My Story: What It's Like Having Lower Anterior Resection Surgery

What is it like having major abdominal surgery for Rectal Cancer? I take you through what it's like both the day before and day of surgery, how rough it is waking up, and talk with my husband, John, to hear about what happened during the hours I was actually in surgery. I'll show you what the aftermath looks like of Lower Anterior Resection Surgery, but if you're a little squeamish I'll warn you when to look away and when it's safe to look back.
😷What the different surgeries are for Rectal Cancer patients: • The Major Types of Rec...
💉My Diagnosis Video: • The Story of My Colore...
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[@retrogal8888]

Hi, just been diagnosed with rectal cancer . I found your videos excellent. I will end up with a stoma for life, after radiation and chemo....❤❤

[@cythera4]

Your videos are all so helpful. I was diagnosed with stage II rectal cancer and am preparing to begin a three-month course of FOLFOX chemo prior to restaging and LAR surgery. It is great to have all this practical knowledge gleaned from your experience.

[@SurvivorJelena]

Thank you. Best wishes as you get ready to start treatment 💙

[@lillianwasserman1837]

My fiance was just diagnosed with bladder cancer. Going for chemo consultation soon then he will have his bladder removed. Thank you for sharing your journey. I know that I will be on board here, even though it is a different cancer it helps. Sending my best wishes for your continued success in recovery. Stay strong 💪 and happy.

[@lemmy37]

Thanks for all the videos and sharing your experience. Im 16 weeks post LAR surgery, I have the temporary ostomy bag now and am hoping to have the reversal surgery sometime in the next few months. I know what to expect now from watching your channel, thanks!.

[@SurvivorJelena]

Happy to help! Best wishes to you as you navigate the next few months 💙

[@MrUmsdavid]

You are a really a strong woman Jelena.

[@eveningstar1]

THANK YOU for sharing the photos of the surgery. Appreciated (& no I didn't look away but was surprised how large the incision was)

[@SurvivorJelena]

You’re welcome. It was definitely a pretty decent sized incision!

[@jaes2994]

I’m happy you just took a break and came back to record. Unless things change in the next week, due to COVID 19, no one will be able to be with me at the hospital. 🥺

[@SurvivorJelena]

J Siears that’s a bummer. Hopefully your surgery will be complication-free so you can get back home ASAP.

[@zeek4749]

I am so glad you done with all that and feeling better 🙏🙏🙏

[@SurvivorJelena]

zee k me too! Thanks.

[@remmyj212827]

I have stage3 too,my surgery will next week..Best of luck to me in Chris Name.Amen

[@SurvivorJelena]

Hope everything goes successfully for you 🤞🏼💙

[@jamescook5216]

Jelena--thank you for sharing your story. I also had LAR surgery for a large rectal polyp last September. Fortunately, the polyp had not progressed to cancer, though it likely would have had I waited another 5-6 months. It's great hearing another person's perspective on the surgery. Finding other people's stories about the surgery is far and few between on here. Keep up the great videos! :)

[@SurvivorJelena]

Thank you! That's great news that the removed polyp wasn't cancerous. That must have been a HUGE relief for you.

[@jamescook5216]

@@SurvivorJelena I was super relieved! Colon cancer does run in my family, not not my immediate family. I honestly went through a lot of the emotions and thoughts that you described. Do you believe that you had any side effects from the surgery? I had the robotic laproscopic surgery.

[@SurvivorJelena]

I definitely do! I had an ileostomy for 7 months and now that it’s reversed I have to take psyllium husk, anti-diarrheal medicine, and probiotics daily to get myself remotely close to “normal”. I haven’t done a video on that yet, but I did do one on what I eat which includes what i do to keep myself from pooping 20 times a day 😜

[@ld4032]

@@jamescook5216 Sorry for asking, but did you have any side effects after your LAR?

[@jamescook5216]

@@ld4032 Very minimal side effects. I'd say that I go a little more frequently (though it's not disruptive to my life). I'm not sure if it's related, but I can't tolerate milk. I've never been a huge milk drinker, but if I do drink it, then it gives me stomach pains and diarrhea. I did not have to have an ileostomy. I would imagine this could create other conditions that I did not experience.

