On Monday, August 4, 2014, I will be going into Banner Good Samaritan Hospital to have major surgery. This has been a long time coming. First of all I want you to know I do not have cancer. And for that I am extremely grateful. But let me take a moment to tell you how I arrived here.
I have struggled with intestinal issues from my early teens. I have had many polyps throughout my life. Finally in 1998 I had to have my colon removed. The surgeon made a pouch out of my small intestine and hooked that up so I could go to the bathroom as normal, just 10-15 times per day. That worked well for the next 15 1/2 years. That is, until I went on my second trip to India.
Half way through that trip this past January, my internal pouch stopped working properly. Instead of going to the bathroom 10-15 times per day, I had to go every 20 minutes to an hour. I thought it would get better but it didn't. Now 7 months later I have to have all that previous work removed and have an ileostomy installed. That is an external bag. If you are unfamiliar with what I'm referring to just Google "Ileostomy" and you will get a pretty good idea what I will be dealing with the rest of my life.
I want to thank you for praying for me. It will be a very painful surgery and I will not only be recovering physically but I will be learning to deal with life with an ostomy bag. The good news is this will free me from being tethered to a bathroom.
I will have the freedom to do things I have not been able to do for the past 16 years. I will be able to go fishing with my dad. I will be able to sleep on an airplane. I will be able to go to the villages in India without having to worry about bathroom facilities. I will be able to go hunting.
These are all things I currently cannot do.
Thank you again for all your prayers. I should be healed up and on my feet in time for my daughter's wedding in late September. I was fearful that I would have to leave during the ceremony to go find a bathroom. I will be able to stay through the service and bawl my eyes out.
Let me know if you have any questions. I am more than happy to answer them. Not much embarrasses me anymore. Oh, and no, it has nothing to do with my diet. This is a genetic problem I have been dealing with for almost 40 years now.
I have struggled with intestinal issues from my early teens. I have had many polyps throughout my life. Finally in 1998 I had to have my colon removed. The surgeon made a pouch out of my small intestine and hooked that up so I could go to the bathroom as normal, just 10-15 times per day. That worked well for the next 15 1/2 years. That is, until I went on my second trip to India.
Half way through that trip this past January, my internal pouch stopped working properly. Instead of going to the bathroom 10-15 times per day, I had to go every 20 minutes to an hour. I thought it would get better but it didn't. Now 7 months later I have to have all that previous work removed and have an ileostomy installed. That is an external bag. If you are unfamiliar with what I'm referring to just Google "Ileostomy" and you will get a pretty good idea what I will be dealing with the rest of my life.
I want to thank you for praying for me. It will be a very painful surgery and I will not only be recovering physically but I will be learning to deal with life with an ostomy bag. The good news is this will free me from being tethered to a bathroom.
I will have the freedom to do things I have not been able to do for the past 16 years. I will be able to go fishing with my dad. I will be able to sleep on an airplane. I will be able to go to the villages in India without having to worry about bathroom facilities. I will be able to go hunting.
These are all things I currently cannot do.
Thank you again for all your prayers. I should be healed up and on my feet in time for my daughter's wedding in late September. I was fearful that I would have to leave during the ceremony to go find a bathroom. I will be able to stay through the service and bawl my eyes out.
Let me know if you have any questions. I am more than happy to answer them. Not much embarrasses me anymore. Oh, and no, it has nothing to do with my diet. This is a genetic problem I have been dealing with for almost 40 years now.
