Cari, the important thing is that you have done your research and are confident that you made the decision that is right for you. If, by chance, your ileostomy does not work out to your satisfaction, you would still be able to get a BCIR or the closely related K pouch. As things turned out, I was in the Mayo Clinic for my third surgery that gave me my J pouch (in a single operation) when my employer, a large hospital, sent me a registered letter while I was hospitalized that informed me that I was terminated from my job as Vice President of Finance. This happened before the Americans with Disabilities Act became law and I had no legal recourse. The week after I returned home, I went back to the hospital to plead my case (to no avail) and to remove my personal effects from my office. Although it was very difficult given my surgery several weeks before, I promptly began my search for a new job. This was like working almost full-time, but I survived. I was 38 at the time. I was 68 and retired when I had my BCIR surgery. The week after returning home, I went to an all-day outdoor estate auction that required lots of walking and I had no problems. I soon started doing other activities, but followed my surgeon’s lifting restriction to the letter.
Mat, the BCIR is also known as the Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir, a modification of the Kock pouch. The advantages of these procedures include not having an external bag with its associated issues. You can get information about these procedures on the internet. FAP is Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, a genetic disorder in which hundreds of polyps develop in the colon. If not surgically treated, it leads to colon cancer.