Get Well Soon GB Maurile Tremblay (1 Viewer)

kutta said:

Best wishes MT. I'm just piling on now, but one of the GOAT posters.  

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Koya said:

MT - I had a part of my colon removed last year - different scenario than yours (a bad case of diverticulitis that ended up with an abscess as you describe), but I may be able to provide you some insight as to diet and other parts of surgical recovery.  Can't speak to the Colon Cancer side of the equation, but hopefully they found everything early enough and onto a quick recovery.  

ETA: Do you know if they plan to re-attach the colon during surgery, or will you need a colostomy bag? After 8 months with a bag, I was just reconnected a couple weeks back, still homebound but healing up well.  Either way, hardly the end of the world, so if you have questions on that front if needed, let me know here or in PM.

So, we've gone from all single guys in our early 20's through marriages, kid talk, divorces and now we are at middle aged medical issues.  BTW, can we finally get that BINGO forum up and running? TIA 

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Thanks, everyone! I'll give the story as best I can.

Fifteen days ago I had a sharp pain in my lower right abdomen along with fever, headache, and general malaise. Nine days ago I went to the ER. They did a CT scan and checked me into a hospital room.

Skipping ahead a bit, it appears that I had a perforated colon that leaked into my abdominal cavity, causing infection and abscess. They were having a lot of trouble draining the abscess, but it appears to be finally draining okay now. The more important issue was: what caused the perforation? After several more CT scans and a colonoscopy, they're pretty sure the answer is colon cancer.

So I'm having surgery Tuesday to remove part of my colon. After that, I'm probably looking at chemo and radiation, but that will be figured out after the surgery.

I will probably make some funny posts on Tuesday night when I'm on drugs.

I'm emotionally fine with it all. Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers, and good wishes.

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LarryAllen'sJockstrap said:

A few years back, my father started having severe sharp shooting pains in his back, couldn't eat, fever, lethargy... Within 48 hours, he was in the ICU. The doctors ran all the tests; CT, colonoscopy... In the end he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The plan was to remove a portion of his intensities and "re-route" what remained; then look at chemo/radiation. He was really worried about the long term issues related to having a large portion of his intensities removed; as I assume most people would be.

He decided before the surgery to get a second opinion. The second opinion (from a different hospital/doctor) found that along with a colon abscess, he also had an abscess of the pancreas, which had leaked bile and other fluids into his colon, causing the abscess there. He decided against the surgery; spent the next 7 days in the ICU and two months on an IV at home, but the pancreatic and colonic abscesses healed without surgery and he hasn't had any problems since.

Have you had a biopsy? I am in no ways trying to give you any advice; I can't imagine what it might be like to go through something like that. I just wanted to pass along my dad's story, since your initial symptoms and diagnoses sounded so similar to his.

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Thanks for posting this. My situation is a bit different. It's not my colon that's abscessed, but my abdominal cavity, caused by a perforation in my colon. Because part of my colon is leaky, it needs to be removed even if the cancer diagnosis is wrong. I imagine they'll collect tissue during surgery for a biopsy ... but I'm just guessing. I don't know how that part works, but I'm sure they won't start me on chemo or radiation until cancer is completely confirmed. In the meantime, I need the surgery either way. In any case, I appreciate your sharing your dad's experience.

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LarryAllen'sJockstrap said:

I'm sure you have great doctors; here's hoping it turns out to be a polyp, ulcer or other benign cause. It sounds like they are performing a bowel resection; do you know what kind (large, small or sigmoid)? Do you know if it's going to laparoscopic or open surgery? No need to respond if you don't feel comfortable sharing. I unfortunately became well versed on Colectomy procedures when my dad was sick.

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Maurile Tremblay said:

They're removing part of my large intestine. I think that makes it a large bowel resection. Temporarily, my small intestine will route things to an ileostomy bag. It will be open surgery rather than laparoscopic since they need to take a look around in there.

