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Reply to "November is 44 years with a Kock Pouch :-)"

First off, Congratulations. 44 years is worth celebrating!!!!

Next, mine was done in 1979 by Zane Cohen (retire recently...don't know what I am going to do without him!!!) at TGH in Toronto but he then moved to Mt Sinai and opened the IBD centre there...Wonderful staff, wonderful people. 

I have Ehler's-Danlos disease so I do not heal. Every surgery leads to 3 more. It was a nightmare for both him and me. But we got through it...took 3 surgeries (pouch fell off of the wall, twisted, unfinished 2nd surgery...I woke up in the middle!) to finish and get a working pouch. 20 yrs later had a very botched redo (moved the site up to under my belly button!!! Idiot) here in France and then Dr C did emergency surgery on me when the valve sunk and twisted because of the new site. He went back to the original site. 

2 yrs later he had to move it due to a peristomal hernia that required numerous redos and ended up moving it again later...Always on the right side. 

Since then (and menopause) I ended up with about 8 surgeries (I look like a patchwork quilt inside...All mesh!) including 4 laparoscopic ones to fix hernias etc. Still the original pouch. Just new valves. He flips the pouch over each time. 

As for diet? I use a dissociated diet to avoid pouchitis. I had it continuously for about 11 yrs in the beginning until I figured out that the dissociated diet helped me to control it. It gave me something that no one at the time could...reasons, explanations and methods to control my digestion, output, pouchitis. 

I read a book, it explained digestive processes, I followed the logic and it worked (for me)...doesn't mean that it will work for anyone else but it is so easy, free and uncomplicated that after nearly 27yrs doing it I could not imagine eating any other way. 

I have coffee or tea, water + vitamins, freshly squeezed juice and some fruit in the morning when I wake until noon. Usually, a banana break or other fruit around 10ish to fight the empty feeling and hunger. This successfully clears out my pouch every morning. 

At noon, if working I eat cheese chunks/Greek Yoghurt with cherry tomatoes and olives (easy, quick, no brainer). At home chicken/fish/meat whichever I am in the mood for with green veggies (raw, steamed, cooked...) or pasta/bread with butter and herbs. Sometimes I do veggies soups and toast...love it.

Whichever I ate a lunch (Protein or carbs) I eat the other one for dinner...So I eat 1 protein and 1 carb meal for balance. 

If I need to lose weight I go to 2 protein meals/day. If I need my winter comfort food, I do 2 carb meals/day (puts weight on me)...

I am in control. 

I went from Chronic pouchitis back then with the associated exhaustion, pain, cramping, bloating etc to almost no pouchitis in 27yrs. 

I get about 1 bout every 2-4yrs. 

I am off of antibiotics. And that makes a huge difference. I absorb mostly well, eat most foods that k pouchers avoid like nuts, popcorn and fresh veggies. During the week I am mostly vegetarian out of laziness. Just easier for work. Weekends I eat my meat and fish. 

Dr says that my numbers are good, my pouch is happy (except that it just farted in front of my hubby and scared me to death last night!) and that I should keep doing what I am doing.

Sharon

 

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