Molly, I am sorry that you have the additional complication of a family member who does not understand. But as others have said, it is fantastic that you have done your own soul searching and know that you will be okay however it turns out.

My mother and brother had an "intervention" with me the night before my colectomy and asked me to cancel it. They felt that I had not tried hard enough with dietary controls during the 4 1/2 years that I was in active UC. They could not accept that the surgery was truly necessary. While I had my temp ostomy until my final surgery (for a year and a half), my mother treated me like a freak and was totally grossed out. Needless to say this negatively impacted my relationship with her, but some people refuse to see beyond the surface of a person, and she could not handle that I had "the bag" as she called it.

I hope that you and your family can come together. Their support is so important; I hope they know how much it can influence your experiences.

-Nicole