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	<title>J-pouch Life &#187; Jpouch</title>
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	<link>http://www.jpouch.net</link>
	<description>Stories: Ostomy, Ileostomy, Jpouch, Colitis, Crohn&#039;s, Surgery and Support</description>
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		<title>Loss &amp; Gain</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2011/12/29/loss-gain/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2011/12/29/loss-gain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:09:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lizz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coping/Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crohn's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crohn’s disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2680</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are dealing with loss, I wish you healing, and if I can help, by listening, by offering advice, e-mail me. If you need to talk about how IBD/j-pouch surgery is affecting your life, respond to this post-let's get more discussion going! This website is a blessing. It's something for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks to Mark &#038; Megan for taking the initiative to create something to connect and assist others who have or are experiencing what they have experienced. And, let's all take a moment to honor those we've lost, and to honor ourselves for being survivors.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is something I haven&#8217;t discussed on the blog-I always try to keep it strictly IBD and health-related, but sometimes themes overlap. This year, I&#8217;ve lost a lot of people. A lot. The most devastating to me was the loss of my Papaw-the main male figure in my life. The man who taught me how to tie my shoes, taught me the importance of patience, and how to live gracefully with a disability. I lost my Uncle Russ, a spitfire, gypsy spirit like me. I dealt with the cancer diagnosis of my favorite aunt, I saw her lose her beautiful hair and part of her breast, and I saw her survive all of it. I saw my uncle-in-law pass, a humble, kind man who went too soon and I saw his lovely wife continue her life with strength and grace.<br />
The year has been peppered with this, in some way or another, and I&#8217;m sure it&#8217;s been similar for many of you. Maybe your loss is more direct-maybe you lost your colon. Maybe you lost a relationship or a job because of your surgery or illness. Last night, my cousin lost her dear uncle-in-law. He had a J-pouch, like me. He had Crohn&#8217;s disease like me. He lived in Texas, like me. He was in his 40&#8242;s and developed terminal intestinal cancer from Crohn&#8217;s. I post this not to discourage you, but to tell you that despite all the loss this year, I feel maybe more at peace than I ever have. No, I&#8217;m not glad for the loss, or the suffering that likely accompanied all of this, but it reflects an inner strength and peace that we all can conjure when we need it most. I tell you this with the hopes that you focus on the amazing blessings in your life, despite the lack-of-health cards dealt to you. When I think of Uncle Ralph, I am sad that we only e-mailed, that I never got to meet this amazing, funny, charismatic man who managed to hold on to his personality and hope despite his physical misfortune. It&#8217;s a reminder to seize the day, to tell the world about IBD, how much it sucks, and how they can help.</p>
<p>If you are dealing with loss, I wish you healing, and if I can help, by listening, by offering advice, e-mail me. If you need to talk about how IBD/j-pouch surgery is affecting your life, respond to this post-let&#8217;s get more discussion going! This website is a blessing. It&#8217;s something for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks to <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/photos/surgery-1/">Mark &amp; Megan</a> for taking the initiative to create something to connect and assist others who have or are experiencing what they have experienced. And, let&#8217;s all take a moment to honor those we&#8217;ve lost, and to honor ourselves for being survivors.</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2011/12/29/loss-gain/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>March 15, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/15/youre-fired/" title="&#8220;You&#8217;re Fired.&#8221;">&#8220;You&#8217;re Fired.&#8221;</a> (15)</li><li>November 10, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/11/10/just-dance/" title="Just Dance!">Just Dance!</a> (8)</li><li>November 4, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/11/04/fear-monger-md/" title="Fear Monger, MD">Fear Monger, MD</a> (6)</li><li>August 17, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/08/17/ibs-nah-irritable-vowels/" title="IBS? Nah: Irritable Vowels! ">IBS? Nah: Irritable Vowels! </a> (0)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>2 Years Post TakeDown</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:02:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brevin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coping/Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[j pouch pictures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Living with jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cipro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pouchitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surgery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[takedown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Takedown surgery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ulcerative Colitis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2636</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s been two years since my takedown and, as a society, we still don&#8217;t have flying cars or cloned dinosaurs. That I know of. I mean, I check the news daily to see if any of these scientific breakthroughs have become reality, but no. Nothing. Come 2034, I better have robot legs with jet thrusters. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s been two years since my <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/author/brevin/">takedown</a> and, as a society, we still don&#8217;t have flying cars or cloned dinosaurs. That I know of. I mean, I check the news daily to see if any of these scientific breakthroughs have become reality, but no. Nothing. Come 2034, I better have robot legs with jet thrusters. For now, I&#8217;m pretty happy with just settling with the crazy medical awesomeness that is my j-pouch. I&#8217;ve had no major issues like, I don&#8217;t know, space scurvy (which I imagine space pirates with space-pouches get).<br />
