OSTOMY COMMUNITY
Ileostomy reversal-is it worth it?

Ileostomy reversal-is it worth it?

I am  25 yr old female who suffered severe ulcerative colitis which was very aggressive. I tried everything in order to prevent getting "a bag" but unfortunately all of my attempts were unsuccessful. At my worst I weighed 36 kgs and was taking 50+ tablets per day and had next to no quality of life. It was 2 days before my 14th birthday when i had my large intestine removed and got an Ileostomy. I have had this for 11 years now, and whilst I am incredibly grateful for having had this surgery as I got a new lease on life, i can't help but wonder what the odds are of me having this forever, forever is a loonggg time!
My family always swayed me into the opinion that i should keep the ileostomy as its not worth going through the hardship again, especially when I have been so healthy since the surgery 11 yrs ago.

My main conerns are;
-Will my bowel movements always be loose?
-Will I experience incontinence? (this is a deciding factor for me as i want to take steps forward not backwards)
-Could any of this messing around in there affect my ability to have a family?
and
-how long i could be out of action for? as in before i could return to work and continue my life.

If anyone out there has experienced a similar situation please let me know how you went and whether having a reversal was worth it for you?
I am keen to go see my surgeon, and am not interested in making any rash decisions, I just want to be as  informed as possible so I can make the best choices for me.

Thanks all
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