J-pouch Life » Eric

Thank You Supporters of Jpouch Dot Net!

Eric — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 04:28:27 +0000

Recently, Jpouch Life has received some really really generous donations. Thank you! (If you haven’t noticed this before, there is a really pretty yellow-orange donate button over there on your right.) We wanted to post this quick note to let you know that we are here, the people on the “backend” that pay for server space, domain registration, and all the other things that go in to bringing you this great online community to share information about a topic that’s hard to find information about.

In fact, that’s our whole deal, if you recall why Mark and Megan started up this space in the first place. It’s also why Eric decided to get involved and make Jpouch.net a dedicated website, not just a WordPress.com blog. Detailed photos and personal stories of the J-pouch process, and really all the living that goes on, is why we’re here. Many of our bloggers have gone on to write their own blogs, and we couldn’t be happier for them. We’re also happy that they still drop in from time to time to say hello and provide us with much anticipated updates.

Once again, thank you so very much for contributing, financially, emotionally, verbally, and silently, to this great community. Really, thanks.

These posts might also help out:

November 29, 2009 -- Jpouch Life Now iPhone Friendly! (1)
July 22, 2009 -- Jpouch Life is on Twitter (0)
May 27, 2009 -- New Comment Features for Jpouch Life (1)
May 25, 2009 -- Jpoucher Happenin’s (2)

IBS? Nah: Irritable Vowels!

Eric — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:33:42 +0000

Some humor for all of you today. If you can’t laugh because it hurts too much from surgery or a flare – I’ve been there. If you can laugh, good for you! It takes a long time to “get over” the psychological ramifications of having one of the basic human functions completely effed with.

Here you go: Irritable Vowels from the guys behind The Morning News. I love it and I want one. Perhaps jpouch.net should have a contest and give one away? Chime in with your ideas for a contest in the comments.

[link]

These posts might also help out:

November 4, 2010 -- Fear Monger, MD (6)
April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
March 27, 2010 -- Colston Thomas Mills (4)
April 6, 2009 -- 4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story (12)

Western Diet Causes Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Eric — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:33:50 +0000

You know, I’ve heard this again and again and again. I’ve heard about refined sugar and the like. In fact, I’ve read about this notion so often that I might be starting to believe it. What do you guys think?

From Science Now:

All those Lucky Charms and Big Macs that people in the developed world scarf down could explain why they are more susceptible to allergies, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease than residents of agrarian societies. New research suggests that people living in rural Africa have a healthier mix of microbes in their guts than do their Western counterparts, which may protect them from the intestinal diseases that are common in modern developed countries.

These posts might also help out:

September 16, 2009 -- Plaid Pantry Denies Bathroom to Crohn’s Customer (9)
June 15, 2009 -- Teen Diagnoses her Crohn’s Disease (1)
November 4, 2010 -- Fear Monger, MD (6)
August 17, 2010 -- IBS? Nah: Irritable Vowels! (0)

Colston Thomas Mills

Eric — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:30:10 +0000

Dear fellow Jpouch.net readers, hello and how are you? I know you don’t know my full story and I apologize. It’s mainly because I’m too lazy to type it all up that you haven’t seen a complete posting from me. If you’ve stuck around long enough, you’ve seen my hernia (which is still there), you know that I keep track of numbers, that I’m healthy again and like to ride bikes, and that I’m the guy behind the pouchoscopy entry on Wikipedia. But you don’t know that I spent most of 2008 in the hospital (or at least it felt like that) or the specific circumstances surrounding my bout with Ulcerative Colitis. I promise to write that all up for you soon. In the meantime, drumroll…

I’m a father!

So welcome to world baby Mills. His name is Colston Thomas Mills, born on 3/6/2010, he was 8 pounds 7 ounces (big!) and he’s perfect. Like Mark and Megan’s joke about the bowels, I have a bit of concern for the future of his colon. But, just in case you’re wondering, it’s working really well right now, and he has some fantastic pressure in both ends of his plumbing!

There was a time when I couldn’t lay on my left side because it aggravated my Colitis too much. 4, count them, FOUR years of my life I couldn’t sleep on my left side. Take that, Colitis! Here I am asleep with the little guy. Sleeping with him (on my left side!) is my new favorite activity.

I promise a full story of my Colitis, waiting too long to get it treated, surgery, and recovery. For now, though, please join me in welcoming our baby to the world.

You see, it gets better, I promise.

These posts might also help out:

July 20, 2011 -- 2 Years Post TakeDown (6)
April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
April 6, 2009 -- 4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story (12)
August 8, 2008 -- Mark 9 month Jpouch Update (49)

Blood, Poop, and Tears

Eric — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:40:51 +0000

I love the logo for Jackie’s new blog! If you have a minute, go check out her posts, and hopefully she won’t be a stranger around these parts.

Check our her blog here.

