Oh Kathy! I am so, so sorry to hear of your loss. VG was a welcome and positive voice on this forum and he helped so many with their struggles. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family....
I also see Dr. Jay Singh at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta after references from both my GI in GA and a GI physician at Vanderbilt Univ. He's an experienced surgeon and takes a lot of time to explain...
Hi UCFree, Congratulations on your GREAT news! With a new baby and a new lease on life, your 2010 is bound to be a wonderful year! Best wishes to you and your family. I do want to ask you a question...
I joined this forum the day after I got home from the hospital with my new bag - October 31st. I'm a HUGE fan of Halloween (a holiday that celebrates candy - yum!) and I had candy all over my bed,...
Currently Atlanta, GA area; North Carolina before that (both Charlotte and the beautiful NC Mountains); and originally Long Island, NY. Sometimes just visiting this site feels like "coming home."...
Hi MommySueSue. Welcome to HW! Do you have a j-pouch? I lost my colon and most of my rectum to UC at the age of 42 after suffering for several years and now have a j-pouch. When I don't have...
Hi MommyP - I recognize you from the Ostomy site. I'm new to this forum also, but I've been having soooo much pain in my hands and wrists (and to a lesser extent in my knees and ankles) lately that I...
Hi Jackie. I'm so sorry you're going through this. Your story sounds so much like mine. Oh the accidents! It was awful!! I, too am 43 and was diagnosed with UC in '04, pancolitis by '06 with a colon...
Hi Gela and welcome back! I'm so sorry the surgery was painful. Did your surgeon feel that it was successful? How long were you in the hospital? Have you been able to stand or do you have to recline...
Hi Mary. I've been thinking about this thread ever since I first read it. Some of the things you posted - like stool coming thru the wrong opening - I've had this experience (I think) a few times but...
Hi Everyone! OMG - I couldn't believe my eyes when I was reading Gela and Ohio43's posts! I too, had a 4th degree tear during the childbirth of my first child in Dec. 1996. I was doing great for a...
moving to Asheville, but the jobs are scarce. good pizza being hard to find. Good pizza and good diners should not be taken for granted! I did meet a guy a few years ago who grew up in his dad's...
Atlanta, GA here too. Hey, Summer! What nowhere part of NC? That was my home state before I moved to GA. I still love NC!...
Absbabs, I'm a patient of Dr. Singh's and he's wonderful! I'm so glad you're seeing him. I'm convinced you couldn't have a better surgeon in the Atlanta area. This time last year, I was where you are...
Mitzi, We haven't heard back from you since your last post and I'm concerned. How are you feeling? Is your doctor responding to your needs? Like Kim (ME!), my surgeon is Dr. Jay Singh at Piedmont...
Oh no! Cecelia, feel better soon and hurry back. No more blockages for you young lady!!!...
Mitzi, I'm bothered by your surgeon's response to your continued suffering. Especially since you're unable to take nourishment and you're weak and nauseated. Where in GA are you located? I had my TC...
Welcome to the ostomy site! My reversal was 5/9/08 and then I had a stricture that had to be dilated 2 weeks later, but after that it took about 3 weeks for the bm's to thicken up and decrease in...
Hi Richard - I've been thinking about you and looking for your post. Congratulations on making it through another surgery! As awful as the recovery is, at least you are home and the key word here is...
Ash83 - you sneaky girl! I caught that little announcement at the bottom of your airport scanner post. CONGRATULATIONS on your wonderful news!!! I'll be praying for the good health and joyful miracle...
I had my reversal on 5/9 (a Friday) and I was nauseous pretty much thru Monday. My doctor said it was a reaction to the anesthesia. He compared it to a bad hangover. They gave me Zofran for the...
Jo - Congratulations! It sounds like you're doing wonderful. I'm so thrilled for you. As far as your butt hurting, I never really had that problem either. I kept waiting for it and it just never...
Hi Jan - I don't know the specifics of the solution, but I do seem to recall contrast causing a cloudy diarrhea everytime I had to drink it. I don't remember any output from the kind that is injected...
