Do your keggles to excercise your butt muscles

I had a two step surgery in 1991 when bowel rest, TPN, and high dose steroids failed to put me in remission for UC. It was an open surgery, too (no such creatures as biologics/TNF meds OR lap surgery for pouches back then).

It's a biiig surgery, and boy did i hurt at first. I really didn't have issues with my loop ileostomy at all, surgeon did a great job with it)... But I ended up in an ileus (bowels hate to be bothered, and can get slow/shut down for a time, after surgery). That HURT. I yelled all night long! So much pain, til my gastric tube was put back in. Eventually they kicked back in... And I was discharged.

Between my loop ileostomy/J pouch creation, yes, I too Kegeled like a champ. I had a 4 month rest time.

Takedown was alright. Started out with about 14 BMs a day, tapered down over time. People here love Calmoseptine, that didnt exist then; i was a girl who liked A&D ointment at first, but didnt last long (the need for a barrier cream). Twenty-two years later, I'm at 4-6 average, no incontinence at all, and basically med free (except started some probiotics for kicks). Three months after surgery, I was working 24 hours a week and in full time nursing school being a pretty normal college student.

I've developed a perianal fistula 22 years later, but it's in a holding pattern with a seton drain. Does not involve my pouch. Pouch looks great as of spring this year.

Good luck!

You are definitely going to experience pain thats inevitable. Make sure you let the drs and nurses know if something is not working like Morphine does nothing for me so I had them give me dilaudid. Its going to be hard getting up and down in and out of bed. You will need help so by all means accept it. Having an open surgery causes more pain and more healing time. I opted for laparoscopic but had to get an emergency surgery due to an infection so I had to get opened up 4 days later. Time and patience are very important in this surgery. Do not be afraid to ask questions or tell your nurse or Dr if something doesn't feel right. I would suggest opting for an epideral which I'm sure they will give you anyway.

My best advice is make sure you have someone there for you that can speak up and ask questions because you will be out of it for a while and you need an advocate by your side to make sure you are being treated right. Thank God I had my wife making demands when I couldn't. When you are able to walk do it is much as you can handle this will strengthen your muscles and speed up your recovery. You can look forward to months of recovery don't rush things. Use this site for support also its a great source and stay positive. A positive attitude will help big time. I'm here for you my friend. Message me anytime. I can help you through the process and so can most people on this site. Good Luck you got this.

Try not to worry about the pain too much or you will just make yourself over anxious and crazy. They will do all they can to make you comfortable....drugs are so great! Just make sure you communicate to the nurses so they know what you are feeling. It's nothing you won't be able to handle. The first several days you will feel like you got run over by a bus but then each day you will feel better and stronger. You will do great....good luck!

I had my surgery laproscopically assisted (4 ports + 5 inch incision across lower pelvis), so my experience would be a little different. I had never had surgery before, so was surprised at how slammed I was!

Tips for hospital:
- Make sure you will have a pain pump at your finger tips when you wake up. I had hydro-morphone. Just lying in bed, I found the pain very manageable with the pump, which I only used for 2 days max, then was OK with IV Tylenol and Torodol. But the pain and soreness when trying to get out of bed is considerable. Just take your time and get help when you can.
- Ask if they can put IVs in your wrist rather than elbows. I had IVs in both elbows and had a hard time touching my face or head for a week (thing brushing teeth, hair, etc.)
- Expect to feel like you were hit by a truck. I could barely lift my arms the next morning, was so weak, so out of it.
- Make sure a nurse helps you out of bed and walks the halls with you the very next day. Somehow, I managed to walk the halls 4 times the first day after surgery. Also try to spend time out of bed sitting in a chair. This helps with deeper breathing and circulation.
- If the anesthesiologist puts an anti-nausea scopolamine patch on your neck, ask someone to remove it the next day. It causes blurred vision. I couldn't see for 3 days, and no one could figure out why.
- This might not be such an issue for a guy, but I needed someone with me once the catheter was removed to help me get to the bathroom. In general, it's good to try to have a friend or loved one around to help out, since the nurses can't be there all the time for all your needs.
- Try to start emptying your pouch on your own at least by the second day. I hated doing it, but also hated when the nurses spilled anything on my bed or gown!!!
- I packed ear plugs and an eye mask which helped me rest and block out all the noise!
- My skin became extremely dry and chapped from the dry hospital air. The second time around I brought a tub of aquaphor and kept it at my bedside.
- After 6 days, I could not stand the ugliness of the hospital, my eyes needed relief. So the second time around I packed a collection of my kids' artwork and pictures, and my husband taped it on the wall directly in front of me when lying in bed. It helped tremendously!!


