk to the toilet twice (despite the crippling pain) 

I also got to see the pain team and my surgeon. The pain team agreed that I could stay with my PCA machine for a little while longer *phew* and the surgeon gave me the full details of what I had done in theatre...

• I have had four inches of my bowel removed; a resection as opposed to a strictureplasty
• I have had my appendix removed (?!)
• No need for a central scar as they could do all they needed in my right hand side
• There is no ileostomy bag as they were able to do what they needed, without putting in a stoma

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with what I woke up with!

 

Despite drifting in and out of sleep during Tuesday, I got woken up to have my dressing changed. This was going to be the first time I saw my actual scar.

*SQUEAMISH ALERT*

And here is the beauty...10 staples and straight across a very swollen and tender abdomen...

I've also realised that I now find the most simple tasks very tricky and painful. And I have to remember that it's ok not to push myself too hard. This is because I've needed oxygen every time I sit back down....I'm such a doofus. Just need to take things slowwww.

 

I felt very nauseous last night though. I don't know if it was because I had a bowl of custard? (This was one of the first things I was recommended to eat since Sunday). Or if it was the over-use of my PCA machine haha. Either way, yuck yuckity yuck yuck.

Wednesday 

Better night's sleep last night. Only woke up three times and managed to sleep through to 7am. Go me!

 

As it stands, I am now on free fluids (instead of just sips) and this includes tea, coffee and soups. Awaiting some soup for my lunch, but I'm not confident that this will go well based on my custard escapade from last night.

 

It's still tough in here though. And I quickly learnt that crying doesn't help my pain. And also headbutting my lampshade will also increase the amount of pain in my stomach. Stupid reflexes and muscle tensing.

Until next time my lovelies...I best get back to my bed-rest.

X

A bum on my tum?!

As you know, I had the stoma nurse yesterday and I came home with this lovely mark drawn onto me in permanent pen...

So it seems that it is extremely likely I will be waking up with an ileostomy bag. IT'S IN PERMANENT PEN FOR GOD'S SAKE! And this will be my site marking for the surgeon when I'm knocked out cold on the operating table. To make sure it doesn't disappear before Monday I was entrusted with a faithful Sharpie pen, which I am having to use to colour in my new mate a few times each day.

I also learnt yesterday that my incision is not where I thought it would be; it's going to be down the centre as opposed to the bottom right of my abdomen (similar to an appendix scar area)

I am also using this weekend as an opportunity to eat everything I'm not allowed to eat when I'm out of surgery (as they could cause problems/blockages with my bag). That includes:

• Onion
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Popcorn
• Garlic
• Peas
• Winter root crop vegetables
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce

There is a whole other list of foods which I will have to slowly introduce back into my diet - as my stoma nurse put it "you will have your bum on your tum."

She also explained how some of her patients get quite attached to their stoma and give it a name; I am open to suggestions!

Getting very nervous now as there's only two days to go! I am sort of teetering on an emotional edge haha. But I will be fine.

Ahhhhhhhh! 

Will post again tomorrow as my final post pre-surgery.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend, and thank you for the continued support by reading this.

X

Arse, Bottom and Bum (squared)

For all those mathematicians out there, you may have noticed I wrote three different words for your backside, followed by 'squared'. That's because...

3 x 3 = 9

And 9 is the number of abscesses I have had over the last three and a bit years.

The only way to talk about these lovely little lumps and the pain/trouble/embarrassment they've caused me, is to give you a brief overview of some of the more memorable ones.

August 2008

This was the first abscess I had, and will always be the most memorable - not only because of the pain before, during and after - but because I was having to self-pack the open wound when in Cuba with the man. Oh and whilst in Cuba we got stuck in Hurricane Ike. First time the resort had been hit by a hurricane in 45 years...not ideal!

Once an abscess has been drained, it must be packed with what I named wadding. Think of it as a cavity in your tooth; it must heal from the inside out to avoid further infection, so less wadding must be put in each day. FACT: This is because skin heals faster than tissue.

The pain is indescribable. It's simply awful. I don't know if it's because it is unnatural to have medical tools digging around in your body tissue when you're awake, or if it's because they were perianal abscesses. (Hopefully I won't need to explain exactly where they were...? I'll give you a clue: perianal)

But I got through it and back to uni and continued my investigation into why I got this little bugger in my bottom.

June 2009

This was my second abscess in a matter of months. The difference with this time was I knew I had Crohn's and they were able to tell me that abscesses were something that I was going to be prone to. 