This is what did happen, though:</p>
<p><strong>The Dreaded Pouchitis: Not as dreadful as space scurvey</strong></p>
<p>You see, it took me 2 years and a trip to Argentina to get pouchitis. While there on a business trip, a steady diet of meat, more meat, and some meat, coupled with small breakfasts, very late dinners and no snacks in between, all upset my plumbing. I might have gotten a tad dehydrated as well and yes, I am now 34% fluent in Spanish. My last two days and the flight back was like an attempt at setting a world record for most bathroom visits. They should have punchcards for bathroom stalls where ten visits gets you a free sandwich, but I secretly hope that they will never sell sandwiches in bathrooms. The first thing people told me when I got back to the office (aside from &#8220;oh we thought you left so we divvied up your stuff&#8221;) was that I noticeably lost weight. Well, I did. Like 12 pounds.</p>
<div id="attachment_2638" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 360px"><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2yearsnotp1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2638" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2yearsnotp1.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="370" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">In hindsight, Argentina gave me plenty of clues that they had it in for my j-pouch. This stall at a soccer/football stadium didn&#39;t even have toilet paper roll holders, let alone toile paper. An omen, if you will.</p></div>
<p>When I had this increase in frequency and odd pressure associated with the urge to push (you know, when you need to give a little push to gently remind your bowels that it&#8217;s showtime), I thought it was just a souvenir of Argentinean culture and not anything too bad. On behest of my friend (who happen to have been one of my nurses), I went to visit my surgeon to get it checked out. A cold finger poke later and she said yep, all signs point to pouchitis. Pouchitis is inflammation of the ol&#8217; j-pouch, so it might feel like colitis again. Oh j-pouch, you trickster you. There was no something-something-osis (where there is some tightening, which I took as being bad), so I got a short dose of Cipro and I was fine literally two days later. Seriously, this is a cake walk compared to everything we&#8217;ve been through.</p>
<div id="attachment_2639" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 438px"><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2yearspushup.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2639" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2yearspushup-300x140.jpg" alt="" width="428" height="199" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Pictured: me doing pushups in the middle of nowhere with pouchitis. See, still better than UC. Not pictured: a bathroom or a sea monster.</p></div>
<p><strong>Scars: A roadmap to victory!</strong></p>
<p>The scars themselves are minor footnotes in my journey to recovery. I could tell people that the scars are from when I was in a bar fight with a grizzly bear, but I take pride in where they come from and what they represent.</p>
<div id="attachment_2640" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 418px"><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2yearscars.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2640" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2yearscars.jpg" alt="" width="408" height="320" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">15 pounds heavier; it all went to the cankles.</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>It&#8217;s The Little Things: Being an undercover &#8220;Normie&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;Normies&#8221; are normal people. Having this newfound sense of health, I&#8217;m going in deep undercover into their shady, secret underworld of &#8220;physical activities&#8221; and &#8220;not being too concerned with where the bathrooms are&#8221;. And I have to say, it&#8217;s the little things that make you appreciate being healthy. This point really hit home for me when I recently went to a Rammstein concert and spent the entire show trapped up front in a wave of bodies, able only jump around and bang my head to rock out. I didn&#8217;t once get that sense of urgency or accompanying anxiety, and it was awesome. You know when I pulled this off last? 2001 when I was still pre-UC. I feel blessed to have this additional sense of perspective.</p>
<p><strong>Supporting the Cause: Poop</strong></p>
<p>Do you happen to live in the San Francisco bay area and want to be part of a supportive group but don&#8217;t like the idea of a sterile, boring support group and your expectations aren&#8217;t too high? Well we&#8217;re trying something different. I have joined forces with Gwendolyn, a friend and Team Challenge mate, to create a supportive social group for people who are affected by Crohns and/or Colitis. Check us out at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SFSSG">http://www.facebook.com/SFSSG</a>!</p>
<div id="attachment_2641" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 379px"><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/219223_212731242073176_212450432101257_901274_1493495_o.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2641" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/219223_212731242073176_212450432101257_901274_1493495_o.jpg" alt="" width="369" height="570" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The SFSSG!</p></div>
<p>Progress, yo!</p>
