8 Months Post-Surgery: My Journey to Recovery and Confidence

That's me.. :) 8 months out from what I thought was the worst moment of my life. As we all know, going through the trauma before and even after surgery, can be hard to recover from.

I haven't been on here in a while but figured I'd swing by for an update.

Since the big day I took a few months off to focus on recovery. I followed the rules, didn't lift anything heavy, and kept a food journal.

3 months in I started exploring with new foods, the gym, and even travel. With every small success came confidence.

Today I'm almost 8 months out and…

• I've travelled twice and both trips included many strenuous activities, water sports, and even climbing mountains. (Picture above) lol
• I'm about 90% back to my gym routine before surgery. Deadlifting about 175, running, biking, etc. I should mention that I wear a stealth belt night and day, 24/7 since the surgery keeps everything snug and me confident
• the big one… food. I've had just about everything and it all comes out. I spend more time chewing things that need it, but easily digesting foods I eat and chew like before. When I'm very worried or trying something new, I'll usually accompany it with a beer or something. -

• I empty my pouch 3 times a day and once at night on average. Mucus output has increased to like once a day.
  
  

Just swinging by for some positivity and good vibes. Hope everyone is well.

It's good to hear you have adjusted so well. Stay in touch.

Good to hear you are doing so well, Danno!

Terry

So amazing!! 👊🏽 I'm hitting 6 weeks post-op colostomy and I love when people are in a good place, gives me hope! Glad all is going good and you are doing well! 

Good to hear you are doing so well, Danno! 🤩

You got this!!!

Similar to mine. Hope you are doing well. I am also on a 3-step surgery plan. The first one was no problem and I rank it a 3 out of 10 on a pain scale. The second one with the loop ileostomy was very painful at an 8 out of 10. This is for me obviously, everyone is different.

The hardest part for me for the second one was getting the bowel to wake up. I threw up a lot of bile the first few days because I wasn't moving enough and walking around. I have the third one scheduled for December. My pouch is well but I do get a lot of mucus throughout the day.

Which surgery did you have?

You're doing great!!!

You drink beer? I miss it. It gas fills my pouch fast. I empty 7-8 times a day. UC/Crohn's & I must eat several times a day. Got a small prolapse from lifting. You are lucky & probably young. It took me 3+ years to get strong enough to hike Glacier/Canadian Rockies. I lost my core & gave up climbing. Keep on hiking!! Sorry for the inverted pic.

Danny, you are a trooper! I was born in Canada and had an ileostomy since I was 20. I live and work in Houston, the hotspot in North America. I still run, bike, use an elliptical on the highest setting, I swim arms only (I'm not disabled), and use small weights for my arm strength. I do not even want to try lifting because of the possibility of a hernia. Please be careful with that, Danny. I wear a Stealthbelt 24/7 too and can eat anything also. I will be 65 in October. Enjoying life every minute I can get in. Be well! Mike

Danno,

So, what did you end up being diagnosed with that caused your life-changing surgery?

 

For me, the first one was a breeze. I didn't even fill my prescription when I got home.

Do you know any reason why the second one hurt more? And in which ways? My system fell asleep too, and I did the same. Just spent the day throwing up bile, and it came back online.

Temp ileostomy. I have two more to go!

I do drink beer. Often too. Haha. I'm not sure why but my gas levels actually reduce after a night of drinking. I don't normally see liquid output unless I drink a few days in a row.

Honestly, I think I get more gas on the days I don't drink. Maybe cause I eat more? Who knows.

Glad you're doing awesome!

I obviously would never want a hernia, but I continue to push myself a little more each day. I should mention that I had a really strong core going into the surgery. I've been a very active fitness freak my whole life.

I suffered from severe UC for the last 7-8 years. It wasn't an emergency surgery but my quality of life was horrible and continued to get worse. I was on every medication and biological there is. So... The surgery was a choice. Some days I regret it… others I think it was the best choice I ever made.

Love this! Thanks for giving me hope. Mine was emergency surgery 3 months ago, so the recovery might be longer, but I hope to continually feel better.