ULCERATIVE COLITIS: TOTAL PROCTOCOLECTOMY WITH ILEOANAL J-POUCH

I'm getting ready to go for my annual flexible sigmoidoscopy for follow-up and it dawned on me that I haven't written about my ulcerative colitis and ultimate surgery for a long time. Most likely that's because I don't think about it much anymore, but perhaps printing my story again will give someone else out there hope.

I started having symptoms of ulcerative colitis in my 20's. I'm 65 now. I would have bouts of cramping and diarrhea and since my grandmother had had ulcerative colitis, it was always in the back of my mind. It wasn't until I began having continual diarrhea and ultimately had bleeding that I was diagnosed with a colonoscopy. That was 20+ years ago. I went through several terribly difficult years while being treated with various medications. When the last medication, 6-mercaptopurine, caused pancreatitis my GI doctor suggested surgery. The surgeon I consulted concurred, and I was scheduled for the above procedure. I arrived for my pre-op only to be told that my surgery had to be cancelled since the surgeon had gone out on an emergency medical leave. He was the only one in Orange County Kaiser Permanente that could do the surgery at that time. It was 1996. I broke down then and there. I was at the end of the line. I had to make 20-30 bathroom trips a day and I was still trying to work the whole while. My husband then intervened and began calling Kaiser. They suggested that I go to San Diego Kaiser to a new surgeon there, Dr. Lynne Weston. We made the appointment and drove to San Diego. She'd memorized my entire medical history and when I got there she told me things I'd forgotten had happened over the years. I had the utmost in confidence in her even though she was a very new surgeon, and I agreed to have her do the surgery. She has since left Kaiser but is still in the San Diego area.

August 14, 1996, my wedding anniversary, I went in for surgery. I won't tell you it was easy. It wasn't. It was a long, painful recovery, but worth every bit of pain because I got my life back. Since then I've become healthier than ever, I work, I'm busy all the time, and we are able to travel the world again. Having surgery was the best decision I ever made. This may be TMI for some, but I still have bowel movements 6-12 times a day based on the foods I eat. Artificial sweeteners, gluten, wine, and a few other foods cause me to have to go more often. BUT I have complete control, so to me this is no big deal.

So, now I'm off to see Dr. Kathy Akashi at Kaiser in Anaheim for my sig. Once you've had the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, your chances of developing cancer go up every year, so you must be checked often. There's still a tiny bit of colon tissue in there, and usually there are a few little inflamed areas that have to be biopsied, but so far so good.

Art For Healing

             

EXPRESSING FEELINGS WITH COLOR

This two hour workshop teaches you how to express feelings with color using the Art4Healing® method developed by Art and Creativity for Healing, Inc. Founder Laurie Zagon. Participants will process their feelings abstractly on canvas while learning about color, composition, and other elements of art. You will complete 3 canvases in the workshop.

Workshops will be held on:

Sundays from 2:00-4:00 PM

October13

October20

October 27

Introductory offer: $30.00 (usual price for class $50.00)

LIMITED TO 10 PARTICIPANTS

For Registration Call 714-402-8535

Mission Art Center
1730 N. Tustin Street
Orange CA 92865

www.missionartcenter.com

There is a theory that emotional, physical and mental changes seem to occur in our lives in approximate seven-year intervals. I’ve found this to be true in my life. The past seven years have been a time of change and many losses. Because of that, I felt a huge void in my life. I searched for a way to fill that void through various means. I tried several different volunteer opportunities that turned out to not fit me well. I studied Reiki energy healing, which was also not a good fit.  Finally, I decided to take a painting class for relaxation and stress management. It worked well for me but wasn’t quite enough. A friend and I were talking one evening during a social event and discovered that we were taking art classes at the same studio. From then on we frequently talked about our common interest in art as being therapeutic. She discovered Art4Healing first. She would bring it up every time we got together, so finally I decided to take a workshop. I enjoyed the whole process and loved the paintings so much I framed them and hung them in my home. I thought about taking the facilitator training but was concerned that it would turn out to be as disappointing as some of the other activities I’d tried, so I joined the women’s guild instead. After spending seven months being involved with the group, I knew Art4Healing was the place for me. The 7-day intensive workshop turned out best for me and my schedule, so I signed up for the August session.

            I didn’t have great expectations for the course. I thought I’d just be learning the mechanics of how to facilitate workshops. However, my week-long experience was very different from what I expected. The women I was in the class with were vibrant, intelligent, and highly energetic. They’d traveled from all over the United States and Canada, each with the same goal in mind: to help others through art. This really made the atmosphere one of great creativity.

            As the days went by and we tried more and more exercises, I found my energy level growing. I also found that I was thinking about my past and present life much more deeply. I’d thought I’d worked through all my past issues and was surprised when they popped back up to the surface. For me, it wasn’t an uncomfortable experience because I truly have found peace with where my life is now. At the same time it taught me that even though I’d worked through them, the issues are still with me and are what has made me the person I am today. The course has shown me just how helpful art can be in assisting people to express themselves in a non-threatening manner, using color instead of words.

            In addition, I’ve become more conscious of my dreams this past week. I usually have quite vivid dreams, but this week I’ve remembered them when I awaken. They’ve been pretty crazy at times, and definitely colorful. I’m looking at my surroundings with fresh eyes, too. I’m seeing beauty in places I hadn’t noticed before and am looking more closely at everything. 

I HOPE YOU COME TO ONE OF MY WORKSHOPS SO YOU CAN HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE!                                                               KATHY