Advice for my uncle please?

[catpee]

Hi everyone, I wanted to ask a bit of advice for my uncle who is completley computer illiterate! (can't spell illiterate!) His story basically is he has U.C and Crohns disease currently on Azathioprine and steroids. The doctors have told him he needs to have a colectomy and they want to remove his rectum and anal canal which will leave him with an ileostomy? He went to see a stoma nurse pre surgery who informed him he would have to change his bag up to four times a day and at least once in the night. Is this correct for all people who have a bag? He is having second thoughts about the surgery now as he didn't realise how different life would be with a stoma. He (and I) tbh thought it would be a new bag every morning, empty before bed? Are we deluded?? any advice would be greatly appreciated as the docs said he will only see the stoma nurse again post surgery. He really feels he doesn't know enough about it all yet and has really been put off the big op
Catherine xxxx

 

[Angrybird]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I am sorry to hear that your uncle is now facing surgery, I have not had this type of op myself so could not advise about it but please do check out our stoma sub forum, there will be plenty of info here for you: http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=46.

Please keep us updated on how things go.

AB
xx

 

[David]

Hi Catherine,

Welcome to the community! I'm so sorry to hear about your Uncle

Angrybird directed you to the right place though!

Out of curiosity, has he tried a biologic medication such as Remicade or Humira? If not, what's going on with him where they're skipping to colectomy?

 

[Judith]

Welcome to Crohnsforum Catherine,
I hope your Uncle is feeling better soon.

Here are a couple of threads that might be of interest to you.
Questions about total colectomy
How many bowel movements per day after a colectomy?
Benefits of total colectomy

Thank you for joining us!