I just had my j-pouch construction surgery a month ago and am finally feeling a little more energetic - but now I am starting to wonder (and worry) how the final reconnection surgery will go and what the recovery is like.

Can anyone share thier experience or what they have heard with me?

TIA!

Hi there Angie and welcome as a new member
If you do a search on "takedown" you'll find loads of information. There was a long thread on this very recently, but anyway, in my experience takedown is very, very much easier than the whole pouch creation and temp ileo creation part. Bring soft toilet paper and a good cream (Calmoseptine/Ilex) to the hospital so you can nurse a tender rear! The first days after takedown can give you some pretty wild burning...Recovery was very easy for me, but then I've obviously been one of the lucky ones who doesn't have leakage etc. I felt pretty amazing after about 10 days, and the 10 days from takedown to feeling "WOW" were not bad, either, just more preoccupied with getting used to the new plumbing. Painwise, for me the pouch creation etc (step 1) was like being run over by a truck several times and left for vultures. The takedown was no more painful than a bad period.

Breathe a sigh of relief! For most of us, compared to the first step, the takedown is a piece of cake! No comparison, whatsoever! Be well!

oh heck yeah!takedown is a frigging cakewalk!i was scared it would be painful having the first few bm's but it was a total breeze since day one of the surgery.after i started walking the halls in the hospital i started feeling so good i hated to go back to my hospital bed,thinking back on it i bet the nursing staff was glad to see me go i was such a pest.

Hi Angie
Like Soph says .... on a 1 - 10 pain/weakness scale, my Step 1 was an 8...step 2 was a 1
jim