Getting some sun by the pool
Hey everyone, its Trent again, and it has been about 3 weeks since I had my takedown surgery and I have been doing GREAT!
So it started like any other surgery morning, with prepping and monitoring everything else, and I remember waking up later in the recovery and since this being my 3rd surgery I knew how it would be and I made sure to say hello to everyone and try to be as awake as I could but I was just so tired. I got to my room feeling pretty good, in almost ZERO pain. Things went really well during surgery and I was up and walking around later that night. I spent about 4 days in the hospital, starting off with liquid diet and I had my first bowel movement for the FIRST time in nearly 8 MONTHS some time around 7 PM, it was a very AMAZING feeling to know that it was all working and going so well. After moving up to soft solids I was sent home. Once home, I really just went on like nothing happened. I went to the mall the next day and spent time looking for some new shoes WITHOUT any worries of a bathroom. It was very weird because I had heard so many times from others that the first couple of days after the surgery is constant bathroom visits but it has never been like that for me. When I got home I was going about every 4 hours and if I wasn’t around one then it really wasn’t hard for me to hold it until I got to one. The saturday night following the surgery (just about 4 days after), I went to a CCFA walk, to help raise awareness about UC and all that. It was a great time, and the walk wasn’t hard on me, it was cool to be around others who had the same disease as me. The Houston group was able to raise around $86,000 dollars which was SUPER awesome! I spent the next few days at home recovering and helping my parents move into their new house, I did a little house work like painting and cleaning the pool and stuff, also every now and then I went to a friends house worked on building a small sailboat with him.(we hope to finish it by the end of summer) Other than that I just relaxed by the pool and enjoy my time outside in the sun. It was nice to be able to get outside and feel the heat of the Texas sun, because this time one year ago I was sick in a hospital bed and not being able to do much but sleep and run to the bathroom.
My brother, Me, and My bestfriend at Jimmy Buffett
Some chairs I painted
Our boat in the early going
So just a few days ago June 2 to be exact was the day of my one year diagnoses, and I spent the day partying with some Parrotheads at the Jimmy Buffett concert! It was a awesome time and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day. But now I am getting back to reality and going back to work tomorrow and getting things in order for summer school in July and moving into a new place for the fall semester.
I am extremely happy with how everything is going and I really am so thankful for the easy transition from bag to pooping again. I plan to do whatever it takes to keep my j-pouch for the rest of my life and I It makes me so happy to be able to get on with a regular life.
Peace, Love and Happiness to everyone out there,
Trent
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Trent,
AMAZING STORY! man oh man, can’t tell you how happy you make me feel to read your story and to know that things have worked out so well for you after all you’ve been through with getting to the j-pouch! way cool dude.
AND, what the heck, you’re building a wooden boat…. Incredible buddy. What are you gonna name her?
I wish you well with going back to work, and I can’t wait to hear more from you and your story moving forward. Congrats again for figuring out how to get back to normal! WAY INSPIRATIONAL AMIGO! take care,
-Adam
thanks so much Adam. Its been a crazy one. And as far as the boat, we really havn’t got a name for her so if anyone has a good one I’d love to hear it!
L U C Y
That is great to hear as I have my takedown in exactly a week on the 12th my last two surgeries went pretty smooth so I am hopeful for a recovery like yours :-) like you a year ago I was hospitalized four times for severe uc… Even now with the bag I’m so much healthier and able to do things. Thanks for sharing your success story
Thanks for the story Trent. I have my takedown surgery on June 15 and I pray that it goes as well as yours. I can’t wait to say goodbye to this bag forever!!!
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME TRENT!!!
A big CONGRATLATS to you, Trent!
So happy for you Trent! Btw,the chairs you painted are awesome! Best of luck to you always!
trent that is great! i hope one day to be as lucky as you, just got over a flare butI also have diverticulitis so one or the other is botherin me! and know they tell me no chrohns but my small intestine is incredable over fast, like stuff suppose to take 3 hours to go through but mine 5-3o minutes, have you ever heard of that? i been given dicyclomine for that part! anyway it takes alot out of you doesnt it! I had to run out of a doc appt yesturday ;how embarrising!
Been waiting for your update with hope of good news. So glad all went well for you. My 19 year old daughter had her second surgery May 17th. Her first surgery was a colectomy and ileostomy, and the second was the construction and attachment of the jpouch. She was in the hospital for 10 days. Since it was a big surgery, it’s taking her a while to get her energy back. She didn’t have a lot of pain, and has only been having 4 to 5 b.m.s a day. She, like you, is doing so well. She went through a short period where she acutally missed her stoma. She’s over that, and finding it fascinating how fast the stoma hole is healing. It’s amazing how well the body heals without prednisone! Wishing you continued good health!
Hey Trent,
Great to hear everything is going well and nice to hear a good J Pouch story cause not a lot of people write postitive stories about it. I’ve had my colon removed and have been living with a temp ileostomy since December 2011 and have actually loved my time with the poop bag compared to UC. I’ll be getting my second surgery (J Pouch creation and rectum removal) later this month. Hope you don’t mind, got a couple questions for ya.
1) Is it scary to fart for you now? Can you tell when it’s just gas, or do you go to the bathroom just in case?
2) There is a small chance of becoming impotent with these surgeries. How long was it after surgery that you were able to confirm that you’re “equipment” still worked? This is probably my biggest fear with this surgery.
Best of luck to you and hope everything continues to go well for ya buddy! Thanks for posting!
Blake
So glad you are feeling great again. You have some real talent, beautiful chairs! How do I get one? :)
Trent,
It has been so great to follow your progress with your surgeries. My 17yr old son Casey will be having his second of three surgeries on the 12th of June. He was diagonosed with UC in August of 2011 and by March after many blood tranfusions surgery was his only option. His first went very well and he was home after just three days. This was so remarkable to us since he had been so very sick. We were so glad when he was able to return to high school since he had missed almost 4 months. He has adjusted well to life with the bag and is even helping out with the basketball camp at school for community service hours this week. We hope that the next two surgeries go just as well and that he will have a great summer and upcoming junior high school year. Thank you for sharing your story with us it has sure has been a great comfort to me to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We wish you continued good health with you J-pouch.
Thank you everyone for the positive vibes. Blake to answers your questions, the !st one, I really don’t ever feel like I have to fart, it really just feels like I need to go the bathroom and when I do something passes so I haven’t had a lot of just gas, there are times when I eat something and get gas inside and that is a bit unconformable but it passes over time. Questions number 2 I really just trusted everything, ate what was given to me and just waited for something. I felt I weird feeling and went to the bathroom and it just came back so naturally, its just like riding a bike I would say. For me my body just seemed to know how to control everything and go the bathroom like there had never been a 8 month gap.
haha Thank you Lisa, if you want one you’ll have to talk with my mom about that, she was bugging me for the longest time to get those done.
And Donna, I wish your son the best of luck throughout the rest of the journey to recovery and I hope that everything continues to go well for you and your family.
hey trent how you feeling now?glad everything seemed to work out for ya,going in on july 6,getting the jpouch,just cant take it anymore,hope things work out for me too thanks bro..rico