Non GI Specialists' Knowledge re: J-pouch.

I had the same thing happen once from a 3rd year surgical resident!

Him: Do you mind if I see it?
Me: (confused) do you want to do a scope?
Him: No, I just want to look at it.
Me: (more confused) What will you use to see it with?
Him: I just want to look at it.
Me: (deadpan) It is made out of my small intestine and is inside my butt.
Him: Oh. *crickets chirping*

LOL! It would be scary if it wasn't so funny.

Ha!

Once, during an emergency room visit, I was instructing two young Senior Med Students in the ways of the pouch as they were asking my medical history while trying to figure out where the pain I was having was stemming from. One of them asked me toward the end, "Are you a doctor yourself?" "No, but I play one on tv."

I would have left it there but the poor darlings were SO confused and blinking like deer in headlights, so I took pity on them and let them in on the joke.

CeCe, you're right; they ALL seem so young these days!

Gin

I think we can all relate!

My allergist (who herself is quite familiar with j-pouches, having a sister with Crohns) is currently on mat leave and she's had another allergist fill in for her while she's off. I went in for my scheduled follow a up few weeks ago and since it was my first time meeting the doctor who is filling in, we went through a brief history. I mentioned I had a colectomy and j-pouch and she looked both concerned and perplexed. I quickly explained what a j-pouch was and why I needed it, and she continued to look at me like I was some magical being. *LOL*

Sadly, that's not the first time. A nurse once asked me how many times per day I emptied my colostomy bag.

I'm my GP's only patient with a pouch, but she's made an awesome effort to educate herself about them and she's now pretty well versed. But it is refreshing when you actually get a doctor who knows about the pouch!

It also hits home here , once went to an ER and we were going through my history a Dr asked me after i had mentioned i had an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) as i prefer to use this medical term, to my surprise she didn't know what it was then i had to explain that i have a pouch created, she asked me can she see it.lol

Its amazing how many medical professions don'nt understand this procedure considering it has been developed since the 80s according to Wiki

"The surgical procedure for forming an ileo-anal pouch was developed as an alternative to the ileostomy where, in the absence of a colon, intestinal waste is emptied into a bag attached to the abdomen. This work was pioneered by Sir Alan Parks at St. Mark's Hospital in London in the early 1980s, the pouch was known as Parks' Pouch."

Each time i have to go to my primary care clinic i meet a different Dr the easy way i do now is just give them my surgeon's contact so they can understand better just tired of explaining it over and over !!!

Prior to my ongoing challenge with ulcerative colitis, I had never heard of a J-pouch. But, then again, I'm not a physician!