My reversal decisions

Reversal, my thoughtful journey.
September 2017, I went into hospital for my second operation of the year. The operation was to reverse my mucus fistula and ileostomy from my emergency operation in May.
The operation didn’t go to plan and woke up with a looped ileostomy, although my mucus fistula was gone I was a little disappointed that the reversal didn’t take place but it was for a reason so I was cool with it, I spent just over 2 weeks in hospital so was a quick turn around unlike my first stint.
As the months went on I was getting stronger and was working to get back into work, but also whilst this was going on I still had this desire for my reversal but it was in the back of my mind but it was there slowly chipping away, something that I couldn’t really get out of my mind, how hard I tried it was always there.
So after returning to work!! well I thought so, obstacles were being put in the way to make the return easy it was far from it, it ended up with being made redundant, I believe my stoma was an underlying factor but I had gone through so much I just wanted to move on, but still I felt this stoma shenanigans was going to be my downfall which was to turn out a blessing in disguise. This helped me work on creating my support group ‘stoma heroes’.
I eventually started work in my current job and they have been nothing other than so supportive and fully understand my position, my ever-thinking notion about a reversal of having more time off and possible problems were playing on my mind in regard to the reversal process. After my last two operations where things didn’t go to plan and nearly paying the price these issues were at the forefront of my decision-making process (negativity), so I was battling my own emotions and feelings which was hard.
Do I need to have it done
NO is the answer, so why,
The hard part about it is that I don’t really need to have the reversal but as my consultant explained it would be better for my body to be back to some sort of normal, what ever that was supposed to be. I don’t struggle with skin issues, my equipment is working fantastically well, so I do question as to why I want to do it, and its not easy. After seeing and reading what people go through with crohns and ulcerative colitis and if I had one of those issues there would be no questions asked, I would be staying as is.
Some days I have led on my bed, sat on the sofa and at times been day dreaming as to what to do, I would ask people but not really getting a definitive response, it was ultimately down to me, which is fair enough I guess but it wasn’t helping me at all. So I had to start to get to the bottom of the issue and deal with it. I was keeping emotions away from others, I was struggling.
The what ifs
The what ifs kept coming into play, what if didn’t work out, what if I was to be fully opened again, If it doesn’t work what then. if the last 2 years has taught me anything it is that I’m stronger than I think, in fact WE all are. I’ve been through it twice now, so know what to expect. Always fighting against the negative.
but putting a positive aspect to it, I guess I’ve recovered twice from two operations stronger each time, if I end up with a stoma permanently so what I know how to live with one I know what to expect and how things will be. So, I’m forever fighting the negatives and changing it to a positive outlook.
Consultant meeting
In January 2019 I met with my consultant to talk about the reversal issue as the juggle drums in my head were beating ever louder, I became a hunter gather of information, I searched for people who’d had the procedure done but most had theirs done due to crohns or ulcerative colitis and in many cases it didn’t seem that it would be great choice to have it done. All I could find was the negative side, I just need to find those people who had reversal from having diverticulitis and find some positivity.
The more I looked the more information that I was finding out, the notion of a reversal was changing, lucky old me found a few people who had the diverticulitis disease and had been reversed in a positive way.
This seemed to be the turning point of my decision, the decision was made to have the operation done, I know everyone is different and as ostomates all our journeys is an individual thing, but it had taken until October 2019,
I had a routine colonoscopy done by my consultant in the lead up to the decision, whilst looking at the TV screen insides of my bowels I could see that it looked quite healthy and the joins from my previous operations were good but from my perspective anyway and from the professional point of view it seemed, all was good, I guess this made me feel a little more at ease with the choices that were to be made.
I sent an email to my consultant to fact find and help me, I asked about how much bowel had been removed and how long would the operation take, would the operation required me to be opened again. Obviously, the information I received back was just what I wanted to hear, the operation would ordinarily be through the stoma site and having 40 cm bowel removed I should be normalish.
Lets do this
So with this in mind I have decided to go with it and I requested to be put onto the waiting list for the procedure which I have and now the mind is at ease I don’t need to over think the issue anymore, the waiting time is 6 months but I can live with that.
I would say that (barry) my stoma has become a very important part of my everyday routine, in my life over the last 2.5 years, I have meet and spoke to some pretty inspirational people, I have done things that I wouldn’t have dreamed of 3 years ago. Trio health care has helped me in so many ways and I can’t thank them enough for their help and support, from a random twitter video (stretchy) to being a great source of support. I have learnt so much I’ve changed so much as a person, my empathy towards others has grown its given me a purpose to help others who do struggle.
I started stoma heroes support group in 2018 a year later it has evolved into a charity so its been an eventful year and doesn’t show signs of slowing down.
I will update the progress once I have a date, I will see if my emotions and feeling would have changed going forward.

Like everything in life, time will only tell.