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Recovering from surgery!!!

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/30/2010 3:59 PM (GMT 0)
Well everyone... I went into my 3rd HORRIBLE flare within a year and a half and was admitted into UNC hospital very sick already... had an emergency colonoscopy to see what we were dealing with and I think we all already knew I was on my road to surgery this time around.... I was already on remicade and it obviously didn't hold up and I told myself last time if I hit another flare I'm having the surgery with no hesitation.... the doctors said from the colonoscopy I was severely sick and scheduled surgery in 2 days.... I had my surgery on the 22nd. Since i came in soooo sick the recovery has not been fun. BUT th last two days have been great! Finally eating and it feels amazing. Going home tomorrow or sunday I believe! Any tips for a new ostomy bag user or post surgery home tips!
Posted 7/30/2010 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
Chevy,

Best of luck to you on your road to recovery!! Have you decided if you are going to do the j-pouch or permanent end ilieostomy? No tips that I can really provide, but i am sure others will be around. I am sure you are happy you are DONE with UC so congrats!!
Posted 7/30/2010 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations! You will feel better and better each day and will be surprised at how much life you were missing out on due to your illness. I recommend you visit www.j-pouch.org Lots of otsomates and jpouchers on that site that can answer any questions you may have about your recovery.

Sue
Posted 7/30/2010 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
wow the j pouch site just did nothing but scare me to death! All I'm reading about is stomas prolapsing or people getting hernias and all kinds of crap. Not really what I wanted to read
Posted 7/30/2010 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
Scares me too, that's why I'm still living the dream with an inflamed colon...!!! tongue
Posted 7/30/2010 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Glad to see you're doing well so far with the recovery. I can't offer any advice as I haven't had the surgery but I expect you'll get some good replies to this one from the others on this board.

Good luck!
Posted 7/30/2010 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
Chevy...HI!!! Awesome to hear you've had the surgery and are finally on the way to healing and preparing for the changes and freedom living without a severely diseased colon and the meds.

It's been frustrating to hear of all you've been through at your young age...I hope each day has you improving without any setbacks.

Thanks for the update!!! Keep us posted as to how it's going.

Are you going to be having a take-down or staying with a permanent ileo?
You'll always hear of the worst, especially when others have a place to ask questions...but don't believe that it's what you'll be going through as well.
Your experience is just as important.

q
Posted 7/30/2010 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
chevypower-ok first YAY you are healthy

now second-dont be scared by the posts! People are on there to get help for problems, the majority of people with ostomies or jpouchs are out doing normal stuff! having a great life.
I only stay around to help people and tell them how great life can be, people did that for me, so i like to try to help others. Anyway, i digress.
Main things to do DRINK ALOT, if you think you drank enough, you probably didnt, drink more, lol.
And chew your food super super well, especially at first. After a few weeks you will be able to go back to a more normal diet, but at first you need to be careful and stay away from hard to digest foods.
Your output is gonna be fast and you will have alot of gas at first, that will let up.
Most of all, just be happy you are healthy now!
Posted 7/30/2010 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
I'll second the idea of sticking with foods that are easy to digest for awhile. But yea, don't be scared of those posts on that site. I was afraid of all the stuff that might happen to me, but nothing bad has happened.

In fact the only annoying that has happened so far is the first couple of weeks I was having trouble putting on a new bag, but that gets easier. Also the other night I accidentally rolled over on my side while it was kinda full and had gas it in, which caused a small leak, but I was able to fix it. It was my fault though, cause I wanted to sleep and though I could sleep for a couple more minutes, lol.

I'm almost 9 weeks out from my first surgery and I feel great.
Posted 7/30/2010 9:04 PM (GMT 0)
Get over to j-pouch.org and register for the forums. You will find lots of good advice for dealing with your loop ileostomy and you'll learn more about getting a j-pouch and leaving the external bag behind. (I found the ileostomey tough to deal with for the three-month interval between my surgeries).

One caveat, bear in mind that complications and bad experiences are a bit over-represented. People doing well are generally not reading and posting to the boards. They are out living their lives.

I had my first surgery Jan 12 and my take down surgery (connecting the j-pouch, losing the bag) on April 6. I feel GREAT. It's almost like I never had UC. I go to the bathroom more than a person with a colon does, my stool are softer, but I have complete control, eat pretty much whatever I want (soda causes problems, as does too much caffeine and too much roughage).

Meesh
Posted 7/30/2010 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone I talked to one of the doctors here at UNC that comes in everyday to check up on me and everything and he gave me some confidence haha.. he said most of the scary complications are with real young patients, out of shape patients, or older patients... and I'm a very active athletic 20 year old...and he said it has a lot to do with the surgeon and my surgeons one of the best he said.. the same surgeon actually did my dads surgery (yes dad has a bag too!) 10 years ago! and he's never had one complication
Posted 8/2/2010 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
As a fellow post-op UC sufferer, I can relate to what you've been through. I, too, was SO sick before my first surgery (colon removal), went home with a bag and, once I got my strength back, felt great for the first time in a year and a half with UC. During my second procedure three months later, I had my j-pouch formed but still went home with the bag (I was a pro by then!). I will have the final procedure in about three weeks to close the stoma site and let my new plumbing do the rest. My advice to you is: be kind and forgiving with yourself; accept the help from family and friends (you're just temporarily down - you will return the favors when you're much better); try to be patient and present and definitely try to keep your sense of humor. You WILL get used to your bag - believe me, when you start to feel great, you'd let your doctor cut your arm off if that's what it took to keep feeling well! Start off with easily digestible foods, very bland and small, frequent meals and snacks. After awhile, you can experiment. After several weeks, I just ate what I craved, which was pizza, potato chips and ham (all salty, which your body needs now). Chew your food well. If you've lost a lot of weight like I have, you'll put it back on WITH TIME. And remember, this experience is part of who you are, it doesn't define you. By the way, my surgeon said the same thing, that most complications occur with people who have pre-existing conditions, excessive weight, etc. And BE CAREFUL when you read stuff on other sites. There seem to be more negative stories than positive and that can be scary for us now. Assume you'll be fine. Sorry to run on so much, but I'm a little further along in the process and wanted to share my wisdom!! Good luck!
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