HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Surgery consult!

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/2/2017 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Alright I just had my surgery consultation this week and am planning for January right now. My first procedure would be a subtotal colectomy with end ileostomy planning to be performed laparoscopically. Basically the first step of a 3 step jpouch because Of the level of severity of inflammation and high dose prednisone but this also will give me the option to stop here if I decide to just keep the ileostomy. SO. If anyone has positive experiences
With this surgery performed this way I would love to hear your experience. I am on this group on Facebook and anyone who has commented has described it as "completely horrific"? I was under the impression that this one was easier than that second surgery if you are a 3 step jpoucher- so i was hoping it wasn't THAT bad considering the laparoscopic approach is supposed to be the minimally invasive approach. Please share with me anything you possibly can. Some of you have probably already given feedback to me I just didn't know the exact surgery I was getting until this week. Thanks a bunch to all of you smile
Posted 12/2/2017 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
If I could do it, you can. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is horrific, but it's certainly not fun. I was out of the hospital fairly quickly after each step, without complications, so I had pretty much the ideal situation so far as surgeries go.

From Sickly to UC Free

I made a long post about it - read above link, but feel free to ask me anything. It has set me free from a life of worry, expenses and drugs, and ultimately, that's what was most important to me. I don't think I would have ever lived well with the limitations UC had put on me so far as appointments, blood draws, drugs, medical expenses were involved... I am a very low maintenance person. Having those types of necessities was something I really didn't want impacting my life forever.

I just passed 2 years from my takedown and things have been up and down, but compared to life with UC, it's mostly been a piece of cake for me. I know others have had a harder time, so please do not take my experience as word of truth. It is different for everyone. I still get frustrated when I get up in the night and need to go to the bathroom. I don't like going more often. I don't like the sounds, but the trade-off is being able to go out without worrying about accidents & that's worthwhile. I can work a fulltime career, I can eat what i want, I don't spend money or time worried about UC.
Posted 12/3/2017 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
You're always a really great source on here and I appreciate that a lot! I read your experience. I'm wondering about the drain that you dreaded? Why is a drain placed in your butt i haven't read that for other experiences in the other ones I read that happens during the second surgery for the pouch creation? If I need the drain I hope I can at least deal with it it sounds like it really suckedsad were you able to at least sleep with it in and how bad was it to get removed?

notsosicklygirl said...
If I could do it, you can. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is horrific, but it's certainly not fun. I was out of the hospital fairly quickly after each step, without complications, so I had pretty much the ideal situation so far as surgeries go.

From Sickly to UC Free

I made a long post about it - read above link, but feel free to ask me anything. It has set me free from a life of worry, expenses and drugs, and ultimately, that's what was most important to me. I don't think I would have ever lived well with the limitations UC had put on me so far as appointments, blood draws, drugs, medical expenses were involved... I am a very low maintenance person. Having those types of necessities was something I really didn't want impacting my life forever.

I just passed 2 years from my takedown and things have been up and down, but compared to life with UC, it's mostly been a piece of cake for me. I know others have had a harder time, so please do not take my experience as word of truth. It is different for everyone. I still get frustrated when I get up in the night and need to go to the bathroom. I don't like going more often. I don't like the sounds, but the trade-off is being able to go out without worrying about accidents & that's worthwhile. I can work a fulltime career, I can eat what i want, I don't spend money or time worried about UC.

Posted 12/3/2017 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
Removing it was no big deal. It was actually the highlight of my day. I knew once it was gone I was going home. I have seen a few other people mention this tube. It removes the drainage from the rectum after the 1st step. I could sleep with it, but it was uncomfortable and it was there for a while. My other friend had it after her first step, and she didn't even mention it being a problem for her. I specifically asked her, and she had other things bugging her, the tube wasn't her concern. Weird how everyone's perspective is so different. In the bigger picture, it's a few days of discomfort, you will get through it if it comes to that. There were also small drains from under the incision after the second step. Those are JP drains. They pull those out and it feels gross. The removal of those was worse than the butt one, but the butt one was worse than those for me overall.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply