scared I may lose my colon - Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Message Board

greenmyst · 06-03-2005, 09:05 PM

scared i may lose my colon I am scared that I may be facing the removal of my colon. I want to know what its like, and the different types of surgery there are. i really do NOT want to have a bag attached to my body for the rest of my life. I am only 29 and I am newly married. Is there a way they can take your colon out and you dont have to have a bag, and you can still go poop? I have horrific microscopic colitis and I have been in pain for 5 months, every day, all day.
I have tried all the pills, pentasa, asocol, prenisone, pamine, bentyl, zoloft, advil, xanax, nexium, entocort, sulfasalizine, and now I am still in agony.
Doc thinks I may need surgery but hasnt explained it yet because he is pretty much really brief. I know, i need a new GI, and I am working on that. In the mean time. Can somebody explain to me what its like to have your colon removed? What to expect. I dont care about the surgery part, just the result, and my quality of life.

Drea · 06-04-2005, 09:18 AM

Hi, Greenmyst,

I'm really sorry you are having such a difficult time. I suggest you make a list of your questions and ask your doctor just what he/she expects this surgery to involve. Ask what the temporary expectations are, what the long term expectations are. Ask how much of the colon he/she expects to remove. It is amazing what they can do, but there are still some patients who do need the bag. If your doc doesnt explain things well, are there any other docs you could have access to?

Drea

UK Chick · 06-04-2005, 02:54 PM

Hello,

I am really sorry to hear what you are going through. I cannot tell you much but I can tell you a couple of things I have expreienced. I am a nurse on a general surgical ward and have had a couple of patients with collitis, they have done some operations where they somehow fix the problem internally (sorry I have only recently qualified and still learning, we dont have many patients that have this surgery) anyway the patient I had, had a serious of operations, he had a colostomy after the first operation but it was only for 6 weeks and then they operated again and he didnt have to have the bag anymore, I will try and ask some more qualified nurses at work what the operation actually is.

I also know of some people who have colostomys but dont wear the bag, they flush it out daily and just have a dry wound dressing on top.

Sorry couldnt help you much

Hope eveyrthing works out for you

Take Care, Hannah