[@robertward7401]

I had the rectal cancer surgery the 3rd of March of this yr I was in surgery for six hours so I can relate to all that she is saying

[@breehopton2903]

Thank u jelena for another informative video and I appreciate that ur husband John participated in this video u all seems like such a wonderful couple may God bless u all

[@SurvivorJelena]

You’re welcome 💙 He knew more about what happened for the period of time during my surgery, so I thought it’d be easier if I just let him talk about it 😀

[@bevdesormo]

Thank you for your videos! I've finished my chemo and radiation and will have this surgery in January 🙏🙏

[@SurvivorJelena]

You’re welcome! I hope your surgery is successful 🤞🏼💙

[@heathisul]

This wA so helpful! Thank you for posting.

[@SurvivorJelena]

You’re welcome!

[@Shadowcatninja619]

I recommend anyone with cancer to always do ur research, never fully trust a system if someone is making money off it :) we all have the right and obligations to learn about our bodies , I hope we all find healing

[@angelusbisnar7903]

I have stage 2A rectal cancer, just done 28session radiotherapy, 1st session of chemotherapy. Thru this the tumor went slow enable me to poop. I stopped the medication shift into healing thru food decipline and thru God.

[@geoadventure996]

Thank you for sharing this. May God bless you and your family

[@SurvivorJelena]

You’re welcome 💙

[@blueomega2853]

Oh, from the past surgery I've had (not cancer related), I also noticed both times after I had woken, my throat was dry and a little sore. The reason for this, I found out, is they ventilate you after they put you to sleep, which requires a breathing tube down your throat, which can cause a sore and dry throat. This has to be done, as the anesthetic paralyses you.

[@SurvivorJelena]

Yes, I didn’t know that when I first went in for surgery then learned about that. I had a horrible sore throat too after my surgeries.

[@zeek4749]

It's ok you can take the time off but not for too long lol. Hope to see you soon and please take care of yourself 🙏🙏

[@zeek4749]

Hi Jelena thank you so much for this video . So nice to have John on this video . He seems very sweet 😊😊 my brother is having his surgery in April 😢😥. How long before the diarrhea goes away after radiation treatment? My brother still has that problem after a week . Thanks

[@SurvivorJelena]

zee k about 2 weeks after I finished radiation I felt like I was getting better and not feeling worse anymore. Hopefully in another week he’ll see improvement. Did the doctor say if it was ok to take anti-diarrheal medicine?

[@e.t.5093]

Thank you for this.

[@NitaM1272]

Surgery in six weeks thanks for gift ideas 💙

[@SurvivorJelena]

You're welcome. I hope surgery goes smoothly for you 💙

[@johnmerrick5674]

This was a fabulous video. You are aa real pro. Do you have to go thru this again to reverse it

[@SurvivorJelena]

Thank you so much! I already did go through the reversal surgery, but it was much less intense than the LAR surgery.

[@johnmerrick5674]

@@SurvivorJelena Oh thank you so much for telling me. So glad you are put back together again. You look so young and healthy. God bless.

[@lisalampert6078]

Thank you for your video. For post care, any suggestions for care takers that you can offer so we can be prepared?

[@SurvivorJelena]

Be patient and be ready to help with a lot of things, from helping them get off the couch to remembering to take medications.

[@hayaomar3770]

I,m very worried because the place where I work has national holiday today and no doctor is paying any attention to my request...is it normal for having swelling and no bowel movement at all

[@SurvivorJelena]

Some swelling is ok after surgery, but no output is concerning. It could be the beginning of a blockage. Does she have pain with the swelling? If she starts vomiting or having intense pain you should take her to an emergency room because those are signs of a blockage.

[@michaeledgell8789]

LOL - "Verified 20 million times who I was and what my date of birth was." That's how I felt when I had the colonoscopy.

[@Alexandra08904]

God bless you 🙏

[@andrewneil7554]

I too had stage 3 rectal cancer. The stage 3 was determined during the surgery. My question is post reversal did you have LARS syndrome or were your bowel movements normal? Did you change your diet? What worked and what didn't? Do you irrigate your colon? I am asking as my reversal is in one month. I would like to be able to go back to work (med surge nurse) with out the rest of being incontinent. Any information is greatly appreciated.

