Previous pouchitis videos
First case of pouchitis pt. 1 (5:04)
First case of pouchitis pt. 2 (4:58)
Second case of pouchitis (5:04)
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Archive for the ‘J-Pouch’ Category
Nadia’s J-pouch update: Failing J-pouch
April 2, 2011A few months ago, I had a pouchoscopy procedure done to figure out why my J-Pouch is bleeding. The results came in, but were not favorable. I explain the results and my feelings about them in this video.
“I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive
I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise
To fly” ~Rihanna
~Nadia
QUESTION: If you have had surgery, what complications arise and how do you deal with them? Please share here!
Nadia and Dennis two year J-pouch update
April 1, 2011Our viewers like perspective when it comes to surgery, knowing what can go well and what can go bad. In this video Nadia and I compare how our J-pouches have functioned the last two years or so.
Two points worth noting: shortly after this video was filmed, I developed my third case of pouchitis, and Nadia decided to keep her ostomy permanently, rather than trying a second reversal. It just goes to show that there are no guarantees when it comes to surgery.
But in both our cases we’ve decided that the possible benefits of the J-pouch were worth the risks.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Clenching your muscles with a J-pouch
August 30, 2010I frequently get asked the question by people about to have their takedown surgery, “Do I constantly have to clench my butt muscles when I live with a J-pouch? Do I need to try and hold things in?” Of course, everybody is different, but for the most part, no.
This video explains in detail how those muscles work and what it feels like to live with a J-pouch day to day.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: Those with a J-pouch, does my experience match yours? Do you go through your day without actively trying to hold things back? Respond to the post!
Second case of pouchitis
August 27, 2010Some of you may remember, about eight months ago I had my first case of pouchitis (Part I : Part II), an infection of the J-pouch.
At the end of July, I developed symptoms which strongly suggested a second case of pouchitis. This video describes what I saw, and how it was treated.
And right now, I’m doing fine!
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Oh, J-pouch, please don’t fail me!
July 3, 2010This week I had a big setback. I was told that my internal J-Pouch was in the beginning stage of pouch failure. After only 16 months, my disease has caused my pouch to have repeated Pouchitis, it’s full of ulcers and there is a lack of blood supply to the pouch. Aggressive treatment is needed to try to save my pouch. So I go into crisis mode and do whatever it takes to fix this and hope in the end it does.
I often hear, God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. I know this. This isn’t the worst thing, others suffer way more than I do and I don’t feel sorry for myself or wallow in self pity(at least not for long). But I am human, and I hurt, I cry-hard, and sometimes I feel defeated, overwhelmed and tired. And call me selfish but I want some things that I feel are like sand slipping through my fingers. For the past 3.5 years, a good portion of my life has been focused on my illness. It would be nice to shift gears and not worry so much about sickness, meds, doctor visits, and be able to focus some attention on going to college, maybe getting a job, doing more with my friends, going forward in life.
I will move forward, just at a slower pace than others, and for now, that has to be ok.
My personality is wired in such a way that I try to stay positive and look for ways to take a bad situation and turn it into something good. It’s my coping mechanism. It is really the only thing that keeps me from succumbing to the stress that this illness has placed my body in and having a complete meltdown. From the outside I can fix myself to look nice and by all outward appearance, no one even knows how ill I am. But underneath there is a lot of pain going on as I realize that what is happening inside my body is so far out of my control that I have even begun to question if there is even an answer that exists out there for me for how rare I am. I like the idea of being one of a kind, but not like this….
So we head into uncharted territory and hope that the course that I am setting sail on leads me to solid ground because being on this rocky sea sailing nowhere is making me sick…literally.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller
~Nadia
QUESTION: WHEN YOU FEEL DEFEATED BY THIS ILLNESS, WHAT ARE WAYS TO HELP YOU OVERCOME THAT FEELING?
Sleeping with a J-pouch
June 5, 2010In this video, we discuss sleeping with a J-Pouch. We talk about our own experiences on how to get acclimated with your J-Pouch following take-down surgery as well as issues that arise as you learn to use the J-Pouch. We also try to give tips on ways to get through a night without having to wake up repeatedly. Our goal is to eventually get a good night’s sleep and soon you can! Eventually the J-Pouch learns its function and frequency and urgency reduce in time. Exercising your kegel muscles help to strengthen your sphincter to help avoid leaks. Don’t get discouraged! It takes patience and nothing always goes smoothly, but in time, you will begin to feel more in control and hopefully maintain some normalcy.
Enjoy, If you want to share your experiences please leave a comment or contact us at: Nadia@UCVlog.com or Dennis@UCVlog.com
Join our Facebook Here!
Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. ~Thomas Dekker (here’s to hoping you get a good night’s rest)
~Nadia
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR ILLNESS EFFECT YOUR SLEEP PATTERN? SHARE YOUR COMMENTS
Nadia’s Rant: I don’t have a colon!
April 17, 2010Does it ever just hit you, out of the blue, the sudden realization that you are missing body parts or how this illness has effected you?? Sometimes randomly, I will get struck with the thought that I don’t have a colon or a rectum. I will never have a solid bowel movement. I have Crohn’s Colitis. I’m sick, and I will be forever–(unless there’s a cure, but even still, I can’t get my colon back) This video is my rant on how it strikes me. Sometimes I think that these realizations hit me because I’m still in the process of understanding the impact of everything that has happened to me. I’m ‘digesting’ it all very slowly because the profound magnitude of what I have gone through in my life is too much to take in at one time.
“Disenchantment, whether it is a minor disappointment or a major shock, is the signal that things are moving into transition in our lives.” ~William Throsby Bridges
Nadia
QUESTION: DOES IT EVER STRIKE YOU, AT ODD MOMENTS, HOW SICK YOU ARE OR WHAT THIS ILLNESS HAS DONE TO YOU?
J-pouch comparison between Nadia and Dennis
April 6, 2010If you’ve been a regular to this site for awhile, you know that Nadia and I have talked a lot about our J-Pouches this last year and how they function. One thing that’s clear, though, is that no two J-Pouches function exactly the same way. For instance, Nadia was diagnosed with Crohn’s colitis, and I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, so that alone causes some differences in our J-Pouches.
In this video we go over our last year or so with our J-Pouches and compare the similarities and differences in our journeys. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what to expect if you go through surgery to get a J-Pouch. Chances are your experience will be a little different as well, and somethings may remain the same.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: How does your J-Pouch compare to Nadia and Dennis’ J-Pouches? Reply to this post!
