This is my story 18 Months Total Proctectomy. My recovery living with a ‘Barbie Butt’ and how it has transformed my life!
I had the full removal and closure of my Anus, rectum and all surrounding bowel removed just over 18 months ago now and was sewn shut, giving me the affectionally called ‘Barbie Butt’ technically called a Total Proctectomy.
I have written about the surgery in a separate blog but wanted to update how it is to live with 18 months on.
I am delighted to share I have completely healed with no complications and am back to everything I had missed out on for years. I enjoy every day with no continence/soiling worries, no excruciating pain and horrendous degrading side effects that the diseased part of me carried. I can now enjoy exercising, cycling, swimming, intimacy and anything life sends my way without a second thought for my altered body!
I have no phantom pains that I have heard others mention, no skin issues and no discomfort with the scar, in fact I have no visible scar, it simply looks like the rest of the skin fold between my bottom cheeks.
I honestly can not express enough how life changing this has been for me, I was petrified how I would cope with loosing what I saw a normal part of the body that you take for granted to be there. No one can tell I’m different, yes I live with an Ileostomy stoma and that has its own issues, yes I live with IBD still despite my large bowel being removed, but my quality of life has increase beyond my expectations and my only regret is that I didn’t get it all taken away sooner!
I hope by sharing this, I can give someone out there the confidence and support that its not the end, it’s the beginning and life can be great again!
Please do visit my blog for more on my journey to this point and living with IBD and a permanent Ileostomy Stoma as well as things I have found to help me get to where I am today!
Feel free to email me for support or visit me on Facebook!
Thank you for reading!
Andrea
xx
