Going to ask for a jpouch

I'm done. I can't take it anymore. 10 weeks in a flare, Pred is making me mental, humira isn't working, and I want my life back. My wife and son are gone for a week on vacation and I can't go because I have to work and my flare kept me from going on the trip too because I could have worked remotely with them.

On Wednesday I am going to ask my doc to start the paperwork. I refuse to let this disease take anymore of my life. I would rather have a bag ten miss another day with my family.

Best of luck to you. I love my j pouch. I wish I had the surgery much sooner than I did but I had to hit the point where you are at. One day I woke up and just had enough and I couldn't take it anymore. It's a trying process to get thru but the end result is so worth it. Just make sure you have a highly skilled surgeon that has done many j pouches (if you are going for a j pouch).

I've been thinking about it all day too. I'm having a bad few days, and I'm getting so tired. I wish some stupid medicine would work. I really don't want to go through recovery during my son's senior year.

RG,

I am there with you, I am done too (long flare and now on Predisone) UC is effecting my Quality of Life too much now. I should have went for surgery about 5 years ago, I was offered a 1-step laproscopic J-pouch if it was elective because I wasn't on Predisone and I really wanted it but started to feel better so I didn't go for it (surgeon didn't take my insurance so it would have been a pain to get done) I really liked the surgeon he had great credentials and I liked my initial consultation with him but he's moved to a new hospital since then.

I am in the process of switching insurances (I have really good insurance but all these surgeons in NYC either don't take insurance or take very few policies, especially mine) so I can use another surgeon. The new surgeon that I want to use has done over 600 j-pouch surgeries and my GI "highly recommends him".

I'm probably looking at 3 steps right now but if I ended up with a permanent bag then I am prepared for that, in my opinion it would be better than this nightmare of roller-coaster ride from UC. Both of my Grandfathers had permanent bags later on in life from colon cancer. I know that statistically I probably won't end up with a permanent bag but it's a trade-off that I am willing to take at this point if it comes to that.

I think when you can honestly say without hesitating "I am done" then you are probably ready for surgery.

From everything that I have experienced in hospitals, seeing surgeons and talking to people who have had surgery, you want to find a very experience surgeon that you like. Some surgeons are weird people, I wouldn't want many of them operating on me.

Right now I am probably 2 months away from surgery but I am willing to suffer and wait for the best surgeon that I can get.

Good luck... I would make the same decision in your shoes..