Anyone had thier entire large intestine (colon) removed??

Question

My husband (age 23) is currently in the hospital and has been diagnosed as having either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, they think probably colitis. Anyway he has let it go on for like two years if not more and now has such extensive bleeding an ulcers that they may wind up having to remove his colon. The doctors are busy people and since we had a limited time to talk to them about what exactly that procedure would entail, including the probability of him leading a normal life if the procedure were to have to take place. Has anyone had this procedure?? Any reassuring experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

essentiallysolo · Accepted Answer

sometimes they have to remove the bowel entirely, that is called a colectomy, and after that, he would use an appliance to catch his fecal matireal.
sometimes all that is needed is a rest for the bowel, so they put in a colostomy to catch the fecal matireal so none runs thru the bowel and it can rest and heal, then after four to six weeks, sometimes a bit longer, they remove the colostomy and reattach the bowel.  Either way, it isn't a death sentence, it's just a change in some lifestyle habits and such.

koni · Answer

hi,i had an iliostomy last year.i came out of i.c.u.to find my large bowel removed.you will need lots of patience and love.i have a drainable bag and it is quite easy to use .it just takes time.his stoma nurse will be a great help and will be there to help him for as long as he needs it.my stoma is inverted whitch makes the bags sometimes harder to put on,but i cope with the help of a lovely husband i still have good and bad days .but he will be fine i promise.try an iliostomy website .it is unbelievable how young some of them are.i was 64 so have not had to grow up with it like some of them.i hope this helps.please e.mail me if you need any more help

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Anyone had thier entire large intestine (colon) removed??

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