2023 will mark 13 years with my J Pouch

Hello fellow UC’ers. I haven’t been on here or posted in a really long time. I was thinking a lot today about my journey with UC. I was Diagnosed in 2005 with severe ulcerative pancolitis. I tried everything….all the drugs that were available at the time and nothing ever helped me. I was steroid dependent which was just awful. I had no life and was to the point that I couldn’t even leave the house. Having two small children at the time…. not a very good position to be in! I decided to go the route that my sister did (Who also had severe ulcerative colitis just 10 years before me) and go for the J-pouch surgery in 2010. I met with the surgeon and the rest was history. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that the surgery even exists. Just a few months after the two surgeries I had my life back. It was truly unbelievable and I still pinch myself today that I’m not sick anymore. I guess the purpose of this post is for anybody who has severe ulcerative colitis and has been presented the option of surgery please consider it seriously. Weigh all your options. It just may be the best thing you could ever do for yourself. Not an easy thing to go through I won’t lie about that, however, that small blip on the radar map is nothing compared to the rest of your life feeling well.

Great to hear from you, ByeByeUC! Congratulations on your healthy state! Actually, it would be helpful to newer victims of UC if you could drop in (when time permits) to advise some with special situations, such as boosting coping skills or Qs about higher-level meds. I think you're the only female on the forum who had experience with cyclosporine, for example. / Old Hat (40+ yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)

So sincerely glad that surgery made you so happy and optimistic. Reading testimonies like this is a Godsend to other UC'ers. Do you still get UC symptoms such as joint pain and fatigue? Are your loo habits easy enough to handle? Worst of all do you experience any odours?

That's fantastic that you have had such a great outcome!

Old Hat said...
Great to hear from you, ByeByeUC! Congratulations on your healthy state! Actually, it would be helpful to newer victims of UC if you could drop in (when time permits) to advise some with special situations, such as boosting coping skills or Qs about higher-level meds. I think you're the only female on the forum who had experience with cyclosporine, for example. / Old Hat (40+ yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)

Thank you very much! I will make an effort to try to pop in here more often!

momto2boys said...
That's fantastic that you have had such a great outcome!

Thank you so much!