Four year J pouch anniversary

So this night four years ago I was packing to go to the hospital in preparation for my fist step of j pouch surgery. And tonight I'm packing to go to the beach tomorrow! What a difference in my life since my rotten colon was removed! It's so nice to go somewhere like the beach and not care how far away the bathrooms are. I'll never forget those UC days and that horrible feeling of not making it to the bathroom in time. No more!

Just wanted to send out some inspiration to the folks with upcoming surgeries. Seems to be quite a few. It's rough during the healing and adjusting time but it's such a small blip on the map compared to the rest your life that will be UC free!

Hope everyone is well tonight. :)

Haha, I'm packing tonight too. Going to work tomorrow and then staying at my sister's tomorrow night, she is only a few blocks from the hospital. I have to be at the hospital at 5am Wednesday.

I have to prep tomorrow for the take-down so liquids only. My last meal was a huge salad. I figure that I won't be able to large salads for a while.

ByeByeUC,

Thank you for all of your posts about surgery, I always find them informative and inspiring. Enjoy the beach.

     I hear ya Marianne.  Saturday will be four years that I had my total colectomy with end ileostomy.  Funny how life throws curve balls at ya, but we were able to knock them out of the park!  For twelve long years I suffered with ulcerative proctitis and it just got progressively worse.  Two years prior to surgery my quality of life sucked...it really did.  But, I just procrastinated until  I was practically at death's door.

     Now things are sooooo much better.  Even though I have a "bag", I am able to do so much more than before surgery.  I can go out in the mornings!!!  Wooo HOOOO....before surgery I was trapped in my house and daresent go anywhere before 1pm.  I was able to dance at my youngest daughter's wedding on Sept. 29, 2012 and now looking forward to a new grandbaby in August!!!  If I didn't have that surgery...I KNOW I would never be alive to enjoy these events.

     So to those of you out there, feeling frightened at the prospect of having surgery to remove your diseased colons...weigh the pros and cons of your decision....but in my personal case, as well as those who have had successful j-pouch operations...life is so much more enjoyable after surgery.

Step 1 is less than 2 weeks away!

I focus on future goals. I find it easier to think about the Girls With Guts retreat in October, and how I will be 3 months post-op and finally meeting some of my favorite Healingwell gals... than to think about waking up in 14 days without a colon!

So I am focusing on actually enjoying the end of the Summer... short shorts without a diaper hanging out! And Fall walks enjoying the changing leaves. And all the wonderful things to come in my life, now that I am getting terrible broken organ removed from my body!

Embersglow,
Please keep us posted. I've seriously been considering surgery for a long time, and I really would like to hear your experience.

Happy 4th birthday... and may there be much more than 40 more :)

Thanks for the positive word about a J-Pouch. I have ahad a reversible ileostomy for two years. Still scared to take the next step...