My mom had her bladder and uterus removed on December 2nd. She got a neo bladder. She was in the hospital until the 13th. She was home for 4 days. She had a nurse come out and a physical therapist. She had a Foley catheter and a tube sewn in her stomach on each side to collect urine. They were very painful and burning for her because they always leaked. The 4th day when the PT was there she sat down to go to the bathroom and when she stood up she heard a pop and she was covered with stool. It was all over her t shirt and it came through her incision. I was very scared and definitely thought they’d do surgery but they haven’t.

She took an ambulance to the hospital. Her surgeon came and said she was ok to go home. We had to go to an appointment to see him the next day at 11. It didn’t make sense to me and I felt bad for her because it’s leaking, it smells, she has to use a walker and and she’s so weak. I felt so bad for her. So he looks at the incision and sends us back the the hospital to be admitted.

He said the pop was a hole in her intestine. The smell was very bad and strong. So she has a bag over that and they took the two other tubes out. I think they call it super pubic and they are covered. They measure how much comes out each time.

They had to put a picc line in. I don’t think she’ll be coming home anytime soon. They do a scan to see if it’s improving or getting worse. There’s a fistula, a canal that’s not supposed to be there. He said it was not the bladder that he made that popped.

I am worried but I know this is a long recovery. She’s back on iv nutrition and has an antibiotic. At first they didn’t want her eating in case they had to operate. She couldn’t have water or ice chips and her mouth was so dry. She is having broth now.

This is all very overwhelming. I am glad I won’t have to flush her tubes because I was nervous doing that but we got through it. One step at a time.