Crohn's Disease

lip

Thanks Silversurfer.I have to take calcium tablets but just haven't had the chance to go to chemist yet.Don't think I'll be jogging but I go for walks a lot so hopefully that will help.
Kildareash,I was told after my op that I would be able to start eating fruit and veg ect again but soon realised that I couldnt and 10 years on I still can't but I do indulge every now and again.Sometimes I pay for it but sometimes I'm ok after so its hard to judge.But I would go mad if I couldn't havecertain foods ever.You'll just have to let OH eat and drink whatever he wants really,hes an adult afterall.
best of luck.

kildareash

Thanks Lip,

Reading the thread, has made me understand a little bit more of what he's going through.

This is his first flare up since he came out of hospital, so I suppose we've been lucky in that sense.
He just needs re-assurance from his doc that it's just a flare up and that he won't need to be hospitalised again.

He's cut back on his food and his GP gave him antibiotics and some other powder that you mix with water and he's starting to feel better.

Thanks all.

LegacyUser

Hi everyone,

I am knew to this board and have just recently started reading this thread. Would like to share my story with everyone.

I am twenty three years old and around march of 2008 I started getting blood in my stool on a daily basis. I thought nothing of it as i was training for a half marathon(8 runs a week) and I was in my final year in college. In June 2008 I decided to go to my GP and he decided just to be safe I should go to hospital and have a endoscopy done. I had no pains or weight loss or anything really accept for the blood in the stool so I wasnt expecting to find anything serious. After the procedure I was told I had colitis, was put on a dose of steroids and sent home.

About a week into taking the steroids i started to constantly vomit and became very dehydrated, I went straight back to hospital and was admitted straight away and put on a drip. This is when the fun started!! Over the next 3 weeks I was tried on countless amounts of drugs, none of them worked and my bowl motions reached around 20 times a day and I was also continuing to get sick. They finally tried inflimab however this didnt work. Finally after 3weeks I had to have surgery. I had the majority of my large bowel removed and I now have a stoma. Quite a lot to handle considering a month before I was completly healthy.

After 10 days post surgery I was released from hospital and thought the worst was over! However after a week of being home I had constant diarrhea through the bag and started to vomit again. Once again I went back to hospital and after numerous tests it was revealed my small bowel had become inflamed and it now looked like it was infected with Chrohns disease, on top of that I also had contracted MRSA and C-diff! The next 2 months were spent trying to treat the chrohns however I was on a lot of antibiotics to treat the C-diff and therefore was getting no where. I went down to six stone (i am 6ft tall) and I also spent time in ICU as i nearly died from all the complications.

Finally the antibiotics took care of the cdiff and a mixture of methotrexate and a high dosage of steroids took care of the inflamation of the small bowel. I was finally released from hospital in October 2008.

Its now march 2009, I am finished with all my steroids and I am just taking the methotrexate once a week. I am back to my athletics training full time and I am hoping to run a few races on the track this summer. This past year has been a massive shock. However I believe it has made me a much stronger person and I believe now I can handle anything. Although I have to live with a stoma for the rest of my life, this doesnt bother me at all because I just thank god/the docs in james hospital/my family and friends that I am still a live.

I wanted to post my story for two reasons:

(1) To see if there are many other people out there who have gone through similar experiences.
(2) To help those that are going through bad times that there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel, just stay positive.

nerdysal

I really never thought I would be making a post like this. I have already posted my story on this so I won't go into it again... but believe me there was a point when I never thought I would see my 18th birthday (19 now ). Anyway, I'm in fantastic health now... it appears that I am going to have to start watching my weight (which makes a change) and for all those people on a restricted diet- I could barely eat anything when I was really bad. But of late, I have been reintroducing foods like green peppers, brown bread, pasta sauces etc and NONE of them have been affecting me. I can't believe. But the most shocking thing of all is that lately I have been trying different fruits and some of them haven't been affecting me. Mainly plums and peaches... I'll never be able to eat apples or oranges (or popcorn- which kills me- I love that stuff) but at least I can eat something refreshing like a peach!
I wanted to post this because I was like so many of you only last year wondering if life would ever be normal, if I could ever eat a meal and keep it down- and if I did keep it down would it hurt me?! But now- in the past 2 months really, I can't believe the change of me... trust me (and more importantly trust your consultant) things WILL get better... but I'll be honest it takes a LONG time!

