Normally I can find what I'm looking for online or with my doctor, but I didn't know the Google-appropriate way to search this question and I don't know that my doctor will have the information I'm looking for. I've had UC/Crohn's (they still aren't 100% sure, I don't think but probably Crohn's) for five years, diagnosed when I was 17. So not much in the way of a sex life. Between all of the surgeries, my J-pouch, strictures, fistulas and infections throughout the course of the illness, anal sex of any kind has been off the table, at least from my side.
Anyway, my most recent infection has led my doctor's to decide that the J-pouch has been compromised and if I keep it I'll just get more infections and fistulas, and they are almost certainly correct. The way my surgeon described it is that they would leave my existing ileostomy as is and literally just go in and take off the end, starting from the rectum and removing the effected area. And then they wouldn't reattach the remaining tract back to the anus, they could just close it. I think my doctor described it as a blind anus, but I don't think that's an official term.
I've been putting this off for sometime because I've been of the mindset that I'd like to reverse this if at all possible and even with the presumed advancements of future medicine, I wanted to keep as close to the finish line as I could. So this reversal makes me feel like I'm another step back, but as I left, I actually considered that there might be a silver lining to this. Though my doctor said that he wanted to close the anal opening, it seemed to only be because of potential drainage and that he would leave it open at my request. I assume that without any digestive system attached to it, the fistulas (and by association the setons) would go away, as would my existing stricture. Given that, it would just be a disease free opening that leads nowhere.
Assuming I'm not wrong (and I probably am), it might open up the possibility for me to recieve. I've never been especially inclined that way, but I've also been largely aware that that decision has not been mine to make. I don't know what the name of the surgery or resulting anatomy would be to adequately search people's experiences, but if anyone knows anyone who has had what I'm scheduled for, your insights would be appreciated. Also, if I've left out important details, just ask and I'll fill it in. I'm not shy, there's just quite a volume of medical history to summarize and I don't know what's relevant or not.
Anyway, my most recent infection has led my doctor's to decide that the J-pouch has been compromised and if I keep it I'll just get more infections and fistulas, and they are almost certainly correct. The way my surgeon described it is that they would leave my existing ileostomy as is and literally just go in and take off the end, starting from the rectum and removing the effected area. And then they wouldn't reattach the remaining tract back to the anus, they could just close it. I think my doctor described it as a blind anus, but I don't think that's an official term.
I've been putting this off for sometime because I've been of the mindset that I'd like to reverse this if at all possible and even with the presumed advancements of future medicine, I wanted to keep as close to the finish line as I could. So this reversal makes me feel like I'm another step back, but as I left, I actually considered that there might be a silver lining to this. Though my doctor said that he wanted to close the anal opening, it seemed to only be because of potential drainage and that he would leave it open at my request. I assume that without any digestive system attached to it, the fistulas (and by association the setons) would go away, as would my existing stricture. Given that, it would just be a disease free opening that leads nowhere.
Assuming I'm not wrong (and I probably am), it might open up the possibility for me to recieve. I've never been especially inclined that way, but I've also been largely aware that that decision has not been mine to make. I don't know what the name of the surgery or resulting anatomy would be to adequately search people's experiences, but if anyone knows anyone who has had what I'm scheduled for, your insights would be appreciated. Also, if I've left out important details, just ask and I'll fill it in. I'm not shy, there's just quite a volume of medical history to summarize and I don't know what's relevant or not.