Help!

Just based on my experience, I would not have had my takedown by then (you can see my surgery dates in my signature). If I were you I would consider postponing the 2nd and 3rd surgeries until after the wedding -- most people feel really good with the end ileostomy (the result of the first surgery) and are able to eat well, drink alcohol, dance, etc... all the stuff you might like to do at your wedding All in all though, the best person to answer these questions is your surgeon. Some surgeons, especially with three steppers, impose minimum breaks between surgeries that would make your proposed timeline impossible.

I had 2 steps, colectomy, loop, and J pouch in one... Takedown 4 months later.

If you were having a 2 step, like I did, I'd say likely, but doubtful in 3.

I would say no, and don't rush it, it's not worth it.

Thank you all for your input. I am leaning towards holding off until after my wedding to have my first surgery.

I would postpone wedding rather than surgery. Health always comes first, or your priorities are skewed. You may deteriorate between now and the wedding, and if you do, you will regret it. I deteriorated quite significantly due to a delay in surgery while I lost weight (only 10 pounds) but the several months delay was significant. When my colon came out it was "dissolving" in my surgeons hands and I was close to toxic megacolon. I got lucky. It was an optional surgery that became an emergency surgery that could not have waited much longer. I know one person who did get toxic megacolon (my neighbor's brother) from waiting too long to have surgery.

If you have toxic megacolon occur you could die and then there will be no wedding and no surgery. Apart from that, any deterioration in your condition will reduce the chance of success of the surgery. You want to be healthy as possible going into surgery. This is also not to mention that there may be some stress attendant to the wedding process which is not likely to do wonders for your condition, if you wait to have surgery.

Just my 2 cents...

I had my first & only flare 7 months after my wedding, and my bowel ruptured just after the 8 month mark.

These aren't easy surgeries, and they will test any relationship. I was fortunate that my wife is a rock, and we came through this experience stronger than when we went in...

You've got two not great options:

1) Delay surgery, which as CT notes can lead to serious complications medically depending on your condition. You'll also be beginning your married life with a number of hospital stays and all the challenges presented by recovery from surgery.

2) go forward now & potentially have an ostomy when you get married. My first emergency surgery was on Feb. 14th. My loop ostomy creation was on July 7th and takedown on October 27th. Recovery was most stressful from the first surgery, but I had sepsis from the ruptured bowl, toxic megacolon & an allergic reaction to a post surgery drug that severely imapacted liver function. I also lost nearly 50 lbs and was hospitalized for nearly a month. None of that is typical, and when my strength came back, life with the ostomy was far easier than I expected.

If I were in your shoes, my choice would be ostomy over active colitis for the wedding, with the takedown after, but if the UC is in remission or well managed, that might change.

Took me over a year for all my surgeries.

According to my surgeon in Cleveland, the less time you give the pouch to heal, the more complications you are opening yourself to.

I waited 6 months between each one.

Good luck.

I had a single-stage procedure. Surgeons no longer seem to like them much, but I got it over with in one miserable chunk. I was certainly good to go a few months later (back to work in 6 weeks), but of course complications could have changed that dramatically.