This is going to be a challenge

 Having a partial colectomy is a huge deal.  I know my family doesn’t want to think about it but it has to be addressed.  This is a hereditary disease.  It’s called Familial Adenoma Polyposis.  There’s no cure. There’s real solid hope of one on the horizon. 

My hospital stay was five days and I lost a lot of blood. I was very anemic when I got home. I had to take care of myself though the nurse stopped in to check vitals. I think the worst part of this is getting your body acclimated to eating differently. First of all you don’t know what you can eat. So you stay home a lot. It’s really a difficult position to be in when you don’t know from one day to the next or one hour to the next, just how your body is going to react.  I’m supposed to be gluten-free for Graves’ disease and also eat healthy grains.  That’s not always possible from day to day when you’re faced with many trips because of healthy grains.  

I’m blessed that I was smart enough to read my body and get colonoscopies regularly. I went from a few polyps to 100’s in a matter of months. When you have a partial colectomy you do not require a pouch, very grateful for that. Anyone who has this gene can be tested very easily. After having breast cancer I was under the delusion that I could handle allot. This is a major surgery and It certainly wasn’t easy but thankfully My surgeon and his group in Virginia were well versed and highly recommended.  My Gastro doctor reassured me I was in very good hands. I have to say the team was very good and the nurses at the hospital were knowledgeable and caring.  I really felt at ease, but It was really challenging at times. 

It’s not a fun thing to talk about and it takes time for acceptance.  I’ve always been one to educate myself and others.  There’s a lot to read and digest and there is hope that on the horizon there will be more than just a pill like Sulindac.  Sulindac slows down the formation of polyps but does not target cancerous polyps.  There are trials presently and they are in the last phases. 

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Since I addressed it for any cancerous polyps before they were developed I can keep being monitored.  The reason they caught it so soon because I didn’t procrastinate. The last few years it’s been scopes every six months to a year. This is what needs to be done. My offspring have refused to even answer.  It’s really sad that they can’t even talk to me about anything. This would be the opportunity.  I really hope that my family takes this seriously.  So sad that my own sister ignores me and the hereditary genetic factor.  I really hope my kids take this seriously. ❣️❣️