The most important success criteria for me are 1) no urgency, 2) no incontinence or leakage, 3) the ability to usually sleep through the night, and 4) a reasonable number of BMs per day, no more than something like 7 or 8. Others may value different things.

Thanks for the reply.

So if I'm sometimes feeling the urgency to pass mucus, does this mean I'll have the urgency for a bowel movement once my pouch becomes fully active? Or is it completely different?

Do you just get a slight pressured feeling in the anus when you need to pass your stool?

The way the slippery mucus feels and behaves has no relationship to how stool will feel/behave. A full pouch is hard to describe, but it will be pretty clear to you.

That's great to know. Thanks a lot!!

I felt pretty good pretty soon after takedown surgery and for me I felt better than I had in a long time. It does take some time to work out what food will work for you, if you read here people have very different experiences about what increases the number of bowel motions in a day. Some people eat raw vegetables, nuts and popcorn all of which I avoid as these cause an big increase in the number of trips to the toilet! Once things have settled down I found it was a bit of trial on error. I did accidentally have a bit of chilli one day, that was a pretty but error  good luck for your surgery. 

Thanks a lot I'm looking forward to it to be honest, don't mind these operations whatsoever! How long (roughly) is it before you know whether or not it is a successful J-Pouch?

Also, I noticed you mentioned how people eat popcorn... Can you happily eat nuts, popcorn, mushrooms, etc.... and have no blockages whatsoever with a J-Pouch? I thought nuts was a food that should be avoided completely but recently, my surgeon said that I am able to eat most things but I'll just get told not to, to avoid any chance of a blockage.

I did eat a few mushrooms once and it was fine, tried them again and got a bit stuck I think...

I knew fairly quickly it was a success. Two weeks post takedown and it was back to life as usual for me. I was very fortunate to have a smooth recovery and transition into j pouch life. I'm very grateful each day....I don't take it for granted!  Wishing you the same success.....good luck! 

I also have had a smooth transition as well!  4 weeks out, just spent the day out with relatives, ate out for lunch, no problems, had to use bathroom once, no urgency!   Started going out after my second week home, trips to the bathroom are now 4-5 times a day!  Very happy with things so far!

I've never had a blockage, and many J-pouchers never do. I happily scarf down a small popcorn at the movies. YMMV. 

mgmt10 posted:

I knew fairly quickly it was a success. Two weeks post takedown and it was back to life as usual for me. I was very fortunate to have a smooth recovery and transition into j pouch life. I'm very grateful each day....I don't take it for granted!  Wishing you the same success.....good luck! 

Oh that's really good! Glad you're coping well with yours. Thank you very much!

CTB23 posted:

I also have had a smooth transition as well!  4 weeks out, just spent the day out with relatives, ate out for lunch, no problems, had to use bathroom once, no urgency!   Started going out after my second week home, trips to the bathroom are now 4-5 times a day!  Very happy with things so far!

 

 

I'd be happy with those results as well! Is there anything I can do in the mean time that will help my pouch in the future? I know there are floor exercises, etc... but just wondering if there's anything else...

Scott F posted:

I've never had a blockage, and many J-pouchers never do. I happily scarf down a small popcorn at the movies. YMMV. 

That's good news! I miss eating certain foods. But is sweetcorn still a big no?

I happily eat sweetcorn, too. If your gut works then your gut works. I'll admit to testing it carefully before concluding that food just doesn't seem to get stuck in me.

You ask "Can you happily eat nuts, popcorn, mushrooms, etc.... and have no blockages whatsoever with a J-Pouch?" For me i can eat these but it is not about the blockages as long as things are chewed well, but more about these things increasing the number and consistency of BMs so avoided.........but not excluded totally. i find certain things just don't break down and what goes in comes straight back out literally. It will take time but you will work out what works for you, we all seem to have slightly different tolerances to different foods so there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rules to go by.

I eat corn, nuts, popcorn....I'm good with them. But nuts will give be bad butt burn. I've experienced a small obstruction only once in 6 years (just two weeks ago) and I have no clue what caused it. Interestingly, I didn't eat anything that day that you'd think would cause an obstruction. It passed quickly though. I had some pain, liquid stool, vommited once and then it was gone. At first I thought I was catching a stomach bug but since it was so fast, I concluded that it was a mild obstruction. 

