feel like I am giving up

I had surgery (colectomy with end ileostomy) and am landed with a permanent stoma for life. I suppose I can understand being scared of a temporary stoma, but the first four months after surgery passed like absolute lightning for me - if I'd had a temporary stoma, it would be reversed by now; couldn't imagine a better fate to be honest. In fact, it'd almost be worth having a temporary stoma just to wake up one day and not see that bloody bag or stoma on your stomach. Beautiful outcome.

So yeah, don't let a highly temporary stoma put you off, please.

As far as "giving up" is concerned, that's a very loaded phrase, but I can understand the feeling. Sometimes I do feel like I gave up, other times I think I was right to have surgery when I did, because, really, there was very, very, very little chance I wouldn't have needed surgery sooner or later.

Ignore family and friends who think that you can get over this disease with diet and rest. They don't have a clue; there just comes a point for some people where pissing about with diets and supplements is not only a complete and utter waste of time, it could dangerously delay urgently needed medical or surgical treatment. To be fair, when I had mild disease I didn't see what all the fuss was about either, so I'm probably just being served my just desserts by the gods of irony, or whatever.

Anyway, I see from your last post that Remicade or Humira hasn't worked. Imuran is certainly worth a try if you have not tried it before, but it does 3 months to kick in. A med of last resort is cyclosporin; for some reason I never tried that, never even thought to try it, really. But I seem to remember somebody here saying it saved them from surgery.

"I would be giving up so many foods I liked, and that was letting UC take over."

so i'm guessing having  your anatomy restructured was a lifelong dream and had nothing to do with uc ?

sorry, just seems like an interesting way to look a the situation -

Post Edited (soystud) : 9/2/2013 7:16:21 PM (GMT-6)

I think there are 2 groups of people here giving opinions on surgery and if you look at their medications and severity of their UC then you might be able to understand their prospective a little better.

Once you decide on which group your UC symptoms relate to then you might be able to see which experiences will be similar to what you are experiencing and your decision on surgery whether or not to have it.

My summer has sucked, I've been sick for most of it with this flare and I have a consultation with the surgeon in a couple of weeks when he comes back from his vacation. I've tried every medication and have had UC for almost 10 years, it's time for surgery for me. I am not giving up but moving on with my life. J-pouch surgery has come a long way in 30 years but it still has stigmas from the 80's & 90's when it was a different more invasive surgery without the better outcomes that we experience today.

Thank you Somedude, you just articulated how I feel about surgery for myself at this time in my life - who knows about tomorrow haha. I'm simply amazed when I think about how GI was suggesting the possibility of surgical removal 2 months ago and now I'm having formed turds in the toilet after doing only diet and fecal transfer, for the first time in over 18 months. If one isn't up to it, then the surgery is an option but I would advise to at least give diet and FT a go first. Besides, one of my former classmates had her colon removed from Crohn's and she's still going to the ER all the time with complications from it. I feel bad for her going through so much and she's still suffering tremendously.

Adventure: You're really off your Rx meds?? WOW!! Congratulations! FMT and SCD are helping me but I'm jealous of your success. I'm in agreement that surgery isn't the answer until those are both tried extensively.