On the fifth anniversary of my surgery I'll be on a cruise ship, enjoying the day after my daughter's wedding at sea swimming with dolphins.
I just wanted to pop back in here as I do periodically to let folks pondering j-pouch surgery to not let reports of complications, etc loom to big in your mind. I put off doing it for a long time, until my GI pointed out that the majority of folks have successful outcomes and are not hanging around their computers all day posting.
I am very active, an avid standup paddleboarder and gym goer. I own and run my own business, which I managed to do through diagnosis, illness and surgery and it's a whole lot easier now that I am healthy!
I won't say my plumbing is "normal." I do tend to poop a lot, but I can hold it as long as necessary and it's never an issue in my lifestyle. One thing that is a bit of a negative, is I tend to get dehydrated easily, so I really need to stay on top of that. Sometimes, like when I am ill and have diarrhea I cannot keep up with the fluids and have ended up in the ER to be rehydrated a few times over the last five years. I'm better at recognizing the signs now though and heading it off with prodigious amounts of Gatorade when necessary.
On the whole, I'm doing great, not a single bout with pouchitis, no blockages ... really good.
I highly recommend finding an experience surgeon and getting a consult if you have not been able to get your UC into remission. This surgery was a real godsend for me and gave me my life back.
Meesh
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