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19-Year Old Ulcerative Colitis J-Pouch Surgery Help

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Is the J-Pouch surgery the best decision you made?
yes - 83.3% - 5 votes
no - 16.7% - 1 votes
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Posted 12/16/2016 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hello! I am desperately looking for some advice and help on debating a J-Pouch surgery.
I am 19 year old female who is currently not able to work or attend college because my ulcerative colitis has disabled me terribly recently. I go through periods where I think I am terrible and need the surgery immediately and then periods where I go about 8-10 a day and my really only issue with that is the urgency. I have been getting about 101 degree fevers from my UC and chills with body aches just recently.

I have been on almost every medication since my diagnosis at 12 years old. Responding best with Remicade-but really only managing. It certainly helped but not enough. All throughout High School I was afraid to do anything or go anywhere with the fear of accidents and pain. I have been living a very disabled and unfulfilling life and have recently just gotten to the point where I am completely fed up. Last month I started to get extremely worse-more blood, more frequently, more urgency and oh boy MORE PAIN. Sometimes I sit on the toilet and the pain is so bad I legitimately think I'm dying. I think there is no way my insides are not turning inside out and deteriorating- it hurst that freakin bad.

Two months ago I stopped Remicade to start Entyvio because of Remicade really not making a difference. Well the Entyvio does not have great reviews and I'm sure it will be just the same old darn thing where it may help a little and I decide to stick with it and simply just "manage" the disease living a half ass life.

I was so against surgery seeing that it didn't always mean the best life and completely normal after surgery. I feel like I don't want to settle for that because I have know people (my aunt) whose UC just completely calmed dow and pretty much went away for over 30 years now on it's own. Mine has been bad for so long though I really don't think i can wait any long. My life is completely on hold right now and I am 19 years old and just want to feel 19 and do things other people my age can do.

So I have a surgery consultation appointment next week with a great surgeon in Philadelphia. I am still going back on forth on surgery with the positives and negatives. People are saying they are going 8 times a day post surgery which still sounds debilitating to me. Also super important note about me is my problems are not so much frequency as much as URGENCY. Holy moly I can't hold it for crap.I have about less than a minute to get to restroom if that. So naturally I hate leaving my house. I'm tired of accidents. I'm tired of hours of time spent in the bathroom. I'm tired of pain. And I'm tired of being tired. SO I really would love to hear peoples experiences with J-Pouch surgery and how there urgency, frequency and overall quality of life is. I want to hear positive and negatives. I wanna know if you think I should do it. I want to go to concerts, to the beach, road trips, etc. without a care in the world- and i refuse to settle for less. So would you say the j-pouch is the right option and worth it?

thank you so much xoxo-Jane
Posted 12/16/2016 5:50 AM (GMT 0)
For me, it was the right decision. I was in a position where I had dealt with major reactions to the medications and none were providing enough benefit that I was able to live a normal life. After surgery, I have my own challenges, but they are so small in comparison to what i was dealing with while having UC. The problems I deal with are, going more often, using more toilet paper, occasional butt burn, sounds. All of which, aren't ideal, but in the bigger picture, I would have opted for surgery way back in the beginning knowing it would have come to this anyway - and now seeing what this really is, it gives me my life back. All those lost years, taking all those drugs and spending all that money on drugs that didn't help, all those excuses I made to avoid events that I really should have attended, lost friends, lost career opportunities. The lost time wasn't worth it for me. I regret not doing it sooner. Of course, everyone is unique and has their own circumstances. I can't say what is right for you & I'd love to say you don't need to worry... but it may be for the best. I love being drug free. I love not worrying every day. I feel liberated. My head has sustained the most positive impact from surgery - I don't sit around worried about the future all the time. I don't spend money on health stuff anymore.
Posted 12/16/2016 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
I hear many happy with surgery. When they speak of multiple BM, they are talking about emptying the pouch, and not about urgent running to toilet.

With a family history, and a personal history of failing Remicade, you may be headed for surgery.

You may want to try some FMT, just in case there is an infectious component to your recent increased symptoms and fevers.

Urgency has two general sources: 1) poor condition of rectum tissue and/or presence of blood near rectum, 2) functional spasms of GI tract. THe 2nd is really IBS-like symptoms secondary to IBD. You may want to try rectal steroids to try to tame the urgency, and you may want to try a trial of some IBS med to also combat urgency

good luck
Posted 12/16/2016 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
It was the best decision for me and I was adamantly opposed to it. I've had my jpouch for 16 years, best health decision thus far.

