Hi Lionel
Yes the problems you describe are too painfully familiar. One thing I should mention: I have noticed that fruits can be absolutely disastrous, except bananas! Soft pulpy fruits are the main culprits and stimulate the small bowel more determinedly than the colon you sadly lost. It is a powerful and rhythmic force. I have found over the 20 years since the op that foods such as sweet potato and broccoli highly satisfactory. To eliminate fruits from your diet is of course a shame so obviously there has to be a satisfactory intake of vitamin C in either ways. Orange juice not much good but the mixture of summer fruit juices to dilute in smallish amounts OK. Luckily I have never had pouchitis or other problems. Sometimes when i look at all the awful problems of this major procedure and the repeated dashing upstairs to the toilet, I wonder if I should have taken my chances with cancer. On the other hand my leg muscles are in fine shape.
There are so many new drugs coming along, but too late for 'what if..' etc.I have had to use pads after the dread peach stone incident but it is improving with dietary modifications, Lomotil 3x daily and pelvic floor exercises. How often have I moaned to myself on the misery of all the multitudinous problems I have had, wondering if I have accepted a whole bunch of fearful Karmic retributions. 'Why me?' and there again 'Why not me?' One does tend to philosophize and believe that somehow the acceptance of suffering is congruent with the teaching of the Buddha - the Prince Siddhartha Gautama - of the first noble truth. Meditation etc is the answer to the second and third noble truths and somehow the graceful acceptance of suffering is high on the highway to realisation. This is for nothing as I tend to ramble on. A born philosopher as are many of my Ashkenazi compatriots.
best wishes
Alan
