Ileorectal anastomosis

Where do I start? I am a 39 year old male and have never been sick. In July of 2010 I quit smoking. Approximately 2 months later every time I would go to the bathroom (once a day) I would notice bright red blood on the toilet paper. I just brushed it off as getting older. Then into the early part of 2011 my bm's increased to 2 or 3 times a day. This of course I also just blew off as aging. Spring of 2011 I started going 5-6 times a day and of course blood. Finally in June of 2011 I made an appointment with a GI Dr. Dr did exam and said I had internal hemorrhoids but to give me peace of mind we would do a full colonoscopy. In July 2011 I had the colonoscopy and Dr said I had ulcerative colitis and he gave me a prescription for lialda. Started taking the lialda and things just got worse. I began to get horribly painful ulcers in my mouth. I went back to GI Dr and he told me that maybe I had crohns instead of uc but it didn't matter because the treatment was the same. September 2011 I began to have this terrible pain in my butt in addition to now 10-15 bms per day. Finally this new pain in my rear became an abscess and burst. Worst pain imaginable. Went back to Dr and he gave me a prescription for nitroglycerin mixed with vaseline with instructions to rub on and as far in my butt as possible. His theory was that the nitroglycerin increases the blood flow and promotes healing. In the mean time bms getting worse. Finally in November 2011 the abscess had formed a fistula and would leak green pus all day. I went to my pcp and he referred me to a surgeon to repair the fistula. After surgery the surgeon said I had terrible infection in my rectum and that I should seek better treatment. I went back to GI and he started me on remicade in December 2011. I did all the remicade treatments and seemed to be responding untilled March 2012 then I got poison ivy and I'm guessing it sent my immune system into overdrive. By April 2012 I was in hospital, high doses of prednisone, cipro, and flagyl. Dr wanted me to keep up treatment on remicade also. By June I was back in hospital with major flare, same routine of meds. Dr told me that the remicade wasn't working anymore and he wanted me to try humira. I was discharged from hospital, started humira and by September 2012 back in hospital with major flare same routine of meds. Dr said humira wasn't working so he suggest I try cimzia. I decided to finally switch drs and in addition to cimzia he wanted me to take imuran. New Dr did full colonoscopy and his exact words were "dude your colon is hamburger meat" so I started the imuran in October. It seemed to help but then all of a sudden in November every time I would take the imuran, my right side would hurt like hell. It happened that way for 5 days in a row. Called Dr and he said to stop taking the imuran because my liver was having a hard time metabolizing the medicine. By the end of November I was back in hospital and drs came in and said surgery was my only option. I was so sick I did not care. On December 9th they performed a total abdominal colectomy with ileostomy. I woke up devistated. I was discharged from hospital on Dec 15 and had lost approximately 50 pounds in a little over 3 weeks. When I left hospital Dr told me that a team of pathologists dissected my colon and they could not all agree on an exact diagnosis. The diagnosis that they did give was crohns. He said its hard to believe because most people with crohns have it in the small bowel. I have no disease in small bowel. On my first follow up appointment Dr said in 3 months he could re-tie my intestine to my rectum which he left in place. I was glad because I thought I would have the bag forever. So by January 2013 I really started feeling good again, I am on no medication and I was given strict instructions to eat whatever and whenever I wanted. I began to work out and play golf again. In February I returned to work. I gained back almost 35 pounds. Well on March 11th I had a procedure called ileorectal anastomosis. They removed the ostomy and tied my small intestine back to my rectum. Today I am 8 days out of surgery and I am in horrible pain. I can't get away from the bathroom. My body doesn't want to eat because of the consequences. I'm popping pain pills and sleeping a lot. Gas pains are terrible. Does this get better? Has anyone else had this? I hate to say it but I miss the bag!

You have been through the mill - crikey :-/

Frankly, it sounds like you had the ileorectal anastomosis too soon. I had a colectomy with ileostomy on the 20th February. The surgeon beforehand said I could have an IRA later on, but not 3 months later - think she meant more like a year later! But that said, delaying the operation may not have prevented what happened: I spoke to the mother of one girl who had a bag for several years as a teenager, had an IRA, and then her Crohn's went haywire again, much like yours. Not sure what is happening now - last I heard she was back on Humira, trying to get the Crohn's under control.

Meanwhile, you need to see your doctors again ASAP, find out what's happening. Sorry I can't be of any more help than that :-/

My GI and Surgeon are proposing this surgery in six months. I had no small or rectal involvement as I suffered from Crohn's originally dx with Ulcerative Colitis. If anyone has information on this procedure feel free to email me @ [email protected]