Intro

This blog is intended to keep me busy during my recovery process of having major surgery, I will be out of work for 6-8 weeks so I need something to do.

History:

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was 11 years old and had 5 surgeries over almost an entire school year, all emergency surgery; the first was a perforation of my intestine where I was poisoning myself - they fixed that area and hooked me back up, but it caused many complications which included a fiscal forming and having to get a temporary colostomy and reversal; not being able to eat for 3 months, being fed through a feeding tube and many other complications that arose.

[I was not in good health prior to my surgery when I was 11 but this time I am more lucky and am in great shape so the recovery and complications should be a lot less of a risk.]

Since then I have been in remission with only some minor problems here and there.

Everyone suffers from Crohn's in different ways, mine is not typical with everyday symptoms, more of internal problems that are not easily seen unless I get a colonoscopy every year, so I do, and that part is NO fun.

The Problem:

Every year, for the last couple years, my Gastrointestinal doctor has told me he is worried about a small narrowing area where I had my surgery when I was 11 years old which had a lot of scar tissue and inflammation built up over the years. 

Every year he tells me at SOME POINT I am going to need that area removed, not now, but maybe 5,10,15 years down the line, or at the time when he can't get the scope through that area. 

A couple weeks ago I had some terrible pain in my stomach and needed to go to the ER. I spent almost two days in the hospital with morphine and limited cable TV. There were some pretty great drugged text messages to my friends and Nancy my new age therapist:

The Solution:

In the end my Gastrointestinal doctor said that I am going to have to get the area he was worried about taken out a lot sooner then he thought. 

I got a surgeon from MGH where my last surgery was and all my records were, went to see her and within two weeks I was scheduled for a right colectomy where they were going to take out most of the right side of my large/small intestine; the day before thanks giving. 

This blog will describe what I went through and how to prepare for any hospital visit like a pro.