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My first vacation with friends

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/2/2012 1:24 PM (GMT 0)
A lot of you know my story.... 22 year old who was diagnosed with UC at 17/18 and finally had surgery almost 2 years ago. Then had my final surgery, and got my J pouch, January of last year. I've been racing motocross and am now actually healing from a broken collar bone from a nasty crash (internals were all perfect!) but I had yet to spend the night anywhere but home or with my family until this weekend.

I've been kind of worried about having to get up in the middle of the night when the house is all quiet and having to go to the bathroom and waking somebody up or something, I don't know! Me and some friends went to my friends beach house this weekend! It was a great time and all I really did was take some immodium every now and then. We did drink quite a bit smilewinkgrin and we all had a great time. It was so funny because my buddies were saying how much they had to go to the bathroom the day after drinking all night, and they had gone like twice as much as I had! Obviously we are pretty open about stuff and don't really have any shame lol, but it was funny because I was like,"I don't even have a colon and I haven't had to go as much y'all".

Anyways, we all had a great time, I went to the bathroom maybe 3-4 times throughout the day, nobody would have even known I have a j pouch and I was with people for 72 hours straight, this weekend really was a confidence booster for me.

I am an amateur photographer and took some shots over the weekend :-)

Copy and paste into address bar, the encoding is messed up on here! cry
http://s1084.photobucket.com/albums/j411/TerminatorVenom/Topsail%20Beach/
Posted 4/2/2012 2:22 PM (GMT 0)
I know what a great booster that weekend will be to you. Every step that brings you closer to living that life in which you are back in control is amazing. I know for Dillon, the first time he went off with friends for the weekend was such a big step.

Congrats to you!! And thanks for letting people who are struggling know that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.


yeah yeah
Posted 4/2/2012 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
Really nice photos! Thanks for sharing. The blue in the sky photos was absolutely beautiful.
Posted 4/2/2012 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. It's nice to hear positive surgery stories...it helps people realize it's not the end of the world if you have to have your colon out. I am going on my first real vacation since I had my j pouch surgery....a cruise in May. All those summers I was holed up in the house sick and couldn't go anywhere because of UC. I cannot wait to enjoy this time with my family and not worry about where the heck all the bathrooms are! Oh and eat of course!

Be careful on that motorcycle....don't break anymore bones!
Posted 4/2/2012 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
This thread is an inspiration to others!!
Posted 4/2/2012 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
If only these surgeries were all predictable. I keep hearing 90% success rate...

but I think getting UC is even lower than 5%...yet we managed to beat those odds.

Everything is a gamble, you could have surgery and be worse off than how you are now, or maybe way better ..

The problem with the surgery is that it's no going back...that's probably the scariest part.
Posted 4/2/2012 11:15 PM (GMT 0)

Somedude said...
If only these surgeries were all predictable. I keep hearing 90% success rate...

but I think getting UC is even lower than 5%...yet we managed to beat those odds.

Everything is a gamble, you could have surgery and be worse off than how you are now, or maybe way better ..

The problem with the surgery is that it's no going back...that's probably the scariest part.

And you can walk out your door tomorrow and get hit by a car. Yup, no guarantees. Believe me, when you are at the end of your rope with UC, you don't really think about the what ifs. You just want to be well again. Thank goodness most UC sufferers can control their UC and do not have to worry about surgery. The odds are still way in your favor of a good outcome. :)
Posted 4/2/2012 11:28 PM (GMT 0)

ByeByeUC said...
Thank goodness most UC sufferers can control their UC and do not have to worry about surgery.

Actually, the reverse. If only no one could control their UC then ...THEN! we would get much more attention at our disease.

The fact that most people can control it, it's not getting much attention.

Too bad it's not contagious, we would have a cure tomorrow in time for supper.
Posted 4/2/2012 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
You're right Somedude.... UC doesn't get nearly enough attention for the amount of suffering it causes.
Posted 4/3/2012 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
Hey thanks everyone! I knew my surgery was a huge risk, and I was 19 years old at the time, I had been through more suffering than I would ever wish upon a person.... I was to the point where surgery was truly my only option, as I was close to death a few times with by blood counts and dehydration. I also think a huge thing to take into consideration is to find a surgeon with A LOT of surgeries under his belt!

here is the MX thread for those of you that haven't seen it: www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=2328545
Posted 4/3/2012 5:42 AM (GMT 0)
Congrats! And great pics. I like the one of the dog under the drape. I'm partial to animals though. There are some awesome beach shots too.
Posted 4/3/2012 6:32 AM (GMT 0)
Chevy, great to hear you had such a good time at the beach with your friends.

LOVE the pics!!! Is the dog yours? Perfect pooch pic..
q
Posted 4/4/2012 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, the dog is my buddies who owns the beach house, he is an absolutely amazing an funny dog!
Posted 4/4/2012 7:07 PM (GMT 0)
Great pics! Glad you had such a nice vacation...and I too loved the dog pictures. What a great personality! I'm headed back to Myrtle Beach next month, and looking forward to it...the beach pictures make me want to leave now! Thanks for sharing.

Posted 4/4/2012 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Chevy, you're pics are great! What kind of pit-chur-taker do you use? haha

Also that looks like South Carolina! with the docks and marshes/ocean, glad your doing well!
Posted 4/5/2012 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone! Thats awesome Lonie, hope you have a great time!

stereofidelic89 said...
Chevy, you're pics are great! What kind of pit-chur-taker do you use? haha

Also that looks like South Carolina! with the docks and marshes/ocean, glad your doing well!

Thank you! Nikon D5100 :-) Amazing camera.
Posted 4/5/2012 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
Fantastic photos and congratulations on your first trip. May this be the start of many more. I have traveled extensively with my jpouch and most often with friends. Honestly my coloned friends use the restroom more often than I!!

I just got the Nikon 3100 and have been collecting additional lenses. Great cameras for low light.

Sue
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