However I soon learnt that what happened back in August with the medicine, was going to be a pattern that kept repeating itself: "Take the metronidazole, the lump will stay but the pain and swelling will go." YES. YES IT WILL....NEVER. Here we go again...

August 2009

This one is memorable because it was so close to my kidney op. And it was also the one where my surgeon at the time (from Chelsea & West) decided the best course of action was through surgical intervention and to place a seton inside me.

For ease of understanding, a seton is a surgical-grade cord which (in my case) went through my bum hole, threaded through the fistula embedded in my pelvis and came out of my bum cheek. This was then tied together and gravity (?!) would pull the wire up towards the surface. Ta da!

The aim is to allow healing of the fistula without too much interference, as too much prodding down there could lead to incontinence. This was obviously not something I wanted to be worrying about! "Oh I need the toilet...ahh it appears I've already been."

I got told I would have the seton in for around 3 months, where they would then remove it and all would be well. Except I got another three abscesses whilst with said seton, which meant me and my wire were together for around nine months.

May 2011

Now this has to be my favourite of all the abscesses, because the circumstances are so ridiculous.

I knew I had an abscess and was back on metronidazole, but I also had a weekend in St Ives planned with one of my best friends and decided I was going to go, whatever. And what was to say that this time the meds wouldn't work? I had a longer prescription, I felt better in myself, I had high hopes.

So we went out for dinner and I knew on the walk that things were not great. Skip a few hours and I'm throwing up blood in the toilet, my best friend's on the phone to the ambulance and I have an ass throbbing like I'd had the skin ripped right off me.

Cue operation #8 down in Truro A&E and an odd phonecall to your boyfriend (who's currently in Bristol) to tell him you're about to have more surgery....in Cornwall. On the plus side, I did learn that St Ives is probably one of the most relaxing places to recover. And I also got a spontaneous mini-vacay as the man came down to see me. What a marvellous ending to an unusual (and extended) weekend away!

Last but by no means least...September 2011

This was my last abscess operation where they found that I actually had two fistulae and they were able to lay open the one closest to the surface. And it seems that that was the one that was causing me problems as (touch wood) I haven't had another one since. Yeahhhhhhh!!

I realise I've basically mentioned them all! But as you can gather, I pretty much had an abscess encounter every three months from June 2009. It's been exhausting.

Without ending on a bum note (pun intended) that's the end of my abscess recap.

Hope it wasn't too detailed for you haha.

X 

Always look on the RIGHT side of life

Some of you may have noticed that I changed the wording of the classic Eric Idle song. Perhaps others may have assumed it was a typo.

Alas, there was a method to my madness.

The reason for this is that all my body problems seem to be on my right side. See? Now it all makes sense!

When having one of my many early MRI scans at Chelsea & West, the results seemed to show up something other than my terminal ileum Crohn's. It appeared that I was also suffering a PUJ obstruction with my right kidney. I like to call this Sod's Law as this was completely unrelated to my Crohn's.

By all accounts it was a childhood problem that had taken around 18 years to build up enough to actually cause me any bother. 

In layman's terms: imagine a stone stuck in a hosepipe. That water can get through, just not as well as it would if that stone wasn't there. I had this hypothetical situation actually happening inside me. My kidney function on my right hand side had dropped to 18%, with the left doing 82% of the work; they should be evenly split, 50/50.

To fix it I would need an operation (now where've we heard that before?! Haha) but excitingly, I got to have my operation up in Paddington with a robot.

The robot was usually reserved for patients having prostate cancer operations, as it is so precise and can dramatically decrease the recovery time. Fortunately because of my age (I had not long turned 21) this meant that I was eligible to be robot-opped on.

1st September 2009 and I am gowned up and ready to go in.

For a bit of light relief, I feel that this is the best time to reference comedienne Miranda Hart and her explanation of a hospital gown, as quite frankly, it tickles me... Gown, gown, gown, arse gap, gown gown gown. That is all.

Now where was I? Oh another operation!

I feel the best way for you to understand what went on thereafter, is not by using medical jargon, but creating a marvellous photo collage of what I was like from when I came round (after 6hrs on the operating table) to where I ended up.

Squeamish warning for one and all

On the plus side, seeing these old photos again has made me realise how much stress my abdomen has already been through and now it's like nothing ever happened. If I get to feel like this in another 3 years when looking back at my forthcoming op, I shall be #WINNING

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