May 2015:  We had just bit the bullet and eloped in Vegas. Newly married, we were planning a major honeymoon vacation in South Africa. We would see my husband’s family, who live in Pretoria, we would explore Cape Town, and the surrounding wine region; and finally, we would have the luxury Safari experience of a lifetime! It was all planned for August…

And you guessed it, what happened next: the bowels started up again. Crippling agony and projectile vomiting were daily events. And the SMELL of the vomit could only be described as days old fecal matter. My ankles were swelling, the pitting edema was so severe that I needed to wear support stockings every day to control it. I tried Stricture Heal multiple times, to no avail. It was too far gone. I knew I needed some serious help…

I booked an appointment with my gastroenterologist, who immediately scheduled a CT scan. I went the following week, and results showed what I already knew. The stricture was worsening, and my bowels were partially obstructed. My doctor offered me two options: endoscopic balloon dilation, or bowel resection surgery. With surgery as a last resort in my mind, I scheduled the endoscopy procedure, knowing it was only a temporary fix. I so desperately wanted to be normal for a while, to go on my honeymoon, and not have to worry…

I asked for a copy of the CT scan results… turns out my doctor only read half the report! I also had an enteroenteric fistula. And the stricture was long… about 12 cm. I knew realistically that a balloon procedure wasn’t going to be the answer. I was frustrated with my doctor’s complacence towards my condition, and sought a second opinion.

I scored an appointment with another gastroenterologist, recommended to us by our lawyer. He is on the board of directors of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. This couldn’t be a bad thing! He took one look at my CT report and said, “Honestly, you need surgery. You are going to feel so much better if you do.” He scheduled a consult with who he believes to be the best colorectal surgeon in America, at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida.

I traveled to Weston some 3 weeks later for my consult. A team of surgeons determined that a bowel resection and take down of the fistula was in my best interest. However, my albumin level was so low, they were concerned about post-op healing. They planned to admit me to the hospital one week in advance of the surgery to decompress the bowels, via nasogastric suction, and place a PICC line to start me on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). In feeding me intravenously, and allowing my bowel a period of rest pre-operatively, they felt I would have better chances of healing and making a recovery. The idea of enduring this was terrifying, but I knew there was no alternative. Well there was – and it was a slow death by starvation and eventual sepsis. Surgery it was!…