<div id="attachment_2642" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 507px"><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/timelapse.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2642" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/timelapse.jpg" alt="" width="497" height="200" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">I censored the mooning. You&#39;re welcome.</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>March 27, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/" title="Colston Thomas Mills">Colston Thomas Mills</a> (4)</li><li>February 25, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/25/commenter-with-questions/" title="Commenter with Questions">Commenter with Questions</a> (13)</li><li>April 5, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/" title="Home from Surgery #1">Home from Surgery #1</a> (1)</li><li>February 19, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/19/blood-poop-and-tears/" title="Blood, Poop, and Tears">Blood, Poop, and Tears</a> (3)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fear Monger, MD</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/11/04/fear-monger-md/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/11/04/fear-monger-md/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:14:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lizz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coping/Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crohn’s disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diarrhea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IBD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lupus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prednisone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steroids]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2562</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hi, guys!  So, I&#8217;m still alive.  I thought I would give you a brief update about how things are going with lupus.  It pretty much sucks.  It&#8217;s not like I&#8217;m not used to pain and my body doing weird shit, cause I totes am. However,  I am used to it mostly being invisible to the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi, guys!  So, I&#8217;m still alive.  I thought I would give you a brief update about how things are going with lupus.  It pretty much sucks.  It&#8217;s not like I&#8217;m not used to pain and my body doing weird shit, cause I totes am. However,  I am used to it mostly being invisible to the outside world.  Previously, this was something that both pleased and annoyed me, because I could be in excruciating pain, exhausted, but still get the, &#8220;But you look so good!&#8221; comment.  Well, lupus is very visible for me.  In addition to my freakishly swollen finger joints, I have a rash all over my neck, chest, torso.  I can cover that up with clothes, but it&#8217;s spreading to my face! This is forbidden territory, lupus! Stay the hell away!  Anyway, it&#8217;s like this scaly, red rash.  Not quite hives, but basically.  Today my eyes started itching so bad I kinda wanted to claw them out.   It feels like there&#8217;s sand in them and my vision is kind of blurry.  They are super wattery from all the itching and I&#8217;m getting that nice crust around my eyes.   I look kinda shitty, but it finally matches the way I feel!  Like I said though, not sure I like it.  I can be honest with you guys, I&#8217;m kind of vain.  I like my pretty, milky-white Southern-belle skin and bright blue eyes.  I liked having the illusion of health, if only for myself.   This scaly-skinned red, crusty-eyed monster is not working for me.</p>
<p>How does the pain compare to Crohn&#8217;s though?  It&#8217;s just&#8230;different.  I can&#8217;t say that it&#8217;s worse, although in some ways it is.  I could always be mobile with IBD-well, not when it had me bed-ridden, but I could generally haul major ass to the bathroom.  Not so with lupus.  I basically hobble everywhere, grunt or yelp loudly every time I get up or down.  The only way I can sleep is under a blissful pain-pill coating.  It&#8217;s basically affecting every other part of my body.  I have had diarrhea, but haven&#8217;t noticed much in the way of Crohn&#8217;s other than that.  My stomach isn&#8217;t terribly painful, but my muscles, joints, and bones are.  Skin, eyes, etc.  It&#8217;s just a totally different experience-different body systems, different pains, different restrictions.  I&#8217;ve been sleeping a LOT.  The only productive thing I did today, which basically turned out to be a complete waste of my time, was go to see a new GI here.  Now, the term &#8220;specialist&#8221;&#8230;don&#8217;t read too much into that, because the last few I&#8217;ve had have not known what to do with me.  I appreciate that a lot of weird, unfortunate shit happens to me-hence my seeking the assistance of an expert.  I did admire his bluntness, but he mentioned, more than once how severe and unfortunate my case was.  He said, and I quote, &#8220;I live in fear of your situation.&#8221;  I&#8217;m<a href="../wp-content/uploads/2010/11/simpsons_doctor-798476.gif"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2563" src="../wp-content/uploads/2010/11/simpsons_doctor-798476.gif" alt="" width="285" height="273" /></a> sitting there, hunched over in this chair, dead exhausted, covered in red spots, thinking, &#8220;Are you fucking kidding me?&#8221;  Believe me, I am FAR past sensitivities.  I like people that tell it like it is, but really, doc.   No shit.  I don&#8217;t need to know how bad I am.  I am completely fucking aware!  I need your help, not for you to state the obvious.   Which, is pretty much all he did aside from some blood work.</p>