Sue
Posted 12/16/2016 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
A j-pouch removes urgency, our biggest complaint with uc. With uc, i swear if i trip on my run to the toilet then i'll have to contend with both an accident in my pants and a bump from the fall lol. With a j-pouch you can hold it for a half hour and often much longer. It's true that a j-pouch does mean 4-6 bms a day for a good outcome, evenly spaced out throughout the day (and can include a nocturnal wakeup to go). Often emptying is quick and done while you pee. How many times in a day do you pee? Often it's about the same.

A j-pouch provides certainty and predictability that uc denies us. The lack of urgency is huge. A surgery won't make you pre-uc as there's more bms, and there's some small artifacts like noise and a more burning output (very minor compared to the agony of uncontrolled uc flareups). It's not a free pass to eat anything you want, as certain foods do impact output.

It's all about quality of life and a j-pouch can help you regain it when the medications just dont work for you.
Posted 12/16/2016 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Absolutely. I love my j-pouch. I've had it for 3.5 months now. I would class my overall quality of life as excellent (i.e. normal!) - and far better than he life I had with UC.

I empty my pouch 4-5 times every 24 hours. I have no urgency at all. I never pass blood or mucus. If it's not convenient to get to a bathroom I can hold on comfortably for hours (I did this in a long work meeting a couple of weeks ago, and it was fine). I don't take any medication, though I do take psyllium husk (a natural dietary supplement that helps thicken watery stool).

Pre-UC, I would use the bathroom 4-5 times a day anyway (usually twice for a BM, and three times to empty my bladder), so the quality of life I have now isn't really any worse than back then - it's just that I empty my pouch each time, which takes a matter of seconds. My stool isn't as formed as it was pre-UC (most of the time it's like nuggets), but I really don't care. I usually sleep through the night. I can pass gas while sitting or lying down.

I work full time, I'm married with four kids, I go to the gym, I travel, I eat an unrestricted diet, I drink coffee and alcohol (in moderation). If you met me and didn't know I was a j-poucher, I don't think you would ever know if I didn't tell you.

Life with an ileostomy was also great and so liberating - but I'm really glad to have a j-pouch. Overall it seems like there's less maintenance involved (in that I don't need supplies). With hindsight I wish I could have gone for surgery much sooner after diagnosis, rather than spend four years trying out medications and being ill... but that's life. The experience of illness was also helpful in many ways, and made me see life (and other people) very differently.

Negatives so far: they are big surgeries, though thankfully I recovered quickly. It would be nice to be able to pass gas quietly while standing, but that's not a big deal. When I empty my j-pouch, it can sometimes be noisy (as there's usually some gas in the pouch). I have mastered turning on the hand drier (very loud) while using the toilet at work though.

Pre-surgery, I was just like you are now: infliximab not really working, so much urgency and so many BMs. It was a nightmare. I also weighed up whether it would be worth continuing to struggle on, in the hope that one day a new drug would appear. In the end, I decided to cut my losses and get my life back - and I'm glad I did.
Posted 12/16/2016 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jane,

Sorry you're having to contemplate surgery. I had j pouch surgery 6 years ago and it's been a life saver! Not an easy journey getting through the surgeries but totally worth it.

I use the bathroom 4-6x a day and that's absolutely NOT debilitating. There's no urgency, no pain, no cramps. No more "omg I need a bathroom now" moments. You just sit and go...quick and easy as urinating.

Who are you consulting with in Philadelphia? I had my surgeries at Jefferson university hospital in philly. Great hospital and I had a great surgeon. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. smile

PS - for the record, I was totally against having surgery for about 2 years leading up to it. Finally, I had enough and took charge. My sister also has a long time j pouch. So I was stubborn all that time even knowing my sister has done so well with hers. I guess you just have to be ready for it. I also have an uncle with a J pouch. Runs in the family!
Posted 12/16/2016 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
Threads like these invariably bring out the same few people who had the same fortunate outcome.

A j-pouch provides certainty and predictability that uc denies us.

For some people, yeah.

There are some who that hasn't happened to. They just don't post anymore. One guy had such a bad experience with his j-pouch he went back to a stoma.

That's the other side of the coin which nobody talks about. It doesn't always work.

