MY WHOLE POST DIDN'T SHOW. I AM HAVING THE LAST SURGERY FOR THE TAKE DOWN.

If you've already had your bowel removed and a J pouch created, then the worse is over.

Hello, Dee. Just as you did with your first surgeries, remember to get up as soon as possible and walk the hallways to get your system working. Drink as much water and fluids as you can. Your first time to the bathroom will be dark green bile until you are allowed to have solid food. After that it will probably be loose and fragmented until your system gets used to its new life in a couple of weeks or months. You will have gas pain as air moves through your bowels, and it will hurt, there is no way around that, but remember it will pass, you will get past the gas pain.

Before you know it, they will discharge you as soon as you can pass gas and tolerate solid food, and you will be on your way home. If you vomit they will keep you until you feel better, so if you feel nausea tell the nurses and ask them to give you anti-nausea medication through your IV (if it's still in) or pills. You will feel better right away. Don't suffer in silence, tell the nurses. Occupy yourself with reading material or tv to pass the time. If you can't sleep at night, get up and walk the halls near the nurses' station so they can keep an eye on you. When you get home, eat high protein food so your tissues will heal quickly, egg, tofu, fresh fish, peanut butter, chicken. You already know to cut down on processed sugary foods and heavy carbs, although most of what you can eat at first will be starchy, binding foods such as potatoes, white rice, pasta. Remember to steer clear of citrus fruits, fruit peels, spicy foods because these will cause problems or burn on the way out. Have on hand a good barrier cream. And panty liners for leakage. Buy a bidet bottle (Amazon) if you haven't already bought an attachment for your toilet (also Amazon). The bidet squirt bottle works just as well. Keep that area scrupulously clean and dry to avoid raw skin. Pat dry, don't wipe. Use wet paper towels if you have to because toilet paper will irritate. Don't strain, whatever you do. If you strain, or pass hard stools, you can develop fissures (it feels like you have razor blades coming out). At the first sign of fissures, ask your doctor or surgeon for prescription cream that heal fissures. You know from this site what are the signs of pouchitis, so if you have those signs call your doctor for a prescription. You will feel better very quickly. These are the practical points. 

Remember try not to be stressed when things go wrong for a bit. If you stress out you will lose the ability to help yourself or get to the doctor and ask the right questions or process their answers and advice. If things go badly at first, it's okay to feel bad, cry, be angry, feel sorry for yourself, then move forward smartly. Remember how much your system has just been through, and allow yourself time to heal. Treat yourself, do something fun when you feel up to it. Know when to ask for medical help, or help around the house, and know when to let time, clean whole food, and rest heal you. Get outside for fresh air. Walk everyday. Now that cooler weather is here it's the best time to walk before winter and snow comes, depending where you live! Everyone is nervous at every stage, so  remember you will get through it the same way you did for the first two surgeries, and time will heal you. Good luck, Dee.