panicking, please help

For me the takedown was the easier of the two, but it's different for everyone. I'm betting it's very difficult to be away from your family. They were very helpful when I was sick.

After the takedown, there is an adjustment period because the pouch is figuring out its job, and it takes awhile for everything to settle.

Best of luck, do you have a referring dr up in NY? I would voice your concerns to your surgeon and see if he can refer you to someone.

i talked to both surgeons and both said its doable but either way we have to still make plans to move home to ny and by that time i may be over these panick attacks and follow through with cleveland clinic and let them finish what they started so well. i know these fears are completely irrational but man when theyre happening im in tears shaking to get home to my mom. what the heck is wrong with me. never felt like this before. doc said get off corag and sweat it out and i should feel better.....

I'm with spacy - talk to your surgeon. With surgeries 1 and 2 going so smoothly for you, your surgeon may not object to having it done closer to home for the reasons you mention - it sounds like it would relieve your stress which would be helpful for your recovery. Anyhow, it's not 'til once you're home when the real work begins (your body adjusting to the new plumbing). You'll also be dealing with the ostomy wound, but ask you can ask your FL surgeon about having a local nurse or the NY surgeon oversee this as well.

My takedown surgery was by far the easiest surgery as well (I had a 3-step). It was a quick surgery, and I remember feeling very good afterwards. It's the least invasive of the surgeries - usually no re-opening of the original incision, "just" going in through the ostomy area, removing the ostomy and connecting the jpouch. I went home after 3 days.

Curious - why are you unable to see your family for 4 more months? Have you been staying in Florida during the whole jpouch creation process?

Best of luck to you.

we moved here to try and save my colon naturally and when that didnt happen i ended up at the cleveland clinic. this is clearly irrational behavior for me and if i can travel about 5 weeks after take down it would put us at only 3 months til home. i would wear diapers if thats what it takes. my irrational fears have me wanting to go home tonight but that cant happen. probably a month or so, so im trying to be strong and stick it out. they had me on corag and i read panick attacks are a side affect but when its happening im so messed up. i see my primary tomorrow. the other prob is if i go home now we'll have to wait til january when medicaid kicks in. seems foolish to be hasty but not when im crying...

The surgery to create the j pouch is the complicated surgery and I'd want an experienced surgeon for it.

The takedown is just a simple resection of two ends of the small intestine. I suspect any surgeon could do it well, let alone one experienced in these surgeries.

That being said, you mentioned Rochester which has a fantastic medical community. I bet you could find a great surgeon up there who does lots of j pouches.

People on this site could even recommend someone. I know the three best in Boston if that's helpful, but it sounds too far away.