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 12/16/2016 1:09:17 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/16/2016 8:14 PM (GMT 0)
NCOT has a valid point and certainly we don't want to represent surgery as being all roses, sunshine, and wagging puppy dog tails. Surgery is good for the majority but there are certainly some who didn't have great outcomes. We hada good thread a while back "Reasons not to have surgery?" that covered some downsides to get both perspectives and some potential shortcomings. www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3709466
Some have had trouble with their surgery outcome. As an example, here's SolomonSeal's story: www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3263001

Generally the outcomes are good, but invariably not everyone has a perfect outcome, so discussing odds of complications is key when talking with doctors and surgeons. Nothing is risk free, so weighing risks versus benefits is always key.
Posted 12/16/2016 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry, I've been on a downer for the past two days. Just had lots of hospital trips, and other stuff, and think it's caught up with me.

For almost everyone who has j-pouch surgery the outcome will ultimately (after a few weeks or months of recovery) be better than what they were dealing with before - mostly far better. But not everybody ends up going only 4-6x a day, with zero urgency, etc. Some of us folks have less fortunate outcomes (including me, but I have Crohn's, so discount my experience if you think it's irrelevant...) I obviously hope the topic creator has an optimal outcome if she opts for surgery, but I don't think anyone should be promising her that.
Posted 12/16/2016 9:34 PM (GMT 0)

notsosicklygirl said...
For me, it was the right decision. I was in a position where I had dealt with major reactions to the medications and none were providing enough benefit that I was able to live a normal life. After surgery, I have my own challenges, but they are so small in comparison to what i was dealing with while having UC. The problems I deal with are, going more often, using more toilet paper, occasional butt burn, sounds. All of which, aren't ideal, but in the bigger picture, I would have opted for surgery way back in the beginning knowing it would have come to this anyway - and now seeing what this really is, it gives me my life back. All those lost years, taking all those drugs and spending all that money on drugs that didn't help, all those excuses I made to avoid events that I really should have attended, lost friends, lost career opportunities. The lost time wasn't worth it for me. I regret not doing it sooner. Of course, everyone is unique and has their own circumstances. I can't say what is right for you & I'd love to say you don't need to worry... but it may be for the best. I love being drug free. I love not worrying every day. I feel liberated. My head has sustained the most positive impact from surgery - I don't sit around worried about the future all the time. I don't spend money on health stuff anymore.

Thats amazing, I'm so happy to hear that. It is stories like this that make me think the j-pouch surgery is right for me. I think being drug free is also an important aspect i need to consider because we literally have no idea about the long term side effects of some of the medications. Thanks so much for replying-your story is great and I love hearing people say they got their life back! smile thanks again
Posted 12/16/2016 9:40 PM (GMT 0)

DBwithUC said...
I hear many happy with surgery. When they speak of multiple BM, they are talking about emptying the pouch, and not about urgent running to toilet.

With a family history, and a personal history of failing Remicade, you may be headed for surgery.

You may want to try some FMT, just in case there is an infectious component to your recent increased symptoms and fevers.

Urgency has two general sources: 1) poor condition of rectum tissue and/or presence of blood near rectum, 2) functional spasms of GI tract. THe 2nd is really IBS-like symptoms secondary to IBD. You may want to try rectal steroids to try to tame the urgency, and you may want to try a trial of some IBS med to also combat urgency

good luck

Hi, I have been tested for infections at the er recently and they found nothing and am currently doing the rectal enemas but never sure I'm doing them right because I usually empty it out 1 minute later.And that is great to have the emptying the pouch explained to me. I didn't know that and am glad it doesn't mean urgency.I was told I could't have the fecal transplant by my doctor but I don't remember why. I am happy you are happy with your surgery decision and I appreciate your suggestion I will still try to further enquire about the FML. I did do peppermint pills and i thought it calmed my spasms a bit but it could of been in my head. Thanks so much for you reply!
Posted 12/16/2016 9:45 PM (GMT 0)

suebear said...
It was the best decision for me and I was adamantly opposed to it. I've had my jpouch for 16 years, best health decision thus far.

