Archive for the ‘The Colitis Experience Posts’ Category

Surgery for colitis has to be faced up to by a small percentage of sufferers and though the problems living with the symptoms of the disease are over, what then begins is a whole new set of challenges. But what does the patient face physically when the surgical procedures are complete?

The first stage of the surgical procedure for colitis is the removal of the entire large colon and this will also include the rectum. Even though only part of the large colon may be diseased, enough for surgery to be required in the first place, there is no option but for it to be removed entirely. It is important not to lose sight that this surgical process to remove the colon and rectum is the only permanent cure for colitis. Plus also, if it can be seen as a bonus, it will also eliminate any risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Once the colon has been removed, a small opening is formed in the abdominal wall and the end of the small colon, which was formerly attached to the large colon, is then pushed through and attached to the skin. The length of what is called an ileostomy, or a stoma, will be between one and two inches. So what happens with this? This will be the outlet for the waste that would have otherwise passed through the large colon. It is collected in a bag attached to the skin and entirely encompasses the stoma. The bag is then emptied periodically when necessary.

The thought of living with part of the small intestine sticking out the front of the abdomen may not be appealing but it has to be remembered that it is all an essential part of the process to rid the patient of colitis. It is normally only temporary as the surgical consultants will do their best to try and create a more user friendly system of storing and riding the body of its solid waste.

In most cases, there will be an attempt to create an internal pouch created from the end of the small intestine that is then attached to the anus. This will act as a reservoir to collect waste to be evacuated in the same manner as when the patient had a large colon. This procedure will be undertaken some time after the initial operation and will most likely be given further convalescence time before being connected up. The surgical term for this procedure is an ileo anal pouch which, and after a period of getting used to, can give a very encouraging degree of normality of life back to many patients who have undergone this surgical procedure.

Surgery for colitis is a last solution for those faced with the onslaught of symptoms and as such should never be considered until many methods to try and control the symptoms have been tried and have not succeeded. It is a very major surgical procedure and comes with no guarantee of success. It brings with it many challenges and can for some be too problematic, yet for many it is the solution to the debilitating effect colitis has on their lives.

It is a very common thought and question every colitis sufferer will ask themselves and their doctor but the need for surgery for colitis is not inevitable. Only a small percentage of all those diagnosed with the disease have to ultimately undergo the surgical processes and they can be grouped into different categories depending on the extent of their colitis and how it affects their life.

The standard surgical procedure for colitis will involve the removal of the entire large colon and this will also include the complete removal of the rectum as well. It has to be understood and acknowledged that such an operation is the only permanent cure available for colitis. Whilst the sufferer may have come across many so called “cures”, they may reduce the symptoms but will never actually cure the disease.

So which people who have been diagnosed with colitis are most at risk of having to consider surgery? The first group will be those who suffer from fulminant colitis, where the extent of the inflammation affects over half of the entire colon. Whilst remission is possible with such extensive coverage, when a relapse happens the symptoms are severe and there are cases when they do not respond sufficiently to medications. At this point, the colitis can appear out of control and the only solution is surgery as there can be a further danger of perforation of the bowel occurring.

A second grouping of colitis sufferers who could face the prospect of surgery is those with long standing pancolitis or left-sided colitis, which describes the area of the bowel leading down to the rectum. Again, the symptoms may not be able to be brought under control or the sufferer has over a period of time be unable to attain a satisfactory amount of time in remission. Someone diagnosed with this extent of colitis will also face an increased risk of developing colon cancers. The removal of the entire large colon is important when precancerous changes are detected in the colon lining.

There is a third group that can also face the prospect of surgery for colitis. These are people who have not been able to gain much respite from colitis symptoms. Whilst the extent of the inflammation can be quite small, there are some who just cannot bring symptoms under control and live in such a state for several years. Lifestyle, diet and medications have all been trialled and tested but to no avail. In order to achieve a quality of life that resembles the norm, many chose the surgery option to rid themselves of colitis for good. Life does change when surgery happens, but at least these patients can look forward to a less painful and more normal and active life ahead.

It can either be a considered decision to opt to have surgery for colitis to bring some kind of normality back to a life for those that have moderate yet continuous symptoms or the decision to have surgery can be forced upon the patient due to symptoms being out of control and unresponsive the treatment. Whatever the reason for surgery for colitis, it is a life changing event that, whilst bringing its own challenges in the immediate aftermath and requiring the need to alter daily habits for the remaining lifetime, it can offer welcome respite from the painful grip that colitis has over so many sufferers.

As the use of the internet increases and that of the supporting technology, there are new methods of exchanging information and connecting to others. The use of video camers for real time conferencing is increasing and a brand new website has been created to target those diagnosed with certain diseases and medical conditions as a portal for people to contact others and discuss/chat in real time.

The website is called Healthcam and it was launched at the beginning of the month. It is very early days but once its existence is better known, this has the potential to be a more “live real time” discussion experience with fellow sufferers to compliment what is already available in various forums.

To use it, you will need a webcam and microphone. Don’t worry, these are very inexpensive and many people already use them when using such video/telephone services such as Skype.

Click on the link and take a look and see how it develops over the next few months. I certainly will keep my eye on it and will report back with news of its development.

“Ulcerative colitis can be a complicated digestive disease and patients, family members, and caregivers often are unsure about various aspects of the disease and its treatment,” said Kimberly Frederick, vice president of Patient & Professional Services for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. “On the upcoming Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation teleconference/webcast, Dr. Ullman, an expert in ulcerative colitis, will help sort through the uncertainty of the disease as we discuss disease patterns, treatment approaches, and options, along with quality of life issues.”