waterford1988

Great to hear someone is doing so well.
I'm still unfortunatley struggling. My joints have flared up in my wrist, knee and hip. Stomach is'nt great either. And I have just been perscribed anti-depressent medication, which I am unsure if I will take because in my eyes they will not change the reason I have become depressed. Facing into college exams in a few weeks after missing a quarter of the year due to illness.
Still waiting on my consultant to get the ball rolling on starting remecide. The sooner the better and I hope things will then begin to turn around for me.
Anyway i'm not looking for sympathy just using this as a forum to vent:mad::mad::mad:

LegacyUser

Ye keep the head up, trust me once you get the medication that suits, you will never look back+will be able to lead a completely normal life. Try not let the disease get you down or depress you. In the end it will make you a stronger person. Was just wondering from all the people who have chrohns on this board did many of you end up getting a stoma? Many people have told me that my situation was very unusual, in that i have one at twenty three years old and only had the chrohns a few months before i had the surgery. Was wondering if anyone else experienced this? Also how are you adapting to life with the bag?

Thanks
Ken

lip

Hi,its nice to hear good stories.Good for people who have just recently been diagnosed to know its not all doom and gloom and you can lead a normal life.
Talking to a 20 yr old girl a while back and it came out she has Crohns too and was very upset,talking about never being able to have a family and a normal life.Was telling her about myself and think she felt a bit better.
I have 4 children,and although I have had my share of pain and flare ups,and have to watch what I drink and eat my life is just like my friends.

kildareash

Hi Everyone,
My OH is experiencing a bit of a flare up at the minute.
It's been going on for about three/four weeks now. Some days he feels fine, other days not so good.

The thing is, it's only two weeks since he was with his consultant and he podded and poked at him and told him he was doing well.
I think he feels like a bit of a hypochondriac and is obviously fed up of not feeling well.

As i mentioned here previously, he was doing really well since he came out of hospital in December, and then all of a sudden he's feeling unwell.

Just wondering what to ye do to manage your flare ups.
For the last few days he's been drinking plenty of water and took yesterday off work to rest. He's an appointment with his GP this morn.
I'm also trying to encourage him to eat plainer food, more like his diet in hospital for a couple of weeks, give his body a break.
We can't pin-point anything in particular that be causing it and he really doesn't want to go back into hospital again.

The_Conductor

Aside from medication (and a flareup will normally involve medication), management of Crohn's does change in a few different ways.

1. Sleep requirement may increase substantially.

2. Concentration may be worse- do your best to not insist on having him drive etc, unless its necessary, if this is the case.

3. Crohn's by its definition is a narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract. During a flareup its inflamed (hence medication may be required). You can minimise the potential for even more pain by eating foods that are as low residue as possible (if you're up to it). So- lots of Jelly, low fibre soups, liquid foods etc.

4. Different people have different 'trigger' foods (totally aside from stress etc). Mine is sweetcorn/maize etc. Most people learn to recognise what causes them problems and then avoid these items. When you are feeling well- you may be able to eat these foods without any problems at all- but when ill, they can be catastrophic.

5. Stress is a massive factor in Crohn's- minimising stress or removing the source of stress can be very helpful. This may involve changing work practices, or changing jobs.

6. The fact that you may have had a recent consultant's examination is wholly irrelevant. Many Crohn's sufferers are paranoid about being viewed as hypochondriacs- especially as in many cases diagnosis can take a long time, and the various manifestations of Crohn's can be viewed by many GPs as psychosomathic (especially given the random nature of flareups etc). Talk to him and convince him to ring his consultant for another appointment. Its possible the consultant may not wish to see him- and may be satisfied to prescribe on the basis of the recent visit. Its irrelevant though- the consultant is there for a reason- avail of his services.

7. Re food- the appropriate type of food will differ significantly from person to person. Plainer is not necessarily the answer. If the consultant feels he is not getting sufficient nutrition- your OH may be advised to take nutritional supplements. Thankfully these have improved significantly in recent years- Ensure and its competitors are now reasonably palatable. The cans are easier than making up the powder.

Feel free to post back here for any suggestions we might be able to offer- but make sure you convince your OH to ring his consultant.

kildareash

Thanks...

Stress is probably a big factor right now...we're in the process of buying a house.