<p>Now&#8230;on to the GOOD news! Yay, I lurve good news:) So, I think part of the reason I can deal with the crap storm around me is because I have faith and an amazing group of people in my life.  First off, the IBD/J-pouch community.  You will not find more helpful, generous people.  You guys rock!  Second, my friends and family are just so loving.  It makes it a lot easier to deal with this crap when you have a ton of people that truly love and care about you and want you to be better.   I have a lot of people in my corner.   This includes past doctors.  One, and probably my only good GI ever-from Vanderbilt- saw a post about me on Facebook and e-mailed me to see if he could help.  That&#8217;s pretty awesome.  Also, a good friend of mine recently saw Dr. Shen at Cleveland Clinic and essentially said, &#8220;Liz, you HAVE to see him. I will pay for it if your insurance doesn&#8217;t cover it. He&#8217;s amazing.  You have to go.&#8221; So, obviously that&#8217;s super sweet on a number of levels, but thanks to divine Providence or what have you, our new insurance covers Dr. Shen and all docs at CC, so that&#8217;s freaking awesome!!!  Also awesome, Miss Jackie Z., fellow jpouch.net blogger, got me Dr. Shen&#8217;s e-mail so I could touch base with him, inform him of my history, and schedule any tests.  During this exchange, he decided that I need to be seen ASAP and is getting me in this month!  Another prayer answered.</p>
<p>So, even though things have been sucky and I kinda feel like Goldblum in &#8220;The Fly&#8221;, I see a light at the end of the tunnel, I see hope, and that&#8217;s what I needed more than anything.</p>
<p>AWESOME UPDATE!!!!</p>
<p>At the urging of my GI, I went to a run-of-the-mill Urgent Care Center.  The doctor examined my eyes, rash, etc., gave me a shot of steroids in the ass, an Rx of Prednisone, and drops for my nasty eyes.  When I woke up this morning, for the first time since my last dose of &#8216;roids, I was not in pain!!! OMG, I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when I stretched out this morning and nothing hurt! All my joints moved with relative ease, but no pain! Ah!!!! I am so excited! Feeling good puts me in the best mood <img src='http://www.jpouch.net/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2010/11/04/fear-monger-md/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>August 17, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/08/17/ibs-nah-irritable-vowels/" title="IBS? Nah: Irritable Vowels! ">IBS? Nah: Irritable Vowels! </a> (0)</li><li>November 10, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/11/10/just-dance/" title="Just Dance!">Just Dance!</a> (8)</li><li>July 3, 2008 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2008/07/03/sex-and-intimacy/" title="Sex and Intimacy">Sex and Intimacy</a> (0)</li><li>June 6, 2008 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2008/06/06/ny-times-jpouch-article/" title="NY TIMES Jpouch Article">NY TIMES Jpouch Article</a> (0)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>IBS? Nah: Irritable Vowels!</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/08/17/ibs-nah-irritable-vowels/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/08/17/ibs-nah-irritable-vowels/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:33:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clothing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crohn’s disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IBD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surgery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2510</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some humor for all of you today. If you can&#8217;t laugh because it hurts too much from surgery or a flare &#8211; I&#8217;ve been there. If you can laugh, good for you! It takes a long time to &#8220;get over&#8221; the psychological ramifications of having one of the basic human functions completely effed with. Here [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.printmojo.com/themorningnews/Store/Category.php?CategoryID=5205"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2511" title="Irritable Vowel Syndrome" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Screen-shot-2010-08-17-at-9.18.25-PM-300x232.png" alt="Irritable Vowel Syndrome" width="300" height="232" /></a>Some humor for all of you today. If you can&#8217;t laugh because it hurts too much from surgery or a flare &#8211; I&#8217;ve been there. If you can laugh, good for you! It takes a long time to &#8220;get over&#8221; the psychological ramifications of having one of the basic human functions completely effed with.</p>
<p>Here you go: <a href="http://www.printmojo.com/themorningnews/Store/Category.php?CategoryID=5205">Irritable Vowels</a> from the guys behind <a href="http://themorningnews.org/">The Morning News</a>. I love it and I want one. Perhaps <a href="http://www.jpouch.net">jpouch.net</a> should have a contest and give one away? Chime in with your ideas for a contest in the comments.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">[<a href="http://www.printmojo.com/themorningnews/Store/Category.php?CategoryID=5205">link</a>]</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2010/08/17/ibs-nah-irritable-vowels/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>November 4, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/11/04/fear-monger-md/" title="Fear Monger, MD">Fear Monger, MD</a> (6)</li><li>April 5, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/" title="Home from Surgery #1">Home from Surgery #1</a> (1)</li><li>March 27, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/" title="Colston Thomas Mills">Colston Thomas Mills</a> (4)</li><li>April 6, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/04/06/4-feet-less-but-still-the-best-my-jpouch-story/" title="4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story">4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story</a> (12)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Home from Surgery #1</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:48:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jackie Z.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[surgery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IBD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[in the hospital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[updates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2412</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hey All, I&#8217;m FINALLY home! I had to get readmitted for pain control, you can check out the whole story at my other blog, www.bloodpooptears.wordpress.com. But I wanted to let you all know that I took some pictures, they are kinda graphic as usual. So if you want to check em out&#8230;here they are. Surgery [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/5.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2416" title="5" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/5-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>Hey All,</p>
