Colectomy without jpouch or ileostomy bag

[Kazann34]

Hello everyone. I recently had surgery to have my colon removed and did not need to have an ileostomy or other surgeries to create a jpouch. The surgeon removed my colon and attached my small intestine to my rectum. That's it. Almost everyon out there has had more than one surgery or has the bag, am I alone? Looking for others to compare outcome of surgery with.

[tgates52]

just trying to get involved with you all.  I suppose right now only for selfish reasons..I was diagnosed with UC in feb 2009...been on and off pred..I'm fairly good till I get down to 5mg...Each time I get down to 5 mg, (pred), seems to start back up..I'm also on imurin, lialda...anyway, i'm down to 5mg pred, seems to beginning to come back...last time this happened,,he raised me back to 10mg for extra 2 weeks....any suggestions ....is colectomy inevitable...thanks for all and everyones time...this whole "community", is appreciated...by the way i'm soon to be 58   thanks again

[hepatu]

Thankyou for the moral letter. I always thought fibre helped with constipation to make the stools soft, maybe I got it wrong. For the last week I have been a fraction better. I eat nearly every meal mixed with  with rice or macaroni, sometimes potato.hopefully things that will help block me up. I try to put protein in the meals with either chicken,fatfree meat or fish. I still eat salads and fruit, but dont eat any beans or lentils. As you said one has to experiment, on what to eat.
It's going to be tough, a 5hr journey, but at least there are toilets on the plane, make sure you pad yourself in that area in case of leakage, and take extra padding in case you there is leakage. I guess in cases like ours, we have to try tactics that will or wont work.
I have an awful lot of gas (why does this happen I wonder) I find just by coughing or letting out gas causes a 'mistake'.My doctor says this is all normal, which isn't much comfort.
I hope you enjoy you holıday, I am sure you will adjust to whatever situation you find yourself in, cheers.

[mammo]

I agree with kazann34.  You have to be careful of what you eat after surgery, and learn what causes the gas.  I'm sorry to hear about your problems, I've experienced some of the same.  I know you hate having the bag, but it is temporary, and you are alive.  My 10 year old grandson had his colon removed at 10, then 38 surgeries by the time he was 16.  Then he developed a 38lb tumor, it was removed and he was dying.  Ten days before he would have died, a set of 5 organs came thru for him.  He died four times during the surgery, endured Stage II organ rejection, could not go outside or eat anything by mouth for a year.  He had to hook up to IV feedings at night while he slept.  This boy always smiled, and never complained, you see he lost his dad to the same disease when he was 9 and realized how precious life is. He missed out on all the things that go along with being a teenage boy.  He missed the football games, Homecoming, Prom, couldn't swim, couldn't drive, etc.  Still, he never complained, and if anyone had a right to, it was him. He viewed every scar on his body as one more battle he had won. Last fall he had 1 last surgery to endure and this was to remove the 2 bags he had, ileostomy and colostomy.  The doctor wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving so my grandson could enjoy dinner, as last Thanksgiving he was not able to have anything by mouth. He called me one day at the end of November, he was down, not because of what he had been thru, but because he was missing his dad.  We talked for about 45 minutes about his dad, who was my son and made plans to go Christmas shopping the following week. As we were hanging up he said "I love you grandma, and I said "I love you too sweetie."  We never got to go Christmas shopping.  A few days later he started vomiting blood, his bags filled with blood, he was rushed to the hospital where he bled to death on Dec 1st. he was 18. They had to perform an autopsy to determine what caused this, but I could not bear to hear any more of his suffering and did not attend the reading of the autopsy.  This young man always found a reason to fight, he saw the value in life.  He had a smile that lit up a room, and was always making others laugh. He was the light of my life. I feel badly for people who have to endure so much suffering, but find it difficult to understand how one can put so much emphasis on what they have to endure for just a few months, especially cosmetically.  My grandson would have gladly traded places with you, as it wasn't about his looks, it was about life, and his little brother who still sobs at night, missing him so, and his mom.  Try to count your blessings, there are so much more important things in life than having the perfect body.

[mammo]

There are a lot of doctors now doing the surgery in one step.  These doctors are on the cutting edge of medicine, be grateful you had one!  It's modern medicine at it's best.  Relax and enjoy life, you've got the best!

[rosey12]

It does get better with time and trying different eating habits. I'm now nine months post surgery and I can control myself pretty good during the day. I tend to have about 3 BMs between 10pm and 3am each night. Kinda scary going to bed before 3am since I don't know if I can control my bowels. I'm starting to do better if I eat more fiber and not eat late. I make like have day trips now and feel ok. I still need to be around a bathroom though since I never know when I have to go. My stools are still liquidy and I don't know if or when that will change. The doctors told me it may not get any better. I want to take a 7 day trip at the end of June but kinda worried about the 5 hour flight and then the daily sight seeing. I'm trying different things but what works one day doesn't work the next. Maybe in two months my bm's will change, I hope. Hope you are progressing well. Give it time and try different foods. Keep a diary of sorts so you can tell what works, unlike I did. Take care.

[hepatu]

You really have been through to hell and back, you are very brave.
I have also had colon surgery, and after 2 months am still trotting of to the loo every 15 to 30 mins in the morning, in between I leak a little, and have to wear a pad,though in the afternoon,I seem to be able to hold myself longer though I have no idea why
Does it get to be anything like normal again? I just hate the thought that I am going to be tied to the house all the time forever. Feeling like I do, I just cant make any all day trips anymore.
I am glad I found this forum as it is very supportive and helpful.