I think if we could figure out the trigger foods, it would be a great help. Right now there's no pattern to it.

Also the fact that it's been going on for a few weeks now intermittently, is kinda worrying.

I'll encourage him to ring the consultant again, for reassurance if nothing else.

Thanks again, your advice is really appreciated.

Green Hornet

My brother has recently been diagnosed with Crohn's. I suspect he's had it for a long time and the doctors missed it but I guess thats another story!

He's been on oral medication of increasing strength for the last few months but was really suffering. This week thay have admitted him to hospital and are using intravenous steroids to try and combat the swelling (he's very blocked up) and will do a CAT scan in a couple of days.

The hope is that they will not have to do an ileal resection if the steroids work. Does anybody have any idea of the success rate for the steroids?

Thanks!

The_Conductor

Green Hornet wrote: »

My brother has recently been diagnosed with Crohn's. I suspect he's had it for a long time and the doctors missed it but I guess thats another story!

He's been on oral medication of increasing strength for the last few months but was really suffering. This week thay have admitted him to hospital and are using intravenous steroids to try and combat the swelling (he's very blocked up) and will do a CAT scan in a couple of days.

The hope is that they will not have to do an ileal resection if the steroids work. Does anybody have any idea of the success rate for the steroids?

Thanks!

Its impossible to extrapolate the success of steroids for one person with the likelyhood of surgery not being necessary in another person. In Crohn's the swelling and blockages are one aspect of the disease. Another aspect is the scarring, and often recurrent scarring, which can both thicken the cell walls, and contribute towards blockages in its own right, even when the disease is in a less active phase.

Your brother really needs to discuss his own particulars with his consultant, in order to best explore what his options are. I would suggest he sit down and make a list of questions that he would like to discuss with the consultant, and bringing the list with him- as its very easy to intend to bring all manners of questions- and then forget them once you are there.

Shane

nerdysal

I believe steroids are generally quite good (except in my case- which was quite rare, so I won't scare you with it) but only in the short-term. My consultant was on The Afternoon Show there recently and was saying they are just not an option for long-term. They do some serious damage to the bones.

The_Conductor

nerdysal wrote: »

My consultant was on The Afternoon Show there recently and was saying they are just not an option for long-term. They do some serious damage to the bones.

Tell me about it. I'm 34 with osteoporosis, my last dexa scan was like something someone in their 80s might expect......

There are modern steroid drugs available specifically for Crohns- such as Budenofalk- which do not have the side effects associated with long-term steroidal use- but they are not suitable for everyone (and are also shockingly expensive). It might be something that could be explored with a consultant.

The big difference between Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, and also why surgery is more often prescribed in UC patients- is surgery is a cure for UC- if the diseased tract is removed, the disease does not tend to recur. Unfortunately in Crohn's- this is not the case- it can recur at any time anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, but more commonly at the joints of resections. Surgery is thus a 'last resort' rather than the first implement in the armoury when considering longterm control of the disease.

S.

Kevster

smccarrick wrote: »

The big difference between Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, and also why surgery is more often prescribed in UC patients- is surgery is a cure for UC- if the diseased tract is removed, the disease does not tend to recur. Unfortunately in Crohn's- this is not the case- it can recur at any time anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, but more commonly at the joints of resections. Surgery is thus a 'last resort' rather than the first implement in the armoury when considering longterm control of the disease.

I know that this is regarded as a 'cure' for UC, but I've never seen it that way. I mean, you are always going to carry the UC genes in every other cell in your body anyway. The disease is still with you, but it just can't act. I know that I'm being pedantic here, but it's just that surgery isn't an option I ever want to have to take for my UC... ...:(

LegacyUser

Just a note regarding long term problems and steroids mentioned in previous posts. any form of steroids long term has consequences - entocort does not reduce osteoporeosis risk - if you have a look at the leaflet that comes with it - it states that long term it can cause the same side effects - also entocort is not proven to work to prevent flare ups if taking longer that three months. I'm just saying this as I was guaranteed that entocort does not cause the same problems as ordinary steroids - when in fact long term use of it is proven to cause the same damage as ordinary steroids - in fact I got osteoporeosis (excuse my spelling!) while on it long term(at age 23), even though I took calcium tablets! So be wary of long term use of ANY STERIOD, please!

