Reversal

Good morning, so my TD is in 9 days!!! My stoma is barely visible, literally it has shrunken and recessed so much that I'm wondering if this could prevent the TD...maybe I'm just worrying for nothing?? Looks like there's just a hole in my stomach!

Thank you! It is so weird and almost invisible. Is the reversal surgery and recovery easy? I mean, in comparison to the last 5+ months it's got to be! I've lost 25 pounds, not that I'm complaining but wonder if I'll gain it back.

It's easier than the other surgeries, but don't go in expecting it to be nothing. There will still be pain and recovery time. And adjusting to the j-pouch is a long process. Not saying this to make you nervous, just because I think some people think of the reversal as the "finish line" when actually it's just the next step -- there will still be a lot of recovery and process after.

I also lost a lot of weight while I had the loop ileo. I couldn't gain for about two months after takedown, then gained something like 10 lb in a month -- it was like a lightswitch got flipped and all of a sudden I was able to absorb calories. I'm back to my normal weight now and have to watch my diet just like everyone else

Twinsmama said...
Thank you! It is so weird and almost invisible. Is the reversal surgery and recovery easy? I mean, in comparison to the last 5+ months it's got to be! I've lost 25 pounds, not that I'm complaining but wonder if I'll gain it back.

For me takedown was a breeze. I had a tough go of it with my first step so an easy time was welcome! It took a good six months to gain the weight back that I lost but then it kept creeping up. So I had to start exercising and watching what I eat a little closer. (I'm also 45 so that's normal as you get older!) Now I have maintained my ideal weight.

Honestly, a month after takedown I was eating everything I ate prior to my UC dx. Everyone's different. Just go slow with food the first several weeks. You'll get to know when you can become more adventurous with foods. There are no diet restrictions. Try everything in small quantities and if something doesn't agree with you, go back and try it again a few months later. I found this bit of advice from my surgeon very true.