Ok....This might sound like a silly question, but have any of you ever heard of a connection between being depressed and having your colon taken out? I don't mean from the aspect of having to go through the surgeries, etc. I mean...is there some chemical imbalance that results from not having a colon?
I just had to ask because it seems like I have been depressed for a while now, and I was wondering if there was any connection. Of course, my job is making me miserable, but it just seems I used to cope with things way better...even with a disease. Now, I wake up depressed.
Any thoughts.....Jan...anyone...
Thank you.

Well.....it really is connected with having a chronic "disease" which resulted in losing an important part of your body. It is similar to mourning a death.....in our case, it is the death of an organ.....nothing to sluff off as inconsequential! So....if we have depression, there is a good reason. With time and acceptance of our new situation, the depression usually lifts. It takes time. Do not hesitate to mention this to any of your doctors who will not brush it off as inconsequential! Short term medication to get us over the "hump" is a real Godsend. Do not be reluctant to give it a try. Many people "poo-poo" anti-depressants. No way! All meds have a place and anti-depressants certainly can help us get over the hump. We don't end up addicted!!!!!! Best wishes for a resolution to your concern!

Well from what I have learned on Oprah from Dr. Oz is that our colon produced serotonin, which is the chemical that makes us happy. Sooooo...if we don't have a colon I would think there would be a greater chance of us becoming depressed!

Jan discussed this recently:

http://j-pouch.org/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9151071921/m/5991...311017522#7311017522

I had my colon out as an emergency operation 11 years ago but I kept a diary..I was depressed too. I was in mourning really loosing a bit of my body,,i remember asking what happened to it?,,i wanted to bury it!...I felt like something was taken from me. The medical stuff dismissed my concerns. A nurse once sat with me whilst i cried and said: "You are alive and thats what matters!"..I thought,,Does it??..

I also mourned the life i had before..and what was to be ,,the unknown future. I was in pain, with one stoma and one mucous fistula in my pubic are which was like another stoma with a bag..I was in hospital for a month.
At one time I wrote a letter to my kids how much I loved them but that i couldnt carry on with life and that it was for the best if i just ended it.I never sent it but I still have it ..
At the tiem this was a very calm logical conclusion I arrived at!..Such was my mental state..I felt excluded from the mainstream of life, different , alienated.
It passed though when I regained physical strengh and was able to participate in home events more and the body did adjust to the new reality of life with a stoma.
This process took aprox 3 months.
So depression is not uncommon..depends how long yours been going on and, as it was mentioned before, no shame in getting some help to prop you up for awile with appropriate meds.
Take care
Ewa x

Thank you all for your responses.
I'm starting to believe more and more that it's my job situation. I got home from work last night at about 9 pm and got drunk for the first time since I had my recovery party two years ago.
I get my degree in May, and it might just be time to move on after that even though I've been at this company for 11 years. Life is too short...We've been through too much to be this miserable.
Thanks again.