Final Appointment

Today was the final consultation with the surgeon before the first step. We verified the results from the bowel check and were relieved to see no signs of Crohn's. We went through the actual surgical steps again and I asked a slew of questions, some of which he would get a chuckle out of. [I found being prepared and having a list of questions ready for rapid fire allowed me to cover my concerns and avoid the "Oh, I wanted to ask..." moments.]

As I am in fairly good health, at least not dealing with any UC symptoms other than the dysplasia, the surgeons are expecting a fairly straight-forward recovery. I am strong, active, and all signs look good. This definitely helps my nervousness and mood going into the surgery. I can't say I'm terribly nervous, more anxious. What lays on the other side, I'm not sure, but this is the day I've been preparing for mentally for almost two decades: Let's hope I didn't fool myself on this one.

Okay, we need to lay out our plans on what to eat before surgery, as we know there's going to be some limits afterward. [Little did I know how long that would last!] Spicy chicken, check. Dunkin Donuts, check. Fast food, check. Okay, got all the bases covered! Considering I gave up trying to put on muscle a few months ago and just went for pure poundage, I've successfully added a few pounds to make it through any "lean" periods. [I would later find it's easier to lose than it is to gain with this surgery.]

The preparation for the surgery is the same for a colonoscopy: Drink, starve, and poop for an entire day before. GoLytely, Phosphosoda: I won't miss you for a single minute. Thankfully, this is where our paths separate. I'm not saying it's worth having your colon removed to not have to do a yearly scope and prep, but if you're having it removed anyway, it's surely a plus! Got my gatorade and my baby wipes: Bring it on!

Upper Bowel - Crohn's Check

My wife and I decided on the second surgeon for a number of reasons. We felt he was more comfortable with questions and upfront with information. His practice has been specializing in colo-rectal surgery, especially JPouches for a years, especially laparospic. The time delay was a strike against, but everyone noted it was like that and you just worked around it or checked on time delays before coming. I'll be honest: I'd rather have to wait for a doctor that takes his time with his patients rather than ripping through them like a 6th grade quiz papers.

We let him know with our decision and he ordered a followup procedure to verify that I didn't have Crohn's. I hadn't had an upper bowel barium before, so off I went to have the procedure. The hospital is about 45 to 100 minutes away depending on traffic: Right, it's usually closer to 100 than 45, unless it's 5 AM.

This was my first time drinking barium, which I didn't find all that bad. It was similar to drinking toothpaste. I don't do this with any regularity, but at least it wasn't like dirt or slime: That would have been a little more difficult. [This would prove beneficial, as I get to have more in the future.] After slamming down some cups, then slowly drinking while the shots were taking, the radiologist noted I had a fast digestive process: Maybe this is why Wendy's never stayed around that long?

Surgeon Consult - #2

Today, we met with our second surgeon. He was recommended by a friend and was noted as one of the best at laparoscopic surgery. We ended up having to wait an extremely long time in the waiting room, almost to the point of walking out. We finally got in and first consulted with his head fellow, which made us a little shaky. We finally met the surgeon, who was very on point and had an odd sense of humor, which obviously put me at ease.

We discussed the options, and talked about the procedure. He also did a suprise flex sigmoidoscopy (which I didn't prepare for) so he could check out how the rectum looked. After a little cleanup, we gathered again and he gave us his final thoughts, which was that I'd be a good candidate for the JPouch. I was obviously healthier than many persons he sees and felt with my condition and general health, I should tolerate the surgery quite well. [In retrospect, we were both horribly wrong on this account.]

He was very open with questions and even chuckled at some of my few direct ones. Maybe he doesn't get people with my attitude all the time and maybe he looked at it like a challenge... Who doesn't like one every now and again. He is typically booked 6 weeks out for surgery, so we picked a date, just to reserve, should we want to use him. The staff was nice as well. All said and done, it was a three hour appointment.