I haven't been here in quite awhile because I am out and enjoying life and SUPER healthy. I wanted to make it a point to post today though because three years ago today I had my Step One surgery and began my recovery.
I put off having the surgery for quite some time because I kept seeing so much about complications and bad results -- then it finally dawned on me, the success stories are not here posting. So I here I am.
No, my bathroom habits are not "normal" pre-UC, pre-surgery, but they are my normal. I have some formed stools, mostly soft ones and not infrequently I am pretty liquid. But I can HOLD it as long as necessary and I feel fine. It never interferes with my life. I do have the occasional butt-burn, but not very often and easily fixed with any ointment, including Calmoseptine or any diaper-rash type cream.
Last time I was here there seemed to be a lot of "bathroom trip" counting in the post-surgical crowd. I don't keep track. It is what it is, but I sleep through the night and I get through my normal days without always needing to know where a bathroom is.
My main complaint is noisy stools and I make a mess of toilets. Definitely something I can live with.
I have become an avid standup paddleboarder (SUP). I am hours and hours on the water with no bathroom access. I NEVER would have been able to do this without having had the surgery. SUP is a great workout for your core muscles and it has done wonders for my post-surgical abdominal "poochiness."
I had two step surgery. The surgery and the recovery were both grueling and that was without complications, but I healed well and have never looked back. If you do this prepare to spend at least two months recovering from the first and then a shorter time recovering from the take down. I found the temporary ileostomy very difficult to deal with but I got through the three months with a lot of help from my VERY understanding husband.
If anyone reading this is contemplating surgery I recommend seeking a surgeon with A LOT of these procedures under his or her belt. This is one where skill and experience are very important.
I had been on Remicade for a couple of years and it had been getting less effective. I was very wary of being on such powerful medications for possibly the rest of my life. Since my surgery I am medication free.
I wish you all success on your journeys and hope for great outcomes. There IS a life after Ulcerative Colitis. I am CURED. J-pouch surgery is a positive miracle.
Meesh
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