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What is Wrong with Old CheCheBoFumbe (inside)
It's a long read but this is what was found during my colonoscopy. I have been having this off and on for five years but just thought it was stress or what I ate. Anyway, doesn't look like I will die soon but have to make sure I know where the bathrooms are when I eat. There is only one sure cure and I kind of like having both a colon and rectum. It is all explained below. Get a physical every year and never assume it will never happen to you. Good luck on everyone's picks and I'll be hanging around giving my two cents worth when I have time to study.
What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the large intestine (colon). The colon is the part of the digestive system where waste material is stored. The rectum is the end of the colon adjacent to the anus. In patients with ulcerative colitis, ulcers and inflammation of the inner lining of the colon lead to symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding.
Ulcerative colitis is closely related to another condition of inflammation of the intestines called Crohn's disease. Together, they are frequently referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's diseases are chronic conditions that can last years to decades. They affect approximately 500,000 to 2 million people In the United States. Men and women are affected equally. They most commonly begin during adolescence and early adulthood, but they also can begin during childhood and later in life.
It is found worldwide, but is most common in the United States, England, and northern Europe. It is especially common in people of Jewish descent. Ulcerative colitis is rarely seen in Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America, and is rare in the black population. For unknown reasons, an increased frequency of this condition has been recently observed in developing nations.
Colon cancer is a recognized complication of chronic ulcerative colitis. The risk for cancer begins to rise significantly after eight to ten years of colitis. The risk of a patient with ulcerative colitis developing colon cancer is also related to the location and the extent of their disease. Patients with only ulcerative proctitis probably do not have increased colon cancer risk compared to the general population. Among patients with active pancolitis of 10 years or longer, their risk of colon cancer is 10-20 times that of the general population. In patients with chronic left-sided colitis, the risk of colon cancer is increased but not as high as in patients with chronic pancolitis.
Since these cancers have a more favorable outcome when caught at an earlier stage, yearly colon examinations may be recommended after eight years of known extensive disease. During these examinations, samples of tissue (biopsies) can be taken to search for precancerous changes in the lining cells of the colon. When precancerous changes are found, removal of the colon may be necessary to prevent colon cancer.
Complications of ulcerative colitis can involve other parts of the body. Ten percent of the patients can develop inflammation of the joints (arthritis). Some patients have low back pain due to arthritis of the sacroiliac joints. Rarely, patients may develop painful, red, skin nodules (erythema nodosum). Yet others can have painful, red eyes (uveitis, episcleritis). Because these particular complications can risk permanent vision impairment, eye pain or redness are symptoms that require a physician's evaluation. Diseases of the liver and bile ducts may also be associated with ulcerative colitis. For example, in rare patients with a condition called sclerosing cholangitis, repeated infections and inflammation in the bile ducts can lead to recurrent fever, yellowing of skin (jaundice), cirrhosis, and the need for a liver transplant.
Surgery
Surgery for ulcerative colitis usually involves removing the entire colon and the rectum. Removal of the colon and rectum is the only permanent cure for ulcerative colitis. This procedure also eliminates the risk of developing colon cancer. Surgery in ulcerative colitis is reserved for the following patients:
1. Patients with fulminant colitis and toxic megacolon who are not responding readily to medications.
2. Patients with long standing pancolitis or left-sided colitis who are at risk of developing colon cancers. Removal of the colon is important when precancerous changes are detected in the colon lining.
3. Patients who have had years of severe colitis which has responded poorly to medications.
Standard surgery involves the removal of the entire colon, including the rectum. A small opening is made in the abdominal wall. and the end of the small intestine is attached to the skin of the abdomen to form an ileostomy. Stool collects in a bag that is attached over the ileostomy. Recent improvements in the construction of ileostomies have allowed for continent ileostomies. A continent ileostomy is a pouch created from the intestine. The pouch serves as a reservoir similar to a rectum, and is emptied on a regular basis with a small tube. Patients with continent ileostomies do not need to wear collecting bags.
More recently, a surgery has been developed which allows stool to be passed normally through the anus. In an ileo-anal anastomosis, the large intestine is removed and the small intestine is attached just above the anus. Only the diseased lining of the anus is removed and the muscles of the anus remain intact. In this "pull- through" procedure, the normal route of stool elimination is maintained.
