Hi guys! I know I kind of disappeared on you, but it's because I was doing great and just didn't really want to think about surgeries anymore. To recap, I had my ileostomy reversal in August and have...
I also had the three step surgery, and after my first step I was in the hospital four days. Best of luck!!!...
Everyone has already given you good information, but I also want to add that, if you do get your other surgeries to start using your j-pouch, that doesn't have to be permanent either. If it turns out...
Flagyl makes me nauseous too. As Sue said, Cipro also works for pouchitis, so maybe you could try that instead....
Nettiemoore, I'm so glad to hear that this post has helped! Now, I may just be unusually lucky, but I don't go to the bathroom often at all. The first few days after surgery, before they were letting...
This exact same thing happened to me. Here's what worked for me: For a couple of weeks, I had to use an adhesiveless system. This is where you don't peel off the plastic backing on the wafer, just...
I'm six weeks past take down now and feeling sooo great! I started thinking about all the little things that I was worried about before, and how my worries ended up being unfounded. Now I wish I...
@MotherofTeen, I took imodium with the ileo because ideally the output should be thicker than "watery." You can get dehydrated pretty quickly that way if you don't drink enough water, so the imodium...
Sue, from what I have read, I am not sure if Imodium actually contains opiods. Some sites say it does, others say it is just structually similar to opiods and has a similar affect. What the websites...
Guys, thank you so much for your kind posts. I will reply in more detail later when I have more time to do so. For now, just hear this: I figured out why I'm feeling so crummy. See here:...
You guys, I had no idea there was a such thing as imodium withdrawal, but there is. Never stop taking imodium suddenly! I'm newly out of ileostomy reversal surgery and I've been experimenting with my...
Oh goodness, I had this really bad. What products is he using now? He may consider applying a small piece of everything he's currently using to another part of his body and seeing which particular...
Hi guys, I feel like an idiot for being all worked up over little things, when I should just be being thankful that things are as good as they are. Because, really, they are quite good. I'm only four...
For what it's worth, no, I do not regret it. Not one bit. I am so happy I got surgery....
Hi there, I'm a 19 year old girl who has just finished with the three step procedure, and I feel GREAT! It is a long haul but this is the thing that will give your daughter her life back. Good luck...
2 steps has higher success rates than 1 step. Surgeons rarely do the 1 step procedure as it is less than ideal for healing properly. Depending on your history and the surgeon's preference, you may...
I am 19 (close enough, right?). Sleeping with the ostomy is no big deal. It's even better than trying to sleep with severe UC, because you're not getting up to run to the bathroom all the time. I did...
Wooo hooooo! You are no longer a "mom of teen with UC." How great does that feel? I elected to have this surgery and was actually in remission and feeling great when I had it done. This put me at a...
Thank you so much, pancakes! This feels like the start of a new life, it really does. No, it wasn't easy having UC in high school, and I do wish I had had this done sooner, but it is what it is. That...
Pam, I'm sorry to hear that the surgery is happening under these circumstances. It's rough to have it sneak up on you like this. I had months to mentally steel myself. But maybe it's better that...
Hi all, I just had reversal five days ago and cannot even believe how well I'm doing already. I slept 8 hours uninterrupted the night before last, and only had to get up to use the bathroom one time...
Pam, thank you kindly for your incredibly sweet words. All the best to you and your son, and feel free to email me any time you want to hear from somebody who's been through this!...
Thanks for the support everybody! I honestly can hardly believe how good I feel. It is seriously amazing to me that I just had my guts rearranged and I feel as good as I do. I had my reversal four...
Hi guys, thanks for asking about me! I know I disappeared from here - sorry! I can't really say it's because I've been out living it up - I've been feeling quite good, but I'm definitely not busy....
Oh man, I'm really sorry. This happened to me. They took my staples out before I had healed, and open I came. It IS really upsetting, so don't feel silly for crying. The best thing you can do for it...
