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Recovery from Colon Surgery
Recovery from Colon Resection or Colon Removal
Your colon surgery is completed. Recovery from colon surgery is now your top priority. Your doctor said that the colectomy is a complete success. Congratulations on completing a major step towards good health!
Post-Surgery
Now what can I expect during the post-surgery recovery time? Let's be honest. You just had your abdomen cut open and "stitched-up." There will be some pain. You will be managing the pain with strong medication in the hospital and for about a week after discharge from the hospital. You also may have a catheter for urine collection. This is temporary and will be removed in a couple of days.
Your hospital stay will be about 7 days, depending on whether or not there are complications. The most common complications from surgery are internal bleeding and infection. Infections are managed with antibiotics. Internal bleeding might require another surgery to correct.
On the day after surgery, the nurses will get you up out of bed and into a chair. You will also walk around little. Your IV (intravenous fluid) will probably be removed by now, and you can drink water. Chewing gum is permitted.
Colostomy bag
What if I have a colostomy bag? Your medical caregivers will train you how to use and care for the colostomy bag. A colostomy bag collects your body waste and is attached to you through a small opening (stoma) in your abdomen. Sometimes the colostomy might be reversible in the future. Ask your doctor about this important item!
First few days after surgery:
As the first few days go by, you will be given a liquid diet, including vitamins and nutrition supplements. You will be asked to walk more frequently. We know this is going to be hard on you, but the most important thing is to get moving again. Your wound dressing may be removed to expose the incision to air. If your incision has a drain, the drain may stay in for a few days until the drainage stops.
One week after surgery:
It has been about a week since the colon surgery. Your recovery from colon surgery is going nicely. You are happy to be off of the liquid diet and are now eating low-fat and low fiber meals. You eagerly speak with the discharge planner to get specific instructions for your continued medical care. Remember, everybody is different so your instructions may differ from what you have heard from other patients. Keep taking your vitamins so that your body heals quickly and completely.
Few weeks after surgery:
You're at home now. Hooray! It's nice to be back. You have a lifting restriction - no more than 10 pounds. In a few weeks you will probably be:
- eating a normal diet
- having a follow-up visit with your doctor
- resuming aerobic exercise
- done taking pain medication
- receiving the results of any tissue biopsy that was performed during surgery
- returning to work gradually and your normal routine
You have made it. Your recovery from colon surgery is nearly complete. You stayed in contact with your doctor and followed her post-operation instructions. Depending on your age, health before surgery, and any complications, you will make a complete recovery in 4 to 8 weeks after the colectomy. Great job!
- Treatments for Colon Cancer - This article provides an overview of the available treatments for colon cancer.
- Stage 2 Colon Cancer - Stage 2 colon cancer is very curable. Chemotherapy is not needed for all patients, surgery alone can be enough. Cure rates for stage 2 colon cancer with surgery alone is 65% to...
- Colon Cancer Stage 3 - For colon cancer stage 3 patient’s, chemotherapy is required. This stage of colon cancer can be fatal, however there are drugs that can add months, even years onto your life. There are many combinations of different types of drugs, a common combo (aka cocktail) is Eloxatin with Adrucil which is used for patients after...
- Colon Cancer Stage 4 - Colon cancer stage 4 is the utmost degree of colon cancer. Like stage 3 colon cancer this stage is likely to be fatal. Nevertheless there are drugs that can help slow the cancer down adding precious time to your life. Some of the drug combinations include...
- Colon Cancer Survivability - Colon cancer survivability rates and other colon cancer statistics are discussed.Many assume when they’re diagnosed with colon cancer that they are destined to die with colon cancer. Surprisingly colon cancer survivability statistics are...
- Colon Polyp Surgery - Painless colon polyp surgery, polyp removal, analysis of tissue and surgery risks are discussed.During a colonoscopy you may need to get colon polyp surgery. A colon polyp is a small mass of flesh attached to the inner wall of the colon by a stalk of tissue called a pedicle. The surgery itself is simple, and...
- Colon Resection Surgery - Information about colon resection surgery, including hemi-colectomy, resulting in a colostomy are discussed.If you are diagnosed with colon cancer it may be necessary to get colon resection surgery. This page advises you to get a second opinion if your doctor recommended this surgery to be sure you have the best surgical team. A list of...
- Colon Removal Surgery - Colon removal surgery is discussed in understandable terms. A list of things to consider is provided.If you are considering having colon removal surgery you should certainly get a second opinion since it will have a big effect on your life. After colon removal surgery you will have to...