<p>I&#8217;m FINALLY home! I had to get readmitted for pain control, you can check out the whole story at my other blog, <a href="http://bloodpooptears.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">www.bloodpooptears.wordpress.com.</a> But I wanted to let you all know that I took some pictures, they are kinda graphic as usual. So if you want to check em out&#8230;here they are. <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/691888/Surgery%20%231.html" target="_blank">Surgery # 1</a>.</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>April 6, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/04/06/4-feet-less-but-still-the-best-my-jpouch-story/" title="4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story">4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story</a> (12)</li><li>March 27, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/" title="Colston Thomas Mills">Colston Thomas Mills</a> (4)</li><li>February 8, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/08/2335/" title="A little insight on my insides.">A little insight on my insides.</a> (13)</li><li>July 20, 2011 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/" title="2 Years Post TakeDown">2 Years Post TakeDown</a> (6)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Colston Thomas Mills</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IBD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surgery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ulcerative Colitis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2405</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear fellow Jpouch.net readers, hello and how are you? I know you don&#8217;t know my full story and I apologize. It&#8217;s mainly because I&#8217;m too lazy to type it all up that you haven&#8217;t seen a complete posting from me. If you&#8217;ve stuck around long enough, you&#8217;ve seen my hernia (which is still there), you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/4414974952_892342c662_b.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2407" title="4414974952_892342c662_b" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/4414974952_892342c662_b-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>Dear fellow Jpouch.net readers, hello and how are you? I know you don&#8217;t know my full story and I apologize. It&#8217;s mainly because I&#8217;m too lazy to type it all up that you haven&#8217;t seen a complete posting from me. If you&#8217;ve stuck around long enough, you&#8217;ve seen <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/01/28/meet-my-hernia/">my hernia</a> (which is still there), you know that I keep track of <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/09/08/colitis-numbers-flares-tapers/">numbers</a>, that I&#8217;m healthy again and <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/04/29/off-to-the-big-apple/">like to ride bikes</a>, and that I&#8217;m the guy behind the <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/01/27/pouchoscopy-new-entry-on-wikipedia/">pouchoscopy entry on Wikipedia</a>. But you don&#8217;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&#8230;</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a father!</p>
<p>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&#8217;s perfect. Like Mark and Megan&#8217;s <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/02/2323/">joke about the bowels</a>, I have a bit of concern for the future of his colon. But, just in case you&#8217;re wondering, it&#8217;s working really well right now, and he has some fantastic pressure in both ends of his plumbing!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/4456183836_50d54b96a0.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2406" title="4456183836_50d54b96a0" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/4456183836_50d54b96a0-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>There was a time when I couldn&#8217;t lay on my left side because it aggravated my Colitis too much. 4, count them, FOUR years of my life I couldn&#8217;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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>You see, it gets better, I promise.</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>July 20, 2011 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/" title="2 Years Post TakeDown">2 Years Post TakeDown</a> (6)</li><li>April 5, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/" title="Home from Surgery #1">Home from Surgery #1</a> (1)</li><li>April 6, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/04/06/4-feet-less-but-still-the-best-my-jpouch-story/" title="4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story">4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story</a> (12)</li><li>August 8, 2008 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2008/08/08/mark-9-month-jpouch-update/" title="Mark 9 month Jpouch Update">Mark 9 month Jpouch Update</a> (49)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>&#8220;You&#8217;re Fired.&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/15/youre-fired/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/15/youre-fired/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:01:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lizz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coping/Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barium]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crohn's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crohn’s disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/15/youre-fired/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, this is one of those days that I come here to post and I wish I had a positive, uplifting one for you&#8230;perhaps this will turn out to be just that. Today, I was fired from my job because of my inability to come to work regularly because of my disease. Now, my employer [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fired.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2396" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fired-300x224.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="224" /></a>Well, this is one of those days that I come here to post and I wish I had a positive, uplifting one for you&#8230;perhaps this will turn out to be just that.  Today, I was fired from my job because of my inability to come to work regularly because of my disease.  Now, my employer is simply blaming it on an attendance issue, but they are all aware that I had a &#8220;condition&#8221; which was keeping me from working regularly.  I&#8217;ve been having issues since December with a Crohn&#8217;s flare or a pouch problem-my docs and I are still trying to figure it out.  I had a barium study done Friday, so hopefully that will lend some wisdom to us on that matter.</p>
