Takedown is today !! Woo hoo:))

My ileostomy takedown is today and I'm passed nervous about this!
While the bag was a pain in was dependable! Any hints for the next few days??? Thanks:))

I had my takedown a month ago. I would recommend that you have some adult diapers on hand for the first few days and some kind of cream for your bum. I have been using Calmoseptine and it seems to help. I also have been using baby wipes to try to reduce the irritation. The first few days after my surgery I had quite a few accidents but things settled down pretty quickly. At this point I am having to go to the bathroom several times a day but I can control it. I have been out socializing and I haven't had any issues. My stool is still quite soft. Saw my surgeon today and he said things will get better over the next 6 months and it could be up to a year before things are back to normal.

In terms of diet, I started out eating low fibre - white pasta, bread, etc. - but after a few days just returned to my normal diet. Didn't seem to make too much difference for me. I did, however, eat a big bag of popcorn the other night and I think that may have been a mistake. Spent much of the next day running to the bathroom.

I don't have a j-pouch. I had part of my rectum and eight inches of my colon removed and reconnected.

I have j-pouch and so far so good..some pain and nausea but no bowel movement yet

Take calmoseptine salve, baby wipes and gas-x to hospital with you. I came home with a wound vac on my stoma site to heal it faster, ended up with a very large hole:( It was on for almost 3 weeks and really wasn't that bad. I started out on soft foods and didn't really push it with anything raw or high fiber. When your bowels start waking up (mine took 2 days) I had alot of gas pain! The hospital gave me a bottle to rinse my behind with warm water and it really helped. It's been almost 2 months and I'm glad to say I can eat whatever I want and even can drink a beer with no bad results...the beer I waited almost 6 weeks on. Just start out soft and eat very little until things get moving, different things bothered me at first(diet coke or anything carbonated) but now don't bother me at all. My surgeon put me back on Immodium 3 times a day and I usually go 3-4 times a day, with no problem controlling myself. I will warn you at first the gas pain was rough and I couldn't sleep through the night without getting up, I probably took gas-x for about 3 weeks after takedown. I now can make it all night if I don't eat a huge meal late! Just take your time and I wish you best, I am very happy with the end result and was so glad to get rid of the UC and be drug free:) I start exercising tomorrow to get back in shape!