Life After UC, J-Pouch Success

Thank you for sharing your story. It is nice to hear you are doing well.

I love hearing these types of stories. It makes me feel like surgery is a very hopeful solution. I am so happy to hear you're doing well!

I too would like to share my story so far.

I will be 4 weeks post surgery this Wednesday. Everyday I start to feel a little bit more normal. The flare up did a number on me I went from about 175ish lbs to 128 right before surgery. Right now I'm at 111lbs because of the liquid diet they put you on in the hospital and then another liquid diet from being readmitted into the hospital a couple of days after I was released because I thought it was a good idea to eat Steak n Shake which caused a blockage.

Anyway, I was really weak after the colectomy BUT I could tell instantly that the UC was gone. It felt amazing that I didn't have to worry about running to the bathroom, or afraid to stand up because during the last few weeks of UC everytime I stood up I would have to go to the restroom.

Now that I'm getting my strength back I'm able to do things on my own now. The last couple of days I've been able to drive around town, go into stores and be able to just look around without worrying about cramps or bathrooms or any of that stuff.
My appetite has also came back. I'm eating pretty much whatever I want, although I'm adding in new foods slowly, I am able to eat stuff that is easy to chew and I know that is easy to digest. So far the only two foods that cause problems are tough meats and cheesecake (or those mini personal pizzas you find at walmart don't know though cause last night I noticed abdominal pain like a blockage to I started massaging my abdomen and it relieved within minutes). The last 2 months of UC I wasn't able to eat much of anything because when I tried to eat I would have to run to the bathroom. It would also mean I would have to have pain later on when going to the bathroom.

Two people I know from two different jobs keep asking me when I'm going to have my takedown and how long after it will I be able to start working again lol. I'm also going back to college this summer, online though, but it was something I wouldn't have been able to do with UC.

So far the only "bad" thing, well more or less annoying, aren't really major things. I still takes me awhile to change bags which I do every 4-5 days. I'm paranoid of leaks but I don't think I should be, so I'm always checking the bag seal an hour after changing it. Wearing pants is annoying but it is mostly because I lost so much weight, it is more the problem of keeping them on then the bag getting in the way. Smell isn't an issue unless I eat something that I know will cause odors but even then I put a tictac or two in my bag or mouthwash and no more smell.
Since being home I've only emptied the bag one time during the night. The rest of the nights I don't have to empty until the morning. It does help to not eat about an hour or two before bed.

I can't wait until my takedown though. As others have told me in the ostomy forum, it does take awhile for your body to get back on its feet. I didn't realize how tired my body was until after the surgery. I've been able to sleep a lot more now cause I don't have to worry about cramping at night and in the morning.

All in all I'm extremely happy I went through with the surgery. Not being about to worry about cramps, medicines, if what I eat will cause a flare up, how long I will be in remission, etc. it's awesome.

Thanks for the great stories. I am going to the surgeon tomorrow for a consult. Not feeling too bad right now but know that can all change very soon. Thanks again!

Hey Old Hat, even through the worst of it I only missed ONE day of work due to the UC! That was when my bad reaction to the Imuran hit such a point I couldn't get out of bed. I often had to poo in my van's wastebasket and seal it up, I often threw up in there due to medication side effects, I remember one time just being so exhausted from anemia before the insurance okayed the series of iron injections, that while grooming an 18 year old standard poodle I needed to rest my head on my grooming table. He took his paw and gently tapped the back of my head and nuzzled my ear. I miss that old guy, he'd since passed on.

I took five and a half weeks off after the first surgery, worked with the temp ileostomy another six and a half weeks until the take down, then took three weeks off -- although I really suppose I could have gone back to work after just two.

I took the opportunity to dump difficult dogs, large dogs, and clients I didn't care for (working for myself, I don't HAVE to groom your dog if I don't like you or your dog LOL). So now I am building things back up and have lighter days so I have time to go to the gym and get back in shape. I went from grooming 6-8 dogs per day, which was really ridiculous to 4-6 per day, which is a lot more sane.

I worked so hard through the illness because I had no idea how much longer I'd even be able to work at all and I wanted to sock away money. That helped me get through the time off from the surgeries without stressing out.

Thank you and so happy to hear that you are doing well!