<p>I feel relieved, bittersweet, I think.  I will miss the money, and some of the work, but it was a horrible environment for me to be in, quite honestly.  I loved the people I worked with, but the energy was all stress.  When I am completely honest, I just couldn&#8217;t do the job because I was too tired a lot of the time when I was there to function mentally.  I forget so quickly how much I&#8217;ve been through and what my body has to go through to just function every day when I feel well-I work as hard as I can and I see my &#8220;old&#8221; self come though.  However, those days, honestly, kick my ass and I end up having to sleep for 4 days nearly without interruption to recover from it.  It&#8217;s depressing and frustrating to me that I cannot do certain things that others can, and that&#8217;s why I&#8217;m really upset.  I&#8217;m also worried about what my fiance (soon to be husband) and I will do financially, and what I will do about health insurance.<br />
On the other hand, this opens a lot of doors for me.  I have more time to help out with CCFA stuff, and to finally make it a priority to find a career, not just a job for a paycheck, that I can do and that I will enjoy.<br />
Life with Crohn&#8217;s and a J-pouch is not easy, but I&#8217;m glad to have it.</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/15/youre-fired/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>December 29, 2011 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2011/12/29/loss-gain/" title="Loss &amp; Gain">Loss &amp; Gain</a> (2)</li><li>August 5, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/08/05/crohnsagain/" title="Crohn&#8217;s&#8230;Again?">Crohn&#8217;s&#8230;Again?</a> (7)</li><li>November 10, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/11/10/just-dance/" title="Just Dance!">Just Dance!</a> (8)</li><li>December 8, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/12/08/cleveland-clinic-day-1/" title="Cleveland Clinic, Day 1">Cleveland Clinic, Day 1</a> (6)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Commenter with Questions</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/25/commenter-with-questions/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/25/commenter-with-questions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:28:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Megan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coping/Support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asacol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colonoscopy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ileostomy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prednisone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pregnancy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[questions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ulcerative Colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2384</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hey Readers! We have a long comment from Cynthia C. and she has a handful of really great questions for the jpouch community. Would you take a few minutes to read her post and see her questions at the end. Thanks so much! Megan &#38; Mark # Cynthia C. Cynthia C. says: February 23rd, 2010 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hey Readers!</p>
<p>We have a long comment from Cynthia C. and she has a handful of really great questions for the jpouch community. Would you take a few minutes to read her post and see her questions at the end.</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Megan &amp; Mark</p>
<p># Cynthia C.  Cynthia C. says:  February 23rd, 2010 at 11:52 am</p>
<p>Hello Everyone,  My name is Cindy and I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in October of 2009. I first started having symptoms in February of 2008 while I was about 7 months pregnant with my son. I thought the mucus in my stool was a result of being pregnant with a very large baby. I felt fine, and had no other symptoms so I really didn’t have any clue I was developing Colitis. I’ve been healthy my whole life, active in sports and exercise, and at the time I had been a vegetarian for the last 12 years. I started eating meat again around the time I first noticed mucus in my stool. After I had my son, I noticed the mucus came back about three months later. But still no other symptoms. That went away, but in the fall of 2009 the Colitis came back and it was no joke this time.  First it started with mucus. Then I began to notice I started losing weight and finally, I began to get really tired. I was starting to get worried, because trips to the bathroom were becoming more frequent and hard to hold. The next and scariest thing that started happening was the blood. I began to bleed little at first but by September of 2009 I was bleeding a lot. I began the process of “freaking out” with the idea that I had colon cancer. I can’t even tell you how scary it is to ponder the cancer cloud hanging over your shoulder. I would just look at my family, my new son and become so utterly depressed. My husband began insisting that we make an appointment with a doctor to really find out what was wrong so I could stop this fantasizing of the worst. I knew I was secretly avoiding this because I was so scared to find out what I had. Finally though, I scheduled an appointment and had my first colonoscopy done.  