Takedown Soon

Hi everyone! I haven't posted in a long time, I've been doing well and enjoying the summer. I actually felt good enough for the first time since I was diagnosed with UC to go kayaking! I went with my husband and my father in law and they were both impressed how well I did haha. I also was able to take my 2 year old daughter swimming, to the park and camping without worrying about finding the closest bathroom.

Anyway, now that summer is winding down, my surgery for takedown is coming up on October 9th. I'm not too nervous, I see it as needing to be done. So what I am wondering is if there is anything special I will need after the surgery. I have heard about the Calmoseptine for butt burn (not looking forward to that!) but I'm not sure if there is anything else I should be prepared for. I just don't really know what to expect post-surgery but to be in the bathroom lots initially.

Good luck with the upcoming takedown!

Mine was pretty uneventful. It took about 36 hours for me to start having BMs. For the first couple of days I had a lot (maybe 12 per day), but once I was disconnected from IV fluids and went home I settled down to 5-7 per day fairly quickly. I'm at seven weeks out now and still have 5-7 per day. My diet is still low-ish on fiber but I allow myself to eat pretty much anything I want, including spicy foods, alcohol, sweets, etc. My attitude is that I have to train my body to handle the things I want to eat... not vice versa!

Most people swear by Calmoseptine but I found it irritating and stopped using it after a week or so. I use plain old A&D which is just diaper cream ointment. The most important thing for me was my bidet seat, which is a toilet seat that hooks up to the water pipe to act as a bidet. I got a fancy model that heats the water, but in retrospect even cold water would be fine. I'm totally OK to use the toilet away from home without the bidet, but it's nice to get really really clean at least a couple times a day. I carry A&D and travel baby wipes in case I have a really messy or irritating BM away from home, but as time passes those are less and less.

In the early weeks I would say just stick to very soft foods that are easy to digest, stay hydrated, and get lots of rest. Oh, and DON'T strain to empty your pouch. You might feel like there's more that needs to come out, but resist the urge. Instead you can try standing up and sitting down again (gravity works), leaning forward/back/side to side, gently massaging your abdomen, and just sitting for a little longer.

Good luck!

Thanks for your input! I am hoping I will be able to take my daughter trick-or-treating but if not my sister said she can take her since my husband will be working.

@pluot - thanks for the advice about not straining, good to know! I'll look into getting a bidet too.

@ByeByeUC - I am expecting it to be unpleasant at first, just like the adjustment period after the first surgery and getting used to the bag. I had leaks for the first couple weeks as my stoma shrank but after that everything was fine. So I'm hoping for the same thing with the takedown. And I know I will be wanting cheeseburgers and fries, that is my favorite junk food!