Sometimes the doctor will recommend removing the colon if medical treatment fails or if the side effects of corticosteroids or other drugs threaten your health. For the 25-40% of people who eventually may have their colons removed because of massive bleeding, severe illness, rupture of the colon, or risk of cancer, various surgical techniques are used. What is right for you may not be the type of surgery for someone else.
• The most common surgery is a proctocolectomy with ileostomy, which is done in 2 stages. The surgeon removes the colon and rectum, then creates a small opening in the abdomen, called a stoma, and attaches the end of the small intestine, called the ileum, to it. Waste will travel through your small intestine and exit your body through the stoma. The stoma is about the size of a quarter and is usually located in the lower right part of the abdomen near the beltline. A pouch is worn over the opening to collect waste. You empty the pouch as needed.
• An alternative is the continent ileostomy. In this operation, the surgeon uses the ileum to create a pouch inside your lower abdomen. Waste empties into this pouch, and you drain the pouch by inserting a tube into it through a small, leakproof opening in your side. You must wear an external pouch for only the first few months after the operation. Possible complications of the continent ileostomy include malfunction of the leakproof opening, which requires surgical repair, and inflammation of the pouch (pouchitis), which is treated with antibiotics.
• A procedure that is becoming increasingly common is the ileoanal anastomosis, or pull-through operation. It would allow you to have normal bowel movements because it preserves part of the rectum. The surgeon removes the diseased part of the colon and the inside of the rectum, leaving the outer muscles of the rectum. The surgeon then attaches the ileum to the inside of the rectum and the anus, creating a pouch. Waste is stored in the pouch and passed through the anus in the usual manner. Bowel movements may be more frequent and watery than usual. Pouchitis is a possible complication of this procedure.
• Depending on the cause of your colitis, you may have some of the more common symptoms:
o Frequent loose bowel movements with or without blood
o Urgency to have a bowel movement and bowel incontinence
o Lower abdominal discomfort or cramps
o Fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite
o Weight loss with continuing diarrhea
• If you develop chronic inflammatory bowel disease, you may also have complications, possibly because your immune system triggers inflammation in other parts of your body, such as these:
o Eye problems or pain
o Joint problems
o Neck or lower back pain
o Skin rashes
o Liver and kidney problems
What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the large intestine (colon). The colon is the part of the digestive system where waste material is stored. The rectum is the end of the colon adjacent to the anus. In patients with ulcerative colitis, ulcers and inflammation of the inner lining of the colon lead to symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding.
Ulcerative colitis is closely related to another condition of inflammation of the intestines called Crohn's disease. Together, they are frequently referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's diseases are chronic conditions that can last years to decades. They affect approximately 500,000 to 2 million people In the United States. Men and women are affected equally. They most commonly begin during adolescence and early adulthood, but they also can begin during childhood and later in life.
It is found worldwide, but is most common in the United States, England, and northern Europe. It is especially common in people of Jewish descent. Ulcerative colitis is rarely seen in Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America, and is rare in the black population. For unknown reasons, an increased frequency of this condition has been recently observed in developing nations.
Colon cancer is a recognized complication of chronic ulcerative colitis. The risk for cancer begins to rise significantly after eight to ten years of colitis. The risk of a patient with ulcerative colitis developing colon cancer is also related to the location and the extent of their disease. Patients with only ulcerative proctitis probably do not have increased colon cancer risk compared to the general population. Among patients with active pancolitis of 10 years or longer, their risk of colon cancer is 10-20 times that of the general population. In patients with chronic left-sided colitis, the risk of colon cancer is increased but not as high as in patients with chronic pancolitis.
Since these cancers have a more favorable outcome when caught at an earlier stage, yearly colon examinations may be recommended after eight years of known extensive disease. During these examinations, samples of tissue (biopsies) can be taken to search for precancerous changes in the lining cells of the colon. When precancerous changes are found, removal of the colon may be necessary to prevent colon cancer.