I was so scared to go through with the colonoscopy! It turned out not to be so bad, but man, I’m sure a lot of you already know how disgusting the laxative is to drink. It’s the worst part. I never finished it and it turned out to be fine. We were told the results of the colonoscopy right after the procedure and that’s when I found out I had colitis. No cancer!  It’ didn’t hit me right away and I really don’t know if it still has, even though I’ve been through the pain and suffering of having Colitis. My GI doc prescribed Asacol and Prednisone. After three weeks of suffering on Asacol, we discovered I was having a serious bad reaction to it. I became so incredibly sick. The colitis got worse, I could barely walk, I began seeing these intense spots through my eyes, my teeth looked like they were becoming transparent, I was losing weight, and then my liver became inflamed. Finally my GI realized it was the Asacol and I was then put on 6-MP. What a disaster 6-MP was. It had the same effect the Asacol had on me. Suddenly my life was at a standstill.  Now its Christmas time and at this point I had been extremely ill for three months. My husband had almost used up all his vacation at work, and my daughter and son were feeling the effects of my illness. The whole family literally became depressed. We were all just so scared and i know I was definitely suffering from depression. I couldn’t spend any time with my 1 ½ year old son and he wanted me so badly. I’m a stay home mom, so he had been used to being with me every day. I know that Prednisone was having an effect on my moods and ignited the depression in me. I got to the point that I couldn’t even laugh anymore. It was like there was a block on laughter in me. Finally, my GI took me off the 6-MP because again my liver was inflamed. I now weighed 114 lbs (I started off at 138) and it’s now January of 2010. The prednisone I was on was horrible. I couldn’t sleep at night and I was so shaky all the time. To top it off, it wasn’t even holding the colitis at bay.  By mid January things were getting bad. My husband and I began discussing surgery. I decided I didn’t want to be on meds anymore. This was extremely important to me. I don’t want to take medicine my whole life and then find out 1) they don’t work anymore or 2) I’ve developed some other disease from them, and 3)I wasn’t about to take Remecaid after reading up on all the side effects. So, we scheduled an appointment with the surgeon and set a date to proceed. I couldn’t believe I was about to do this. But if it meant no more colitis, then it’s worth it. I’ll do anything to take this feeling away!!  My surgery was scheduled about a month away. At this time I was so sick, it was almost impossible to get out of bed. I was now 100 lbs. I looked like a skeleton and I had dark circles under my eyes. My surgeon decided to bump up my surgery ASAP so now I was scheduled for it to take place in one week! We went over different options and decided on a permanent illeostomy, which gave me the option of getting the j-pouch surgery when I was back to normal weight and my body was healthy again. I decided to just give the “bag” a chance. It was a great relief to know I could go back and get the j-pouch surgery at any point in my life. The week before my surgery I was so scared and nervous. I could not fathom that this was happening to me. I was very excited to get the surgery done, but that emotion was mixed with an intense fear. I’ve never been in the hospital before except to have my two children, so I was really frightened. I was also feeling this strange loss of the fact that I would no longer have a colon! My colon, the thing I was born with, was just going to be taken out and incinerated! Weird. Anyways, the surgery was not as bad as I imagined. The pain was intense at times, but nothing like having a baby! I just upped my epidural dose or took more pain pills and voila! The pain was gone. Being in the hospital for a week was probably the worst part. Even though I had some really awesome nurses, (and one HORRIBLE one) it was so awful being stuck in the bed and not able to move around. And then there was the BAG. I just kept reminding myself that the colitis was gone. My colon was gone too. Dealing with a bag of poop was okay compared to not having a life with my family. I was lucky too. A woman next to me was dealing with cancer. And people in Haiti were suffering big time. Now it’s been three weeks and I feel pretty good. I’m still sore, but I can go places, clean the house, take care of my toddler Finn, and laugh again! My family is back on track, no more sadness in the house, and I can drink coffee again! My husband was an unbelievable support. He not only held down the fort, but took care of our toddler, my 17 year old daughter, worked two jobs, and continued working on an MFA, AND took care of me the whole time. I wish I could give him a vacation to Mexico with unlimited fish tacos and beer. I’m on a low residual diet for a while and can hardly wait until I can eat regular foods and have some wine! The most wonderful feeling is not feeling the colitis in my body. It’s incredible. And the best part, is it will never come back! I’ll be off steroids in one day. I didn’t find that changing the bag was all that difficult. I can hardly wait to find a bag that feels comfortable and suits my needs. Clothing though is becoming a huge problem. My pants close right over the stoma. I need advice what to do about this! I’m not about to wear jeans that go up to my waist! Do they even make those anymore? Plus, I’ve lost so much weight nothing fits and I don’t want to buy anything until I gain my weight back. So thanks to anyone who took the time to read my story. I’ve left out so much believe it or not!  I have so many questions to ask all of you- I’m hungry for advice! I appreciate any responses.. Thanks again!</p>
<p>1)Anyone have advice on some sort of “cover” for my bag to not only hold it in place but to conceal it a little better. It’s so annoying how the plastic clasp can hang between my legs. I’m looking for just some sort of band.</p>
<p>2)Advice on clothes!</p>
<p>3)What type of bag works best for you?</p>
<p>4)When can I expect to feel normal, with no more pain from surgery?</p>
<p>5)Did any of you have back pain after surgery? My back is killing me!</p>
<p>6)Should I expect a weird feeling after I stop taking steroids? My Doc said I may feel strange, even though I’ve weaned them off.  Okay, I’ll leave it at that for now.</p>
