I had to give up red meat for a couple of years due to a combination of having IBS and UC. A couple months after my colectomy, I was able to eat red meat again - including yummy hamburgers! :)...
LOL...
Glad things went well! I will ask my dr about the prep. I too have UC inflammation in my rectum. I started on Canasa Friday night and I haven't had any bleeding since. I'm hoping that'll give my...
Best of luck to you, John! I'm scheduled for step 2 of 3 on the 21st. They gave me prep work though - enemas and the mirilax prep. I wonder why that is? Keep us posted on how the recovery process...
I used to get cankers a lot when I was a kid (pre-teen into teenage years). My dr suggested I take a B vitamin supplement. Once I started taking those regularly, I didn't get cankers any more. I did...
Thank you for the responses. I seem to be finding similar posts about inaccurate results floating around on the internet. I'm thinking that I will follow my gut (no pun intended) and forgo the blood...
Hi Chips Mom, Looks like I will be having my j-pouch created on the 21st as well! Crummy way to spend Christmas. I'm going to try to have someone bring their laptop to the family get-together so I...
Has anyone had this test done? If so, how accurate was it? Although every pathology test done so far indicates UC, my dr also sees signs of Crohns. He thinks it's pretty much 50/50 if I have UC or...
Wishing you the best of luck, John. I had step 1 done in May, and I am still awaiting steps 2 and 3. Let us know how step 2 goes. I am curious of what to expect!...
I have been fighting a bad cold with a fever since Monday. I saw my PCP on Monday night and flu tests came back negative. But here I am, 4 days later STILL fighting this nasty cold. And throughout...
I'm so glad you posed this question, Karen. I have wondered the same thing! I was really sick in April and May and had my first surgery in May. I haven't wanted to have sex at all during that...
OMG, that's hilarious. Thanks for sharing your story!...
Congrats on going back to work! Don't push yourself too much. I have a desk job too, and its amazing how tiring it can be just sitting at a desk all day. I came back part-time for a couple weeks. And...
Thanks for the responses. With the pill crusher, do you mix the crushed pill in a drink or something? Or do you just take it like you would normally take it? I have an appointment with my allergist...
Thanks for the suggestions. Since my first post, I have requested samples of Adapt Barrier Rings from Hollister. And I am going to call Convatec to get samples of the Eakin Seal and also find out...
I have a temp perm ileostomy, and I have been noticing that my Zyrtec-D tablets are going right through me. They look like they absorbed water (they are squishable - sorry to be gross) but they are...
Glad you are doing well. It gets better every day, so hang in there and keep resting....
I have a temp end ileostomy, and I currently use Coloplast SenSura one-piece bags. However, when I cut the whole for my stoma, I have to cut it larger to get it to fit over the stoma. But then there...
I'm so glad to hear Dillons surgery went well! Since he has a morphine pump, I'm assuming it was open surgery? Kudos to him for getting up and walking twice! I remember that was the LAST thing I...
Yikes! I can see why you felt you didn't need her around. lol...
I was already out of work before surgery because of how sick I was. But besides that, it was basically just like the prep for a colonoscopy. So if I was working, I probably would have worked a...
My home care nurse always had extra bags with her. I'd suggest asking your nurse - she might be able to give you a few to hold you over....
For me, it was about a month before my boyfriend could leave me for extended periods of time. Before then, anything more than a couple hours required us to make arangements to have a family member or...
Hi John, I had major back pains post-op. They didn't start until I started regaining my strength about a month after surgery. But OMG, it was horrible! I even went to my chiropractor, but there...
Hi Collicat (and everyone else on this thread), I had the first of three surgeries at the end of May. I was really sick going into surgery due to an uncontrolable UC flare-up. As my surgeon put it, I...
Hi Jacalyn, I have a temp ileostomy, and I use Coloplast SenSura one-piece. The opening at the bottom is secured with velcro, and it has never leaked. This is the same kind that the hospital sent me...