Kevster

That's true. I'm 26 now but have been on steroids (Deltacortril (Cortisone)) a few times in the past. After a few weeks, the kness start to feel sore and your face kind of 'puffs' out, which isn't very nice indeed! We should always take a Calcium supplement when taking steroids because they (i.e. - steroids) increase the deabsorption of CAlcium from our bones.

watsgone

I have have problems with my knees for a while now, I was wondering if the steriods might have something to do with it.
I am taking calcium and pharmaton as well as meds, so many pills a day

The_Conductor

watsgone wrote: »

I have have problems with my knees for a while now, I was wondering if the steriods might have something to do with it.
I am taking calcium and pharmaton as well as meds, so many pills a day

You need to make sure that your consultant is aware of any issues you might be having, irrespective of whether its directly related to the underlying complaint you are visiting him/her for. Certainly- it could be as a result of the treatment you are- but it also could be any of a large number of other conditions- you need to get it checked out.

Saruman

Kevster wrote: »

That's true. I'm 26 now but have been on steroids (Deltacortril (Cortisone)) a few times in the past. After a few weeks, the kness start to feel sore and your face kind of 'puffs' out, which isn't very nice indeed! We should always take a Calcium supplement when taking steroids because they (i.e. - steroids) increase the deabsorption of CAlcium from our bones.

Do you suffer from UC on a continual basis? with the exception of one minor flare up last year, I have been drug free and UC free since I got out of hospital after being diagnosed in 2003 (maybe 2002).

I just avoid certain foods that I know are not the best for me, In fact the last flare up was because (I believe) I seont two weeks actually eating breakfast every morning and I had weetabix. I am not a milk drinker and I think whole wheat is probably not so good for me either after that.

I would say I have very mild UC, though it did not seem like that when I was weeks in hospital and pretty much lived on the toiled shíting blood. I still have scars on my hands from the IV lines as I could not eat or drink.

Kevster

Hi,

That's good to hear that you are doing better. I suffer from UC continually - yeh - but I have actually come off my anti-inflammatories recently and am doing okay. i also recognise foods that make it much worse. For example, if I eat a Pink Lady apple, it feels like a bag of nails is tearing through my gut! I have also noticed problems with wheat products too.

What do you eat for breakfast and lunch? I eat Special K for breakfast mostly, a sandwich for lunch, and then tuna/salmon and 'health' crackers for dinner. Oh, and fruit too. yeh, basic diet I know.

Kevin

Saruman

I tend not to eat breakfast, its not my thing. Mainly because I have always disliked milk so never stick with the cereal thing.

Sometimes I will get a breakfast roll and skip lunch if I am in the mood for a good fry

I have little restrictions in what I eat except for avoiding red meat and everything I mentioned above.

Kevster

Wow, I haven't eaten a fry-up for many years now. The only meat I eat is chicken, turkey, tuna, and salmon. You shouldn't skip breakfast dude! If you think about it though, you don't have to have milk for breakfast. On the continent, they don't even eat cereal too much. It's just an American/British thing.

Kevin

LegacyUser

Hi guys,
Ive had chrons the last 6 years now(im 21) and am going for my first remicade infusion on monday. Anyone care to give me a bit of what to expect and I would greatfully appreciate it.

Thanks,
Best of luck to everyone fighting this thing, never ever give up fighting!

LegacyUser

Hey - best of luck with it

I'm not sure if you ment how you might feel re side effects etc after or what the day in the hospital consists of -

But the day of the remicade - you go in to the day ward, get the remicade in a vein through your arm - like when you get fluids if your dehydrated & sit/lie there for a while - usually about 2 hours, a nurse will come to check your blood pressure & temperature before, during (a few times) and after getting it. A dr comes to start it off & put the needle in your arm. So its generally more boreing than anything!! I brought my laptop & watched dvds - so defo have a magazine or i pod or something to pass the time!! - sometimes it might take longer than 2 hours - if for eg your blood pressure gets low (happens to me the whole time!!), so just note that you should allow yourself the whole day so dont worry if it takes longer - it just means they're taking good care of you! If you feel any thing different while getting the remicade make sure to tell a nurse/dr, whoever is around - they do need to know as it could need to be stopped for a bit & re-started.

