Pre operation J pouch help!

The more you read up on an ostomy and how to look after it the less stressful it will be when you get it. As for the supplies you can go on line to some of the suppliers and they will send you some free samples. The nice thing about that is you can test the different bags covers before committing to purchase a large supply. The only other thing I can suggest is to enter this whole thing with a mindset that you are making yourself well. Even if you never get a J pouch you will be much better off without that diseased pain the arse colon....Good Luck

For me, the best thing I did for myself happened after the first surgery. I was determined to leave the hospital able to do as much for myself as possible and so I started practicing with my first visit to the bathroom. I asked the staff if anyone would accompany me into the bathroom and help me by watching me do things myself rather than doing things for me. I found several staff willing to do so. They gave me hints on how to empty the Baggie efficiently. I did the same with the ET nurse when it was time to change my Baggie. She explained how to do it and then I had her watch me while I actually did it all. She gave me hints. When I went home I felt I would be able to take care of myself. A visiting ET nurse helped me further by explaining how I could set up my bathroom so changing the appliance would be very efficiently accomplished. Great hints! It took a number of trials to become really accomplished but I never hesitated to ask for advice from the hospital's ET staff. If I had learned all these things before actually needing to do them myself, I would have forgotten what was told to me.

Do You know if you are having your surgery done open or laproscopically? Lapro would be the best there's less scaring and recovery time.

Are they going to do a procedure where they scraped the mucosa off the 2cm of rectum they leave at the rectal stump? I hope they do this before they attach your j-pouch to the rectal stump. There is a chance, if they don't do that of getting UC in the 2 cm of rectum left behind, they call it cuffitis. It's not too big of an area but hurts like hell if you get it, like I do. I get it chronically and treat it with suppositories.

Don't let me scare you. I wish I'd had my surgeries years before I did!

Good Luck!

Hi Antony.
John from NSW.
If you can try and contact the Stoma nurse at the hospital where you are having your surgery and they will be able to help you when you have your loop ileostomy.
I have what is known as an Spouch,it uses 3 loops of Ileum where a J pouch uses 2 but the idea is the same.
I had mine done in Sydney in 1981, one of the first in Australia and so far so good.
For your info we now have a pouch support group in Australia and I think we have people in Adelaide.
I hope it goes ok for you and with benefit of hindsight there is know way that I could have done the things in my life if I had but up with Chronic Ulcerative Colitus like that I had.
Please feel free to email me if you need some support.
Best Regards from the central coast NSW.
jOHN.

Hi Anthony,
As someone already posted...there should be an ostomy nurse at the hospital, who will meet with you prior and give you a video, pamphlets, etc. That is what happened with me. Honestly, with all of that...you are never totally prepared. It's something new, different, and you may have lots of questions after the fact. They also have nurses that will come to your home. I'm so sorry you have gone through this for so long. This takes time...it is a long total recovery, but WELL worth it. You will be a different person...like me! I'm 41 and healthier in every way than I have ever been....6 years out. My advice would be to get some anti itch cream like nupercanal...and a bidet cover for your toilet after take-down (if you are having one). Those both saved my life. Good luck to you in June! Best wishes.