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Ulcerative Colitis

jimjpouch's avatar image

By jimjpouch

1 min read

I had ulcerative colitis (UC) symptoms for several years but had no idea what it was. Then, I had a huge flare-up with blood and total seizing up due to extreme emotion.

No help from a J-pouch

The doctor misdiagnosed it as a bacterial infection. I was hospitalized with a tear in my large bowel and needed an emergency colonectomy to prevent sepsis.

Later, I had J-pouch prep and final hookup surgery. The J-pouch was disappointing because I still had pain, incontinence, and infections that required antibiotics. This was very life-altering because I used to be athletic. The stoma was better for me.

How I'm doing now

I am 72 years old now. I diet carefully. I don't need any help or follow-up now from a surgeon or gastros. I lost 30 lbs from my pre-UC norm. I continue to get exercise between pain and incontinence.

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