If you want to know about side effects ask the doctor giving/setting up it - in the box it comes in theres a leaflet which they'll throw away - but its useful to have to know what you should tell your doctor, but please dont be alarmed by them, every drug has lodsa side effects and it doesnt mean you or everyone gets them. Thats why you get it in hospital - to be monitored. Do make sure after getting it if you feel yourself getting a cold/flu etc to tell your dr as your immune system may not be as strong to fight it off & you might need antibiotics or a break in remicade doses - so it can be delt with once your dr knows.

It can take a few doses to feel better, but you could see an improvement straight away, it all depends on you & your body & not forgetting your crohns!!

I hope its the drug for you!! Good luck - if you've any other questions post away & I'l try answer them!

silversurfer

If you look at an earlier post of mine in this thread, I outline the procedures I went through for both Remicade and Humira.

Rgds,
s

kildareash

Hi everyone...
Bad news this week, consultant recommended an operation.

Quick update:
OH spent three months in hospital before Christmas.
All the other remedies didn't work, but Humera seemed to be doing the trick.
About six weeks ago, he had some symptoms of a flare up. But they'd last for a day or two then he'd feel fine for a few days.
Anyway, last week, the situation escalated. His GP was worried about the amount of blood he had lost over the weeks, and referred him back down to hosp.
Hosp booked him for scope the very next day and the consultant rang on Monday with an appointment for this week.

He basically told him that he's having a bad flare up and recommended he have surgery. However, there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency. He's organising appointments with stoma nurse and the surgeon. But it will be OH's decision whether he wants to go ahead with it.

He's 28 years of age, and obviously the prospects of what the operation involves are freaking the hell out of him.
To me, it kinda feels like the doc is giving up on him or something.
Reading other posts here, people talk about being on steriods long term.
Since he came out of hosp, he has had one course of steriods for a week, but he did start to feel a bit better.

Has anyone looked into alternative treatments?? We're willing to try anything that won't make him worse, but might make him feel better.

Also, we're thinking about getting a second opinion. Currently, he's under Dr Courteney in Kilkenny, which we have heard great things about, and can't fault him to date. But I don't think it would do any harm to speak to someone else. Any recommendations??

Finally, many of the previous posters have had operations, would you mind sharing your experiences of life after the op with us?
We've tried to do our own research on the net, but I'm so cautious about it because it can throw up anything. But there doesn't seem to be much information from an irish point of view.

Any help would be really appreciated.

The_Conductor

I'm a bit of an extreme case- I've had surgery 5 times thus far.

Its not possible to compare one incidence of surgery with another to be honest. There are very many factors which will vary from person to person- but also when they do perform the surgery its also entirely possible that they may find conditions to be better, or worse, than expected when they open you up.

The first time I had surgery- I had been suffering with undiagnosed Crohn's for over 10 years. What the surgeon expected to be a fairly straightforward operation and recovery- turned into 9 hours of surgery with multiple resections and then several days in ICU thereafter, before I progressed into the regular system.

I had VHI cover- but it only kicks in if the facilities are available- so recovery for me after ICU was on a ward with 7 other men- the youngest of whom was 55 years older than me. I was so ill that it didn't really matter that I had nothing whatsoever in common with them- but I did feel self conscious and embarassed- particularly when I needed assistance going to the bathroom or was having my wound cleaned and checked. It didn't help that the hospital decided to feature me in their exams for med students- because of the extreme nature of my condition and the multiple resections I had undergone.

Prior to the surgery (with a Mr. Parnell Keeling) the consultant had broached the strong likelyhood that I might need an ileostomy bag- and had given me a leaflet on it- which frightened the hell out of me. I was emphatic that it was to be a very last option, and luckily for me, he decided during surgery that it would not be necessary.

Recovery was long and hard. The hardest part of recovery I found was being confined to nutritional supplements- when I felt that I wanted to eat the world around me. I even feel ill now at the thought of the taste of Ensure and other supplements- having lived solely on them for so long.

When eventually I was able to eat again- I did so with a vengeance. My weight had fallen dangerously low (I was ~ 6 stone), I had very little muscle or fat on me. I went swimming 4 or 5 times a week- and ate rings around me.

The most notable aspect of things for me- totally aside from the excrutiating pain, was the incredible fatigue and lack of energy I had. You do eventually accept pain as part of your life- but its very difficult to accept that you don't have the energy to even read a book, or watch television (never mind anything that actually involves exertion).