Good news! There's a reason I've been having so much trouble. I went for my post-op followup today and told my surgeon what's been going on and he pinpointed it immediately. It turns out I have a...
Just a quick update. First let me say THANKS for all of your support. I'm having a much harder time with this than I did with the colectomy and have been getting depressed. I think because it's...
Or Red Hot candies..... Red IS BAD!!!...
Peggy - Thanks for the update. Hearing from you is like getting a phone call from an old friend. I'm sorry your tummy is acting up again under all the stress you've been dealing with. Let's hope and...
Cece - I'm so sorry you had the trouble with the bowel obstruction. I know you were doing so well. I hope you are feeling better now. And Peggy has been a huge help to so many people and then to have...
Cece - Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. Would you believe I cried?? I feel so goofy! I know it will get better, I just feel like I've been sick forever. I want my life back! I...
Well, I did it. I went in for my reversal last Friday the 9th and came home yesterday. The hospital stay went okay except that I had a reaction to the general anesthesia and was sick for a few days....
Theresa, How are you doing since your TD? Mine is scheduled for May 9th and I'm very nervous about using the bathroom the "standard" way again. My j-pouch surgery was done in 2 steps so I had the 1st...
sfgJo, I will definitely keep you posted cuz I know the questions and concerns you're having. I'm excited and scared at the same time. I've actually put this off a couple of months because I've been...
Oh Peggy, I am soooo sorry to hear your news. You are such wonderful, giving person and you've been an amazing inspiration to so many people here at HW. You and your husband and family are in my...
Good luck Theresa! I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. Mine's coming up soon so I'll be looking for your posts after returning home. /community/emoticons/smile.gif ...
Sue, Thank you for your voice of experience!! Patience isn't one of my best qualities, but I promise to remember it gets better. I will definitely take the Desitin and A&D ointment to the...
.....or anyone else who has had a successful j-pouch surgery? I'm stressing over this (and a few other things in my life) to the point of getting migraines. Any advice would be greatly appreciated....
Hi Sue, I'm scheduled to have my TD (part 2 of my 2-step) on May 9th. I finally got up the nerve to schedule it. I've felt so healthy since getting rid of my nasty colon in October that, despite all...
I'm trying some Hollister filter samples this week and the only differences I've noticed so far is that I'm sleeping less cuz I'm worried about leaks, clogs, etc., and my stoma's a lot noisier all of...
Thanks Cecilia. That totally helped and I really appreciate your response. It's always comforting to know there are real people out there who understand. /community/emoticons/yeah.gif ...
I always assumed that they suggest the diamond shape to avoid the navel area. It seems like if it was too close to the belly button, it might not seal well. But that's just a guess....
Hollister sent me some samples of their new AF300 filter bags. I've read that these are supposed to be great, but I've never used a filtered bag before and they didn't come with any instructions. I...
Peggy - what you say makes a lot of sense. I've been going back and forth with this for months! My surgery included steps 1 and 2 so I already have my j-pouch, but I keep putting off the takedown for...
I totally get that feeling! Mostly when I eat any kind of veggies (chopped up of course) and they seem to come out in the same shape they go in. It's frustrating cuz I want to scratch! :)...
Praying - you are so sweet! Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. It really means a lot to me. It's been a tough month or so. I've been following your posts since you were a "newbie" not...
Hi everyone - Well, I've been fighting the good fight against the raw itchies under my wafer and I'm starting to win. I began using a clear caladryl lotion - dotting it all over my raw skin and...
Praying - I was just thinking about you. Today is probably harder than tomorrow will be while you're making your last minute preparations and thinking about things. You're more prepared to have this...
I felt that way after seeing Blair Witch Project which was filmed the same way, but I was pregnant at the time and wondered if that had anything to do with it. So your wife is sick, huh.....hmmmm...
Wow - Ash and SF covered pretty much everything I can think of except that I was really glad I had a little pad and pen next to me to write down questions to ask the dr., ET nurse, etc., when they...
Summer, you should do commercials for the Eakin Seals! LOL...
Lori, SF's experience was almost word for word what I experienced. I suffered an almost non-stop UC "flare-up" for 3 1/2 years with a very short remission period in the summer of '05. Besides all the...