I had adjusted so well to having an ileostomy that when I finally agreed to having the takedown, one year later, I actually cried on the operating table. My surgeon told me I could still change my mind. That was over 10 years ago and I'm glad I went ahead with the j-pouch surgery. If I had to live with an ileostomy again, I know I could. Meanwhile, having a J-pouch is so much easier to deal with....for me, anyway!

Omg, I'm having surgery on Thursday too. I'm having the 2 step j pouch surgery with take down 3 months later. I'm about to have a nervous breakdown. Hoping I'm doing the right thing. Been living eith colitis since 2009. Haven't been able to get in remission. So nervous that my life will not improve.

CC - thanks for letting me know I'm not alone!

Army wife - what a coincident about our surgery date. Best of luck to you!

- Mark

Hey guys it sounds like the range of emotions we all go through with this surgery. I know when I had my ileostomy bag after battling colitis for 10 years it was such a relief to not have to experience the urgency and pain of having to go to the bathroom all the time. Personally I had a little OCD problem with mine because even the slightest amount of waste that got in there I was in the bathroom emptying it ha ha. The point I'm trying to make is I'm sure many people understand the ease and relief it was to have the bag after the UC battle that you are unsure whether you wanna go through the struggles of learning a new system and going ton the bathroom like they used to. Yes in the beginning it feels like old Colitis days because the amount of bathroom trips you're taking but not even close to the pain and passing bloody stool every time and having such an urgency that it is impossible to hold. I'm 8 weeks post take down and know from comparing the old days to the new days what a good decision I made. You just have to remember its not going to be easy to get used to and you'll probably freak out here and there not knowing if something feels right but my advise is to have patience and ride this baby till the wheels fall off. After a while you'll learn your body and new system and it will become so routine it won't taken thought anymore. If at anytime you are nervous about something just come on this site. It has helped me through a lot when I would freak out and then realize whatever I was going through was normal because of other jpouchers posts that I've read. Keep your heads up and just picture all the fun things you are going to experience now that you don't have that poisonous colon in you controlling your life.

Postponed until Tuesday....