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Hello, It's been about 3 years since my j-pouch surgery with Dr. Mowschenson at Beth Israel in Boston and overall it's been great! Aside from the colitis I was a healthy 34 year old going into surgery and I realize that attributes to my success with the it. I noticed that refined sugars and a lot of carbs were bringing on pouchitis, and if I focus on cutting those out I've felt great. Prior to taking a daily regiment (2 pills) of VSL#3 I ended up with pouchitis (cleared up with antibiotics) every few months or so but it has been kept at bay since. I even pick up running and ran a Half Marathon, something I never could have imagined while I had active ulcerative colitis. I was always too run down and tired to think about running 13.1 feet let alone 13.1 miles.
I spend a lot of time researching before I made the decision to go ahead with j-pouch surgery and this site was helpful for me to hear others experiences.
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I haven't seen Dr. Mowschenson's name in years. I had a consultation with him in 2000 or so, but he believed I had Crohn's and wouldn't agree to or recommend a J-pouch for me. I was impressed by his honesty and thoughtful manner. I ended up chasing down a less conservative surgeon on the West Coast, and fortunately haven't been punished for my aggressive approach.
Lyns,
I enjoyed reading your post. Your story gives me some validation for my decisions.
It was 41 years ago that I was diagnosed with UC, I could not have gone on that long with out being blessed with long remissions. The last 4 years though was very difficult with flare ups that were grueling and then "teaser" remissions.
I decided to go in for surgery in a fairly healthy state, rather than waiting for some kind of emergency to force my hand. I struggled with this decision for a long time and at times wonder if it was the right thing to do. (though in my heart of hearts know that it was)
I am having my take-down surgery in 2 days and hope all goes well, during and in the months after.
Thank you so much for telling us your story. Words of encouragement mean so much to me and I am sure to others as well. Stay well.
Nancy

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