I had my 3 month check-up; blood tests, etc. CT Scan next time. I am 18 months since surgery and I told him I had been feeling better about things until I started reading about celebrities who have had relapses, CC coming back. He said, logically too, that you only see the bad stories in the press. "If it bleeds, it leads", he said. He also asked me how many lymph nodes Tony S. and Farrah had affected by cancer. Of course I have no idea. I had one, maybe, they were not sure although they searched and searched when the biopsied. He said the number of lymph nodes in the numer uno indicator of whether CC can be cured. He said I was low risk, "RELAX"!

He did express concern when I told him about frequent "taco butt" symptoms. I told him that on this J-Pouch site, seems like everybody gets TB. He wants me to check with the colo-rectal surgeon as he is concerned with too frequent irritation of any kind. I told him I used psylium husks, Lomotil, Pepto Bismal and if I ate very, very conservatively too, I was usually OK but I can't always live like that. I can wok, go to the gym but I still feel like I have mild colitis a lot of the time. Is this how y'all feel too? Dangerous in your opinion?

Mark,

I don't have the colitis feelings (if you are referring to pain and cramping) - that is usually a sign of pouchitis.

I have just recently found relief from the constant BB (taco butt) after I upped my dosage on a few things. I:
- bumped up my VSL dosage from 1x / day to 2x
- bumped up my metamucil from 2 / day to 3 / day
- bumped up my immodium from 1 before bed to 1 in the morning and 1 before bed

I think the VSL and metamucil increase helped the most. And I am almost sold on the idea of eating rice with every meal It seems to help a lot now - especially at dinner for a better night's rest.

Keep experimenting with your supplemental meds and foods and see what works.

Mark,


I had to laugh when I read your post. We asked my oncologist about Tony Snow and his reply was "The White House has not sent me the pathology report. Relax you had only 1 of 109 lymph nodes positive." I finished chemo in March and have not had takedown yet. Plan on it in Aug or Sept.

Jeannie