10/24 newbie surgery Cons for a J pouch completely out weight any though of wanting one

Yah, all that can happen leaving you no better off in the end than when you started. Though its also possible the pouch may work exactly as its supposed to, giving you a high quality of life without the external appliance. As I understand it, something like 90% or more of patients who opt for the surgery are satisfied with it. There are also many people who thrive with the ileostomy. If the bag is not a problem for you then it may not be worth the extra surgery, pain, and recovery time to construct a pouch.

Personally I'm going for the pouch as I think its worth the risk to not have to deal with the bag.

It is key to remember that all potential complications are just that, potential complications you may get none or all of them. By the same token do not kid yourself that life with a stoma is a bunch of roses either, 60-70% of people will have some form of complication with their stoma and many will need further surgery. It is sad but true that there is no quick fix for IBD.

How you make this decision is very personal, you can, as I did at first, agonise over all the things that can go wrong and focus on how poor your life might be. Alternatively you can focus on what could right, it is very obvious to me that life with a well behaved pouch is better than life with a well behaved stoma - I have had both so can speak from experience. I have no idea which would be worse a badly behaved pouch or a badly behaved stoma but as I was having surgery to improve my quality of life I had to believe that my surgery would be successful and as a result chose the option that if things went well would give me the best result. Nine years of good health later it seems I made a good choice, had I opted for a stoma I may feel exactly the same way but that is something I will never know.

Peter

ya this is sooo difficult as I am concerned about the down time and the disruption with multiple surgeries and possible trips to the doctor with infections. It can be very hard on your mental and your job.

I look for the glass most full and positive, but also have to look at the other possiblities.
I I go for the pouch and spend the next who knows with problems and then have to go back ini to reverse I hear there can be some complications to nerves in there that may not have otherwise been introdueced by not doing it in the first place, I think I said that right.

going into surgery around 2pm PST Today

I was in the exact same boat as you!! I had to have my ileostomy for a year due to blood clots after my first surgery, so that gave me time to really get used to having the bag. I am a petite girl and got used to the clothing and very good at maintaining my ileostomy and about 2 months before my reversal i told my surgeon i didnt want to do the surgery anymore. He asked me why and i said all of the same things you say. He told me he guaranteed i would be happy and i decided 4 months later to go ahead with the surgery. I had my reversal Jan 2009 and i couldnt have ever imagined that life would be this great again! Im not exaggerating at all. It was a little tough at first, having to go to the bathroom about 10 times a day but its very small amounts and takes as long as it would to just be going (number 1). Also, my control is fine. At first i could only hold it for about half hour but now, if im busy at work, after just one and half year i can hold it for a few hours. I also can eat WHATEVER i want. Spicy food upsets me but thats about it. I have never had any pouchitis or other infections, i get a checkup every year, other than that i live a pretty normal lifestyle. I do take imodium before bed to slow things down alittle, i get up about 2 times a night. I strongly advise you to get the surgery. I thought why get the surgeries done when i am perfectly fine with my stoma but now having the surgeries, i couldnt imagine having the bag again!! Sorry if i rambled, i just really want you to realize how much happier you can be!