Tom Meersman 

My Health

Tom Meersman Fri, Sep 28, 2007 at 7:45 AM
 
Greetings friends and family -
 
As most of you know I have been battling Ulcerative Colitis for about the past year of my life.  I have gotten to the point in my struggle with UC that it is determined that medicines will no longer be able to effectively treat my illness.  Therefore, through the recommendations of my doctors, I have elected to have surgery.  It has gotten to the point where I am tired of being sick all the time, and feel this is the only way of providing myself with a satisfying day-to-day life.  So, much like my parents in the summer of '98, I am divorcing myself from my colon.  I am going in today to the hospital through the ER.  I will be having the surgery within the next few days at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.  I will be having a procedure done that is known as Ileoanal anastomosis.  Dr. Theodore Saclarides and his staff will cut me open and remove my large intestine and my rectum from body.  They will then form what is called a J Pouch out of the end of my small intestine.  This is a pouch that serves as a reservoir to hold waste much like the rectum previously did.  This pouch is cut from my small intestine and connected to my anus.  I will then have an opening made in my abdomen that will have the end of my small intestine attached to it.  This is called an ileostomy.  It will basically be a bag that sits on my hip to collect waste.  I will have this bag for 3-6 months as the J Pouch is allowed time to heal.  After this waiting period, they will remove the ileostomy and connect my small intestine to the J Pouch allowing me to go to the bathroom on the toilet like an average person would. 
 
I am incredibly scared about having to go through this procedure, and all the possible complications that could come with it, but at this point, I feel as if I have no choice but to make this decision.  I appreciate all the support that I have received from all over this past year, it really does help a great deal.  I am just glad to hopefully be having some closure to this illness.
 
For more information on this procedure, here is a good website http://www.answers.com/topic /ileoanal-anastomosis?cat =health
 
Thanks all.  I will catch you on the flip flop.
 
Tom Meersman