I am vegetarian 
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I tried a meatless diet for 6 weeks, It made me extremely gassy and my fingernails stopped growing I was not getting enough protein.
I do eat meat now but very little and only chicken & fish.
@ytcrockpot posted:I tried a meatless diet for 6 weeks, It made me extremely gassy and my fingernails stopped growing I was not getting enough protein.
I do eat meat now but very little and only chicken & fish.
That must be why my hair grows slow hahaa. I have been one for 5 years on July 10th.
Almost a vegan. Still eat humane certified eggs. Otherwise no meat, chicken, fish or dairy. Hasn't made a difference in my j pouch problems, but I feel otherwise healthy and energetic. I think my problems of frequency have to do with eating too much of a good thing at a time. It feels good at the time but I suffer later. 🙄
@LV2Hike posted:Almost a vegan. Still eat humane certified eggs. Otherwise no meat, chicken, fish or dairy. Hasn't made a difference in my j pouch problems, but I feel otherwise healthy and energetic. I think my problems of frequency have to do with eating too much of a good thing at a time. It feels good at the time but I suffer later. 🙄
Cool! I have been a vegetarian for over 5 years, had my J-pouch for almost 6. I never had pouchitis. A vegetarian diet is full of probiotics naturally. I truly think a vegetarian diet would work wonders for J-pouchers and ostomates
And yeah, I totally know what you mean. Its hard to overheat eat with our pouchy since its not a colon. I definitely see the consequences of that too.
I find that I need Psyllium Husk fiber or Metamucil too, or else I get too liquidy. But other times I feel it's hard to push out as it's too firm, looking almost "normal", worthy of a picture, lol. Then when I push I get all sore. Maybe I get sore because my mucosa was also stripped at the time of the colectomy around 25 years ago, as I had cancer from the pan-colitis. I think I got cancer because I used to eat a lot of junk food and lots of carcinogenic meats like franks, barbeque, deli, etc. Because when you think about it, even though I had a 60-40 chance of getting cancer from 20 years of having ulcerative colitis, why wasn't I in the 40% chance of those who did not get cancer? I'm pretty sure it has to do with environment and in my case it was bad carcinogenic food! I try to tell my whole family how vegetarianism is good for EVERYONE and the environment too. But they still eat meat, perhaps less often now. Getting enough protein is certainly not a problem. For those interested, Google "Vegan Athletes" and be amazed!
There is a big difference between eating heavily processed meats and non-processed meats. Eating hot dogs and sausages are clearly not good for one's health, and when Joey Chesnut set the world record by eating 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the Nathan's contest I worried about his health, while marveling at his digestive capacity:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/a...y.com/amp/5443173002
There have been vegetarians in all of the CCFA support groups I have been involved in, and a few of them have struggled to maintain proper weight. For some bodies, vegetarian proteins aren't enough. Apart from that issue is the issue of being able to properly and healthily digest what you are eating as a J Poucher. You can dictate a diet to your body, but there is no guarantee your body will cooperate and tolerate it. Many in the support groups complained of problems eating raw veggies and in some cases cooked vegetables, and were forced to abandon changes made in their diets. My diet is very high in raw fruits and vegetables (fruit and yogurt for breakfast and a salad for lunch every day), but I like meats and eat chicken and seafood and red meat once a week (steak grilled every Sunday). It seems to work. I also drink lots of non dairy milks, my favorites being Silk Coconut-Almond and Silk Cashew. I also like the Califia Farms Coconut Almond, when I can get it.
@CTBarrister posted:There is a big difference between eating heavily processed meats and non-processed meats. Eating hot dogs and sausages are clearly not good for one's health, and when Joey Chesnut set the world record by eating 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the Nathan's contest I worried about his health, while marveling at his digestive capacity:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/a...y.com/amp/5443173002
There have been vegetarians in all of the CCFA support groups I have been involved in, and a few of them have struggled to maintain proper weight. For some bodies, vegetarian proteins aren't enough. Apart from that issue is the issue of being able to properly and healthily digest what you are eating as a J Poucher. You can dictate a diet to your body, but there is no guarantee your body will cooperate and tolerate it. Many in the support groups complained of problems eating raw veggies and I some cases cooked vegetables, and were forced to abandon changes made in their diets. My diet is very high in raw fruits and vegetables (fruit and yogurt for breakfast and a salad for lunch every day), but I like meats and eat chicken and seafood and red meat once a week (steak grilled every Sunday). It seems to work. I also drink lots of non dairy milks, my favorites being Silk Coconut-Almond and Silk Cashew. I also like the Califia Farms Coconut Almond, when I can get it.
