Total collectomy should I seek 2 opinions?

If that is the only symptom you have been having from time to time, it certainly seems like you need to go a little slowly and try some different things. Not knowing all the details and background it just seems a bit drastic and extreme right now.

Of course that is how things started out for my husband and he went through alot of different medications and nothing worked and it got worse and worse. In a lot of cases it is probably just putting off the inevitable but I am sure others will post here with their opinion.

I would definitely get a 2nd opinion. Don't know if your diagnosis is UC. Chrons or what but I wouldn't rush right into this without having a real good understanding. This is such a personal important decision that you must be well informed and feel totally comfortable. In some cases it is an emergency and you have no options but it sounds like that is not the case with you. On the flip side it isn't very good to be in such poor health or condition when going into surgery if you can help it.

Not easy!

Windrift,

Well, I had started out with belly pain. But then went to severe constipation last year. ( From Labor day weekend until after Thanksgiving with NO bowel movements.) at the very end of that time, my gastro had me on 13 doses of miralax (mind you, this was DAILY), 4 amitiza, and 6-8 lactulose. Plus..2 ennimas, and 4 colon preps in a weeks time. All with no results.
When my gastro told me he would see me in JANUARY for a follow up, I FLIPPED OUT on him! He gave in and sent me to a Continence Specialist. Who met with me, went over all my issues, immediately scheduled 2 tests ( the ARM, and a Defecography)..and (this is why I love this man with all my heart) he told me his number one goal was to give me my life back!!!!
and he did, as it turned out for me, my large intestine was dead. He said it was due to years of chronic constipation. ( Which I found odd, because I had never been that way until September. But he told me, what was probably happening for years was that I was not expelling ALL of my stool, and it slowly began building up.)
Anyway, large intestine was dead, so he did a total colectomy and had to take off about 2 feet of the small intestine as well.. and since I had female issues, had them do my hysterectomy while they had me open.
I have never had a bag, I was an immediate reconnect.. which went GREAT, I could not have been happier with the outcome of my surgery.
It was after I had been home 2 days, that I ate something that was contaminated with wheat ( I have celiac), and that ended up shutting down my stomach and small intestine completely for 3 weeks.
I do have problems now, but they have nothing to do with the colectomy.
So as far as a second opinion... I guess it would depend on why they are saying that is what you need. In my case, there really was no option, it was dead and needed to come out. So I had it done..
Best of luck :)