Going for surgery this month

I told you a bit about my step 1 but I don't think I answered these specific questions.

I did do a prep the day before. I used prepopik. It was very easy compared to other preps I've used. I am not sure what they will give you in the hospital...

I was in the hospital after step 1 for 5 days. I could have left after 3 but I had a drain and I wanted it out before I left.

I wasn't really in a ton of pain when I woke up. I had nerve blockers that made the pain pretty minimal. I also had a pain pump but I get sick from pain meds so I tried not to use it much.

my pain pump was diludid.

I drove myself to the doctor alone a week after surgery for follow up. it was difficult because I didn't have a lot of stamina but I managed.

My appetite was low for a while. The food in the hospital is terrible so I really wasn't interested in eating much.

1. I had my first surgery at 9am or thereabouts. I was required to take 3 enemas the night before, spaced a few hours apart. The second enema gave me 45 minutes of hell and I refused the third one at first, but eventually they blackmailed me into taking it. Fortunately by that time my system was empty and it wasn't nearly as bad.

2. I stayed a week.

3. Nope, I felt sick and nauseous, but no pain. I had an epidural put into my spine before the operation which killed the pain 100%, until the needle wiggled its way out in the middle out of the night. It was astonishingly painful after that and the night doctor was even more astonishingly slow and incompetent. Get a pain pump if you can. That way you are in control of your own pain relief and not at the mercy of bureaucratic/incompetent/overworked doctors and nurses.

4. Not as much as I hoped to be honest, considering how ill I was, and how long for, before surgery. I did feel better, but it wasn't like night and day better. My recovery was also complicated by two horrible drug withdrawals (prednisolone and oxycodone - I was only on the latter for 2 months but it ****ed me up pretty badly), and I spent much of the first year of recovery suffering from crashing fatigue.

5. Couple of weeks, I suppose.

6. It was great. I got around the horrible hospital food part by getting my parents to bring me in Tesco sandwiches. My surgeon also prescribed me supplemental Fortisips. No problems with eating, I had a healthy appetite. By contrast, I couldn't eat a thing for a week after my second surgery, but that was a pretty different situation, I think.

I should add I didn't have a 3-step j-pouch surgery, I had a 2-step ileorectal anastomosis. But my 1st step is identical to your 1st step, I think, apart from not having a j-pouch made. My 2nd step would be akin to a 2-step j-pouch procedure - reconnection, without bothering with the in-between loop ileo. I wouldn't recommend that.

The surgeon had me do a Milax prep, it was pretty easy compared to previous c-scope preps.

I also had a epidural for pain management for the first 4 days. I was surprised how little pain I had after the surgery, I was mentally prepared for more.

I was in the hospital for 10 days for my first surgery because they had to do an open surgery on me due to my skin failing during the Laparoscopic attempt from the Prednisone use. By the time I left the hospital I was off all pain meds except for Tylenol. I went back to my desk job the following week (21 days after my surgery).

I was also able to put weight back on after my 1st surgery; it was nice to eat real food again. All that weight and then some came off after my 2nd surgery (the Loop).

I woke up from my 1st surgery and I felt healthy again, it's hard to explain.

I had a two step procedure so my 1st step was the proctocolectomy, j pouch created and loop ileo made all at once so my recovery was pretty rough. I was in the hospital for 10 days, went home and then returned back to the hospital a week later with an abscess in my pelvic area. They placed a transgluteal drain and was there in the hospital for about 3 days then went back home (with the drain in for 6 weeks).

After that abscess cleared up they removed the drain and I had my "pouch o gram" to see if I was all clear for the reversal surgery. All was good and I had my reversal which was a total piece of cake compared to what I went through with the first surgery. I felt really good after my takedown and recovered quickly. about three weeks after that it was back to life as usual for me.

All that was in a span of a tad over 3 months. You won't feel as wiped out I don't think having the procedure done in 3 steps. You have more time to heal between the steps. The 2 step procedure is rough but I'm grateful for it because I got it over with pretty quickly. Good luck!

PS- I did not have a bowel prep before surgery. The orders for me were nothing to eat or drink after midnight before surgery. Surgeons have their own protocol for this so there is no right or wrong....just what their preference is.