Going Without my Gut and Still on a Journey to Wellness :)

After 6 months of no positive effects from FMT, and 7.5 years of no remission from ulcerative colitis, I have decided to have surgery. This was a big decision for me, and I feel that I have thoroughly exhausted my other treatment options. I am so grateful for all of you who helped me get to England to try to heal myself with a treatment that is not readily available in the US. I'm glad that I tried it because I would have always wondered "what if?" if I had elected surgery without exploring alternatives. I still believe that FMT is a fascinating treatment option and it has helped many people. I wonder if my results would have been different if I had tried FMT earlier in my illness or if I were able to have more regular treatments, but for now those are unsolved mysteries. There is a lot of FMT research going on now, so hopefully scientists will learn more about how it can help various diseases and it will become more accessible in the near future.

As for me, I will be having a proctocolectomy with IPAA which is pretty major surgery- the entire colon will be removed, thus technically "curing" me of the disease. I'm so excited to feel better and while I know that there could be complications from the surgery, I am confident that I will be able to have a better quality of life. Just the idea of not being steroid-dependent makes me so happy, not to mention the possibilities of expanding my diet and traveling the world.

My first surgery will be on December 20th and because there will be 2 (possibly 3) surgeries with intense recovery periods, I am taking off the rest of the school year to heal. I just told my fifth graders and their families yesterday and it was really hard. Despite all the challenges of teaching these days and a particularly needy class this year, I love my job and I am so attached to those students. I'm really going to miss going to work, but I know taking this time for myself is the right thing to do and I will be healthy and ready to return next September.

If you are looking for ways to help, I'll keep you updated about sending positive vibes on the days of surgery! And, I'm looking for book and movie recommendations for my low key recovery days. Also, since I don't have many connections to others who have had a colectomy, if anyone knows someone with Crohn's or Colitis who has had this or a similar surgery who would be willing to chat with me, I'd love to build up my support network. 

With love and gratitude,

Stephanie