Posted 6/8/2009 11:37 PM (GMT -8)
I had UC for eight years and had my entire large intestine removed. I now have had an ileostomy for 1 year and six months. I am currently working on losing enough weight so my surgeon will do stage two of my J pouch out of the 3 stages she wants to do. I still have to lose 70 more pounds before that happens. I have just found this board and this is the first real experience I have had talking to other people that are going or have gone through this. I have been told nothing of what can go wrong from having a J Pouch done and now I am just finding out that people are still having to use the bathroom 12 times a day or more! This surgery has been one hope i have been hanging onto, I know I am a strong enough person to live with the ileostomy pouch or a permanent pouch, but I am still considering the J Pouch. Now I am reading that people have a higher rate of colon cancer with a J pouch? I really don't know if I can live with UC like symptoms of having that urgency to use the bathroom from a J pouch and having biopsies to check for colon cancer every year. Currently my small intestine has adapted quite well to pulling out water and I probably use the bathroom 5-6 times a day max. After a J pouch is done is it possible to control the urgency issue of using the bathroom with diet and something like immodium? And what is involved in the biopsy process to see if you have colon cancer every year once the J pouch is done and how painful is it? No matter what I read I will probably still toss the dice and get the surgery for the J pouch but I want to be informed as possible before I choose. Any other J pouch issues I should be aware of please please let me know. thank you everyone for being such great people.