yup, two surgeries were all i needed. i was actually on prednisone (25 mg) at the time of surgery and had only recently stopped 6-MP and humira. my surgeon, who has been doing the j-pouch & reversal operation for 20 years, would've only done it in three steps if i was on very high-dose steroids (50-60 mg) or deathly ill. my surgeon doesn't do the one-step procedure.... that's becoming rarer and rarer these days due to the elevated risk of the newly created pouch becoming infected.
unfortunately it seems that many people who have their colon removed and j-pouch created are very, very ill at the time of surgery (as they've been delaying it for so long) and need that third step. i was definitely on the way to becoming horribly sick in november but my surgeon recognized that and scheduled my first surgery asap when i requested it.
i had my "takedown" surgery on feb 11th and have been back to work full-time since last thursday.
i drove around and did plenty of field work today & ate lunch on the road. there's NO WAY i could've done that in late 2009 with my brutal UC flare. oh, and i had plenty of beer on friday evening... was on the can a bit during the night but it was worth it! haha
my only medication now is metamucil, a daily probiotic, and occasionally generic imodium - not using that too often though as it clogs me up more than i like.
life is pretty good again
