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I am not a doctor and the information that follows is not intended as medical advice. It is written to give you an idea of how I survived my operation and some of the things I found helpful along the way. All medical advice should be obtained from your doctor. If you have questions about any of this information, ask your doctor. Your doctor is your source of medical advice and his/her directions should always be followed above anything else.
A Few Words About The Author

I had been experiencing acute pain for several days prior to entering the hospital, but I ignored the pain until it had built up to where I was rolled up in bed with severe cramps and couldn't move. This was my biggest mistake. I should have seen a doctor several days earlier and possibly my fate would have been different.

On October 3, 1995 I entered the hospital with an acute case of perforated diverticulitis, and peritonitis. The peritonitis, a severe infection in the abdomen, was trying to destroy my organs. As a result of this I ended up having a colostomy.

On January 2, 1996 I returned to the hospital to have the colostomy reversed. I was sent home for recovery on January 7, 1996.

On January 14, 1996 I was back in the hospital with complications due to the re-attachment of the colon failing, and again I had abdominal infection. I was put under close watch and given antibiotics until January 17, 1996 when the reversal had completely failed and I again had peritonitis. Another colostomy was done and a longer time was prescribed to allow the tissue to heal before we would attempt another reversal.

On September 3, 1996 I again returned to the hospital to have a reversal done. This time everything went as it was supposed to and I am well on the road to resuming my life as I knew it before all this started.

It is important to note that during my procedures I had some of the best doctors and specialists available. Sometimes when you are told that there is a 5% chance of failure there is a real chance that it may happen to you, but you can't let that stop you. I feel good that I had doctors that cared and were willing to share information with me openly. This is not always the case so you must insist on being informed. It is only through being informed that you can make responsible decisions and have the facts you need to have a successful, speedy recovery.

To sum it all up, I have been there, and, I have done that!

I am writing this in hopes that my experiences will help someone else get through similar experiences without the uncertainty that comes from not knowing what to expect. Who better to tell you what to expect than someone who has been through this them self.
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