Complications of ulcerative colitis can involve other parts of the body. Ten percent of the patients can develop inflammation of the joints (arthritis). Some patients have low back pain due to arthritis of the sacroiliac joints. Rarely, patients may develop painful, red, skin nodules (erythema nodosum). Yet others can have painful, red eyes (uveitis, episcleritis). Because these particular complications can risk permanent vision impairment, eye pain or redness are symptoms that require a physician's evaluation. Diseases of the liver and bile ducts may also be associated with ulcerative colitis. For example, in rare patients with a condition called sclerosing cholangitis, repeated infections and inflammation in the bile ducts can lead to recurrent fever, yellowing of skin (jaundice), cirrhosis, and the need for a liver transplant.
Surgery
Surgery for ulcerative colitis usually involves removing the entire colon and the rectum. Removal of the colon and rectum is the only permanent cure for ulcerative colitis. This procedure also eliminates the risk of developing colon cancer. Surgery in ulcerative colitis is reserved for the following patients:
1. Patients with fulminant colitis and toxic megacolon who are not responding readily to medications.
2. Patients with long standing pancolitis or left-sided colitis who are at risk of developing colon cancers. Removal of the colon is important when precancerous changes are detected in the colon lining.
3. Patients who have had years of severe colitis which has responded poorly to medications.
Standard surgery involves the removal of the entire colon, including the rectum. A small opening is made in the abdominal wall. and the end of the small intestine is attached to the skin of the abdomen to form an ileostomy. Stool collects in a bag that is attached over the ileostomy. Recent improvements in the construction of ileostomies have allowed for continent ileostomies. A continent ileostomy is a pouch created from the intestine. The pouch serves as a reservoir similar to a rectum, and is emptied on a regular basis with a small tube. Patients with continent ileostomies do not need to wear collecting bags.
More recently, a surgery has been developed which allows stool to be passed normally through the anus. In an ileo-anal anastomosis, the large intestine is removed and the small intestine is attached just above the anus. Only the diseased lining of the anus is removed and the muscles of the anus remain intact. In this "pull- through" procedure, the normal route of stool elimination is maintained.
Sometimes the doctor will recommend removing the colon if medical treatment fails or if the side effects of corticosteroids or other drugs threaten your health. For the 25-40% of people who eventually may have their colons removed because of massive bleeding, severe illness, rupture of the colon, or risk of cancer, various surgical techniques are used. What is right for you may not be the type of surgery for someone else.
• The most common surgery is a proctocolectomy with ileostomy, which is done in 2 stages. The surgeon removes the colon and rectum, then creates a small opening in the abdomen, called a stoma, and attaches the end of the small intestine, called the ileum, to it. Waste will travel through your small intestine and exit your body through the stoma. The stoma is about the size of a quarter and is usually located in the lower right part of the abdomen near the beltline. A pouch is worn over the opening to collect waste. You empty the pouch as needed.
• An alternative is the continent ileostomy. In this operation, the surgeon uses the ileum to create a pouch inside your lower abdomen. Waste empties into this pouch, and you drain the pouch by inserting a tube into it through a small, leakproof opening in your side. You must wear an external pouch for only the first few months after the operation. Possible complications of the continent ileostomy include malfunction of the leakproof opening, which requires surgical repair, and inflammation of the pouch (pouchitis), which is treated with antibiotics.
• A procedure that is becoming increasingly common is the ileoanal anastomosis, or pull-through operation. It would allow you to have normal bowel movements because it preserves part of the rectum. The surgeon removes the diseased part of the colon and the inside of the rectum, leaving the outer muscles of the rectum. The surgeon then attaches the ileum to the inside of the rectum and the anus, creating a pouch. Waste is stored in the pouch and passed through the anus in the usual manner. Bowel movements may be more frequent and watery than usual. Pouchitis is a possible complication of this procedure.
• Depending on the cause of your colitis, you may have some of the more common symptoms:
o Frequent loose bowel movements with or without blood
o Urgency to have a bowel movement and bowel incontinence
o Lower abdominal discomfort or cramps
o Fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite
o Weight loss with continuing diarrhea
• If you develop chronic inflammatory bowel disease, you may also have complications, possibly because your immune system triggers inflammation in other parts of your body, such as these:
o Eye problems or pain
o Joint problems
o Neck or lower back pain
o Skin rashes
o Liver and kidney problems
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