Rectovaginal fistula

[Joannerogers]

Second leak test done and I passed. I'm scheduled for my reversal on 3/27! I will keep you posted.

[rmcknight923]

Second leak test done and I passed. I'm scheduled for my reversal on 3/27! I will keep you posted.

Yay!!! So happy for you!

How are you doing?

[Joannerogers]

I had my reversal. I'm very sore, tired and have a lot of trapped gas pain. My bm's are very sporadic so it concerns me a little since I don't know what to expect. I will have to take one day at a time.

[rmcknight923]

One day at a time is all we can do. I'll pray for you. Keep posting!

[Joannerogers]

All is going really good! Dealing with constipation now, I've been busy with friends wanting to go out so I've been delaying taking anything for it. That's my plan for tonight after dinner. Hopefully tomorrow will be a productive elimination day! Feeling great though, all things considered....not missing my personal porta potty!

[Joannerogers]

I'm also enjoying wearing my low rise jeans and not having to camouflage my bag with long shirts! Can start wearing more flirty stuff now!

[rmcknight923]

Girl, you are my hero! I want to be you when I grow up!!!
So...your bowels have gone from diarrhea-like to constipated? What kind of diet are you doing?

[Joannerogers]

Nothing yet, but after I get cleared out I'm going to research what foods cause constipation and avoid those like the plague! I took 3 colace last night with no results so far, took 3 dulcolax this morning and have switched from my coffee to water only which I'm not happy about! I'm out of MOM so I might venture to store later for some miralax.

[Button]

Joanne:
A word to the wise . . .

Colase, and stool softeners in general, are a poor choice for management of constipation. Stool softeners act by drawing water into the lower intestine. Period. That is all that stool softeners do.

Which is fine if the intestinal tract motility if moving along at a good clip and rate of speed and the problem is rock-hard fecal output. However, most people reaching for a stool softener do so with the hoped for effect of relieving constipation and a backup of fecal material. Stool softeners provide no kinetic effect, no motility enhancer. The net effect is a lower intestinal tract with an overabundance of water-weighted fecal material - picture a mound of wet, heavy cement sitting in the rectum.

Most people when constipated need the dual action of drawing water into the colon + a nudge to move the intestine along. They need a kick-start to the lower intestinal tract to empty.

The best choice is an osmotic agent/laxative. Choose from the following: Miralax or Milk of Magnesia or Magnesium citrate or Natural Calm.

Avoid a stimulant laxative. Avoid each of the following: Dulcolax, SennaS, Ex-Lax.

Osmotic agents (Miralax, Milk of Magnesia, Magnesium citrate, Natural Calm) can be used safely on a daily basis and on a long-term basis. Osmotic agents do not lead to developing laxative dependency, as do stimulant laxatives.

You can take a given total daily dose of an osmotic agent as divided doses throughout the day. Meaning, you need not gulp down 16 oz of water + a heaping dose of Miralax at a single sitting. You can take sips of the concoction throughout the day or you can take portions of the daily dose 4 times a day or whatever manner works for you and your digestive system.

You can also titrate the amount of Miralax or Milk of Magnesia or Magnesium that you take day to day. That is, you can vary the amount of osmotic agent taken depending on how your intestines are moving along. Add in a teaspoon more if your system in leaning toward being constipated. Reduce by a teaspoon if your system is moving too quickly. You have control.

Congratulations on your takedown and reversal. A genuine celebration, indeed. Best wishes as you continue forward,
- Karen -

[Joannerogers]

Thank you so much! I did pay the price for the dulcolax! It got things moving too much, I thought while I was on the toilet that I'll never do that again! I'm writing down you instructions now!

[aloha66]

Joanne,
That is great news! Yes they can be repaired. Mine was repaired along with the reversal of colostomy an so far so good! It's been since March of 2017.
Aloha

[Kmoty]

Joannerogers, if you see this, would you update us on your longer-term experience? I have a loop colostomy to heal an R/V fistula that was a complication from sigmoid resection to remove about 5" of colon with an adenocarcinoma (IIIb, clean margins, 3 positive nodes, chemo). The fistula remains open, and I don't think it will heal (ongoing gas bubbles, vaginal flooding with contrast CT imaging, ycch). There's a lot of conflicting info about these fistulas, but general agreement that they're challenging to repair. My colon surgeon is a "top doc," but seems a little inclined to experiment. I'll address this at my next consult with whatever info I'm able to collect. His first idea was hysterectomy with reversal--I said NO. Next was reversal plus removal of additional colon with re-anastomosis to seal the colon side, no suggestion about the vaginal side. My oncologist isn't interested--not in his silo. Any long-term experience and info about procedure(s) will be much appreciated. Thank you all.

[O1cindy]

Joannarogers: can I ask your age and weight. I'm being advised to have the procedure, but I am older and overweight.