I am not a long time poster on this site and this may be my last and let me tell you why. I have had the step 1 and step 2 surgeries of the 3 step J pouch process. I have been reading posts on a couple different websites and to tell you the truth most of the stuff I have read freaks me out. I do feel for everyone that has issues with their pouch and hope that they all find some comfort at some point. When new J pouchers such as myself read this stuff it makes us think that every ache and pain is something bad about to happen to us. Example: I have been having alot pain while sitting recently so I came to this site and got advice that it could be this or could be that to the point that I was freaking out. It is my fault and my fault only that I fell into this trap of that is called borrowing trouble. So I made an appointment with my awesome surgeon at the Clevelanf Clinic and he did a scope and a CT scan and showed me all of the results which show that everything is perfectly fine. The pain I was expereincing was a couple small kidney stones and due to the recontruction of my intestines etc. the pain just happened to be shooting into my tailbone. I feel much better and have learned to trust my gut feeling and to call my surgeon or GI right away instead of visiting a web site. In no way am I bashing any of the posters on this site because I do feel for everyone that has issues but maybe our nerves and stress got us where we are in the first place. So my last advice is to stop trying to borrow trouble and call a doctor rather than read nothing bt negative information.
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I joined here awhile ago, then never visited for years, then came back when I needed some support, more than raw advice.
When I had my surgery, the *interwebz* were still in fledgling stages, so I sought support through a few of my surgeon's previous patients and then with a support group. That lasted only a few months, honestly. I had very few issues, so I count myself lucky, and didn't need to talk about my guts, or lack thereof. The Internet is FULL of crazy scary stuff, and I don't think any of us here would be cocky enough to offer ideas without saying, "please see your doctor, too." In my honest estimation, I come here more to commiserate than to accept hardcore advice; again, as in a support group. And I'm in a place where there are extremely few with my issues/surgery, if any, and there's no local support group... this site acts as that for me.
That's just my two cents.
When I had my surgery, the *interwebz* were still in fledgling stages, so I sought support through a few of my surgeon's previous patients and then with a support group. That lasted only a few months, honestly. I had very few issues, so I count myself lucky, and didn't need to talk about my guts, or lack thereof. The Internet is FULL of crazy scary stuff, and I don't think any of us here would be cocky enough to offer ideas without saying, "please see your doctor, too." In my honest estimation, I come here more to commiserate than to accept hardcore advice; again, as in a support group. And I'm in a place where there are extremely few with my issues/surgery, if any, and there's no local support group... this site acts as that for me.
That's just my two cents.
Great advice! Support groups and discussions boards are great for getting ideas, but certainly are never a substitute for good medical care. Hopefully, most of the time any advice about serious symptoms is followed by urging to call or see your doctor.
And yes, unfortunately sometimes the best option is to just stop reading, because it can be too much to absorb. Like you said, borrowing trouble.
Jan
P.S. Ouch! Kidney stones can be very painful. Glad you got it sorted out.
And yes, unfortunately sometimes the best option is to just stop reading, because it can be too much to absorb. Like you said, borrowing trouble.
Jan
P.S. Ouch! Kidney stones can be very painful. Glad you got it sorted out.
This site has helped validate my concerns that what I might be experiencing is/is not normal.
IMO it is always nice to be "validated".
IMO it is always nice to be "validated".
Trust But verify - Russian proverb
I'm guilty of this as well. Though if i had not joined this site i would not have met some of these people that give you the motivation to get through some of these things. I know exactly how you feel and mean OP.
I'm guilty of this as well. Though if i had not joined this site i would not have met some of these people that give you the motivation to get through some of these things. I know exactly how you feel and mean OP.
I don't think anyone here at all has ever pretended that this site is a substitute for actual medical advice. It's a support group. I come here to vent or bounce ideas off. There have been long stretches where I've been well and haven't been here basically at all, but I do like coming here because sometimes it's hard for people in our everyday lives to relate to what we're going through. At least people here sort of get it.
That being said, you offer some very good advice in the sense that we're probably all guilty of googling symptoms and freaking ourselves out. So, on that note, if coming here and reading the posts is only worrying you and making you think the worst, then maybe it's a good idea to distance yourself from this site and similar internet forums.
That being said, you offer some very good advice in the sense that we're probably all guilty of googling symptoms and freaking ourselves out. So, on that note, if coming here and reading the posts is only worrying you and making you think the worst, then maybe it's a good idea to distance yourself from this site and similar internet forums.