Best of luck, Mike! I'm still waiting on stage 2 - probably won't be until December or January. So I'll be looking for your words of wisdom when that time comes :) Just remember that it's all worth...
Hi John! My j-pouch will be a 3-parter, too. I had my first surgery 3 months ago. They won't even mention the second surgery though until I get back to a normal weight/strength (I lost 30+ lbs prior...
I started losing hair before surgery due to being so sick and malnourished (sp?). The hairloss continued after surgery, and it is just now starting to slow down. So I probably lost hair from May...
I was swollen for at least a week after coming home from the hospital (I was in the hospital for 6 days). Maybe even more than a week, now that I think about it - I've lost all sense of time from the...
Hang in there, andorable. Remember, it could always be worse! You could be feeling like you did BEFORE you had the first surgery. At least now, you are no longer sick. The post-op pain, the...
I was happy to read this post because I was thinking I'd never be able to wear my jeans until after my takedown surgery! My abdomen is still sesative so I live in pajama pants, or a pair of loose...
Hi andorable, So do you have a permanent ileostomy now? Did you know that was going to be the end result when you had your first surgery in March? When you went in for your second surgery, did you...
Hi all, It's been a while since I've posted. I had my first surgery just over a month ago and I'm still recovering. The ileostomy is doing great actually. My issues were with the incisions getting...
I haven't been on the boards much lately. I've been wasting away on the couch. I've been out of work now since Monday. But the good news is I finally have a set surgery date. Next Friday 5/22, I'll...
I'm miserable, in pain, and I just want my colon OUT! I had two surgeons recommended to me, but neither of them can see me for a consultation for 2 weeks. And one of them is a general surgeon, so I'm...
Hi cfg. Just wanted to say that I completely understand about being sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm right there with ya on that these days. Hopefully your dr willl come up with a plan of...
Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement. Each day I feel better and better about my decision. And all of you are to thank for that. I don't know what I would do without this board! I...
I love guacamole. It's the only colorful thing besides carrots that I have been eating during this flare up. Everything else is just white or beige (turkey deli sandwiches on white bread, chicken,...
I'm thinking j-pouch is the surgery I want to have. I'd rather not have an ileo permanently. And I'm not sure what kpouch is, I'll have to look into that. My GI dr was suggesting j-pouch when I...
Hi Robin, Reading your post is so inspiring. Especially after I just had to take another Darvocet to get through the rest of my work day. I'm actually looking forward to getting rid of my colon and...
So I'm in the process of finding a surgeon and getting a consultation setup. I feel pretty clueless going into this though. Are there certain questions I should be asking the surgeon during the...
Elaine - You are right. I'll have plenty of time to go to Hawaii later in life. And I'll be healthy enough to enjoy it, too. :) Suebear - I am definitely looking forward to a better quality of life....
My update - I'm calling my dr today to tell him I have decided on surgery. I'm done with this. Pred is not helping. Still have pain, still have some blood, still have urgency. I'm 90% sure I'm...
Hi Amy, I have not personally felt like that. But I know of someone that gets Remicade infusions for Rhumadiod (sp?) arthritis, and she says she sometimes experiences flu-like symptoms for a couple...
I heard low potassium levels can cause leg cramps. Maybe you can give her Pedialyte (sp?) to help her with her electrolytes (sorry about my spelling, not sure about that one, lol). That's the first...
Thanks for the info, Elaine. That's good to know. I can at least enjoy the museum while the fam takes the ferry out. I'll send my camera along with them so I don't miss anything, lol....
Oh my, thanks for the heads up about Pearl Harbor, Peety. I would have had no clue. I'll definitely gage how I am doing that day before committing to joining the family on that tourist trip. Might be...
Thanks UC_Dad and Db. My fingers are definitely crossed that the pred works at least for the short term so I can enjoy myself. And you are right Db, by next summer, I will be good as new. :) Peety -...