Leanne, you are taking the right approach by looking into a second opinion. The choice you make will have a significant affect on your quality of life. It would be great if you cold get your J pouch to function well, so a consult with a surgeon who is well-experienced in dealing with J pouch problems is in order. According to your earlier post, an end ileostomy with several options regarding the pouch were the only options presented to you. Two other options that do not require having an external bag are the K pouch and the BCIR. It is my understanding that there are 2 surgeons in Canada who do the K pouch.
I had to have my 30 year J pouch removed for medical reasons and opted to get a BCIR because I strongly did not want an end ileostomy. I have had excellent results with it since my surgery 7 years ago. Since my surgery, I have become very active in the continent ileostomy community and am a columnist in UOAA’s magazine. “The Phoenix”. One of my articles is entitled, “Researching My Options” which can be viewed at: https://j7d.873.myftpupload.co...chingMyOptions-1.pdf. . This article is also available on the website of the Quality Life Association (www.qla-ostomy.org). This website contains additional information about the BCIR procedure as well as a list of surgeons who perform continent ileostomies, including 2 in Canada. I would be pleased to provide more information if you are interested. Just send me a PM. Bill