Hello all. I used to be an avid reader of this forum about a decade ago when I was in the process of, or recovering from, my operations. I have decided to come back on here to shed a bit of positivity and help people in anyway I can.
Back in 2009 I had a really nasty bout of UC which came from nowhere. I have no previous history of it but it knocked me for 6 and I ended up in hospital. The medical team were amazing but could not control the UC so the inevitably the surgeon walked into my cubicle and pretty much told me if I didn’t have surgery I was going to die. I was 29, had my first child 3 months before and was a serving police officer. My world collapsed.
At first I had a total collectomy with end ileo and was sent home after 2 weeks. I hated the stoma! My confidence took a hammering. I had lost so much weight I barely recognised myself. I am not ashamed to admit I cried, a lot! I had leakages, wardrobe malfunctions, the lot! But I also remember the first curry I had after the op. Being able to eat again without pain was amazing!!!
6 months later and it was the Jpouch formation with loop ileo. Still had the stoma which I hated but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Fast forward to 6 months after that and I had my takedown. That was in 2010 and I can honestly say that I have not regretted it one bit.
I was clearly at deaths door pre the operations and now I’m no longer ill. I had my 2nd kid soon after, I’m still a police officer, I play rugby (although currently recovering from a broken ankle but guess that’s self inflicted!!) and love the gym. I have a couple of extra toilet trips but I can live with that!
So my message is this; Don’t be put off by some of the posts on here. It sounds harsh, and this is a great place for info and to vent, but there is a reason I have not been on here for 10 years. It is because I am healthy and have not needed to come on here. There are thousands of people who are happy and healthy who don’t come on here for the same reason.
You will find your own normal. You will have days when something you eat sets your tummy off. I personally can eat hot curries with no effect but fried egg gives me a dodgy tum. I’m sure other people are the polar opposite. Don’t obsess on the number of toilet trips. I haven’t got a clue how many times I go a day because I don’t count. All I know is it’s a fraction of the amounts when I had UC and without the pain or urgency.
Be positive everyone, you’re in a journey which you haven’t chosen but there are thousands of success stories, I promise.