Yeah, Joey Chestnut is a legend!!! I love watching his videos. I am scared for all those people as well, but they are lucky XD. On Youtube he ate 32 Big Macs!!!
@LV2Hike posted:I find that I need Psyllium Husk fiber or Metamucil too, or else I get too liquidy. But other times I feel it's hard to push out as it's too firm, looking almost "normal", worthy of a picture, lol. Then when I push I get all sore. Maybe I get sore because my mucosa was also stripped at the time of the colectomy around 25 years ago, as I had cancer from the pan-colitis. I think I got cancer because I used to eat a lot of junk food and lots of carcinogenic meats like franks, barbeque, deli, etc. Because when you think about it, even though I had a 60-40 chance of getting cancer from 20 years of having ulcerative colitis, why wasn't I in the 40% chance of those who did not get cancer? I'm pretty sure it has to do with environment and in my case it was bad carcinogenic food! I try to tell my whole family how vegetarianism is good for EVERYONE and the environment too. But they still eat meat, perhaps less often now. Getting enough protein is certainly not a problem. For those interested, Google "Vegan Athletes" and be amazed!
Dang!!! Is your J-pouch doing okay???
@Former Member posted:Dang!!! Is your J-pouch doing okay???
Every time I went to a doctor thinking there's something wrong with my j-pouch they all said it was in good condition and whoever did it, did a great job. It was Dr. Irwin Gelernt (may he rest in peace) and his assistant Dr. Stephen Gorfine, part of Manhattan's Dream Team, at Mt Sinai back in 1996. So even though the pouch is doing "great", I was not. Always had problems with leakage here and there, never felt "finished", thought I had hemorrhoids (which I apparently never did) because it was often feeling sore or like there were shards of glass were there when I was walking, and would go over 8 times a day or more, if you consider going to the bathroom 3 times within 15 minutes of each other as 3 times. I would count that as one time, but Gorfine said that's 3 times.
Dr. Gorfine who I saw almost yearly after the surgery, told me that my problem was strictures and would dilate me in the office. A few years ago he took an indeterminate leave of absence so I had to search for other surgeons or a GI doc in NY, and I was not happy with them. Eventually I went to the Cleveland Clinic to see the famous "King of Pouches", Dr. Bo Shen. I went through 3 major diagnostic procedures and he told me that I don't have a stricture (which I still think develops here and there), but that I have Paradoxical Contractions and a Floppy Pouch. I went for 10 straight weeks of PT for the Paradoxical Contractions, and I might have improved just slightly. At least I don't have leakage any more like I used to. But I still don't feel finished most of the time, and I end up feeling sore very often, like there's a hemorrhoid there. I'm so lucky Bo Shen moved to NY to be at Columbia. I will eventually make an appointment with him because now I think it must have to do with a Floppy Pouch. The pouch is still in good shape, it's just that it may not stay in place because I had a hysterectomy at the time of my colectomy and not having a uterus may not keep the pouch in its place. So it may flop around and fold on itself somehow, holding back the stool. Something like that. I hope that's what the problem is, as Bo Shen is known for his banding procedures which may help.
Sorry to write so much not relating to this topic of vegetarianism, but you did ask me how my pouch was doing. 
BTW, I'm one of the few people who had radiation and chemotherapy while I had an ileostomy bag, which the surgeons made sure the intestines would be out of the way of the radiation, and had the pull through a year later. After 3 years of of being cancer free I was considered cured. I'm still here, 25 years later, still uptight and embarrassed about my bathroom problems, haha.
I also had surgery done by the "dream team" of Dr. Gelernt and Dr. Gorfine. Dr. Gelernt - May He Rest In Peace- was someone who spoke with the "Voice of God" and I never had a doctor who instilled more confidence, or was even close. Dr. Gorfine, who assisted on my first 2 surgeries, was less serious than Gelernt and the erstwhile comic of that group. When I had him do my J Pouch revisions, he memorably compared J Pouches to Jaguars- "they are a great car but sometimes spend a lot of time in the shop." He turned out to be a very good mechanic on mine with the revision surgeries.
