Still waiting for improvement - 3 months

Well had a horrible day so started the lomotil and increased instead. When you get a second ostomy wher do they put it, how close to the old site and scar?

Sorry to hear you are still having problems. I am at 3 1/2 months out and having ups and downs. I still go 10+ times a day. I go through phases where it doesn't hurt at all, but once I start burning, it lasts for a week or more. My doctor said we have skin inside our rectum, and that can get irritated and swollen. I am assuming that is the part the burns. When I am good for a few days and finally think things are getting better, things get worse again. Bad seem to outnumber the good. It is still early in your recovery so I assume things will eventually get better. Hang in there.

I am over a year out.
I had emergency surgery so my bag was taken off after a month and my pouch attached.
I think it's all different for everyone on how long it take to get thru this and have it start working properly. I don't want to discourage you but I am still having problems. But it is still getting better... Be it ever so slow.
I tried drinking grape juice as recommended by others and that has made a huge difference in how much I go. I didn't go all day yesterday and when I got home from work I had to force some out. There was some in there just didn't want to come out voluntarily. I had no urges which were constant before and driving me nuts but have stopped after the juice. Give it a try. I used the Welches with natural juice sugars. No added stuff. It may help.

Not sure I understand what you are saying. You are taking Lomotil to slow things down, then needing Grape juice to be able to go?? If that is the case you probably don't need that much Lomotil. How much Lomotil are you taking? Are you needing grape juice every day?
You don't want to thicken things so much you need to use something to help you go.

I forgot to mention I am not taking any drugs at all.
Lomotal... Just one stops me up. Metamucil... Forget that... Just the opposite. I can't make it to the bathroom. Juice stopped my urges and things are well to be blunt not solid but chunky. I don't personally want solids. As long as it comes out.
I have a question.
I have asked this before.
Pouchers never really have solids. They may look like it but they are not.
Why does everyone try to get it solid?
I cannot go if they are solid. I was just wondering why everyone works so hard to get solids when I find well... Diarrhea.... Or watery stool easier to pass. I don't have to strain.
I would rather have very loose stools.
I guess it is an individual thing. Whatever works best.
I drink two cups of juice a day with a meal.... I eat banana and two apples a day to thicken things.
After a year I am still trial and error.
But.... As time goes by it does get better. Sooner for some... Me... It's taking a long time. I had complications with three surgeries so it's hard to compare. I wish I could have let my pouch heal but I pretty well had to use it after a month. They took my bag off after a serious blockage they could not find and had to open me so while they were there they took the bag off and hooked it up. I wonder sometimes if I would have had better function of my pouch if it had time to heal before using it. I had a terrible 6-8 months and still dealing with issues.
Such is my life.
Richard.

I can comment on two of the issues surfaced here. I wouldn't read too much into the amount of time a pouch is given to heal. I had a single stage procedure, so my pouch was in-line immediately, and started to have work to do when my intestines woke up ten days later. It's more conservative to allow some time to detect any pouch problems, buit they usually work fine in any case.

I don't think most people are trying to make their stool solid, although it does seem more "normal." Pure liquid can make it more difficult to hold, leading to increased continence and urgency issues. A pudding consistency seems to be a more common target for the people who post here, but the real target is to have no urgency, leakage, or incontinence. Whatever accomplishes that counts as success, IMO.

Yes.
I see. Leakage is a problem with watery stool I agree.
Pudding is where I am... Little chunky too... But I am using no drugs.
Scott.
I do know they go straight to hooking up the Pouch but I do wonder sometimes cause the first few months were terrible.
With the bag.. When I had it... it wasn't bad . But as soon as it was gone I had nothing but problems. May have been no different after four months with the bag but I sure would have liked to have it heal up.
You've heard the phrase... If anything can go wrong... Well that applies to me in every way in my life. I knew from the start it would not be easy.
Thanks Scott.

Marrianne - that sounds like me. I think I'm at about ten too, and six of htose happen in a two hour period, which is really discouraging.

We look about the same age maybe. How long did you have UC for

Sorry, I just saw your response. My mornings are pretty slow like yours but in the afternoon I go a lot.

I had UC for about 11 years before I had surgery. It was pretty miserable and I never really went into remission. Steroids would help but as soon as I tapered off I would flare again. I was hospitalized a few times on IV steroids when it got really bad. I didn't wanted to try Remicade because of the side effects and I am a teacher and around germs a lot. I'm not back at work yet though. I can't imagine trying to teach and not having access to the bathroom now.

I am getting pretty frustrated with recovery, but the one thing I have now is control. I had a lot of accidents with UC and I've have none after the surgery. I guess that's the most important thing.