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Posted 5/31/2011 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
I am 20 yrs old and just had the j-pouch surgery may 12th. The take down surgery is scheduled for June 29 and I was wondering what to expect after the surgery. My surgeon has told me a few things but it is nothing like someone that has experienced it themselves. Questions like after i am discharged how long will it take to get myself together, etc..

Thanks:)

Posted 5/31/2011 10:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hey,
I'm also 20 years old and just had my takedown surgery in January of this year. First of all.... to give you an idea of how well you can recover, I'm 6 months out and had a great day out at the motocross track yesterday. smile

But about the whole surgery and afterwards.... The prep is basically, shower with a special soap the night before and the morning of surgery. That's it! My surgery took 6 hours and went "textbook", quoting my surgeon. I was in the hospital for the schedule 10 days. Waking up, I was in no pain, I really wasn't in any serious pain the whole time (I'm sure my morphine helped). The only thing that sucked for me was I had the hiccups for 3 days straight! Which is NOT fun after having your abdomen cut open haha. I think it was around day 5 that I was going to the bathroom.

You can expect to have a rectal drain until you do start going just to allow things to heal before you start using your new j pouch! I'm sure you've already experienced that though. I was up and walking the FIRST day after surgery! I did not want to but I had a very tough nurse that MADE me walk and I couldn't thank her enough for it looking back. Just remember the best thing for you after surgery is to walk walk walk walk. It's the best thing you can do recovering from surgery.

Best of luck with your surgery! It is sooooo nice beating UC, being done with UC, and getting your life back! Again, I'm just 6 months out of surgery, I've been going to the lake every weekend, racing motocross the past 2 weekends, and was working about a month after surgery.
Posted 5/31/2011 10:45 PM (GMT 0)
So are you planning on with the finally surgery the take down? I feel ya on the hiccup part though i was vomiting for two days thanks to my stomach not waking up yet ha. It feels so nice not having pain or worrying what the next drug was. Its a hard decision to make though mine was an emergency surgery. After the j-pouch surgery did you feel like pin needles i am assuming where they formed the pouch? After my surgery i was acting like i didnt even have surgery. I am so happy being able to do what i want :) just ready for the last one.
Posted 5/31/2011 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
"So are you planning on with the finally surgery the take down?"

I don't get what you're asking there... I'm all done with surgeries, I had my J pouch take down and am doing great! I had my ostomy for 7 months, and then had my take down in January.

But after my final surgery, I really had no PAIN when going to the bathroom, you shouldn't.... Just some weird feelings like pressure, etc, from everything healing.. but all those will go away. Right now I feel completely normal. I go to the bathroom about every 4-7 hours, and usually get up one time during the night to go.

I am VERY happy and should be bowing down to my surgeon at my 6 month check up next month!
Posted 6/1/2011 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah i am so happy there is no more pain. This surgery is only discomfort compared to what we went through. I guess 4-7 hours is not bad at all! I understood from my surgeon that cause we are so young it should decrease over time. I am so excited to have this surgery. What confused me was this surgery my surgeon said its only gonna be an hour or so. I am nervous and impatient. I thank my doctors and surgeons everytime.
Posted 6/1/2011 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
Shanbee,

Well it will be the small surgery if he already made the pouch during the first surgery. Mine was 6 hours because my surgeon actually had to create my pouch as well as connect it.
Posted 6/1/2011 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
Think our surgeons did it differently. Mine is a 3 stage surgery. The first surgery they removed the colon, second was forming the j-pouch and this is connecting the small intestine and put it back it. I think thats what got me confused. Thank you so much!!
Posted 6/1/2011 2:41 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah that is also a common way of doing it! good luck!!!
Posted 6/1/2011 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,
My daughter was 15 when she had her surgery. June 6th, will be two months from takedown. Her surgery was in 2-step. They removed her colon and formed the j-pouch, second surgery they reattached it. She had no rectal tube. She went tubeing and even tried wakeboarding this weekend. She is going at the most six times a day. If she does get up at night it is only once. Can hold it and doesn't have the urgency. Her surgeon said it will only get better. She is doing better then expected. she isn't even taking immodium or lomotil. You will do fine. Good luck to you
Posted 6/1/2011 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
Shanbee -- good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
Posted 6/2/2011 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you very much! I will be sure to keep everyone posted. Everyone seems to be doing fantastic after this surgery so I am extremely anxious :) I keep thinking its way better than living with UC.
Posted 6/7/2011 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi shanbee, good luck! Im the same with a 3 step surgery, going in for step 2 on 7th July, just wondering how your feeling now a month after the pouch creation, Im meant to be going away a month after mine for an adventure holiday and have to admit that canyoning too soon after surgery is looking like a disaster waiting to happen.

As for the UC, even now with the temp stoma still life is better then UC, and for the first time in years no meds!!

Chevy1930 did your surgeon do the pouch creation and reconnection together? what would for me be step 2 & 3? have heard of making the pouch while removing colon (1&2) but not other two together
Posted 6/7/2011 4:35 AM (GMT 0)
I have my take down next monday, expected to be a 45 min procedure and I will more than likely be on here once I go home (2-4 days is what I'm told to expect) so everything will nice and fresh in my mind. But I think Chevy's got a good explanation, it's what I'm expecting anyway. Good luck to you!
Posted 6/8/2011 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
garanmoldu, after about 3 weeks you will be fine. I am back to what i was doing before surgery except no lifting over 10 lbs and heavy exercise. After the surgery you will prob be sore if they are going to make an incision but trust me it is so worth it, compared to UC it is only discomfort in my book :) good luck with your surgery and i will post how step 3 goes which thank goodness its a small procedure.

betsaronie, yeah chevy was helpful. I would appreciate all the advice. I just worry I am going to be out for a month or so getting adjusted. For the past 5 years I've been sick so I want to enjoy and celebrate this one. Good luck with the surgery :)
Posted 6/12/2011 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
My takedown won't be until sometime in August.
I'll be excited to hear what 'betsaronie' says.......

My one friend who just had her ileostomy reversed said that they didn't stitch her back up. They wanted her to heal from the inside - out?
I had not heard that before. I see my surgeon first week in August so I will confirm........

I was hoping for three or four stitches and to be done with it!
Posted 6/12/2011 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah 4NC, if you heal from the outside-in, fluid can get trapped inside the wound and make it heal badly. I have heard too that the stoma site will not be stitched up for this reason.
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