Hi all I have had my j-pouch for 26 years. I had a severe case of UC for 10 years and begged the doctor for surgery because the pain was so bad. After the follow-up to my j-pouch surgery in 1992 the surgeon noticed that I had a hernia at my stomach site and suggested adding mesh but I declined. Then in 2011 I had an obstruction due to the hernia! So I was forced to have surgery again. This is also when I learned why I could never get pregnant after naturally trying then going through three IVF treatments. With the 1st surgery and moving “things”around my fallopian tubes/body developed a fluid that was a natural birth control that did not allow the fertilize egg adhere to the uterus. They asked if I wanted to correct it and I declined.
No special diet I have learned I cannot eat kale super green salad because it has a lot of raw roughage type vegetables. But other than that I eat whatever. Love popcorn can eat a large by myself and no issues. Of course ice cream, NyQuil (or cold meds) and fruit will cause me to have “milkshake” like poop if not pure liquid, but no drainage or nighttime seeping. I drink my share of whiskey, bourbon, tequila and/or vodka and no issues.
Yes my stomach does make strange sounds at times but have started back taking VSL#3, take digestive enzymes as needed, dicyclomine to help with the GI scar tissue spasms/cramps, and an awesome liquid vitamin, intraMaxx since my body doesn’t absorb capsules/tablets after the surgery.
Every now and then I may get pouchitis now that I know what it is but it has decreased with the VSL. I also have a sigmoidoscopy procedure to check my pouch every two years.
My biggest complaint is the lopsided stomach. I hate it but there does not seem to be a clear answer to what is happening to cause one side to be larger than the other. Maybe lymphdema or something? I also would love to have a hysterectomy but the one doctor I spoke to basically told me he was afraid to do the surgery especially since I have a lot of adhesions from my surgeries.