Dillon, 5 years post surgery

Hello Everyone,

There are a few of you out there that I hope may remember us. I most certainly remember you guys and all the support and advice that we received from so many of you.

Six years ago my son Dillon, who was 17 at the time, was so very sick with pan ulcerative colitis. He spent two years in terrible health with his life on hold. We went through the list of possible drugs, one by one and he just keep getting sicker and sicker. Finally with the advice of his GI, surgeon and family doctor he made the very hard decision to go through the three stage surgery. He took the next year off of school have these surgeries. It was a VERY long an VERY hard recovery, BUT it gave him back his life.

I am posting to tell you that he is doing wonderfully. He went to university and became "just one of the kids" which he had not been able to do for so long. One day he came to my husband and me and said that he wanted to become a pilot. Six months ago he received his commercial pilots license. (passed the medical with flying colors!). He has since landed his first commercial job flying as a First Officer for Trans Maldivian Airways. To all you parents....yes, he is living on the other side of the world with crappy health care and I am completely at ease. He is the picture of health!

As I said, he had two years of horrific health. And you guys were such a comfort to me. I want those of you, who are in the darkest place while pondering surgery or going through the throngs of recovery to know that there can indeed be light at the end of the tunnel! Hang in there....it does get SO MUCH BETTER!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas,

Cathy (and Dillon)

      I do remember you posting about Dillon on the UC board.  I had my surgery, proctocolectomy with end ileostomy, in June of 2010.  I am a LOT older than Dillon, almost 64 at time of surgery, and was also in very poor health.  My surgeon told me I was not a candidate for j-pouch and it didn't matter to me.  I just wanted my life back.  Suffering for twelve years, on 6MP, then Remicade, then Humira..ugh.  Prednisone was killing me.   I found my surgeon online because my GI doctor refused to send me to one.

     I am so happy Dillon is doing so well.  He has a long and happy life ahead of him and thanks to surgery, a healthy one.  God bless you, Dillon and your entire family.

     Yes, I do agree, Healingwell is a wonderful forum.  If it weren't for these caring, helpful people in here I probably would still be plodding along, listening to my GI doctor..or...be 6 ft under by now.

so nice to hear! It does seem like the UC days were just a bad dream, doesn't it? Amazing. What a relief, as a parent, to not have that worry. Happy holidays!

Wow Collicat! So happy to hear that Dillon is doing so well. And congrats to him on living a full life and getting his pilot's license; so awesome. Merry Christmas to you, and thanks for letting everyone know how he's doing.

Carol (from the UC forum)

Thank you so much for the post! I am also a young man about to have colectomy and love reading stories like this. I am looking forward to being free and happy and healthy again!