Dr. Strong at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. He is head of the surgical department there and was recently brought onboard from the Cleveland Clinic. Highly recommend....
I noticed when I had the ostomey bag that every time I had dairy it would fill up quickly with liquid stool and gas. Now with the jpouch when I have dairy I get the yellowish loose stools and of...
Long overdue update but I just wanted to let everyone know I had my step 1 of 2 in January and my takedown was done May 20th. I can't give enough credit to Dr. Strong. I now have my life back and...
Thanks for the advice thus far. The surgery is this Friday (5/15)....
I previously asked the community what they suggested I bring to the hospital for my first surgery (step 1 of 2). That really helped quite a bit so for my takedown surgery I'll pose the question...
I hope mine goes as well as all of yours. My takedown is this coming Friday (5/15). I had an easy recovery from step 1 and have been doing great ever since. Hopefully that continues with step 2. The...
Are you hydrated?...
I have a couple of these as well. Interested to hear what others say about this....
I had the same issue and the only way I can control it is to take Immodium before I eat. I was taking four tablets a day but now I only need to take it once in the morning. I'm also on the skinny...
Thanks for the responses. I'm going to go back on iron supplements since during my time with UC those levels were always on the lower side. I did just recently end my slow taper of prednisone a few...
I'm just about six weeks post op of stage 1. I'm now dealing with extreme exhaustion and I get winded from doing the simplest of tasks. For example, I tagged along for our weekly grocery shopping and...
I had two blockages and I'm not even a month out from surgery. Mine, I believe, had to do with not being properly hydrated. The first blockage included a tube down my throat to vacuum out my stomach...
I tried this for a week with no real results. I've since had my colon removed and I'm finally cured of this awful disease....
For me, seeing the stoma and bag for the first time didn't bother me and I can only associate that with having done so much research in the beginning. Youtube videos of people's personal experience...
My weekly shopping list now includes Gatorade 2 which the surgeon and the stoma nurse both said I should drink after every meal to help keep dehydration from occurring. I'm also taking Immodium...
Just a quick update, I passed the surgery with flying colors on Tuesday and today I feel great (albeit under oxycodone) and last night I slept through the night for the first time in three years. As...
I'm extremely exhausted just from dealing with UC. Can anyone comment on whether or not it's the same tiredness experienced when you had UC?...
This is my first step of a two step procedure. I'll definitely heed your advice on the cream....
Thanks for all of the advice! Starting my prep later tonight to get a jump start on it. I'm also going to be blogging bedside (if I'm up for it of course) as this will be part of my launch story for...
I have my 1 step scheduled for 1/20 and I'm starting to make a list of personal items I'll be bringing to the hospital. Aside from clothes, toiletries, books, magazines and a laptop, what else would...
My 1st step is also next week (1/20). I'll race you to the recovery finish line!...
Glad to hear you made it through the first step. My first surgery of the two step procedure is coming up on 1/20. Wish I was in your shoes now and already past the operation!...
Google your local Mexican grocery store and ask them if they have nopal....
I'm starting this regimen today. I'll let you know how it turns out....
I've been living with this disease for three years and tried just about everything on the market. I've never been able to reduce my bm to less than eight times a day. It's time to part ways and I'm...
Good call on the WOO! I had it sitting in the cabinet and never thought of using it....
First of all, Happy Festivus for those that celebrate! What can I say, my 6-yr old gave the wife and I an early Christmas present this year and that was type A flu. What's funny is that my wife got...
The true test comes after the taper. I've had five infusions and I can't go below 5mg of prednisone. Frustrating....
I think she made a typo above and meant to type November 2014. I'm going to be having surgery next month. The only thing I'm curently on is 5mg of prednisone. I canceled my 6th Entyvio infusion last...
Thanks for the replies! Next month is hopefully the month for step 1 of my jpouch surgery and I'm ecstatic to say the least. I'm also supposed to be launching my company next month though that may...
Yes, I'm fortunate to be in a major metropolitan city with access to some great doctors, however, with that comes the decision as to whom I'll ultimately let evict my colon. Dr. Strong is the front...
Thanks for the feedback, it's very encouraging!...
I'm curious as to what it physically feels like to not have a colon? Since its a rather large body part, when removed is there a feeling or physical look of emptiness in the spot it was once located?...
That's great EM. Any other feedback that you can provide? I cannot get a sit down with him until he gets here in January. Do you know if he does 2-step or 3-step jpouch surgeries by chance?...
My GI at Northwestern Hospital (Dr. Hanauer ) says he's one of the best in the nation and apparently he's moving his practice to Northwestern in Chicago. Has anyone used him and if so, I'd love to...
My breaking point is hitting now. Meds don't work, including Entyvio, extremely tired all the time, stinging sensation every time I go to the bathroom even when there's no blood or mucus present,...
This is one of my biggest issues with this disease, I can be fine all day (i.e. no blood or mucus) but as soon as I go to bed I'll get up at least three times during the night. This is the time blood...
Interesting stuff indeed. We saved our second child's chord and chord blood though I'm not sure how much of that would help me (the father)? Would this fall under a "different host" if I were to use...
Week 18 here and just had my fourth infusion. Still on 5mg prednisone and looking to taper down to 4mg next week. My frequency hasn't changed (8-10 bm/day) and I can tell the rectum is still flaring...
Yeah, sorry meant 18 weeks!...
I'm due for my fourth infusion in a month and I can tell it's slowly (stressing the slowly part) working. My GI had some involvement in the trial run of this drug and spoke at conferences before it's...
Think it should be kept fairly easy and just dump a bucket of chocolate milk over our heads. At first I thought about doing chocolate pudding but that might not go over too well. ;)...
Pre-UC once a day and ever since diagnosed (2.5 years ago) at minimum 8 times a day. No matter what I do I cannot get below this frequency level. I don't get it?!...
I have my third infusion scheduled for next Wednesday. Since my first infusion I've been tapering down Prednisone from 40mg to now 10mg. On the higher dose prednisone things seemed ok but now that...
I read somewhere that when given the option, mice would pick sugar over cocaine. Sugar is one helluva drug....
Most of this we already know but some of it was news to me. As always, everyone is different and what works for you may not work for someone else....
This was at Northwestern University in Chicago so you'd think I'd be in good hands. There are other surgeons available which I will certainly explore....
No you'll be fine to drive. Immediate effects for me was a 24 hour mild headache and some fatigue....
I had an introduction appt with a surgeon and when I asked him how many he does he said about one a month. How does that compare to others? I know if he's good then quality > quantity but I was just...
Why is that? Because of the fiber content? It seems to provide many benefits according to the description: Green Vibrance is the original Concentrated Green Superfood. It's a nutritional powerhouse...