Yes, I am scheduled October 3rd. We have a couple of trips planned and I want to do those first. Also,I want to make sure I have plenty of recovery time. I keep saying Do I want to do this and every time I will have a day like today when I leak and have to wear a pad all day. I am going to be 66 July 4th and I am worried about what will happen down the road. If I end up in the hospital or in a nursing home, I will probably die of septicemia. You know your bottom will not be taken care of and with all this leaking, I would be gone in no time. Now is the time to have it taken care of, but it is still making me extremely nervous.

I can understand your trepidation but you make a good point about the future. I've actually thought a lot about where I might end up. If it's a nursing home, I'm sure it would be a heck of a lot easier for them to care for an ileo bag than to clean up after a cranky j-pouch. I'm also at a point in my life where my kids are older and I want to be there for them. I want to be at weddings and for my grandkids (neither has happened yet, but I want to be ready.) I just have to think of that and I know I'm doing this for all the right reasons. There's no reason to think you won't be fine; you have to hang onto that and use that good amount of healing time you're giving yourself. Also, I mentioned to my therapist that I question my decision from time to time. She said those questions are just there to make me sure of my decision. Maybe you can think of that when you begin to doubt.

Thank you so much for the insight and encouraging words. I know this is what I need to do and sure doubts will creep in every once in a while. I have to turn it all over to the Lord and let Him deal with it. Please let me know what you decide about your own situation. It is good to find a kindred spirit.

It's more than good to find a kindred spirit; it's a blessing. If you come up with other questions, would you please share? Not that my mind will necessarily change. It's that the more questions asked and answered, the more prepared we'll be. Thanks!

I certainly will. I will pass along things as they happen. I am on Augmentin for infection (pouchitis) and it is holding me right now, but I hate being on antibiotics so long. Was on Cipro for years. This is the 4th one in the last 3 months. Every time I try to come off, I get sick again. Yet another reason to have surgery.

Lambiepie and Holly just wondering how your doing? Sounds like a familiar story. I just wanted to say hello, if I can answer any questions please feel free to ask here or send me a message. Best of luck to you both!

Karen

Karen, I am currently on a two week stint of Cipro. I got some relief early on, but I'm starting to get gas. Just trying to get through until the end of October. I think Holly's surgery is a couple of weeks before mine. I'm currently on vacation with my family and thinking how much better it would be without having to baby my pouch into behaving so that I can spend time with my husband and kids. I caved and had an ice cream cone last night and am paying for it at 2:45 a.m. (Doesn't help that hubby is snoring!) Thanks for asking, Karen. It's not so easy living in a coloned world where I worry that people wonder why the thin woman used the restroom twice during dinner and didn't eat much. Living with an erratic j-pouch can be so isolating.

I am hanging in there. I am still on Augmentin and will be on it until I have my surgery. My decision was reaffirmed when we were at the beach with our kids and grands a couple of weeks ago. I can not or will not get into the water while I am leaking. So all I did was wear my pad and walk the shore and dipped my toes in the water. Bummer. I had my temp ileo for about 9 months and I got in the water with it, so maybe by next summer I will be able to swim. I wake up every morning thinking about the surgery and get a little anxious, but push that away and go on about my life. Right now I am trying to get my house in order, cleaning, throwing things out and generally getting ready to be down for a few weeks. Time is getting closer and I am a person who gets very uptight just waiting. How are things going for you Lambiepie and how are you getting through the days until surgery?

Karen, thanks for asking. Are you having any leakage from your anal area? The nurse told me that I would have some, but the body will start to absorb it and it will quit after a while. I have been looking through ostomy supplies. When I had my temp ileo, the area under the wafer would break out and I would be miserable. That was 20 years ago and hopefully the products have changed and gotten better. I was reading about an appliance that has a filter on it for gas. Do you use that or something else. thanks, Homie

Holly, I am feeling somewhat anxious over this major operation. Like you, I find myself saying, "next summer, I can have a bonfire on the beach and eat a sandwich!" I did very well with my ileostomy. I felt strong and like I had conquered something. The only leaks I had were 2 near the wafer early on because I had neglected to remeasure my stoma and a handful later from my watery loop output that I didnt empty enough and would break my clip open. Oh, and one from a large salad I ate late at night. I am looking forward to not squirming in my seat from excessive, irritating gas and waste that makes me squeeze my sphincters so tightly so I don't poop on myself. Still anxious about the procedure and recovery. I like how you said you push away that anxiety. I think imagining how much fuller our lives will be in the long run is a good thing to do when anxiety comes up.

Amen to that. Just trying to keep my mind off of the surgery. I really do dread a 6 hour surgery. That is how long my original surgery took. They took out my uterus and ovaries with the first surgery. My surgeon said it would be better not to have to go back in there for anything, so they basically cleaned out anything I didn't need. The surgeon that will be doing this surgery says it may take that long because chances are the pouch has attached itself to my bladder and will need delicate surgery to unattach. He also said the urologist may put stents in my urethas? so they won't accidentally be nicked. Scary stuff, but I am just gonna have to put it in God's hands and trust that the surgeon knows his stuff. I know I don't want to spend the rest of my life leaking every day.