Tips for home:
- Really try to have someone take care of you in a really dedicated way for a minimum of 1 week, preferably 2. Between my mother and mother-in-law, I had about 2 weeks of help. I cannot stress how important this is. I was so weak that just making a cup of tea was tremendously draining. I really needed someone to nurse me back to health, including making sure I was eating and helping to prepare meals and snacks and serve me.
- After our moms left, we had friends from our community (largely from church) deliver meals to us for about 3-4 weeks. Also a God-send. A friend of ours coordinated the meal sign-ups and deliveries by using a website developed by another friend: mealmein.com.
- I felt incredibly weak, dizzy, light-headed, a little nauseous. I couldn't figure out why, had never felt that before. And my eyes stared sinking in. Seemed to be dehydration, which I was then treated for, but I was peeing a lot. Later, I realized that part of it was the need for more nutrition. My body needed to be fed, but I didn't feel hungry and wasn't recognizing the hunger signals. Plus I was afraid to eat and fill the bag. Once I realized this, I started eating more, like a snack once an hour, and felt much better.
- Drink stuff other than water for hydration. I hate gatorade and sugary stuff, so drank small amounts diluted, herbal teas, coconut water, and Almond Milk mixed with some Ensure (which is too sweet for me by itself).
- Try to get out and walk every day.
- Sleep a lot, naps all day, as much as you need!
- I had major difficulty peeing, probably due to some minor nerve damage. It took 6 weeks to begin to resolve. Just something to be aware of in case it happens to you. (I'm still having issues post takedown).
- It took me 7 weeks to really feel normal again. Of course it was gradual, but at that point I didn't collapse in bed in exhaustion after an outing.
- Stoma management is a whole 'nother topic...

Best of luck!

Good Luck, not trying to scare you but an open surgery for the J Pouch is going to kick your butt, which is why I chose the three step and had it all done with a three inch cut rather than being gutted. I had very little pain and gas after each surgery and was home in three days each time and up and about living a normal life in about two weeks. You may be in the hospital that long. Things will turn out well for you as they have for those I know that had the 2 step but the healing process is very long. I suggest you go to ihaveuc.com and read the post by Baker titles J pouch surgery number 1. It is located in the surgery tab in after surgery stories. This story will really educate you. Plus there are many other stories that will help guide you.

Mike

I had 2 step open surgery November of 2010. I was in the hospital 16 days instead of the 5-7 expected due to dehydration problems. This does not mean you will have the same problem. Make sure and get up and walk as soon as you can and push yourself to walk. It hurts at first but the more you walk the quicker you will feel better. Don't try to tough it out without pain medication because you are going to need it. I'd had abdominal surgery before but it was nothing like this. They cut through all of your muscles, and move all of your organs around as they remove your appendix all the way through to your rectum. They pull down your small intestine to fashion your j-pouch and then twist it in a loop and poke it out through a hole in your abdominal wall. All in one surgery. The walking will help and most people leaving the hospital only need some Vicodin for a week or so afterwards. Unfortunately I wasn't one of them.

I had visiting nurses for 5 visits after I came home. They sent a stoma nurse on visit that helped, even though they worked with me in the hospital it is different when you get home.

They did my take down surgery 8 weeks after my first surgery and then the real fun began. I was only in the hospital 3 nights for that surgery.

Good luck and let us know how everything goes.

Thanks for the replies Guys. I had the surgery on Friday at about lunch time and it is 7pm Tuesday now

Overall I'm going okay. On the second day they tried getting me out of bed which was just excruciating. But I managed it today and walked for about 30m which I am pretty happy about. I havnt been drinking much but have been chewing on some crushed up ice.

My stoma has been emptied twice and the contents was really watery browny red with a pretty strong smell. I've felt my tummy grumble a few times and they want me to try clear fluids like jelly and apple juice. I want to try it but I am scared by bowels aren't awake? Or is the stoma output I had a good sign. Terrified of throwing up because I did on day two and oh god it was terrible

Do you think I should try the clear fluids or wait?

At the moment I am doing okay. Even had a couple of boners in the morning so I think my old fella in my pants is going to be okay

Thanks for any more responses, anthony

Hi anthony its sharleen how you doing mate?
If you have output from your stoma then it is awake i wouls slowly start
With water etc I gave the apple juice a miss due to the acid burn on the stoma
Take it easy and dont try to rush things
Message me on facebook if you need to talk x

It's good you are doing so well! If your tummy's gurgling and stoma's flowing you are good to go I'd say. Just go easy and don't go overboard on any one thing. When you say jelly is that like jello in the U.S.? That is pretty good to eat at this stage.

The more you walk the quicker you get out of the hospital and are able to sleep with out them waking you up to take your vitals! Make sure you know how to change your bag and hopefully you will have visiting nurses to help you for a week or two after you are at home.

You've made it through the worst one. Congratulations