Really interesting how corn and nuts are being ate without problems. Stoma nurses made it clear to try and keep away from them... Hmm.

mgmt10 posted:

I eat corn, nuts, popcorn....I'm good with them. But nuts will give be bad butt burn. I've experienced a small obstruction only once in 6 years (just two weeks ago) and I have no clue what caused it. Interestingly, I didn't eat anything that day that you'd think would cause an obstruction. It passed quickly though. I had some pain, liquid stool, vommited once and then it was gone. At first I thought I was catching a stomach bug but since it was so fast, I concluded that it was a mild obstruction. 

Was gonna ask something on that matter. With a stoma, blockages can be flushed out. If there did come a time when there was a severe blockage with a J-Pouch and rubbing your stomach doesn't work, is there a way they can be flushed out or is it a case of just coping with the bit of pain until it passes?

My stoma is very generous.  I can eat anything and it will go through.  So far.  Corn.  Nuts.  Anything.  Haven't eaten like this in years.  Was always afraid of the after affects.  Now.  I don't worry about it a bit.  

Richard. 

Mysticobra posted:

My stoma is very generous.  I can eat anything and it will go through.  So far.  Corn.  Nuts.  Anything.  Haven't eaten like this in years.  Was always afraid of the after affects.  Now.  I don't worry about it a bit.  

Richard. 

I'm gonna try nuts gradually and see how I get on but I really daren't even attempt to eat any sweetcorn. Like you say, I'm just scared of the after affects. I think it's really interesting how you can happily eat it though with no problems! Hmmm.

A properly constructed J-pouch doesn't really obstruct unless there's a stricture. Stomas can get into different kinds of trouble.

Since my j pouch takedown Jan 15, I've not been told to avoid any foods, I currently eat anything; what I want, when I want, although, I've not tried popcorn.

 Not long after takedown, I ate a large bag full of Dry Roasted Peanuts and, without issues, however, when I ate peanuts when I had either the end or loop ileostomy, can't remember which, the peanut output bunged up my colostomy bag to a very thick peanut butter type consistency, I became very ill for a couple of days too, I also experienced the same when I ate a bananas, also with ileostomy.

Since takedown, I've ate sweetcorn, dry roasted peanuts, mushrooms and bananas with no adverse effects

strange posted:

Since my j pouch takedown Jan 15, I've not been told to avoid any foods, I currently eat anything; what I want, when I want, although, I've not tried popcorn.

 Not long after takedown, I ate a large bag full of Dry Roasted Peanuts and, without issues, however, when I ate peanuts when I had either the end or loop ileostomy, can't remember which, the peanut output bunged up my colostomy bag to a very thick peanut butter type consistency, I became very ill for a couple of days too, I also experienced the same when I ate a bananas, also with ileostomy.

Since takedown, I've ate sweetcorn, dry roasted peanuts, mushrooms and bananas with no adverse effects

I had the blockage problem with the loop.  With the end I have now it may come out thick but it doesn't make me sick.  Now the loop.  That bugger was a pain.  More trouble than what it's worth.  The end everything so far comes out fine.  I never expected it.  I've had it ten months today and no problems so far.  I had the loop two days out of the hospital and it had blocked up. 

My pouch.  I was afraid to eat anything.  Because everything bothered it or let's just say the backside.  

Richard. 

strange posted:

Since my j pouch takedown Jan 15, I've not been told to avoid any foods, I currently eat anything; what I want, when I want, although, I've not tried popcorn.

 Not long after takedown, I ate a large bag full of Dry Roasted Peanuts and, without issues, however, when I ate peanuts when I had either the end or loop ileostomy, can't remember which, the peanut output bunged up my colostomy bag to a very thick peanut butter type consistency, I became very ill for a couple of days too, I also experienced the same when I ate a bananas, also with ileostomy.

Since takedown, I've ate sweetcorn, dry roasted peanuts, mushrooms and bananas with no adverse effects

That's really good! So what actually changes? How are people prone to blockages with a stoma and not so much with a J-Pouch?

Other than the peanut and banana issue I've never experienced any blockages.

During my first appointment with a Stoma Nurse, she reeled off a host of everyday foods that I must not eat.

I returned to eating absolutely everything I ate prior to the removal of my colon, in fact, everything my Stoma Nurse said I couldnt eat, I did and not oncebdid I have a blockage.

I think the risk of blockages is maybe more apparent with a loop ileostomy, possible due to part of the small intestine being formed into a loop with an opening created within the loop to form the Stoma.