ok...I'm doing it.

Good vibes and wishes are coming your way for a new life UC free! I know the thought of surgery can be scary and overwhelming, but my boyfriend had a dreaded 2nd shoulder surgery and he was so crazy thinking about it beforehand....now he's almost 4 weeks into recovery and doing incredible...and we still can't believe it's over and done! So, just think before you know it you'll be up and around and feeling well again. Keep us posted on how the surgery goes and know that you are in my thoughts!

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Carol

Remicade - will have my 25th infusion on November 26 

Vitamin B-12/Biotin, Probiotics

Co-Moderator for the UC Forum

I didn't have much time to think about surgery before my first step because it was more of an emergency after a month in the hospital and nothing working and I was near death. But I did have to think about step 2 & 3 for a jpouch and had the very same thoughts that you have. The surgery was difficult for me only because of how sick I was before hand (I am 5'6" and was 90lbs) and the surgical pain wasn't as bad because I knew that I would heal. Going in to a surgery healthier is giving you a great advantage and I pray that you recover quickly and get to enjoy your Christmas with your family.

I remember one Christmas I was in the hospital for 3 weeks because of a UC flare when my kids were young and I'm so grateful that I will never have to worry about that again.

If you have questions about the jpouch you can go to jpouch.org, there are alot of us there who have been thru the surgeries and are willing to answer any questions you may have. You can also private message me there if you want.

Here's looking foward to a healthier new year for you!

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Theresa

Originally diagnosed with CD in 1991
Now saying "Undetermined Colitis"
3 step Jpoucher as of 4-15-08

wishing you the best of luck and my prayers will be with you.

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Rona

synthroid .088 mg, lowpressor 50 mg x 2, cozaar 25mg x2, imdur 30 mg
nitroquick, proventol, plavix 75 mg, protonix 40 mg x 2, asacal 400mg x 9
carafate 1 gm x 4, zyrtec 10 mg, rhinocort aqua nose spray, fish oil,
potassium.

The ostomies board helped me so much during my surgeries, I would have been lost without them! Go there for any questions or tips that you might need, there is a wealth of information from a very caring group!

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Theresa

Originally diagnosed with CD in 1991
Now saying "Undetermined Colitis"
3 step Jpoucher as of 4-15-08

Hey congrats on getting off the fence, Chassity- you will do fine and have a new life free of this idiotic disease soon! And even if you have some challenges recovering at first, it will be the sort we can handle- healing as opposed to the body attacking itself absurdly day in and day out. The day before and of the surgery, here;s hoping you are relaxed and giddy with light at the end of the tunnel. .

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Pancolitis ~20 years, once had a full med-free 10 year remission,

but flaring/simmering on and off for years, allergic to all 5ASAs

10 20 17.5 15 12.5 10 mg 8 7.5 20 17.5 15 mg pred, 100 mg Imuran

TCM, Probiotics (PD, Cust.Probiot., Culturelle, VSL3, etc), DMSO, TSO, hookworm

Turmeric/circumin, boswellia, fish oil, many vits/minerals

Lower-carb version of Specific Carb Diet (SCD), Remicade newbie

This is my first post on this forum! I wish you all the best, and to be honest, I too have been considering surgery quite a bit the last few days. I have only had the disease for 1 year, but it's progressed so quickly, without any real relief, that I am getting sick of relying on treatments that ultimately work for a time, only to fail and have the symptoms return with a vengeance. It's disheartening.

I used to have a life before this disease - last year this time I was first daignosed - lost a lot of weight - throughout the year I had a brief remission with the 5-ASA's, but a flare kicked in that would not subside. I wound up in the hospital. The Prednisone saved my life - for this I am grateful. My GI had me taking 40 mg of Pred and started me on Imuran (50 mg now taking 175mg). When he tried tapering the pred, we got down to 15 mg and I flared. We bumped it up to 20, worked a few days, then flared, now I'm at 40mg and still flaring.

My GI has already begun the tests for Remicade. But I'm not exactly holding my breath. And if the 40mg of Pred are not enough, I'll have to jump to 60mg. Perhaps that will work for a time, but my body seems to get used to the steroid quite quickly, and symptoms come back.

I'm sorry to vent - like I said, my first post. :) But as I sit here, wondering how many times I'm going to go to the washroom tomorrow and how the BM's will be, suddenly the option of surgery isn't so scary any more. So for that I commend you, and can relate to the excitement you feel. I too feel excited at the thought of getting my life back. I grow weary of being ill - weight loss, depression, anxiety. I can't work. I am sick of being sick, and so I applaud your decision, and am probably not too far behind you in the process!

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you luck and health! You deserve it! As do all of us!

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Daignosed with UC in Dec 2007.
Had remission with Salofalk for 5 months, then began to flare
and switched to Lialda, which did not work.
Recently hospitalized.
Now on 40 mg of Prednisone and 175 mg of Imuran

Hi Chassity,

Well, making the decision is definately the hardest part!  You may want to visit our blog ucstory.wordpress.com you'll find lots of info and pictures from people having the uc to jpouch surgery. http://ucstory.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/mark-9-month-jpouch-update/ here is my 9 month jpouch update that should help you feel like there will be light at the end of the long long tunnell.  Also, lots of good success stories from men and women. You also may find that jpouch.org forum board will be able to help you with learning more details about your ileostomy and jpouch. 

Good luck and heal well!

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Mark & Megan
7 yrs UC to 1 year J-Pouch

Surgery Photo & Journal below: http://ucstory.wordpress.com/

We are updating regularly it isn't just the surgery photos but info all about UC, Surgery and IBD!