A bidet will definitely help you. Mine is worth its weight in gold and I'd seriously attempt to fight anyone who tried to take it from me! One huge thing I remember from the early days was being...
Fantastic! I think not knowing if I could regain my active lifestyle was one of my biggest fears going into my first surgery. Like you, I found it was possible through determination and just working...
I felt guilty for a long time about being happy for my takedown, or at least expressing that happiness here. I stayed away for a long time because of it. I've finally come to the conclusion that it's...
Every single surgery experience is a little different so, we can't really predict what things will be like for you. I can share a little bit of my own journey though. For me, surgery was hard. Really...
That is excellent news. :-) I did one half marathon with my ileo and I've done three more since my takedown. I'm now training for my first ever full marathon! I'm so happy you are getting to do...
If you've had a normal recovery and you feel ready....there is no reason not to try the class. I think it would be helpful to meet with the instructor ahead of time. Let them know you've had...
Re: splashing... Take a couple squares of toilet paper, fold them over, and lay them on the surface of the water. Empty on to them and it will significantly cut down on splashing. :-)...
This is fantastic! I know it feels good to have something constructive/helpful come out of your experiences....
I absolutely agree with all that you said! I did have some bumps in the road during my surgery process. I had an abdominal abscess after step 2 that made me very sick. Because of that and the general...
If you are on a budget, there are other options for covering things up if you want to. I used the Belly Bands from the maternity section at Target. They were only $15 at the time (a year or so ago)....
A month after takedown my Vitamin D level was 9! The good news is the Vit D is one that responds very well to supplementation. I am obviously not a doctor but, 1,000 units seems low to me. I was on...
That's awesome! Congratulations! :-)...
Three months out should be just fine. I know spin uses some abs as you have to hold your alignment as you lean over the bike but, I wouldn't consider it intense in that way. My main concern would be...
MRI cameback showing a thick walled cystic mass on right ovary (which was confirmed to be enlarged) as well as fluid trapped in the Fallopian tube. I'm being referred back to Cleveland Clinic to...
Yes, I've heard about the uncertainty around the tumor marker tests. Plenty of false positives, false negatives, and positives caused by things completely unrelated to a tumor. In light of all of...
I don't see why you shouldn't try one. If you cut it in half and eat the individual segments with a spoon like a lot of people, then you won't even be getting the membranous stuff which would be the...
I think I weirded out my OB a bit. In mid-December I had Essure implants placed because we don't want any additional children. On Tuesday, about an hour after my run, I started having really bad...
Hope you are well and having a smooth recovery. :-)...
I would have either your primary doc, OB, or GI request the films and get their opinion on them. Unfortunately, ER's can be so swamped that they take a sort of "quick and dirty" approach meant to...
If there are any natural or gourmet type food/grocery stores near where you are then they might have a "juice bar" where you can have them make fresh juices for you....
I also had three step surgery which my surgeon opted for in order to give extra healing time because of steroid usage. Having three surgeries can be tough but, for me it was worth it to have a well...
Do you have a juicer? You could juice fruits and vegetables to get lots of nutrients without any fiber. The texture/consistency is the same as water. Be sure it is a juicer and not some type of...
Pain and anti-nausea meds, walking, and ask if you can take anything like simethicone (gas-x, etc) to see if it helps. Good luck to you. That part is miserable....
If your incision has opened, or is opening, you need to be seen immediately. If the incision opens up too much, the muscle layer may be pulled open and your intestines can poke out of the opening...
I got a new (2nd) stoma with step 2 of j-pouch. The first stoma was actually the best of the two because it was an end where the second one was a loop. I had the belly button pointing one from March...
My first one pointed toward my belly button a good bit but it never caused any trouble. I hope so much that this one does the trick and you can be done with this whole mess!...
I also had bad hair loss after my surgeries. I had my final surgery in January and my hair has fully recovered. It is nice and thick again and very healthy. I know it is scary when it happens but, it...
I don't have experience with the attachment type as I have a seat one but....I highly recommend some sort of bidet if you can do it. That is the one thing that has improved my j-pouch experience the...
I'm glad he is doing better, it sounds like you are too. I'm not surprised that he is having feelings of regret right now. I was very committed to my surgery decision yet, when I was in the midst of...
Oh wow....I just was looking at my blog entries and it was exactly a year ago today that we made that middle of the night run up to ER in Cleveland. What a difference a year makes! Off topic I guess...
Does sound a lot like,y abscess experience. My temp would go up, but not very high, then back down for a bit and then back up. I felt off but not devastatingly ill. I even got blood work that was...
I am doing very well and soon you will be saying the same! :-) There are some benefits to staples. There is a slightly lower infection rate because they don't move in and out of the skin like suture...
When I make cranberry sauce, the berries pop open and turn into a sort of jelly so there isn't much substance left to them. I've had that and also dried cranberries and cranberry juice with no...
The belly bands are also at Target for about $15....
I got my j-pouch takedown in January and am currently having 6-8 movements per day. It really depends upon how much I eat and what (more fiber foods might mean one extra trip, etc). I do not use any...
I am so happy for you, Sara! :-) Don't fret about the staples....the sound it makes when they are being removed is worse than it feels! The remover makes a little "snap" sound, straightens the "legs"...
It sounds to me like maybe his JP is not set up for flushing. You shouldn't have to remove the grenade from the tube in order to flush. There would be a stopcock on the tubing line that you turn to...
The way sweetpeasmom describes the flushing is how I was instructed to do the flushing when I had my JP. I was never told to do the stripping but, I've head of people doing it. If you don't see a...
My best to you, Sara. You've been through so much....
Yes, the drainage from the rectum is normal as B'Dereh explained above. The remaining rectal tissue still secretes mucus and it has to go somewhere. I can sympathize with the abscess situation. I had...
Random thought.... Are you having to strain for that first BM? If I get dehydrated then things can get thick and difficult to move. If I try too hard then I can have a little blood. I usually just...
I've run up to 13 and haven't experienced this. I would check in with your surgeon and see what they say about it. I'm sorry you're experiencing this. :-(...
Another anxiety, depression, and panic disorder sufferer right here! It is so tough because these truly grueling surgery and recovery processes just amplify all of this symptoms. For me personally,...
You might also consider some salt/electrolyte capsules. I started using these over the summer and I'm able to ward off the muscle cramps but still get some mighty salt cravings after really long...
I had my take down back in January but, I eat fresh fruit and veggies including salad. Stick to your GI soft diet per your doctor's orders and get lots of fluids. Once you pass that healing period,...
So glad things are going smoothly for you! :-). Definitely get the bidet for your toilet. It is a life saver! I very rarely have any issues with burn/it hand usually only after being away from home a...
Well, I did it but it got pretty ugly at the end. The last mile was pretty much a delirious stagger to the finish. I made it to the recovery tent my running club sets up for us at big races, spread...
My CC surgeon is definitely very "old school" so I wouldn't be at all surprised if what I had done is different than what other people had done. For example, after my pouch creation surgery I didn't...
The only thing I can think of with the cecum is that there is the ileocecal valve which controls the flow of materials from the small to large intestine and also keeps stuff from back flowing into...
Feeling tons better. As of this evening I picked up six of those pounds that fell off. I've been drinking lots of G2 all day and had plenty of salty food, too. I've got my color back as well. Feel a...