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My colonoscopy results (surgery or meds?)

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/14/2012 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
I am currently on step 1 of 3 for the j-pouch. I have had a total of four surgeries so far due to complications. Complications due to being on prednisone for so long. Get off prednisone! It is an AWFUL drug for your body. Despite having additional surgeries, I am 100% satisfied with my decision. It is rough journey, but I would do it all again.

This summer I was able to go out on the boat, go to the beach, and live life like a normal person. No more UC or medications.
Posted 8/14/2012 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
Bostwis1 - I'm wondering how long you were on pred? I am prepping for surgery and as I've been trying new UC meds I've been up and down on pred since the first of Nov last year. I have been completely off of it twice, but only about a week or two after a taper. I've been on 40 for about two months now. Before that I was on 20 for about a month. The Dr. decided it was better for me to stay on before surgery than to get weak from flaring.

I'm already seeing the elevated BP, heart rate, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Blech. Not to mention the cosmetic issues (moon face, fat/water storage in the trunk, etc.). I will get a Dexa scan eventually, I just hope I haven't done too much osteo damage.
Posted 8/15/2012 12:17 PM (GMT 0)
So how much time did you miss from work? I'm trying to figure out my leave time. so far I got a month saved up and I can always borrow from the leave bank. Nice benefit from being a Fed employee :)

 

Posted 8/15/2012 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
I was out 3 weeks for the first surgery, and another 3 weeks for the second surgery.

Sue
Posted 8/15/2012 8:45 PM (GMT 0)

Peace&Harmony said...
So how much time did you miss from work? I'm trying to figure out my leave time. so far I got a month saved up and I can always borrow from the leave bank. Nice benefit from being a Fed employee :)

Leave yourself a good month to recover from each step. That's a pretty safe rule of thumb.
Posted 8/15/2012 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
They will tell you 6 weeks, but it really depends on your job. If you have a desk job with minimal labor you can do it sooner than if you are in retail or construction or any kind of job that needs a lot of physical work. Most important thing is to listen to your body!
Posted 8/15/2012 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
I was on prednisone for about a year and a half. Every time I got off, I flared again. Humira was my last resort medication. If I kept trying more medications it would have just meant more cycles of prednisone. I knew it was time. Even if the j-pouch doesn't work out I can live life normally with the bag. I do not miss my colon at all.
Posted 8/15/2012 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
6MP is a long process.. I would stay far away from the stronger drugs. In your case with how severe it is I might opt for surgery at this point.


@Bostwit you've been on step 1 for a while, whens step two?
Posted 8/16/2012 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
Step two is scheduled for January 11th. Due to my complications, I had to withdraw from school for a semester. I would have graduated in August, but now I will be graduating in December. It's going to take a total of 16 months to get through all the steps, but I am okay with it. I need to get through college first.
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