<p>Sorry this is so long! Thanks!  Best, Cindy</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/25/commenter-with-questions/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>July 20, 2011 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/" title="2 Years Post TakeDown">2 Years Post TakeDown</a> (6)</li><li>November 10, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/11/10/6-months-later-jaypouchirifical/" title="6 Months Later: Jaypouchirifical">6 Months Later: Jaypouchirifical</a> (22)</li><li>November 10, 2009 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2009/11/10/just-dance/" title="Just Dance!">Just Dance!</a> (8)</li><li>December 8, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/12/08/cleveland-clinic-day-1/" title="Cleveland Clinic, Day 1">Cleveland Clinic, Day 1</a> (6)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Blood, Poop, and Tears</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/19/blood-poop-and-tears/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/19/blood-poop-and-tears/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:40:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ulcerative Colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surgery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[your stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2379</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love the logo for Jackie&#8217;s new blog! If you have a minute, go check out her posts, and hopefully she won&#8217;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 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/header2.gif"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2380" title="header2" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/header2-150x150.gif" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>I love the logo for <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/author/jackie-z/">Jackie&#8217;s</a> new blog! If you have a minute, go check out her posts, and hopefully she won&#8217;t be a stranger around these parts.</p>
<p>Check our her blog <a href="http://bloodpooptears.wordpress.com/about/">here</a>.</p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/19/blood-poop-and-tears/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>July 20, 2011 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/" title="2 Years Post TakeDown">2 Years Post TakeDown</a> (6)</li><li>April 5, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/" title="Home from Surgery #1">Home from Surgery #1</a> (1)</li><li>March 27, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/" title="Colston Thomas Mills">Colston Thomas Mills</a> (4)</li><li>February 8, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/08/2335/" title="A little insight on my insides.">A little insight on my insides.</a> (13)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New website for gay people who are affected!</title>
		<link>http://www.jpouch.net/2009/12/20/new-website-for-gay-people-who-are-affected/</link>
		<comments>http://www.jpouch.net/2009/12/20/new-website-for-gay-people-who-are-affected/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:22:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>booties4986</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Support Systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colitis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homosexual]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jpouch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.jpouch.net/?p=2284</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hey guys- I just created a blog to be a resource for members of the GLBT community to visit and get some answers on questions that you have been searching endlessly for. I know it&#8217;s a very taboo topic, but as a gay man, I would have loved having a place where I can go [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hey guys-</p>
<p><a href="http://gaydigest.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/uc-relationships-obstacle-or-challenge/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2287" title="gay-6216" src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/gay-6216.jpg" alt="gay-6216" width="154" height="180" /></a>I just created a blog to be a resource for members of the GLBT community to visit and get some answers on questions that you have been searching endlessly for. I know it&#8217;s a very taboo topic, but as a gay man, I would have loved having a place where I can go and ask any questions I want without feeling embarrassed. I have posted on jpouch.net before and got a lot of responses from people thanking me for putting information about being gay and facing the surgery. I have done a lot of research onto the topic and hope to provide some answers and/or comfort to those of you suffering.</p>
<p><a href="http://gaydigest.wordpress.com/">http://gaydigest.wordpress.com/</a></p>
<p class="facebook"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.jpouch.net/2009/12/20/new-website-for-gay-people-who-are-affected/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.jpouch.net/wp-content/plugins/add-to-facebook-plugin/facebook_share_icon.gif" alt="Share on Facebook" title="Share on Facebook" /></a></p><h3  class="related_post_title">These posts might also help out:</h3><ul class="related_post"><li>July 20, 2011 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2011/07/20/2years-post-takedown/" title="2 Years Post TakeDown">2 Years Post TakeDown</a> (6)</li><li>April 5, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/04/05/home-surgery-1/" title="Home from Surgery #1">Home from Surgery #1</a> (1)</li><li>March 27, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/03/27/colston-thomas-mills/" title="Colston Thomas Mills">Colston Thomas Mills</a> (4)</li><li>February 25, 2010 -- <a href="http://www.jpouch.net/2010/02/25/commenter-with-questions/" title="Commenter with Questions">Commenter with Questions</a> (13)</li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.jpouch.net/2009/12/20/new-website-for-gay-people-who-are-affected/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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