Sue

16 years! wow that great so happy to hear thatsmile gives me hope- thanks so much for your reply!
Posted 12/16/2016 9:51 PM (GMT 0)

iPoop said...
A j-pouch removes urgency, our biggest complaint with uc. With uc, i swear if i trip on my run to the toilet then i'll have to contend with both an accident in my pants and a bump from the fall lol. With a j-pouch you can hold it for a half hour and often much longer. It's true that a j-pouch does mean 4-6 bms a day for a good outcome, evenly spaced out throughout the day (and can include a nocturnal wakeup to go). Often emptying is quick and done while you pee. How many times in a day do you pee? Often it's about the same.

A j-pouch provides certainty and predictability that uc denies us. The lack of urgency is huge. A surgery won't make you pre-uc as there's more bms, and there's some small artifacts like noise and a more burning output (very minor compared to the agony of uncontrolled uc flareups). It's not a free pass to eat anything you want, as certain foods do impact output.

It's all about quality of life and a j-pouch can help you regain it when the medications just dont work for you.

hi! a half hour? that literally sounds like a dream lol. That is amazing though I am so glad your doing well. This gives me peace of mind that I will not have to worry about accidents all the time after surgery. And I know exactly what you mean, when I'm driving I always try to make every light I can (safely of course) because one red light could mean the difference of pooping my pants or not. Thanks for your reply I really appreciate it-makes me so happy to hear people who are doing great with the surgery! thanks again
Posted 12/16/2016 9:55 PM (GMT 0)

iPoop said...
NCOT has a valid point and certainly we don't want to represent surgery as being all roses, sunshine, and wagging puppy dog tails.

Well, I actually have a j pouch and I'm here to tell you surgery to get one certainly isn't any of those things. But I had a good outcome so that's all I can speak of. No sense scaring people either because for many surgery is inevitable. They will find out the good, the bad and the ugly at their surgery consult.
Posted 12/16/2016 10:17 PM (GMT 0)

ByeByeUC said...
No sense scaring people either because for many surgery is inevitable. They will find out the good, the bad and the ugly at their surgery consult.

They probably won't in fact. Most surgeons don't seem to have a clue what life with a j-pouch is really like. My stoma nurse knew a lot more than my surgeon did.

I'm not trying to scare anybody or deter anybody who needs surgery from getting surgery. But to me individual anecdotes - good or bad - are meaningless. All people are looking for are reassurances, which they will get in spades from the same few people. But it's just pointless. Literally the only outcome which matters is your own one. What do I care if you had a great experience, if I don't have at least as good an outcome? Not being rude, but I don't. It's meaningless to me.

That's partly why I can never be bothered talking about my surgery experiences anymore. Not only is it in the least bit relevant to anyone, it bores me rigid, let alone the readers.

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 12/16/2016 3:21:35 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/16/2016 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
As for the topic creator, it's blatantly obvious she's made up her mind already and is just seeking reassurance it's the right thing to do. That's all these surgery threads ever are: people seeking reassurance who've already made their mind up to have the surgery.
Posted 12/16/2016 10:38 PM (GMT 0)

NiceCupOfTea said...

ByeByeUC said...
No sense scaring people either because for many surgery is inevitable. They will find out the good, the bad and the ugly at their surgery consult.

They probably won't in fact. Most surgeons don't seem to have a clue what life with a j-pouch is really like. My stoma nurse knew a lot more than my surgeon did.

I'm not trying to scare anybody or deter anybody who needs surgery from getting surgery. But to me individual anecdotes - good or bad - are meaningless. All people are looking for are reassurances, which they will get in spades from the same few people. But it's just pointless. Literally the only outcome which matters is your own one. What do I care if you had a great experience, if I don't have at least as good an outcome? Not being rude, but I don't. It's meaningless to me.

That's partly why I can never be bothered talking about my surgery experiences anymore. Not only is it in the least bit relevant to anyone, it bores me rigid, let alone the readers.

This is why I don't post much anymore. I can't speak of my experience without having this BS. Every.single.time. I know I should ignore it but I'm in a crappy state of mind as I had to have my beloved dog put down recently after a battle with cancer. So forgive me if I'm snippy and short of patience. My surgeon was bluntly honest with me about complications. Most probably are.
Posted 12/16/2016 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry about your dog, but I am in a crappy state of mind too. It's great that your disease is over for the rest of your life, but for me I'm 41 and still dealing with the fallout of this sh!t disease every day of my life. It isn't over for me. I should be a mature and nice enough human being to put it to one side and be glad for other people, but I'm not. I just want it to be over for me too.
Posted 12/16/2016 10:44 PM (GMT 0)

Albannach said...
Absolutely. I love my j-pouch. I've had it for 3.5 months now. I would class my overall quality of life as excellent (i.e. normal!) - and far better than he life I had with UC.

