Hunhund

Fellow 911 'patcher, here. Just wanted to say thanks for doing this; people need more insight into what we do.

I'll answer this one in case OP doesn't ( I am also a 911 call taker, by trade), the MOST important thing for us is your location. We don't even have to know what's going on, as long as we know where to send someone, we're already satisfied. The main things we like/need to know, concern the safety of the scene; are there weapons? Hazards? How many people involved? Any injuries? These are the most important bits of info to us.

Edit: English lol

I can answer this as a recent patient of this process; please bear in mind that this is only MY experience, and what I've been told by MY care team. Apologies for how long this is.

So far my personal experience has been mixed. First and foremost though, I would rather have this than the disease. I'm going to give a little background on my case as well. I agree with the OP that it is a cure, and I honestly don't understand why people say it isn't and act all pedantic about it... Any way...

I was a very severe case, and have what's called a "refractory body", meaning medications did not work for me to a satisfactory level. For the past 6 years I have been struggling badly with UC, and nearly died a few times from severe anaemia and malnutrition (this bit of info is more for readers than you, I'm assuming you have UC so you likely know the typical/severe symptoms). My care team and I tried 3 different pill medications (mesalazine, mesalamine, and Imuran... I am too high risk of Cancer to try 6MP), 2 biologics (Entyvio and Remicade) and countless suppository/enema medications. The only thing that worked was high dose prednisone, which of course is very dangerous to use long term, so that was a no-go.

So, having failed all of the above, and the condition my body was in dictated the only solution was to remove my colon. I have (still, and I'll get to that) Ulcerative PANcolitis. So my entire large intestinal tract all the way to the anus is diseased. I live in Canada, and I managed to get in for the colon removal before Covid hit my city too badly. My process, however, is not complete. I unfortunately still have what is called a "rectal stump", because Covid cases are out of control where I am, and I cannot get the next surgery until it calms down (only critical surgeries are allowed at this time). The "stump" is still diseased, and I'm on a flare. This one is categorized as a Proctitis flare. I can't wait to get it out...

If you're even considering having the surgery, you already are in a position where you need it, in my opinion. The recovery is difficult for the first few months, you are presented with some new challenges, but in my opinion these challenges are NOTHING compared to the ones I had while still having a diseased colon. Life with the bag is very strange at first, but you do adapt to it rather quickly. I am no longer filling my body with poisons (Imuran, and many of the other drugs needed to treat IBD are just as bad as the damned disease...), I am no longer limited by urgent need for a toilet, I can eat almost anything I want so I can now eat healthy vegetables and fruits without fear of getting sick. When I finally have the stump out, I will have more energy and physical ability to do more than when I still had my colon. Yeah, bag emptying and changing is gross, and if you have a blow out (bag failure, leakage...) it really sucks. But it is nothing compared to full on having an accident in your pants, having to wear a diaper, panicking about where the nearest toilet is... You can't control any farting at all, unfortunately, so that can be embarrassing. Bag changing is really rough in the beginning because of how shocking it is to look down and see your literal inside organ being outside of your body, but again, you adapt. I won't lie, I nearly fainted my first bag change because I was just overwhelmed, but it didn't happen again.

In closing, it has been an absolute miracle for me. I have zero regrets, and I am a staunch advocate for it if you are a severe enough case that nothing else works. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss it further. And that goes for anyone who reads this; I am very happy to talk about my experiences. There are so many supplies for ostomy care that it's really a breeze once you get the hang of it. There are amazing bags, deodorants, and comfort appliances to assist with bag life, too! I've been amazed! I'm very happy with it so far, and can't wait to finish the whole process.

Thank you so much! It has been an incredibly difficult past few years, but I finally have a light at the end of the tunnel. Take care!

That sounds exactly like something someone who's trying to hide something would say...