Since my last post on this topic, I’ve finished off a second draft of a book chapter and sent it in, and am back to full-time work.

I just had a talk with my surgeon, and everything looks good for follow-up surgery in August. He also plans to do the surgery in one go, not two separate surgery dates. He says that a couple of extras days post-operative with just IV fluids should allow the intestine to heal from the surgery. I should be in the hospital for about 7 days post-op this next time around.

The particular procedure is an ileo-anal anastomosis with a J-pouch. A portion of small intestine is used to form a pouch connected to the anus, and the end of the small intestine is connected to this pouch.

More info on this site: http://www.j-pouch.org/