@LV2Hike posted:Every time I went to a doctor thinking there's something wrong with my j-pouch they all said it was in good condition and whoever did it, did a great job. It was Dr. Irwin Gelernt (may he rest in peace) and his assistant Dr. Stephen Gorfine, part of Manhattan's Dream Team, at Mt Sinai back in 1996. So even though the pouch is doing "great", I was not. Always had problems with leakage here and there, never felt "finished", thought I had hemorrhoids (which I apparently never did) because it was often feeling sore or like there were shards of glass were there when I was walking, and would go over 8 times a day or more, if you consider going to the bathroom 3 times within 15 minutes of each other as 3 times. I would count that as one time, but Gorfine said that's 3 times.
Dr. Gorfine who I saw almost yearly after the surgery, told me that my problem was strictures and would dilate me in the office. A few years ago he took an indeterminate leave of absence so I had to search for other surgeons or a GI doc in NY, and I was not happy with them. Eventually I went to the Cleveland Clinic to see the famous "King of Pouches", Dr. Bo Shen. I went through 3 major diagnostic procedures and he told me that I don't have a stricture (which I still think develops here and there), but that I have Paradoxical Contractions and a Floppy Pouch. I went for 10 straight weeks of PT for the Paradoxical Contractions, and I might have improved just slightly. At least I don't have leakage any more like I used to. But I still don't feel finished most of the time, and I end up feeling sore very often, like there's a hemorrhoid there. I'm so lucky Bo Shen moved to NY to be at Columbia. I will eventually make an appointment with him because now I think it must have to do with a Floppy Pouch. The pouch is still in good shape, it's just that it may not stay in place because I had a hysterectomy at the time of my colectomy and not having a uterus may not keep the pouch in its place. So it may flop around and fold on itself somehow, holding back the stool. Something like that. I hope that's what the problem is, as Bo Shen is known for his banding procedures which may help.
Sorry to write so much not relating to this topic of vegetarianism, but you did ask me how my pouch was doing.
BTW, I'm one of the few people who had radiation and chemotherapy while I had an ileostomy bag, which the surgeons made sure the intestines would be out of the way of the radiation, and had the pull through a year later. After 3 years of of being cancer free I was considered cured. I'm still here, 25 years later, still uptight and embarrassed about my bathroom problems, haha.
Dang you have been thorough complete HELL!!! You are strong girl!!! So far my pouch is turning 6 this year. I never had problems so far except for one ulcer in my pouch, I am waiting for the biopsy results. But the doc said it did not look worrisome.
@CTBarrister posted:I also had surgery done by the dream team of Dr. Gelernt and Dr. Gorfine. Dr. Gelernt - May he Rest In Peace- was someone who spoke with the "Voice of God" and I never had a doctor who Instilled more confidence. Dr. Gorfine who assisted on my first 2 surgeries was less serious and the comic of that group. When I had him do my J Pouch revisions he memorably compared J Pouches to Jaguars- "they are a great car but sometimes spend a lot of time in the shop." He turned out to be a very good mechanic on mine. With the revision surgeries.
I never knew you had J-pouch revisions? And hahaa, I love that Jaguar joke! That is perfectly true lol.
In 1998 and 2000 I had surgical revisions done on an outpatient laparoscopic basis. A septum developed in the pouch blocking complete evacuation. Dr. Gorfine ultimately cut and stapled it back. Since 2000 except for the occasional pouchitis bouts which have largely been controlled since Remicade in 2015, I have had no problems.
I was very lucky to have Gelernt-Gorfine Team. I really liked both of them but they were very different personalities.
@CTBarrister posted:In 1998 and 2000 I had surgical revisions done on an outpatient laparoscopic basis. A septum developed in the pouch blocking complete evacuation. Dr. Gorfine ultimately cut and stapled it back. Since 2000 except for the occasional pouchitis bouts which have largely been controlled since Remicade in 2015, I have had no problems.
I was very lucky to have Gelernt-Gorfine Team. I really liked both of them but they were very different personalities.
Dang! That is crazy!!! A septum sounds painful!!! I wonder how in the world does that stuff happen?!?! I am glad you are okay now
The septum developed years after surgery. It was causing problems with being able to evacuate the pouch. I could feel that the stool was hitting a wall and wasn't all coming out. Dr. G fixed the issue.