[@SurvivorJelena]

I changed my diet in the first few weeks, but now it’s pretty much back to normal. I do take psyllium husk and anti-diarrheal medicine every day to regulate my bowels, but it allows me to eat a healthy, vegetarian diet. I never irrigated...I believe that’s just for those with a colostomy. I don’t have enough space here in the replies to go over enough details, but check out my 7-day food diary and ileostomy reversal videos to get more detailed info on things that do and don’t work for me and how the initial adjustment after reversal surgery went.

[@Marchael]

Can you talk about lars

[@Πανδώρα-π8υ]

Hi Jelena Great informative videos . Please how much of your rectum and colon was removed due to cancer? Did they remove only part of the rectum? Or part rectum and sigmoid? Thanks In advance for your answers . ❤

[@SurvivorJelena]

They removed part of both.

[@hayaomar3770]

My mom has ileostomy but suddenly today after 4 days of surgery...she has developed swelling around stoma on belly at the right side and also at the back

[@SurvivorJelena]

How is your mom doing?

[@hayaomar3770]

@@SurvivorJelena she is ok now but still feels discomfort

[@SurvivorJelena]

@@hayaomar3770 I was pretty sore for at least a week after surgery, so hopefully that eases up soon.

[@hayaomar3770]

@@SurvivorJelena InshAllah... hopefully

[@moseswicochea8408]

Very brave

[@SurvivorJelena]

Thank you

[@retrogal8888]

Did you lose your hair? and when...❤

[@SurvivorJelena]

My hair thinned quite a bit while I was doing FOLFOX, but I didn’t lose it all.

[@ld4032]

Sorry for asking. What type of anastomosis did they make (end-to-end, j-pouch et c.)?

[@SurvivorJelena]

They just reconnected…no j-pouch.

[@ld4032]

@@SurvivorJelena Thank you for your prompt answers. One more question: do you think that your low resection was a better decision than a permanent stoma inspite of all LAR syndrome troubles?

[@SurvivorJelena]

On bad days I get annoyed with the frequent bathroom trips, but a permanent stoma isn’t without troubles either. I don’t regret getting it reversed.

[@munirasaleem91]

Hey Jelena my mom as I mentioned earlier has a similar situation and right now after 12 days of radiation and xeloda she has diarrhea and abdominal pain which has gotten her very down I am wondering if she will be able to bear this LAR surgery and ileistomy. She is 66 years I am so confused as to what I should do ?

[@SurvivorJelena]

Munira Saleem please make sure she’s talking to her doctor about the pain and diarrhea she’s experiencing. They may be able to help her find some solutions to make those symptoms a little more bearable, but it is mentally hard trying to get through it. She will have time to recover before surgery. Try to encourage her to get in some exercise daily to get strong for it.

[@munirasaleem91]

Survivor Jelena hello jelena the pain is quite intense , more like spasms were yours like this? She has been given Imodium for diarrhea and No Spa for the spasmodic pains . I hope it works and there is no real damage happening at the site of pain?

[@munirasaleem91]

She has a lot of flatulence also and feels the need to rush to the bathroom a lot is that normal?

[@SurvivorJelena]

My pain wasn’t really spasms, but at times it could get intense. The radiation could be causing tissues to become stuffed and that might cause some of the pain.

[@SurvivorJelena]

And yes, lots of gas and having to rush to the bathroom was pretty normal for me. That should get better within about 2 weeks after radiation finishes.

[@preethiganesh2880]

Did you experience Pain or irritation or burning sensation in and around Anal region after your surgery ?

[@SurvivorJelena]

I don't remember having any pain around there after surgery, especially since I got an ileostomy so all my waste was coming out of there.

[@zeek4749]

I don't like that PCA machine because my aunt got over does with the medicine the machine wasn't working properly ☹️☹️☹️

[@SurvivorJelena]

zee k oh my gosh I’m so sorry! After about 2 days it ended up giving me a horrible headache so I stopped using it. When I had my ileostomy reversed I didn’t use it at all.

[@shaunwilson6396]

How lucky am I living in the UK that all this treatment is Free!

[@SurvivorJelena]

Definitely lucky!