Dear Dr. Chait:

     Crystal and I would like to thank you and your supporting team for performing Crystal’s cecostomy procedure.

     Before the cecostomy, our lives were wrapped up in trying to manage Crystal’s chronic constipation. We tried laxatives, suppositories, enemas, stool softeners, and even disimpactions. We finally settled on an adult dose of laxative. Crystal took this every Wednesday and she would miss school on Thursdays to sit on the commode all day. This was such a harsh procedure that I would only do it once a week. After a full day of sitting on the commode, her poor bum would be raw. Needless to say, I hatted doing this to her and she hated having it done. It was messy and unreliable.

     I worried constantly about the effects this was having on her bowel and if eventually she would have to have a colostomy. We had a few cases of phantom blocked shunts because the bowel would back up and press on the end of her shunt cord in her stomach. It would take a whole bottle of Citro-mag to clear the bowel and ease the blocking symptoms. This procedure made Crystal ill with high fevers and cramping.

     Even before the six weeks of healing were completed, the benefits of the Cecostomy were startling.

     Crystal can do 80% of the bi-nightly procedure herself and this means a better chance of total independence. The time to complete the routine is only one hour making it very manageable anywhere we go. The skin on her bum looks great and she controls the timing of the bowel movements. We have seen no phantom blocked shunt symptoms.

     There is one more thing that I would like to mention. The discreet cap on her belly is far nicer than a big bulge and is invisible under even the lightest shirts.

     Dr. Chait – there is something to be said for people that take pride in good work and a pleasant bedside manner. I found you to be one of those people and I appreciate your care of Crystal.

     I found your supporting staff very pleasant and caring. I offer sincere thanks to all who had a smile and explained the procedure to me in a caring manner.