Patients, family members, and caregivers affected by ulcerative colitis are invited to register at no cost by calling (877) 264-4949, ext. 3, or visiting Colitis Webcast

At last it is good to hear some news about a greater emphasis on measures of how to cope with colitis symptoms, espacially for those diagnosed when young.

U.S. psychologists say cognitive-behavioral therapy can reduce physical symptoms and improve coping strategies involved with inflammatory bowel disease.

Teenagers with IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, often have serious trouble coping with the disorders, the researchers said. But the new psychological treatment intervention program developed at the University of Georgia shows promise of reducing physical symptoms and increasing adaptive coping strategies. The study on the effectiveness of the coping skills intervention involved 24 female teenagers age 11-17.

“We saw significant improvements in these adolescents’ physical symptoms and coping strategies following treatment,” said psychology Professor Ronald Blount, who led the study. “Parents, who were also involved in the study, reported reductions in catastrophic thoughts related to their daughters’ pain and improved behavioral reactions related to their daughters’ physical symptoms.”

It is not unusual when someone hears that you have colitis and suddenly they are some self appointed expert giving you advice that another person used for a stomach bug and it worked wonders! So why on earth would the colitis sufferer not want to use it they think? Hopefully, those diagnosed and prone to suffer from colitis symptoms will know better.

Whether unintentionally or otherwise, people often can’t help themselves in advising you of their own special health cure and even such a condition as colitis is not immune. If you make then aware that you are suffering from colitis symptoms, you will no doubt find someone who will voluntarily impart that they know just the thing for it. When faced with such a scenario, the best course of action is to close your ears to not only such a person but to the vast majority that think they have the answer to reduce the suffering from colitis symptoms.

Here’s some more hot tips on how to prevent colitis symptoms from appearing.

When diagnosed with colitis it is very important to maintain a healthy diet that has variety. There will be some foods that may create a reaction in the bowel and trigger some mild symptoms, so these should be identified and avoided if possible. If diet becomes a problem it is important to seek advice from a trained colitis dietician who can advise on the correct course of action to take. By eliminating various foods there can be a risk for the body of not receiving adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals and this is where the role of supplements can play an important part. Any taking of such supplements should be discussed with a doctor to ensure it is the correct course of action.

In addition to maintaining a healthy and varied diet, the taking of regular exercise is also beneficial in the fight against colitis. By undertaking some form of exercise, even just going for regular walks, this will boost the body’s immune system and builds ups strength to counter the fatigue factor that undoubtedly occurs for colitis sufferers. By being more active, the body will be in better shape, mentally and physically, to reduce the chances of colitis symptoms appearing and fighting them if they do make an appearance.

The fifth top tip and a very important one that too many sufferers do not pay enough attention to is the occurrence of stress and the effect it can have. It has to be understood that stress itself does not cause colitis, it is the over exposure to even moderate levels of it that can lead to a flare-up. Whilst it is acknowledged that the body and mind requires some level of stress to function optimally, once beyond such a level will only increase the danger of colitis symptoms appearing. The sufferer has to become much more aware of the stress levels that they are being exposed to and imposing on themselves and learn to cope with and also have effective measures to reduce them.

It is important for the colitis sufferer to gather as much information as possible about the disease and how to cope with living with colitis and leading as normal life as possible. And whilst the danger of a flare up and colitis symptoms appearing is always present, there are many effective methods to try and reduce the risks of it happening.T

Here are some tips to reduce the risk of colitis symptoms from occuriing.

As with anything colitis, nothing is guaranteed, but every little helps!

The most important tip you must adhere to is the continual taking of any medication that has been prescribed. Whilst this is self evident during a flare up, when the symptoms recede and the feeling of wellbeing reappears it is only natural to question the need for continued medication. Unfortunately, colitis is not a medical condition that can be forgotten about once the symptoms disappear. During a period of remission, it is dormant and medication is continually prescribed in order to try and keep it in this state. If the medication is reduced or stopped completely, there is a much higher risk of the symptoms reappearing as there is nothing being used to keep them suppressed .

The second tip is a general call to ensure the sufferer’s overall health is watched and maintained, as there is an increased chance of developing an infection or minor illness due to the acknowledged fact that medications such as steroids, used to counter the inflammation of the bowel, can lower the body’s immune system. The effect of this is having a reduced ability to fight off infections such as the common cold or flu. In relation to this, it is then important to try and avoid everyday remedies such as aspirin or ibuprofen for infections as some of the ingredients can cause colitis to flare-up.

Look out for more soon.

A great response for World IBD Day and a good level of press coverage.

Lets hope that colitis gets a higher profile in the minds of policy makers with a subsequent increase in funding for research and care.

It still amazes me that there are so many people who have been diagnosed with colitis and are still living in the dark. There is now, with the assistance of the web, amazing sources of information and knowledge to be found.

Why would you want to be in a situation where, when diagnosed with what can be a very serious disease, you do not have the understanding and the tools to ensure that life can be as close to normal as possible?

Living with colitis symptoms is all about how to manage them effectively in order to reduce their impact on life.

It’s either carry on living in the dark (and at the mercy of colitis) or start taking responsibility and control and ensuring you are best equiped to respond to whatever this disease throws at you.