My experience is very similar to Marianne's. I had a temp ileostomy for 2 months and now have a jpouch. I love it! The only accidents and urgency I had was during my hospital stay. Once I left the...
Hi Amy! My surgeon let me know that they really can't be 100% sure which one it is until they open you up, which is kind of scary. But I had a test done before my surgery that I forget the name of...
Like Marianne I was also referred to mine by my GI. I went in to talk to him and just felt good about it. My GI is awesome and I really trusted his judgement. He sends all patients who need surgery...
I can't comment on the first 2 since I didn't have my surgery by anyone there. I had a two step jpouch procedure. Everything turned out really well for me. I love my jpouch! I was also very worried...
Hey guys! So this is aimed more at people that have had their jpouch or reversal for a while. I was wondering how the ileostomy scar looks after a few years time? How much does it fade, stuff like...
I'm definitely grateful I had surgery! It sounds like it is the right thing for you to do. I have a jpouch and love it! Not sure if you are able to have one or not but even if you can't I think that...
I love my jpouch! I struggled a lot with my temporary ileo and knew that I would be the kind of person that would take a long time to get used to it. So the jpouch route was pretty easy for me to...
I had my second and last step on February 16 of this year and am doing great! Like you, I was not that bad right before surgery. I was on prednisone which is why I felt okay beforehand. I was also...
Thanks for the replies! That sounds like what it might be since the symptoms are the same. My surgeon emailed me back though and said it is just normal for the first couple months and should improve....
Thank you! Yeah I emailed my surgeon this morning so I'll have to see what he says about it....
Hey everyone! I'm just about 3 months post takedown and was wondering what the symptoms are for pouchitis? I have been having some cramping pains pretty much since takedown but now have some pain at...
I agree! All the things you brought for the first one, things to keep you occupied, and definitely some kind of cream for your bottom as it will most likely be quite irritated. Some people need to...
I went quite a bit while still in the hospital. Probably around 12 a day after they started. First couple weeks were rough due to gas pains and cramps in my stomach but I am now down to 5-8 a day....
I agree! I was in remission when I had my surgeries. The first one I was on about 10-15 mg of prednisone when I had it and it slowed the incision healing. Caused it to open where I needed to pack it...
Hi Chrissy! I needed to have surgery because I became steroid dependent. Prednisone was the only thing that worked well enough for me. I had two step jpouch surgery. First step in December, takedown...
I lost a little bit while I was sick. Then I got on steroids and gained a lot! I was in remission for my surgeries so after the surgeries were done I lost about 35 pounds which a lot of it was just...
Hello! I am about 7 weeks post op from my reversal surgery. My surgeon told me I could start slowly introducing foods that I couldn't eat with an ileostomy like nuts and things like that. He said to...
Hi Julia! Your story seems pretty similar to mine. Except I did respond to steroids but it was the only thing that worked. I was steroid dependent which is why I needed my surgery. I had my...
Oh wow! I'm sorry you had to go through that. I can't imagine being dismissed by doctors to the point where the surgery is emergent! I hope you are doing much better, those 5 months will be here...
A jpouch is internal. I think of it like an internal bag sort of. It is a pouch made to hold stool that is made up of part of my small intestine. They removed my whole colon, so the jpouch is part of...
Hey! I'm 19 and had a stoma. I have a jpouch now. My reversal surgery was about 6 weeks ago and I had my temporary ileostomy for about 2 months. Have you set a date for reversal yet?...
Thanks a lot! I'll have to try some of that! Yeah people have told me before it is because I am young and I should get a handle on it now. I've just been very picky all my life and I gravitate toward...
Hey Keith! No, I'm not taking anything right now except for iron since I am anemic. Sugar could definitely be something I should try cutting out. I have way too much of it. Do you know if there is a...
Hey everyone! I was just wondering if people with ostomies or jpouches lose nutrition quicker or need to eat healthier than other people? I got my reversal about 6 weeks ago and finally got my...
I was sent home after just 2 days. They only let me start eating literally the morning of the day they discharged me and all I had was toast with butter. I didn't have an appetite for a while, same...
