Day 1 ~ Hemicolectomy (Operation #1)

The first surgery  

  Bob had a right ascending hemicolectomy (resection- removing part of the intestine and then rejoining the end to the remaining intestine). It was a planned surgery, but we only had about 10 days' warning - not much time to wrap our heads around it. The reason the operation took place is because Bob's had ulcerative colitis for over 3 years now. He finally had a CAT scan and it revealed an extreme narrowing in his large intestine (colon) as a result of scarring from the ulceration - the stricture was right after the junction where the small intestine and large intestine join together. He hadn't had any symptoms, because the waste that passes through that area of the intestines is still mostly liquid, so there hadn't yet been a blockage to cause any pain. But it was essentially a ticking time bomb that had to be dealt with sooner rather than later. The plan was for the procedure to be done via laparoscopy, which would be less invasive, and would result in a shorter hospital stay with a quicker recovery time. Here's a quick animated video showing the exact operation:

All ready to go to the ER, checking his phone one last time.

  

  Unfortunately, when the surgeon got "inside", the procedure was much more involved than originally thought, due to adhesions and scar tissue. Bob ended up with a five-inch horizontal incision on his right abdomen, and three laparoscopy incisions on his left abdomen. Due to the greater degree of invasiveness, the surgeon said Bob would probably remain in the hospital for three days, instead of the standard two.

  The surgery was at 7am, and by 10am, Bob was out of recovery and up in Room 471. He was on IV fluids, had a bladder catheter, was wearing calf-cuffs, and taking oral pain medication. By late Monday night, he was already sitting up and even stood by the walker for a few moments. He was using his inspiration spirometer as directed. He was following all of the surgeon's post-op instructions, as well as those of the nurses and the physical therapists. Goal was to go home Tuesday evening, or Wednesday at the latest!

Pretty pale and in considerable pain, but sitting up!