So, I have not been on the forums for almost a year exactly (maybe it's something about the month of February that makes my body freak out lol). I just had a couple of questions that I wanted to ask you fellow J-pouchers in regards to a few things I've been dealing with lately.
First and foremost is the nausea. I had my final surgery almost 3 years ago and every single day since then, I have experienced mild bouts of nausea. It is never enough that I think I am going to throw up. It's just sort of in the background and is almost annoying, to say the least. I think it's simply a side effect of when my body becomes slightly dehydrated but I just wanted to see if anyone else has this and what your experience with it is.
Next are the headaches. Almost a year ago, I started having these short headaches that I have found to be called "ice-pick headaches" because they are short, fast, and feel like someone has literally just taken an ice-pick to your skull. They hurt very badly and fade almost instantly but they always happen at the most random times. We thought for a while that I might not be getting enough sleep but there have been days that I've had 8 or more hours of sleep and still had them. They're not every day, they're not even every week. Sometimes I'll have 5 in one day, and sometimes I'll have one and then not have another for 2 weeks. I have no idea if these are related to dehydration or other pouch type issues but just thought I'd put it out there.
Lastly is the sleepiness. Now, I know that being tired is a big side effect of having UC and the pouch because it is very hard for my body to absorb the nutrient it needs to feel energized but I really would like to know what others do to feel more awake throughout the day, besides coffee or sugar. I sometimes even feel afraid to drive home form work because I'm so tired and don't want to fall asleep at the wheel. Does anyone have a solution to this?
Please and Thank you to any and all comments that can help me with these issues. 
Alecz <#3