I empty my pouch 4-5 times every 24 hours. I have no urgency at all. I never pass blood or mucus. If it's not convenient to get to a bathroom I can hold on comfortably for hours (I did this in a long work meeting a couple of weeks ago, and it was fine). I don't take any medication, though I do take psyllium husk (a natural dietary supplement that helps thicken watery stool).

Pre-UC, I would use the bathroom 4-5 times a day anyway (usually twice for a BM, and three times to empty my bladder), so the quality of life I have now isn't really any worse than back then - it's just that I empty my pouch each time, which takes a matter of seconds. My stool isn't as formed as it was pre-UC (most of the time it's like nuggets), but I really don't care. I usually sleep through the night. I can pass gas while sitting or lying down.

I work full time, I'm married with four kids, I go to the gym, I travel, I eat an unrestricted diet, I drink coffee and alcohol (in moderation). If you met me and didn't know I was a j-poucher, I don't think you would ever know if I didn't tell you.

Life with an ileostomy was also great and so liberating - but I'm really glad to have a j-pouch. Overall it seems like there's less maintenance involved (in that I don't need supplies). With hindsight I wish I could have gone for surgery much sooner after diagnosis, rather than spend four years trying out medications and being ill... but that's life. The experience of illness was also helpful in many ways, and made me see life (and other people) very differently.

Negatives so far: they are big surgeries, though thankfully I recovered quickly. It would be nice to be able to pass gas quietly while standing, but that's not a big deal. When I empty my j-pouch, it can sometimes be noisy (as there's usually some gas in the pouch). I have mastered turning on the hand drier (very loud) while using the toilet at work though.

Pre-surgery, I was just like you are now: infliximab not really working, so much urgency and so many BMs. It was a nightmare. I also weighed up whether it would be worth continuing to struggle on, in the hope that one day a new drug would appear. In the end, I decided to cut my losses and get my life back - and I'm glad I did.

Hi! wow that all sounds really great. And you have 4 kids while dealing with all that? your amazing! I love hearing you can travel especially because I always dream about that but it seemed unrealistic for me. So happy the surgery worked out for you and your living ur best life. And I agree with you 100% on the experiences with UC helping me look at life and other people very differently. I feel likeI have a newfound compassion and understanding for people as well as my outlook on life is much simpler. Thank you so much for answering my post! I really appreciate itsmile
Posted 12/16/2016 10:52 PM (GMT 0)

ByeByeUC said...
Hi Jane,

Sorry you're having to contemplate surgery. I had j pouch surgery 6 years ago and it's been a life saver! Not an easy journey getting through the surgeries but totally worth it.

I use the bathroom 4-6x a day and that's absolutely NOT debilitating. There's no urgency, no pain, no cramps. No more "omg I need a bathroom now" moments. You just sit and go...quick and easy as urinating.

Who are you consulting with in Philadelphia? I had my surgeries at Jefferson university hospital in philly. Great hospital and I had a great surgeon. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. smile

PS - for the record, I was totally against having surgery for about 2 years leading up to it. Finally, I had enough and took charge. My sister also has a long time j pouch. So I was stubborn all that time even knowing my sister has done so well with hers. I guess you just have to be ready for it. I also have an uncle with a J pouch. Runs in the family!

Hi there! Another positive story I am so happy to hear smile I am glad to there is no "I gotta go right now" moments, i think without that I would be able to handle 4-6 bowel movements a day just fine. I am seeing Mahmoud Najjia N MD at University of Pennsylvania but I after I switched from CHOP I went to Jefferson GI doctor for a few months and was treated at the ER there last week for dehydration. I will definitely take you up on asking more questions because i have so many and I love your positive surgery outcome. Thank you so much for answering my post! I really appreciate it
Posted 12/17/2016 12:30 AM (GMT 0)

NiceCupOfTea said...
Threads like these invariably bring out the same few people who had the same fortunate outcome.

A j-pouch provides certainty and predictability that uc denies us.

For some people, yeah.

There are some who that hasn't happened to. They just don't post anymore. One guy had such a bad experience with his j-pouch he went back to a stoma.