Hey Dean! Is it really just the times per day you go that you need the feedback on? I'm not sure if it would differ between us as I had colitis and now and a jpouch. In the beginning right after...
Hey Jefferey! It sucks getting diagnosed the last year of high school dosent it?! Lol. I had to change so much because of it, mostly college related. I'm sorry you've had to deal with it so long. To...
Keith- no real improvements overnight yet. The heating pad helps relieve it some though. I will have to ask my doctor about the spasm medicine, that might actually be really useful! Vicki- that's...
I felt okay enough to drive out for a bit and go shopping on some errands and stuff like that after around 6 weeks. Like Eva said, I was also very tired for a long time after the surgery. Also, I too...
Nope, no Imodium. My surgeon said at my follow up that I am actually doing very well in terms of frequency. About 5 or 6 times a day usually. Sometimes even less than that. So no frequency problems,...
So glad I was helpful! Thank you for the well wishes! I hope you and your dad like him and that all goes well for you all! Wish you all the best! :-)...
Thanks for the replies! I'm going to try not eating so soon before going to bed. The heating pad is a good suggestion as well! I actually do have some zofran leftover from my first surgery that I...
Yeah definitely research Dr. Stahl to see if you would like to use him! My GI recommended him and he was just amazing. The only complication from the first one was the dehydration but that was on me!...
Hi Karen! I am also from the dc area and had both my surgeries at Washington hospital center. How about your dad? After my first surgery when I had my ostomy, I got dehydrated and went to the er....
Hey everyone! I had my ileostomy reversal about 3 1/2 weeks ago. I am doing pretty well but still have some bad cramping pain occasionally. It is usually tolerable during the day but I find that it...
I found out I was anemic before my surgeries. After my diagnosis of UC, but before I had any surgical procedures. Don't know if medications can cause it but I never had a problem until I was...
Well I am not amazing right now only because my last surgery was a little over a week ago, so I am still recovering. I tried the jpouch because it makes you able to not have an ostomy bag permanently...
Hi, I completley understand what you're going through. I'm 19 and just had my second surgery a week ago. I was diagnosed with UC at 17 as well, senior year of high school ugh! I had a temporary...
Hey Pink! I had a temporary ileostomy that just got reversed a week ago. It is very bright red and meaty looking if it is healthy. There were a lot of different shapes to mine and I did not have an...
Thanks a lot Vicki! I will have to shower without it then. I get worried doing that since it seems like it wouldn't be good for shampoo and such to run into the opening, but it must be okay! It...
Thank you for the great advice(: My first surgery was both. I had 3 laproscopic holes and then my incision that was like a c section. This time was through the stoma opening. I think they may have...
Thank you(: Just wondering about the possibility of blockages after the reversal. I am on vicatin for pain and have heard taking your pain meds can make it easier for a blockage to happen. My cramps...
Thanks everyone. I think I've just been through so much and was so excited to have the reversal that I expected everything to just be better right after. I wasn't expecting to feel this bad right now...
I am home now from my takedown surgery. Old ostomy site doesn't hurt too bad. I get little twinges of pain here and there from it. The part closest to my belly button is left open. Hardly any opening...
Hey Kari! Glad we both made it out of surgery well! About meds, for last one and this one i start on a pain pump of morphine that I can push every 10 mins. That was my main control of pain. Then they...
Haha I am not either! I am leaving tomorrow hopefully. Can get up and walk by myself and had first movement earlier today, just had a second. Gettin some cramps on my stomach, some pretty bad. Since...
Thank you! When could you have those crackers? I had surgery yesterday morning about 8am. Leaving tomorrow hopefully around lunchtime or a little later. Surgeon just came in to talk to me and told me...
Marianne- thanks for the advice! I am thinking I kind of just want to snack on some stuff anyway that we bought in the cafeteria. Cookies, teddy grams, toast, things like that. Kind of bland and...
Superblanks- thank you so much! Yeah I was wondering how you were doing since I remembered I had my first surgery when you also got your end ileo! How is everything working out with that? Have you...
Thank you so much! Yeah I hope I'm over the worst! Eating jello now, if I do okay I think I can eat more for lunch yay! Still haven't passed gas like they keep asking me but I have some cramping....