Hi all,

I'm Amanda, and new to the forum. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis October of 2008, ended up in the hospital for 19 days thanks to my evil colon April 2009 and had an emergency colectomy at that time. Just had my second surgery to create the J-pouch on 01/04/2010 and am now just waiting to schedule my take-down surgery...hopefully the last week of February.

Just thought I'd see how many other Minnesotans were out there on this site.

Hi Amanda...

There are a few of us here from Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Where in the state are you? I'm in Inver Grove Hts.

Had UC since '85. Colon removed in '06. Rediagnosed with Crohns on '09. J-pouch disconnected and went to an end ileo also in '09.

Another Minnesotan here. Welcome to the site!

I am in WA now, but I lived in MN three different times in my life, many of my family live there. I had my surgery in Mpls. in "81. Have lived in south Mpls, Columbia Heights., St. Paul, and Blaine. Even though I was born in L.A., I consider MN. my home state. Just couldn't stand the cold temps and all that snow any more!

I actually have an S-pouch; was called a Park's Pouch when it was done in Aug., 1981 at Fairview in Mpls. When I ended up in the hopsital with acute pancreatitis in Oct., '81, I was a minor celebrity because I was only the 7th such surgery in the US and the first one done outside of the U of M. Add the fact that I have the rare disorder, FAP, meant I had quite a few med students come to interview me! All that attention really helped me cope with everything a lot easier. Had my take down in Nov., '81. By the time my brother had his surgery in Dec., '81, he was #45 in the US, but still only #5 outside of U of M.

Marlene