- Recovery From Colon Surgery - Recovery from Colon Surgery is described and explains what you should expect after colon surgery. During the first few days after surgery you will be on an all liquid diet including vitamins and nutritional supplements. About a week after surgery you will not need to maintain the liquid diet but will...
- Side Effects of Chemotherapy - The side effects of chemotherapy for colon cancer are described, along with management methods.Many of the side effects occur when normal, healthy cells get damaged by treatments. Fortunately, doctors now have many ways to...
- Side Effects of Radiation Treatment - The side effects of radiation treatment for colon cancer are manageable and are described here.Like chemotherapy, radiation therapy has side effects. Some side effects of radiation are...
- Bad Nurse or Bad Doctor - To many patients it may appear as though that they have a bad nurse or bad doctor sometime during their treatment. Most of the time these feelings emerge when patients sense there doctor or nurse is not empathetic or sensitive enough to their new found disease. Remember that doctors and nurses...
- Colon Cancer Support - Colon cancer support comes in many forms - medicine, therapy, discussion, help from people.
- Colon Cancer Diagnosis - A colon cancer diagnosis means you should get a second opinion.Once a patient is diagnosed with colon cancer they fear that their doctor may be inaccurate, or they might just want a second opinion, but feel it will offend their regular doctor. When facing the possibility that you may have a serious disease...
- Colon Cancer Alternative Treatment - Colon cancer alternative treatment can be a useful or harmful therapy. During chemotherapy many patients want to know if they can try alternative therapies as well. The answer is no, colon cancer alternative treatment can actually cause chemo or radiation to be less effective. The reason for this is that the antioxidants in the supplements will act as...
- History of Surgery - The history of surgery for colon cancer shows incredible progress in saving lives over the last 300 years. It all started with the Scotch surgeon John Hunter and his discovery that surgery could possibly cure some cancers. This new discovery created...
- Alternative Pain Therapy - Complementary and alternative pain therapy provides options for some patients. There are many different types of alternative pain therapy. One type is acupuncture which is...
- Colon Cancer Survival Statistics - Colon cancer survival statistics show how important it is to get early effective treatment.Colon Cancer survival statistics in the U.S are surprisingly encouraging if the cancer is caught in the earlier stages. The statistics show that...
- Colon Cancer Diet - Colon cancer diet and nutrition guidelines provides information to help the patient feel healthier and recover faster.This page discusses how it is important to maintain a healthy diet because the majority of cancer treatments cause your immune system to...
- Bowel Obstruction - Bowel obstruction can have different causes but needs immediate medical attention. A bowel obstruction often occurs when your bowel is partially or completely blocked. For colon cancer sufferers, it’s usually an indicator that you have a tumor growing in the bowel, forcing the bowel to not...
- History of Chemotherapy - The history of chemotherapy started with scientists examining the effects of military weapons. Today it is a race to cure rather than a race to kill. Chemotherapy has saved many cancer patients although there are still some...
- Cancer Centers of America - Cancer Centers of America are 4 affiliated hospitals with a unique approach to colon cancer therapy. These Centers provide "mother standard" care, meaning they treat you with unconditional support and the warmth a mother would. The doctors offer to...
- Chemotherapy Drugs List - Chemotherapy drugs list with 8 drugs used for colon cancer. Chemotherapy can involve one or more of the 8 drugs in different combinations also known as "cocktails." All of the drugs have different side effects and ...
- Palliative Chemotherapy - Palliative chemotherapy is a therapy not used to cure, but to prolong life and improve cancer symptoms. This type of chemo is used for patients whose cancer is terminal. Palliative chemotherapy can provide patients with increased physical comfort and help give...
- Cause of Infertility - For some patients chemo and radiation can be the cause of infertility. Research is going on to create drugs to prevent ovulation during chemotherapy. There is also...
- Anti Cancer Diet - An anti cancer diet after colon cancer surgery can make a huge difference in recovery and overall health. Here are practical food ideas...
- Chemo for Colon Cancer - Late stage colon cancer must be treated with chemotherapy. Many of the side effects that we used to associate with chemotherapy are now controlled or eliminated. Some types of chemotherapy can be...
- Cancer Treatment Diet - A cancer treatment diet is important because cancer treatment can cause all sorts of nutritional deficiencies. Your diet needs change throughout the stages of your treatment which is why it is best to consult a certified nutritionist or your doctor to determine what may be right for your specific situation. Keeping yourself as healthy as you can...
- Bowel Surgery - When doctors say bowels, they are referring to the last three feet or so of the digestive tract. Large bowel surgery is done for several reasons. One may be that you might have a polyp on your colon. When there is a polyp...