These posts might also help out:

July 20, 2011 -- 2 Years Post TakeDown (6)
April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
March 27, 2010 -- Colston Thomas Mills (4)
February 8, 2010 -- A little insight on my insides. (13)

Haiti Earthquake Support

Eric — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:39:05 +0000

Friends,

Over the last 72 hours we have been asked for any possible effort(s) to help people, families, and caregivers in Haiti. For now we would encourage our readers to support relief agencies like the Red Cross . Currently it is too early to develop or provide support other than those connected to search, rescue, and recovery efforts.
Please pass this information along to your loved ones and ask everyone to keep this country, their citizens and the rescue efforts in their thoughts.
Thank you.

Eric Mills,

Webmaster, jpouch.net

These posts might also help out:

February 10, 2010 -- Making Ostomys HOT! (3)

Jpouch Life Now iPhone Friendly!

Eric — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:37:16 +0000

Well, I know, it’s no fun sometimes, that is, sometimes you have to spend time in the hospital. Hey, we’ve all been sick, had surgeries, or been visiting someone who has. Sometimes the computers don’t work in the hospital, or even on a sunny day at the beach. Now we have a new way for you to get your Jpouch.net fix – we’re mobile. If you have: android, aspen, blackberry9500, blackberry9530, cupcake, dream, incognito, iphone, ipod, opera mini, webmate, webos our site will now dynamically redraw itself just for YOU. Yup, that’s sweet. You’re welcome.

Oh, and I’ve made the comments over to the right scroll so we can all see who’s talking about what. Your comments are what make this site great, so keep talking!

These posts might also help out:

August 24, 2011 -- Thank You Supporters of Jpouch Dot Net! (1)
February 13, 2010 -- Take a walk in my shoes (93)
February 8, 2010 -- A little insight on my insides. (13)
July 22, 2009 -- Jpouch Life is on Twitter (0)

Plaid Pantry Denies Bathroom to Crohn’s Customer

Eric — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:35:10 +0000

Time to boycott the Plaid Pantry, whatever that is. (Is that like a 7-11?). Reading through posts on the Consumerist weblog, trying to decide if I should subscribe to its RSS feed, I came across this article about a fellow IBD sufferer who was denied access to a bathroom. As a result, she pooped her pants.

Granted, it is an “employee only” bathroom, but hey, what is the world coming to when someone poops their pants because someone else is worried about… er… what? What, exactly happens if you break the rules and let a customer into the bathroom? You get fired? They steal toilet paper? Fine.

I would gladly get fired for breaking the rules if it were in the name of humanity, decency, or any of those other words that end in a ‘y’ and connote positivity.

Here’s hoping the next clerk is a nice one.

These posts might also help out:

June 15, 2009 -- Teen Diagnoses her Crohn’s Disease (1)
December 29, 2011 -- Loss & Gain (2)
February 11, 2011 -- Belladonna Wars? (7)
November 4, 2010 -- Fear Monger, MD (6)

Colitis by Numbers: Days Since Module Tracks Flares, Tapers, and more

Eric — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:46:26 +0000

People always used to give me strange looks when I would tell them that it has been 485 days since my first surgery. I’m no “rainman” or anything, I just use a bunch of different forms of technology to keep track of my health. I’d like to start sharing them with you. Starting with the first one, well, aside from graph paper the first one: “days since”. It’s a “module” for Google’s personalized homepage, igoogle. You can add the module by clicking ‘add stuff’ from igoogle’s page or by visiting the author’s site here.

As you can see by the screenshot, it’s really simple. Sometimes simple is better. Most of the time simple is better. I like watching the numbers go up, and this helps me feel better too. Other possible uses for this could be: tapering on Prednisone, keeping track of how long it has been since your last flare, or just remembering when you last mowed the lawn!

I have a bunch of these technology tips, so check back for more of what I call “colitis by numbers.”

These posts might also help out:

February 25, 2010 -- Commenter with Questions (13)
July 20, 2011 -- 2 Years Post TakeDown (6)
December 8, 2010 -- Cleveland Clinic, Day 1 (6)
November 4, 2010 -- Fear Monger, MD (6)

From the WTF? Files: Man East Colostomy Bag Contents

Eric — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:37:50 +0000

James Orr, 66, was on trial in Cincinnati, Ohio yesterday for robbery and kidnapping when he disrupted the hearing with an extreme act of grossness. Orr reportedly asked his attorney if he had any food. When the attorney told him no, Orr apparently put his colostomy bag on the table, squeezed out the contents, and then either ate, or pretended to eat, his own feces. The Sheriff’s deputy cuffed him and removed him from the room which the judge then closed for cleaning. Orr’s trial will continue next week. [ Link ]

These posts might also help out:

September 16, 2009 -- Plaid Pantry Denies Bathroom to Crohn’s Customer (9)
August 4, 2010 -- Western Diet Causes Inflammatory Bowel Disease (0)
July 2, 2009 -- Jpouch Happenins’ (5)
June 15, 2009 -- Teen Diagnoses her Crohn’s Disease (1)