Don't do it!! I was scheduled for surgery the morning of my 15th day in the hospital, when a friend of mine convinced me to go home and think about it .. during that week I found Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gotschell .. better known as the SCD diet and have been about 95% ever since.. am off Imuran and Cyclosporine and Prednisone - have been on Colazal for the past 8 months, and will stay on it for awhile longer .. but no more blood! PLEASE try this diet before having the surgery .. I wake up every morning thankful I didn't ! JLM

I was diagnosed with Crohn's when I was a senior in college, about 10 years ago - my doctor was going to perform surgery on me (I was admitted to the emergency room, this is how we figured out what was wrong with me) - I was already considering not having the surgery when the surgeon who was supposed to do the procedure came in and told me that he didn't recommend I go thru with it. I checked myself out of the hospital that day and never looked back. I would still like to go back and find that doctor to thank him. I have only had one small attack since then - about a year later - and nothing in 9 years. I was also supposed to be on prednisone and asacol my whole life but i only took it maybe 6 months after leaving the hospital and have been on nothing since. I don't know any of the details of your case, however I think all of these bowel diseases (IBS,UC and crohn's) as still so new (crohn's was still rare when i was diagnosed) that not enough is known about it - surgery is drastic. I would do a lot of research and look into alternative options before having surgery. One book you might want to read is Jordan S. Rubin's 'The Maker's Diet'. I would also check out www.mercola.com. Many now believe (as I do) that most illness can be turned around with a change in diet. I hope this helps, good luck. :)