Considering surgery, please help.

the surgery is hard and it hurts, i wont lie, but its soooo worth it, and when you wake up you will feel clean thats the only way i can describe it.

Anyway, at firsts its kind of weird to have the stoma, but after a few months i just forgot it was there.
I just empty it when i pee usually. If i have eaten alot, or certain foods then i have to empty more often. Or if i dont want to empty a lot i just take a few immodium.

Other than the 3 minutes or so it takes to empty it and the time it takes you to change it every 5 or 6 days you dont need to worry about it. At first it will probaboy take you 30 minutes to change it. I can do it in 8 now. Its a learning process.
But honestly, i would not tradet his thing for the world! I have a friend who when i told her was sooo jealous, she said, so all this time i have to go in there and sit and wait to poop and miss stuff on tv you can just in there, let it out and be done? i said, yep! LOL
And noone will know, i had been hanging out with them for 6 or 7 months, had changed clothes infront of them, slept in the same bed (not liek that!) went swimming, even pudding wrestling, and they had no idea!
And there is absolutely nothing it will keep you from doing, well except sitting on the toilet forever,lol.
Good luck, and if you have more quesitons ask us!

Has anyone developed a hematoma after surgery?

I too love my ileo!  I've named my stoma Penelope and I've had her for over half a year and I couldn't imagine life without her.  : )  I am so happy to be better...and the feeling of having no UC is the best thing ever!!!! 

It really is an adjustment having the disease...then surgery...recovery...and then life UC free.  I would especially caution you to the emotional side of things b/c you have had UC for so long...but imagine...after surgery you will no longer have the disease!!!!  It's AMAZING!!!!

There are some adjustments with foods and what-not but you'll catch on.  I indulged in taco soup yesterday with whole corn kernels (not a good idea) and so I'm a little crampy and sore today b/c my body is struggling to get them out!  : )  But I'm pushing the juice and I know I'll be okay...I also know that next time I'm going to chop the crap outta that corn before adding it to my soup!  : )

I chose to have a permanent ileostomy too.  I could have gone the j-pouch route, but I was tired of doctor's, hospitals, and living in fear of more issues that are completely out of my control.  However, I know there are many many people with their j-pouch and are very happy!  : )  To each their own!

Please feel free to email me or anyone else who has email available...that's what we're here for!