Life after surgery??? Is there one?

From most people I've talked to, the leakage is only an issue in the beginning. Personally, I never had any leakage at nighttime or any other time. I have complete control, though it can be painful for me when I have the urge to go since I have pouchitis a lot.
I have had a lot of issues, but most people do not. Life with my ostomy was terrible but my stomas were retracted and caused a lot of leakage. This is because my small intestine wouldn't stretch far enough. Again, this does not happen in most cases.
Most people lead healthy, normal lives after and do all the things you mentioned. Suebear will probably post and she is very active and healthy
I am at the moment physically unable to do these things because I suffer from chronic dehydration. My small intestine does not seem to want to absorb enough liquid and I need daily IV's. Again, this is not the norm. Most seem to just need to drink a little more than normal.

I am very physically active and since my jpouch surgery I have hiked in and out of the Grand Canyon, hiked 200 miles across England, 100 miles in both Ireland and Scotland, hiked through Turkey and Patagonia. I have backpacked in the Sierras and am finishing the John Muir trail this summer with the last 60 miles. I can travel and hike with freedom because I no longer have to worry about the cycles of flares. Cycling is okay too but for me hiking is my activity of choice. I will be hiking and cycling for 4 weeks in SE Asia at the end of this year. Many of us live normal active lives post surgery. The best advice I can give you is to go with a surgeon who has performed a lot of these surgeries and get recommendations from his/her pouch patients.

Sue

hey sara, i'm also 30 (a guy though) and had the j-pouch "takedown" surgery in february. i don't experience leakage and only did a couple times within the first few weeks after surgery - and they were minor episodes. my days of running to the bathroom are over.

i have a bowel movement usually once, sometimes twice during my 8-5 work shift - and i'm pretty sure that a couple times recently i didn't even go at all until i got home around 5. most of my bowel movements are in the early evening, depending on how much i eat during the day.. heheh (oh, and NewShinyCD if you were wondering yes you can pee standing up with no problems). i think i'm averaging 7 poops every 24 hours and i'm sure i can cut that down to 6 soon. i can drink coffee, beer, wine, and eat salads, corn on the cob (woohoo!), and even buffalo wings and spicy food.

i'm in the environmental field and obviously do A LOT of work outside. aside from that i'm going hiking this weekend, again sometime next month, and also going camping in the summer. my quality of life has improved so much in comparison to my life with UC.

Clicky, where do you get the electrolyte powder and does it have a taste?
I'm sick of drinking sports drinks

clicky, i think i was going 10 or 11 times a day after 6 weeks so you're right around where i was. you might see a noticeable reduction in bowel movements around the 3 month mark like i did, so you have that to look forward to.

also sara i take none of my old UC medications. i do take imodium & metamucil wafers (yum) daily to slow things down/thicken things (i probably won't even need these in the future) and a daily probiotic to keep my gut happy and possibly prevent pouchitis.

Thanks! I didn't even know you get unflavored pedialyte. That is awesome. I buy the flavored stuff sometimes and it is nasty tasting

i have a perm ileo, i chose that because of my son being almost 2 at the time and not wanting to deal with two surgeries.
Anyway, he stayed with my grandma for the first 6 weeks. But that was because i couldnt lift him and my husband worked nights, and had to sleep during the day. If he had been older, where he didnt need to be picked up and have diapers changed and all that stuff i could have kept him at home after about a week, i would have been afraid to have him alone on the pain pills and all.
So with them being that age, i would think as soon as you are off the pain pills you would be able to care for them, just not do alot for them. Just the basics. Really though, in the long run, it will make you a better mom!
My shower wall, is covered with that supposedly washable crayon from before sugery when my son played in the bathroom for hours while i was stuck on the toilet. And i have kept it there as a constant reminder WHY i had surgery and that i did the right thing. Anytime i get annoyed wtih this bag, i just look at that, and im fine.
And yes there is lots of life, even with a perm ileo, after surgery! yesterday, i went to water day at school, got up 20 minutes before time to leave, stuffed some crackers in my mouth and ran out! I never realized how much i took that for granted until i lost that abilitly, then came home, took him swimming and helped my dad put on a roof for two hours, went out to eat came home, worked out, got in the hot tub, cleaned, and still was fine!
Today i am goign to a concert, and doing all the "normal" mom stuff, nothing that most people would be excited to do, but i am!
good luck!