Your appearance isn’t a factor for surgery
May 15, 2009This might be a tough message for some people to hear but I think they need to hear it. Some people delay or ignore the possibility of surgery because they are concerned with what their appearance will be post-surgery. They have a hard time accepting that they will be living with an ileostomy and have scars on their body.
While I acknowledge the concern, I don’t think it’s valid. Your health takes precedence over your personal appearance. It’s not worth it to let yourself get sicker and sicker just because your body will now look “less than perfect.”
As if living with colitis is an attractive alternative…
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: Do you put too much concern into your appearance post-surgery? Reply to this post.
Your message is tough to swallow. I had a ‘temporary’ illeostamy surgery 10 months ago. I found out a few days ago from a final specialist that my illeostomy is permanent due to unexpected and untreatable strictures in my rectum.
Had I known this was going to be permanent I may not have permitted the surgeon to do the invasive surgery that he did. Everyone tells me that I should be happy to be alive and cancer free. Somehow that isn’t much comfort.
I understand the need for your message. I’m nowhere yet close to accepting the permanence of this thing. It IS a big deal for me. :(
Though I suspect some day I’ll get to where you are attitude-wise, I”m not there yet.