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LarryAllen'sJockstrap said:

A few years back, my father started having severe sharp shooting pains in his back, couldn't eat, fever, lethargy... Within 48 hours, he was in the ICU. The doctors ran all the tests; CT, colonoscopy... In the end he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The plan was to remove a portion of his intensities and "re-route" what remained; then look at chemo/radiation. He was really worried about the long term issues related to having a large portion of his intensities removed; as I assume most people would be.

He decided before the surgery to get a second opinion. The second opinion (from a different hospital/doctor) found that along with a colon abscess, he also had an abscess of the pancreas, which had leaked bile and other fluids into his colon, causing the abscess there. He decided against the surgery; spent the next 7 days in the ICU and two months on an IV at home, but the pancreatic and colonic abscesses healed without surgery and he hasn't had any problems since.

Have you had a biopsy? I am in no ways trying to give you any advice; I can't imagine what it might be like to go through something like that. I just wanted to pass along my dad's story, since your initial symptoms and diagnoses sounded so similar to his.

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Surgery went very well. They removed the cancer mass and the perforated part of the colon, and while they had me open, they decided to reattach my colon rather than do the ileostomy thing, so I probably won't need another surgery. Because of the perforation (making spread more likely), I'm still looking at chemo and radiation, but the surgery couldn't have gone any better.

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Surgery went very well. They removed the cancer mass and the perforated part of the colon, and while they had me open, they decided to reattach my colon rather than do the ileostomy thing, so I probably won't need another surgery. Because of the perforation (making spread more likely), I'm still looking at chemo and radiation, but the surgery couldn't have gone any better.

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Surgery went very well. They removed the cancer mass and the perforated part of the colon, and while they had me open, they decided to reattach my colon rather than do the ileostomy thing, so I probably won't need another surgery. Because of the perforation (making spread more likely), I'm still looking at chemo and radiation, but the surgery couldn't have gone any better.

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Otis said:

Nice!  Living with one of those bags sounds dreadful, glad to hear you've skipped that step. Best of luck in the next steps, keep us posted!

By the way, what happens with work through all this?  It's such a stupid and practical concern, but I always wonder if someone like this ever happened to me, how the hell do you handle the work part. "Sorry guys but I need like 4 months off. And keep playing me pls or else I'm doomed on the mortgage."

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Psychopav said:

Disability, long and short-term depending on the employer, is a standard employee benefit nowadays, Little Lord Fauntleroy.

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Surgery went very well. They removed the cancer mass and the perforated part of the colon, and while they had me open, they decided to reattach my colon rather than do the ileostomy thing, so I probably won't need another surgery. Because of the perforation (making spread more likely), I'm still looking at chemo and radiation, but the surgery couldn't have gone any better.

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Surgery went very well. They removed the cancer mass and the perforated part of the colon, and while they had me open, they decided to reattach my colon rather than do the ileostomy thing, so I probably won't need another surgery. Because of the perforation (making spread more likely), I'm still looking at chemo and radiation, but the surgery couldn't have gone any better.

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Jene Bramel said:

No ostomy is the ####.

Great news, Maurile!

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Otis said:

Nice!  Living with one of those bags sounds dreadful, glad to hear you've skipped that step. Best of luck in the next steps, keep us posted!

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Surgery went very well. They removed the cancer mass and the perforated part of the colon, and while they had me open, they decided to reattach my colon rather than do the ileostomy thing, so I probably won't need another surgery. Because of the perforation (making spread more likely), I'm still looking at chemo and radiation, but the surgery couldn't have gone any better.




 

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Maurile Tremblay said:

Surgery went very well. They removed the cancer mass and the perforated part of the colon, and while they had me open, they decided to reattach my colon rather than do the ileostomy thing, so I probably won't need another surgery. Because of the perforation (making spread more likely), I'm still looking at chemo and radiation, but the surgery couldn't have gone any better.

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