Hey everybody,
It’s hard to believe but one year has passed since my J-pouch was constructed! On Tuesday I’m going in for my first pouchoscopy, so rest assured there will be a video in the near future describing this glorious procedure in all the detail you’ve come to expect from my videos. Hopefully everything looks alright!
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
This is what I was doing all last week. This video is a chance to show off some of the great scenery of the Superior Hiking Trail, but more importantly it addresses a concern many people have before surgery: will a J-pouch impact the strenuous physical activities that you used to enjoy?
The short answer is: no! You should be able to return to the activities and sports you loved once you have sufficiently recovered from your final surgery.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
From my own experience and from listening to the stories from others, it seems that the first few weeks following an ileostomy takedown or reversal are the most difficult for people who are now using a J-pouch. There can be a lot of doubts during this period about the decision that was made to have surgery, but it’s important not to get down!
Keep the end goal in mind, and watch this video. Hopefully you’ll get some encouragement to make it through this difficult time, a time when you are going to the bathroom so often it feels like you have ulcerative colitis again.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
You’ve seen my video about my ileostomy dreams–now see the other side of the coin: my J-pouch dreams. I’ve written about a few of these dreams months ago.
The Wolves
The Ostomy Bag
The Window Bathroom
The Doctor Visit
Why have I only told you of four dreams compared to the ten dreams with my ileostomy? Watch this video to find out why.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: For the J-pouchers: do you have J-pouch dreams? Post your experiences!
It’s been six months now since my takedown surgery, and everything is working as it should. Again, I have no complaints about the surgery.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: How was your J-pouch working after six months? Respond to this post and share your experience!
Everybody is still wildly concerned about what life is like post-j-pouch surgery. This video discusses how my pipes worked four months after my takedown surgery. Not too much different than at three months, or really two months. The changes and improvements I’m making are happening much slower as time goes on, suggesting that I am nearing the point when this point in time will be my new normal.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: For the j-pouchers, what did your life look like at four months? Respond to this post please!
I’ve made a video before about using Imodium, an anti-diarrheal, with an ileostomy, and I suppose using Imodium with a j-pouch is essentially the same. This video describes how I use the medicine. I certainly don’t use it as much as with my diverting loop ileostomy, and I don’t use it as much as some people use it with their j-pouch. In the end it comes down to what kind of frequency you want to live with, and how much medicine you want to take every day.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question:For the j-pouchers, how often do you use Imodium? Reply to this post!
If you’ve read about life post-takedown surgery, you’ve probably heard of this concept. Once you start using your j-pouch, you will quickly have burning and irritation around your butt. This is a problem that comes and goes depending on circumstances, but is worse more in the beginning of j-pouch life.
This video describes how I deal with the burning.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: For the j-pouchers, do you have problems with burning and how do you take care of it?
For everybody wondering what a day with my j-pouch looks like, check out this video. I spend two days with my j-pouch, marking every bowel movement. This video was done after three months with my j-pouch, so it should give you an idea what to expect from your j-pouch three months out from your takedown surgery.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: Does the frequency of these two days with my j-pouch bother you or is it something you could live with? Reply to this post!
Quite a few people have asked me about the functioning of a j-pouch. Specifically, they want to know: how will they know when to go to the bathroom? Does the body let you know you have to have a bowel movement, or are you constantly in a state of uncertainty about when the next time to go is?
Fortunately, you can put your worries behind you! Your body is usually good about letting you know when you need to use the bathroom.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: For the j-pouchers, is your body pretty good about telling you when to go to the bathroom? Take one minute and comment on this post!
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