Thank you Liz for your helpful input. Its weird but my bowel function varies wildly, sometimes with great difficulty and a virtually normal thumb width stool, then calamitous torrential downpour with thunderous retorts of explosive gas. I agree fruit is often the culprit but when my 'other half' is enjoying a bowl of cereals with cherries, strawberries, cooked apple etc I am tempted. Its true that the last meal of the day should be a light one no later than 5 pm or else there sometimes up to 4 trips running to the bathroom between 11 pm and 3am. After 20 years you would think I would have a decent regime. I think the Cavilon cream and spray has been a big help as well as sitting on the bath side and giving the rear end a good showering. I just wonder how many people after this procedure never have any trouble at all? And what's the difference between an ileostomy and a Pouch? Somebody should publish so that a new candidate can make an informed choice before embarking on a life of toilet focused behavior.. My first name actually is Alan from West Midlands UK. I used to belong to the NACC - National Association for Chrohns and Colitis and the only useful thing I got out of that was the Radar key to open all disabled toilets. I usually carry around a pack of Baby Wipes, cream and a spare pad but sometimes have been forced to clean up with wet toilet paper. Somebody said that they didn't seem much better off than Colitis. Only thing I guess is that cancer is not a probable conclusion, but sometimes I swear I would have taken my chances. I will have a look at the Fodmap diet