Originally Posted by
Randall Flagg
Just an update on my saga. In August 2018, I had surgery to remove the bulk of the mesh from my hernia surgery. The complications still continued. In late December 2018, I had another surgery to remove every bit of the mesh that was left (5 hours on the table, and 5 days in the hospital).
I continued to have drainage from 3 holes in my lower left abdomen, as well as from the original hernia incision. The new theory was that because of my Crohn's disease, I had developed several fistulas from my colon that were draining from my abdomen. Specifically, 3 fistulas, and the incision. The conclusive evidence was when I had a barium contrast and ultrasound. The moment the contrast was injected into my colon, the barium immediately leaked from the 3 holes, and incision. Voila! After 10 months they figured out why.
I am now seeing IBD experts at UCSF medical center. They intend to put me on Stelara in the hopes that it will put my Chron's in "remission", and that all the the leaking holes will repair themselves, or that surgery (a fistulectomy) would work.
It really has been, and continues to be a painful, trying time, but I just wake up every day and persevere.