HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Experience with Colostomy/Colectomy

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/2/2010 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis a little over a year ago. Since then I have been in a flare the entire time. I believe I have tried all levels of medication, (Asacol, lialda, enimas, 6mp, Allopurinal, Prednisone, Remicade). After trying all of these I have always had blood in stool and as many of you know the urgency air in the stomach and anywhere from 3 to 15 times a day. (25 times per day when I contracted C-Diff).

Recently, My doctors have felt that I should be looking into surgery since no medications have worked efficiently. With this news I dramatically changed my diet after my last colonoscopy. (gluten free, dairy free, no red meat, no overly sugar added foods (gatorade, caffeine). Initially, my bm's were down to 2-3 times (very light blood) per day after colonoscopy but within a week I am back at 6 to 8 bm's.

So, thats my story I am wondering any experience with large colon removal? Time to recovery, number of bm's after and the type of bm's, does your stomach feel weird after 4 feet of intestinal removal. What scares me they say after surgery anywhere from 3-10 bm's and thats tough to commit to with no chance of being "normal" again after the removal.

Please any info can help
Posted 4/2/2010 8:04 AM (GMT 0)
Im not sure what you mean about BM's per day. If you have your large intestine removed, there are no such thing as BM's. Its just a liquid paste that is produced at random times throughout the day and goes into a ileostomy bag which needs to be emptied, 6-8 times a day. The operation will create a hole in your abdomen that the end of the small intestine sticks out, therefore nothing comes out from the anus anymore since there is no piping. It all comes out of the end of the small intestine into the bag.

TIme for recovery for this operation (colectomy) is about 4-8 weeks.


I have had it done, your stomach feels normal, you cant tell anything is missing.

Later on, if you want and the doctors say its ok, they can create a j-pouch out of your small intestine, and sew that to the normal exit and close the stoma.

I have also had this done, BM's per day is between 6-7, although i have never specifically counted, i just go when i feel like it. Its mostly like liquidy and sometime pastey, and depending on what you eat it can look almost formed. If i have lots of fibre like wheat and oats it will basically come out formed.
Posted 4/2/2010 1:19 PM (GMT 0)
There are several surgical choices for UC: a permanent ileostomy, a jpouch, or a kpouch. I'd recommend you read up on all three and talk to people who have had each surgery. Surgery choice is really based on the patient's lifestyle and what you are willing to sacrifice. There is no perfect surgery but there is a best option for you.

Sue
Posted 4/3/2010 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
I guess that I was not very clear, I am looking into the J-pouch surgery. I am glad that you are med free today can you give any pros and cons of your experience with this surgery.
Thank you for your time
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply