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Has getting surgery made you live a healthier lifestyle?

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Posted 7/4/2013 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Happy 4th to those that celebrate it! I was just curious to hear stories of anyone that has had surgery, and as a result gone to change their lifestyle to live healthier (eating better, exercising, etc. ). I know some people always tried to live healthy to begin with, but was wondering if having the surgery changed perspectives for some folks since I've heard the analogy that it's like having a new lease on life.

Myself, I wish I ate better and exercised more. I used to hit the gym more often when I lived in Austin since that city was more health conscious and I liked the gyms better. This is something I want to improve upon in general although I go in phases. I also find sometimes I am just drained energy wise. Sometimes I figure this is related to flaring, but I don't know if this is always the case. I hope to get better about this and that once recuperated, surgery doesnt hold me back from getting in better shape and just being a healthier person in general.
Posted 7/4/2013 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hello. Yes, I can honestly say that getting surgery has led me to live a healthier lifestyle. I used to be athletic as well and would often swim but during a flare, it was just horrible. I noticed less energy and I was always feeling frozen cold in the water when everyone else was just fine, even the elderly. So I had to quit swimming and stop going to the gym. I even had to suspend my account there temporarily since I knew I wouldn't be able to go for a long while. I was always in bed since then and it made me feel sad cause I enjoy being active and UC symptoms were preventing me from this. I mean, I felt so incapable and pathetic that I started drinking red bull just to get me more energy so I can be active.

And now, I'm so much more alive. I think it's mainly due to the fact that I'm not bleeding constantly anymore and not in bed. I eat 3 mes a day and always with a lot of vegetables and always eat them before my main dish since I heard that it helps to not absorb as much sugars.

Anyhow, I'm just happy now that I don't have to see any more blood in the toilet and I'm not always paranoid looking for restrooms when I'm out and not always having to constantly worry if I have urgency and accidents. Sure, you suffer for a while with pain after surgery but it's sooo much better than having to put up with UC symptoms and driving your brain insane. I'm sure it differs with each individual and their thoughts and feelings regarding post-op but I can say I'm truly happy I had surgery. You just have to do it at a hospital that is well-experienced with this particular surgery and that has good staff. I think this is very important.

Is your surgery soon? Have you been able to receive good advice or consultations? I hope so :)
Posted 7/4/2013 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for sharing! I'm doing better at the moment. I may be coming out of this flare but it's hard to say since I am on 60 mg pred and we are giving remicade one last shot (realizing that it affects surgery unfortunately) but my GI is supportive of me getting consults and says he has patients that have had it done and are doing very well.

I started my first taper of prednisone today to 50mg. He'd really like me to get under 40 and continue tapering but we are going to see how these next 10 days go before dropping further than the 50 he said if my symptoms return that surgery is certainly more neccessary, since he doesn't want me to be so immune suppressed and reliant on steroids, especially being somewhat younger. I'm actually happy he wasn't outright anti surgery and he was supportive, especially recommending Cleveland as a good place.

I have 2 consults next week. One locally with a surgeon at johns Hopkins then one at Cleveland clinic the following day. My parents are here so we will be doing the drive together and they will be a the consults. I know it will also put their mind at ease since they are terrified of the thought of me getting surgery.

Everyone has been so supportive and helpful on here. Really glad I discovered this community and others to share thoughts with and learn what to expect.
Posted 7/5/2013 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
Ha, surgery has made my lifestyle SO MUCH less healthy. Hate to say it! I think my experience is a bit different because I was only sick with UC for a relatively short period before I had surgery. I was a competitive athlete and VERY into a healthy lifestyle -- all my friends were through my sport, trained 20+ hours/week, kept a strict diet, etc. In fact, when I was diagnosed with UC my parents were convinced it was caused by drinking protein shakes!! I was able to continue training and stick to my healthy lifestyle throughout the first few months of my flare because it was controlled by high doses of prednisone.

After I started to taper the flare worsened a lot, and prednisone never worked again. I ended up being totally "out of commission" living on white bread and boiled chicken and chocolate chip cookies (needed the calories) for about four months, then I had surgery, and then I was so thrilled to be able to eat again that I ate whatever I wanted. I was also very very scared of blockages with my first ostomy so I stuck religiously to the low fiber diet and only added non-pureed vegetables after about 8 weeks, I think. I did get back into exercising (just jogging), but NOTHING like I used to.

I have thought a lot recently about getting back into eating healthier (I was strict paleo for years before being diagnosed... had a laugh when people suggested eating paleo would cure my colitis) but, to be honest, anticipating how much my diet might be limited after takedown, I'm continuing to "live it up" and enjoy lots of sweets, fried food, spicy stuff, etc things that tend to be known for irritating the j-pouch. I would say my lifestyle now is certainly healthier than when I was very ill with UC, but wayyyy worse than any other time in my life :)
Posted 7/5/2013 4:03 AM (GMT 0)
I go back and forth between healthy and not healthy. I am better than I was before surgery, I could only eat a few things and was drinking a lot of coke because i felt so sick all the time. And I didn't exercise at all I was too tired.
Right after surgery I was so excited to eat whatever I wanted that I ate all the time! But I quit drinking cokes so that helped a lot. about 3 months out I started exercising and kept that up for a few years, then I quit for a while, then got back into it. I do fairly well now, I don't exercise everyday like I was, and my diet isn't great but it's not as bad as it was pre surgery.
I don't think I am cut out to be a super healthy person, I am too lazy to fix a lot of healthy things, lol.
Posted 7/5/2013 11:44 AM (GMT 0)
Yes! I go to the gym now everyday because I have the energy to do so. I could never do that with UC. It was all I could do to drag my butt out bed back then. Off to the gym now after my cup of coffee. :)
Posted 7/5/2013 11:58 AM (GMT 0)
Marianne, ditto ;)
Posted 7/5/2013 1:11 PM (GMT 0)
Permanent ileo. I have not changed my eating/drinking habits one iota since my surgery. I eat pork sausage, bacon, eggs and hash browns almost every day. Sometimes packaged meals for lunch if no leftovers from dinner. Lots of fried food. Potato chips, caramel corn, candy, pop corn with lots of butter, fried okra, kippers, etc, all evening after dinner with some brandy. See food diet......I see food I eat it. I drive my wife of 46 years crazy. She eats healthy. Cereal with yogurt every morning. An apple for lunch! All dry tasteless food. She drives me crazy.

Dan
Posted 7/5/2013 1:24 PM (GMT 0)
Not so far it hasn't. I made a half-hearted attempt to eat healthily, then realised I couldn't be bothered. If I thought it made any actual difference to how I felt, I'd be the first person to be eating salads all day long, but it literally seems to make no difference whether I eat a McDonald's or a mung bean salad. I had a McDonald's yesterday and really enjoyed it.

As for exercise, so far insomnia and my weird itchy skin has made it impossible. Plus I was just exhausted for a long while, and still am a bit, but not quite as much. If you have been on Pred for a long time, fatigue is one of the side-effects of withdrawal. Anyway, I am gonna start trying to be more active, to try and tire myself out by bedtime if nothing else. I just wish the sweat and itching didn't make it so danged uncomfortable. Loads of places to walk around here, otherwise, including up the mighty chiltern hills - well, mighty a million years ago, when they were still towering mountains.
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