You are one smart and loving mama! I love you too.

I enjoyed the talk about advocating for yourself. I am advocating every single day but I have doctors who don’t feel that I know much about my feeding tube and having the surgery that I desperately need, which is a colectomy and a permanent ileostomy. I feel like I’m living in a box built by my PCP. You have taught me so much. Thank you all!

For Lucas: In 2010 Dr Vienna did my mesenteric vein resection with Dr Henry A Pitt at Indiana University (cardiology dept too trying to use vein grants from my groin). Dr Mangus was there around that time had about half the hospital in the surgical room they told me since it was experimental. Vienna was there not too long before my surgery to develop their transplant program. My small bowel was dying off due to a tumor that kept comig back on my mesenteric vein. I was in a 6 day medically induced coma with about 3 surgeries while in that coma. They ended up reconnecting everything after my vein grafts failed. Your surgery sounds a lot like mine. I have only my duodenum and most of my colon left. If I had to go through that to save someone else it makes it all worth it. I also thought transplant right away too. It will be 13 years this September on TPN and occasionally think of it but will know if the time is right. I finished grad school shortly after that surgey taking off one semester. I've also only had one line infection in over 12 years. Glad you are doing well!

I got sent home on enteral feedings(gj tube) had no training on anything with 3 days of feedings.I have ptsd from waking up during surgery of having my feeding tube placed.