That's the other side of the coin which nobody talks about. It doesn't always work.


Yea thats why I was open to positive and negative stories regarding the surgery. But another thing to consider is a lot of people who have succeeded with the surgery are probably less likely to post on here or go on any kind of forum like this because it is such a small portion of their life they don't even think of it anymore.
Posted 12/17/2016 12:52 AM (GMT 0)

NiceCupOfTea said...

ByeByeUC said...
No sense scaring people either because for many surgery is inevitable. They will find out the good, the bad and the ugly at their surgery consult.

They probably won't in fact. Most surgeons don't seem to have a clue what life with a j-pouch is really like. My stoma nurse knew a lot more than my surgeon did.

I'm not trying to scare anybody or deter anybody who needs surgery from getting surgery. But to me individual anecdotes - good or bad - are meaningless. All people are looking for are reassurances, which they will get in spades from the same few people. But it's just pointless. Literally the only outcome which matters is your own one. What do I care if you had a great experience, if I don't have at least as good an outcome? Not being rude, but I don't. It's meaningless to me.

That's partly why I can never be bothered talking about my surgery experiences anymore. Not only is it in the least bit relevant to anyone, it bores me rigid, let alone the readers.

Well individual anecdotes are certainly not meaningless. Everyones case is different before surgery so I'm sure everyone has different cases after surgery. But getting an idea on the majority and hearing individuals stories is essential when undergoing a major surgery like this. I am reading a lot of positives of surgery on here but have certainly seen a lot of negatives on other websites and pages. But also I have only heard positives from the two people in my life who have had the surgery. So why would anyone want to be ignorant to other peoples experiences when you could get an idea of the outcome. No, I do not know what will happen if i get the surgery but if I do, I want to go in fully prepared and knowledgeable about people who have fell on the positives and negatives of the surgery. And also I dont know man....... after all the strugglesI know Ulcerative Colitis gives people on their day to day basis I do genuinely care and love to hear people have great experiences. It makes me happy and I feel for them even if its stranger because I can relate to what they went through before the surgery.
Posted 12/17/2016 1:01 AM (GMT 0)

NiceCupOfTea said...
As for the topic creator, it's blatantly obvious she's made up her mind already and is just seeking reassurance it's the right thing to do. That's all these surgery threads ever are: people seeking reassurance who've already made their mind up to have the surgery.

Genuinely am sorry surgery didn't work out for you but you seem like your trying to bring others down just bc this didn't work out for you. I am open to hearing the negative outcomes of surgery because i know it's certainly possible. It just sounds like you are trying to shut down the idea of it being a positive outcome for other people. And you don't know me- I haven't made up my mind yet. I change my mind everyday and probably will still have my doubts if i end up lying in the bed waiting to go under. And if i did have my mind made up what the hell is wrong with looking for reassurances? If the surgery option is inevitable what do you have left if you don't have hope and positive outlook? nothing. So I want to go in with positive energy and hope even if that mean everything doesn't go as planned.
Posted 12/17/2016 1:04 AM (GMT 0)

ByeByeUC said...

NiceCupOfTea said...

ByeByeUC said...
No sense scaring people either because for many surgery is inevitable. They will find out the good, the bad and the ugly at their surgery consult.

They probably won't in fact. Most surgeons don't seem to have a clue what life with a j-pouch is really like. My stoma nurse knew a lot more than my surgeon did.

I'm not trying to scare anybody or deter anybody who needs surgery from getting surgery. But to me individual anecdotes - good or bad - are meaningless. All people are looking for are reassurances, which they will get in spades from the same few people. But it's just pointless. Literally the only outcome which matters is your own one. What do I care if you had a great experience, if I don't have at least as good an outcome? Not being rude, but I don't. It's meaningless to me.

That's partly why I can never be bothered talking about my surgery experiences anymore. Not only is it in the least bit relevant to anyone, it bores me rigid, let alone the readers.

This is why I don't post much anymore. I can't speak of my experience without having this BS. Every.single.time. I know I should ignore it but I'm in a crappy state of mind as I had to have my beloved dog put down recently after a battle with cancer. So forgive me if I'm snippy and short of patience. My surgeon was bluntly honest with me about complications. Most probably are.

Sorry about your dog sad I want my surgeon to be blunt and honest with my and she has a 4.8 star review online so that gives me a little more hope.
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