I recovered from the surgery over a number of months- and was looking forward (I hoped) to the end of pain. I was very dismayed when less than a year later I was once again confined to bed in pain- this time with massive bleeding. A diagnosis was not necessary- my consultant had me admitted to St. Vincents via the ER, and I was placed on a hydrocortisol drip for several days. As the severe flareup subsided, I underwent another colonoscopy. It was determined that the disease had recurred where the second resection had been done in the large intestine- and further surgery was necessary.

Surgery no. 2 was notable for its lack of any complications whatsoever- along with a private room overlooking a field of cows. I had a peaceful time watching those contented creatures for a few weeks.

It was thought that I might get away with treating the flareups with steroids- and over the next few years I was on different types of steroids, by drip, injection and oral application- pretty much continuously- along with Pentasa, which I was informed was a wonder drug. In my case it may as well have been a placebo for all the help it was for me- but everyone is different.

I subsequently had surgery twice more in my 20s- with a notable increase in how quickly I recovered after the surgery on each occasion. On one occasion I was allowed leave hospital after 4 days along with a supply of distilled water to clean my wound and instructions to return in 2 weeks to have the staples removed. I very unfortunately managed to burst the staples, and presented myself at the GPs surgery in Rathmines, not really sure what to do. The poor GP freaked and called an ambulance when she saw me. My staples were redone, and I was sent home again.

I last had surgery almost 5 years ago, which once again akin to my first surgery, involved multiple resections- and being a feature on the Med exams again (I actually enjoyed it this time). Recovery the last time was a lot slower than on previous occasions, and I now have a lot more of the traditional Crohn's symptoms than I had as a child and a teenager. I always like to know where the nearest bathroom is, I keep spare underwear in my drawer in work, I never venture anywhere without a supply of deltacortil, or if abroad, a doctors letter in whatever the language of the country I am in detailing my condition and how to treat it. I have fallen ill while abroad on work- but somehow managed to muddle my way through with the help of some of my overseas colleagues.

I don't mean to terrify you or your other half with a horror story- and I don't want to appear blase about surgery, as I do believe I am blase- having had so much of it. There is little point in trying to equate my experiences with what your OH may have to undergo- everyone is different, and everyone's experiences are completely different. What I do think is very helpful- is having a good attitude towards what you have to undergo- along with a clear picture of where you want to go with it.

Surgery is a tool in the control of Crohn's- the big difference between Colitis and Crohns is surgery is a cure for Colitis- whereas the disease may very possibly recur in Crohns- more often than not, at the point of the resection.

By all means get a second opinion from another consultant- but from personal experience I would not consider a prescription of surgery to equate with a consultant giving up. Sometimes surgery is a lesser evil than the alternates- when you weigh up the options, all options have pros and cons associated with them.

Surgery can be a very frightening prospect- and it can take a long time to recover from. It might be helpful for your OH to talk to people who have undergone the surgery already- it might help him understand what is ahead better. Recovery from the surgery is a composite of a lot of different factors- and is not something that can be rushed. It may take one person months to recover, while another may be fine in a matter of weeks. Personally I feel that the frame of mind you are in is at very least as important a factor in recovery, as is the nature of the surgery itself.

Best wishes to you and your OH.

Shane

The_Conductor

The Irish Society for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (ISCC) AGM and Open Day is on tomorrow, Saturday 25th April 2009.

Venue: Academy Plaza Hotel, Findlater Place, off O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. Speakers: Mr. Eadhbhard Mulligan (Surgeon) and Dr Claire Smyth (Gastroenterologist). Time: 2:00-5:00pm.

All welcome.

5k runner

Hi kildareash,

Sorry to hear about your OH troubles at the minute, but trust me he will get better. Try keep a positive outlook. I am twenty three years old and I only had symptoms of chrohns for 2 months before I had to have surgery. They tried all the drugs possible however my case got worse very quickly and therefore I needed to have the surgery done.

I am now 8months living with a stoma and I have not looked back. I am back working full time and I am training 6times a week in athletics hoping to compete fairly soon. In my opinion the surgery I had was the best decision I ever made and even though it may seem like the end of the world to have it done it really is not. By having a stoma it does not stop you from doing anything. I even go to the public swimming pool and it is not a problem.

If there is anything else I can help you with or any questions you might have, please feel free to ask.

Regards
Ken