I've hesitated to post this bc I know many in here suffer so much and have not been fortunate to find adequate relief. So please forgive me, in advance, as I don't mean to be insensitive or like one of those coloned whiney people we've talked about....

But has anyone experienced that feeling after healing that you don't know how to just BE? I mean, how to function like a normal, healthy person without being preoccupied with your gut?

I am going through that now as I recover from pouchitis. I haven't been well in over a decade but now I am transitioning to normalcy. It's been so long that I don't hardly know what to do with myself.

I recognize it bc I felt the same way post colectomy, although that was far more dramatic. Going from raging UC to instant wellness was bizarre. It took a while to figure out who I was and what I was supposed to do with myself. I was my colitis....and then I wasn't. I was in college at the time, so I truly had life in front of me and didn't know where I was headed yet.

Now I liken it to being in mommy mode and then being away from the kids for a weekend. You almost don't know what to do with yourself.

Like I said, it's not as dramatic this time around, but I definitely recognize the feeling once again. I have to remind myself I don't need to hurry through a store; I've become a master at scanning the territory, getting what I need and bolting asap....being tense and anxious the whole time.

I also find myself holding back....afraid to push too hard bc I might wear myself out. I know I am still recovering, but I am conscious of this ingrained habit of holding back.

I know I'm not the only one....I just would like to hear others say the same, lol.