I was thinking how nice it would be if people with permanent ostomies could somehow get a ring, like what's on a flange, implanted under their skin around the stoma. So the pouch would just snap onto...
Yeah 4NC, if you heal from the outside-in, fluid can get trapped inside the wound and make it heal badly. I have heard too that the stoma site will not be stitched up for this reason....
Don't worry about it yet! You've juuust had major surgery, the appetite takes a while to bounce back! If it stays a problem for a while, ask about appetite stimulants. You don't want to go too long...
Those of you who have j-pouches, do you find that your stool is more solid than it was with the loop ileostomy? My ileo output has been so watery even with taking 8 Imodium a day, I worry about what...
Hi Kelsie, good luck and I'll be thinking of your daughter tomorrow! It's a good idea to ask this question ahead of time, perhaps you can prevent skin irritation before it starts. I have a freakishly...
Calmoseptine is AWESOME, haha!...
Most people do not have a temporary ileostomy before getting a permanent one, they just get the permanent one straight away. And since you have a j-pouch won't you not be getting a permanent ostomy?...
Hodaya is right - with a loop ileostomy, they do not cut the intestine; there is still a physical connection between the mouth and the rectum, but there are holes in the intestinal wall where the...
I also always used to miss periods with flares, and I've missed several since surgery too. I think when the body is healing it tries to retain all the blood it can!...
It's normal, don't worry! Even if it keeps happening a long time after surgery, it's normal. With a loop ostomy, it's actually possible for small amounts of stool to "bypass" the ostomy and exit...
If you've had a 2-step j-pouch, this question is pertaining to the time between the first and second step. If you had a 3-step, it pertains to the time between the second and third steps. So my...
If you're logged out it won't let you vote, but it shows you the results. Bit of an inconvenience though. :\ Following my laparoscopic total colectomy, I was in the hospital 4 days. They would have...
I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but I had that exact surgery (second of three step j-pouch) almost 4 weeks ago and I'm still mostly laid up. You'll probably do better than I am, but know that...
Aw, thanks for your concern! I'm doing a lot better since I've been home from the hospital, although things are still slow going and that is frustrating. I'm so ready to be done with this. It's great...
Have to agree with stripey. I have a RAGING allergy to the cavilon barrier wipes; they caused crazy skin irritation for me. Wipe one somewhere on your leg or something and make sure you don't break...
Thanks so much for thinking of me, everybody!! Overall I really can't complain about my experience with this surgery - the pain hasn't been too extreme, the nausea has been a little troublesome, but...
Very puzzling, run! Let me know what your surgeon says, I'm curious as to how that works, haha....
@Gilda I wouldn't change it every day; I would think the skin would get irritated from having the pouch pulled off so often. I wrap my belly in Glad Press'n Seal before I shower to keep the appliance...
No prob, it's all rather confusing! With a loop ileo, the stoma is not formed from the end of the intestine, it's formed from a place in the middle. So the surgeon has to create a hole in the...
Hi! I'm not runs4pancakes obviously haha, but she an I are both having the three step surgery, and are between the first two steps right now, so our guts look about the same. :) Unless her surgeon...
I swear I never had sensitive skin before surgery! Now I feel like I'm allergic to everything. :( This is embarrassing, but I just got my period for the first time since surgery, and I'm using the...
I too prefer Hollister's New Image pouch, so I was reluctant to have to switch products when my skin troubles began. However, I found a great compromise and didn't have to. The various companies all...
It depends on the state of my skin. When my skin was irritated and weepy, the wafer's adhesives alone didn't feel secure. The belt helped there, although I don't know if it actually helped much or...
Yay! So glad to hear things are moving in the right direction. Just so you know, there are Coloplast Sensura wafers available that have belt loops. Obviously that doesn't help you right now, but it...
Definitely ask your surgeon - the surgery can be done in either 2 or 3 steps so you'll need to know which way he plans on doing it. If you were on prednisone for that long, my guess is he'd do 3...