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Step 3 of 3 J pouch

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Posted 3/29/2016 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
So I will be having my last surgery (the take down) in a couple months but wanted to know what to expect.

I heard this surgery is a piece of cake and the easiest to go through of all three. Is this true?

Also, my biggest worry is having to be next to the bathroom often because the Jpouch isn't strong enough yet to hold in the stool (as almost crapting myself was one of the biggest problems with UC) Is this inaccurate? I have a four hour ride back home after the surgery, is there a chance I'll need to rush into a Tim Hortons to use the bathroom, or is there enough time to not have to rush my bathroom needs.

What is the hardest thing to adjust to? And what is the biggest change from how things function now to someone healthy who doesn't have the Jpouch? Also what is the most complicated common problem that occurs with the Jpouch and how soon after the last surgery were you able to return to work?

I know this is a lot of questions, but this board is great for getting answers to questions and concerns anyone may have. Thanks in advance!
Posted 3/30/2016 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
I had my reversal on Feb 10. As my surgeon said, it's the easiest procedure yet the most challenging process for the body to adjust to the new J Pouch. Surgery was a piece of cake, I had it on a Wednesday and was discharged on the Sunday. Initially I didn't go to the bathroom right away. My hospital bed was next to the bathroom in my room but I never had any issue where I couldn't hold it. When I had UC I had bad incontinence but that wasn't the issue after surgery. Granted I do have small leaks during the night but I'm also still in the adjustment period and was dealing with a stricture. I didn't have one accident while I was in the hospital and my output was pure liquid. Everyone is going to be different so it's hard to say when your body will need the bathroom. I never had an episode where I told myself I need to rush to the bathroom immediately. The biggest issues for me have been the stricture I had as well as the butt burn. Definitely get the appropriate creams to help. It could take several weeks to adjust and the burn to subside. It may not go away permanently but over time it should improve as others will tell you. Your return to work will be how well your body adjusts/feels. Just go easy on your foods initially, keep a soft GI diet and don't go too crazy and see how foods work. You may be in the bathroom a lot initially. You may have bad butt burn to the point you'll want to yell due to the burn. I've been there but again everyone is different. During the day now I can go out for a few hours before I even have the need for a bathroom. When I feel the need coming I don't need to get to a bathroom right away, I can hold it fine...and I had bad incontinence issues with my UC. I would recommend buying a hand held bidet, I found mine on amazon for about $12, it will be your BEST FRIEND initially. Also get some calmoseptine cream to help with your skin and the burn.
Posted 3/30/2016 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
My 3rd step was really easy. I was in & out of the hospital within 48 hours. Probably less even. I wasn't in a lot of pain either. There is no new incision, they go through the stoma... I was some pain at the stoma site, but nothing compared to the other steps. The wound was packed but they removed the packing before I left. It was left open but it wasn't nearly as deep as you probably picture in your head. It looked like a bullet wound.

I didn't use the bathroom for about 24 hours. My doctor said I could eat whatever I wanted but my appetite was very low, which may have contributed to not going to the toilet. When I finally went, it was just once, that was the morning I was getting discharged. It was a greenish lump. After that, the flood gates opened. It wasn't urgent like wtih UC but I would get the urge quite frequently. I also wasn't comfortable passing gas unless I was on the toilet because I wasn't able to tell what was gas and what was a BM. It took me a while before I figured all of that out. I wouldn't say you're not going to have to stop on the way home, but you will be surprised that you can hold it for a bit without intensely needing to get to the toilet. With UC I couldn't wait AT ALL. Now I can wait. Often if I wait, the urge goes away for quite some time. The first few weeks following takedown were tough, I was going a lot, but over time, things have definitely normalized. :) You are going to love it!

The hardest thing for me has been using the toilet more often. Also, the noises, it's very loud at times.
Posted 3/30/2016 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
For me the takedown surgery was a million times easier than my first surgery. (I had a 2 step). Obviously everybody is different but for me take down was very uneventful. I only had a few days of being truly uncomfortable. (Mainly gas pains) After that it was smooth sailing. I do suggest going slow with food at first and sticking to bland things. After a few weeks you'll get the sense of when to become more adventurous with foods.
Posted 3/30/2016 7:07 PM (GMT 0)
Did any of you have to get an appointment after step 2 to see how the Jpouch was forming inside? For some reason I feel like I heard you get an appointment for something that goes in your butt that shows up on a x Ray how things look
Posted 3/30/2016 8:21 PM (GMT 0)

You-See said...
Did any of you have to get an appointment after step 2 to see how the Jpouch was forming inside? For some reason I feel like I heard you get an appointment for something that goes in your butt that shows up on a x Ray how things look

Yes, they check for leaks before the takedown procedure. Different places/surgeons perform this test different ways. For me, they went thru my stoma with a tube (didn't hurt at all...just felt a little weird) and filled my j pouch with a saline solution, then took a bunch of images to see if there were any leaks.
Posted 3/30/2016 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
I had the enema xray and had me roll around on a table. They filled my pouch till it went all the way up to where my stoma was.
Posted 3/31/2016 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
I had a pouchogram the day before. It was no big deal. I had read some horror stories and I was nervous about it, but it was a piece of cake. Mine was administered through the butt, but it was never uncomfortable, nor did much of any go into my appliance. They put me on a table that tilted in a bunch of directions and took xrays. It took 10 minutes.
Posted 3/31/2016 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
Is this during the pre op? Or on a different day prior to the surgery
Posted 3/31/2016 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Mine was prior to surgery. When my surgeon reviewed the results and they came back good, his office called me to book the takedown procedure. So if I remember right, my surgery was a few weeks after the test.
Posted 4/1/2016 1:00 AM (GMT 0)
Mine was the day before. You should find out at your appointment, the one where you schedule the final surgery. I know you said you have a long ride, you may be able to stay over to get the test done? You need to ask.
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