Part 8: Recovery From Surgery

Four days after surgery, my Semi-Colon and I were released from the hospital and sent home to finish recovering. I went home with a bandage down the middle of my stomach where the incision was, and a drainage tube coming out of the right side of my lower abdomen. The drainage tube was placed inside me and went through me to where the resection had taken place. Blood and other fluids exited through the tube that had a ball-like receptacle attached at the end. I had to empty that as it filled up- a few times a day, though as the days went by less and less fluid was coming out of me. I also had to shower with it, which is interesting because if it dangled it pulled just enough to be uncomfortable. Luckily they gave me enough tube that I could perch the end of it (the ball) on my shoulder while I showered, which kept it out of the way. I was able to shower after a few days, when I took the bandage off my abdomen. I was also told not to lift anything over 8 pounds (the equivalent of a gallon of water) as patients with colon resection surgery are more prone to hernias. Interestingly enough I could actually feel what they were talking about. When I attempted to lift something that had even a little weight I could feel the pulling in my abdomen. It’s a strange feeling, but it did keep me following the Dr.’s orders. They also sent me home with pain medication that I took as needed- and for the first couple of days I needed it. My parents went back home after I was home and it was clear that everything was going as well as could be expected seeing as I just had major surgery. I spent most of the next week on the couch. My girlfriend was there, as always, and took amazing care of me.

A couple of days after I was released from the hospital I called my Oncologist’s office, as they requested of me, and told them I was home. They asked how everything went, and when was I coming back to resume my Chemo Maintenance. I was off the chemo for 4 weeks before surgery because one of the drugs, Avastin, increases blood pressure and bleeding, and they want to reduce the risk of complications such as internal bleeding as much as possible. I told them I was still not feeling my best, and asked if it would be okay to wait until after I had the staples and drainage tube removed. They said okay, so within 2 weeks of the surgery I was back at the Oncologist’s office doing the Chemo Maintenance routine again.

Ten days after being released from the hospital I had an appointment with the surgeon to have the (24) staples and drainage tube removed. When I got there the surgeon said the incision looked good, was healing nicely, and that he would remove the tube himself, instead of his assistant. I asked if it would hurt, and he told me that most people just think it feels weird. He snipped the (6) stitches holding the tube in place and then proceeded to pull the tube from my body. I didn’t watch, but my girlfriend did and she was amazed at how much tubing there was in me- somewhere between 18 and 24 inches. He was right it did feel weird. It also hurt! It was a strange, dull and uncomfortable pain that came from deep in my abdomen on the left side; the incision it went in through was on my right side. This is a location I’m not used to feeling at all, and I’ll admit, I let out a scream- not ear shattering but a scream nonetheless. The surgeon asked if I was okay, I told him yes, but I didn’t enjoy the tube removal. He smiled and left and then his assistant proceeded to remove my staples. Again, I didn’t watch, but I felt it- and some of the staples had dried blood over them and were a little tough to get out. I was wincing and flinching at different intervals, so I apologized, telling her it was nothing personal. She told me not to worry; she’d been punched before while removing staples. I told her I wouldn’t punch her, but I made no promises about not kicking. It took less than 5 minutes to remove all the staples (though it felt longer), and when she finished I was a little sore, but staple free- and I didn’t even kick her. I had the beginnings of a scar, and what looked like ant bites on either side of the incision where the staples had been.

The following weeks are a blur- time does pass strangely when you have Cancer. I spent my time recuperating, and trying to get my strength back. Between surgery and Chemo, it does knock you for a loop. My girlfriend and I would try and go out once in a while- just to get me out of the house, walking and getting back into the swing of life. Some forays back to the real world were more successful than others. Bowel issues were the primary variable. On one excursion out, as we were driving home I had to, had to, find a bathroom or it wasn’t going to be pretty. I was driving and finally saw a Boston Market, which I quickly ran into, and the crisis was averted. Through all of this, by necessity, I have gotten more used to using public bathrooms. It’s the fear of having issues like that has kept me from doing certain things. As I move along in my recovery and the “new normal” of my life, I do try and push through the fear and the issues my body gives me while fighting this disease and get out and have some fun.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

The surgeon told me that it takes about 6 weeks for the external wounds to heal, and between 8-12 months for the insides to fully heal. I returned to work 6 weeks after my surgery. I was hoping to only be out 4 weeks, but between my body recovering and getting the appropriate paperwork completed so work would let me back in the building (I was out on Short Term Disability), it took a full 6 weeks. Two weeks after that I was able to take a group of students and artists on a trip to Paris and Amsterdam- a trip that was in the works well before I knew I had Cancer. My girlfriend went on that trip too, and I came back from France with a new title- fiancée.