Hi Mikayla,
Well, lots of questions...here goes for the answers...
1. How big is the surgery? Recovery time in hospital?
The surgery lasts between 6-8hrs depending on the surgeon. The prep is 24-48hrs pre-op...They empty out your intestinal tract, put you on a short term run of antibiotics and once you are as clean as a whistle they open you up with a mainline incision. Usually, it is a one-shot surgery. They remove the colon, close the bottom and create the pouch. You have an abdominal stoma, low down on the right side of your abdomen, around where your appendix is (or was).
You intubate the stoma (pouch) with a catheter about 4-8xs/day. The contents which are liquidy empty out into the toilet bowl or a container (empty milk jug?).
Normally it takes under 3 minutes each time and is totally painless. I almost never intubate at night unless I do something stupid (like last night when I ate a stack of pancakes for dinner)...You remove gas through the catheter too.
2. what is the diet like following the surgery and for the rest of your life?
Well, it has been 37 yrs and my diet is as strange as always...you can eat almost anything that you like other than some very fibrous foods (pineapple, leeks, asparagus (I only eat the soft tips), corn, mushrooms...)...my diet is usually simple...I love greek yogurt so when working it is my go-to lunch with a banana, strawberries when in season, or I eat chicken with green veggies like green beans or salad. I adore artichokes so I can make a whole meal out of them with a bit of cheese...I find that whole grain pasta like my pouch better than white but that is very personal...I also prefer a dissociated diet where I eat my protein and carb meals separately (a question of digestion not pouch)...so you see, I eat just about everything that I like (maybe too much of it too!)
3. how long before you can exercise and is there any restriction on the type of exercise?
I used to just jump back into activities and exercise after 6 weeks...but since I started sprouting hernias I have revised that up to about 12-15weeks...If you are young and strong there is no reason to hold off too long but please take it slow...this is not a race...it is a long-run-lifetime game.
4. after all of my sugary I have had a lot of problems with my bladder not working did anyone else have problems with there bladder after this surgery?
Not long-term...I had some minor problems just post-op. They resolved within weeks. My problem now is that my pouch is very, very low down. So low that when full it sits on my bladder...but that is only because I have had a number of redos and they stuck it down there 8yrs ago...
5. Are there any problems with fertility after this procedure?
Yes. All abdominal surgery can cause reproductive issues. Not guaranteed but possible. The fact that it comes with a total colectomy as well as the fact that we often make adhesions means that there are often issues...but ask your surgeon and you Obgyn about it...They are the best people to give you advice and options.
Hope that this helps.
Sharon