I’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…here they are. Surgery # 1.

These posts might also help out:

• April 6, 2009 -- 4 feet less but still the best: My Jpouch Story (12)
• March 27, 2010 -- Colston Thomas Mills (4)
• February 8, 2010 -- A little insight on my insides. (13)
• July 20, 2011 -- 2 Years Post TakeDown (6)

Weight: When I had UC, my weight would fluctuate as I had flare ups. When I got out of the first surgery, I was coming in at a 152 pounds. Now, I’m sitting around a 183 pounds and, here is the best part, it no longer fluctuates all over the place. I’m super proud of this achievement. It means my body is stable for the first time in 8 years!!

Poop: I still go more than an average person, but come on, people. Come on. During UC I had constant pains and had to run to the bathroom every hour or so. I now don’t have to rush or anything. It’s all rather casual now. My stool is also more controlled now (you know: solid, smells like flowers, wins awards).

Diet: I have less restrictions now than when I had UC. I started slowly, sampling various foods and transitioning my diet to new food groups. So far, everything is good. I do avoid a few certain styles of food because, well, the results were mixed. Leafy salad, corn, and Mexican food aren’t on my Favorites List, but there hasn’t been a food that totally wrecked me. For those concerned about Mexican food: no, you won’t have to sacrifice the deliciousness. But I do recommend you pace yourself ha.

Fiber: BeneFiber is awesome. I don’t have to take it as often. In fact, I haven’t’ taken it in over a month. Instead, I just take it when I’m going to try a new food or eat something that I know will cause issues (looking right at you, soup).

Meds: Aside from the occasional Pro Biotic (VSL #3) and multi-vitamin, I currently don’t take any medicine. For someone who used to take 12 Asacol tablets a day on top of other fun pills for many many years, this is extremely liberating. Weird, almost. But I feel like I earned this freedom by going through with the surgery.

Exercise: I go the gym 6 days a week. I’m not trying to get buff or win World’s Strongest Man, regardless of what my previous claims might have implied. Instead, I’m just really, really, really excited about being healthy again and am trying to maintain my health by helping my body out.

Scars: Check it out:

Aside from the large scar that I've had since I was a wee baby, you can barely tell.

Team Challenge: I learned about this from fellow j-pouch community member Elise. Team Challenge is having a fund-raiser half-marathon this December in Las Vegas for the CCFA and I’ve been training dangit. When I had UC, I couldn’t run unless it was straight to the bathroom. Now, get this, I can drive to the city, train, come back, and THEN use the bathroom. And when I say “train” I mean pretty long distances. This past weekend was 5 miles walking and 5 miles running. I’ve never run 5 miles in my life, ever. It’s soooo motivating to be surrounded by a team members all gunning for the same cause: finding cures for UC and Crohn’s. And yes, I’ve been raising funds. All of my fund raising goes straight to the cause: YOU. I’m doing this for everyone affected by UC or Crohn’s. I hope to make you all proud! Here is my fundraiser page. Lizz you better donate a grand or I’m sending you “questionable” pictures.

Training for a %$#ing half marathon.

These posts might also help out:

• February 25, 2010 -- Commenter with Questions (13)
• July 20, 2011 -- 2 Years Post TakeDown (6)
• April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
• June 27, 2009 -- The Post-Op Follow-Up Round-Up (14)

I already told you about how Mark and myself were going to be House Captains for a weekend volunteer project in Athens called Hands on Athens.  The objective of HOA is to help low-income individuals renovate their home over a weekend.  It is a wonderful service, and we took on the challenge. Mark was in charge, and we had over 50 student volunteers and family/friends turn out to help.

Over the weekend we gave the homeowner, Ms. Emma Jean a new exterior, stopped her squirrels in the roof problem, painted, cleaned her yard and most importantly, we installed a new kitchen!  Emma Jean had water damage over the years from a leaky roof she was unable to replace in a timely fashion. Her kitchen and other parts of the home suffered severe water damage, that eventually led to an inability to use her kitchen cabinets.  We were able to install a new beautiful kitchen, and the best part was over the weekend we learned from a homeless woman that Emma Jean helps feed that Emma Jean is known to feed the homeless that live under the bridge near her home.  No working kitchen and yet she still was able to feed those in need – what a remarkable woman! So, we know this kitchen won’t go to waste.

Back to my point of the post, it is incredible to no longer be so focused on ourselves and getting Mark healthy and keeping our family afloat that we can now focus on others. We’ve just had so many people take care of us through our hard times, that it is about time we can give back when/where needed.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

These posts might also help out:

• April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
• November 10, 2009 -- 6 Months Later: Jaypouchirifical (22)
• January 28, 2009 -- Meet My Hernia (2)
• January 22, 2009 -- Workin’ It, J-Pouch style. (2)

These posts might also help out:

• January 4, 2009 -- Mark’s 15 Month Jpouch Update (16)
• April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
• November 10, 2009 -- 6 Months Later: Jaypouchirifical (22)
• June 20, 2008 -- Excellent Video: UC to J-pouch (1)

Lizz

So, in my last post, I was bitching about pooin’ my pants.  I am HAPPY to update to you, my J-pouch friends, that this was in fact NOT a flare, rather a side-effect of one of my new medicines.  Nowhere do I recall reading on the label, “may cause one to crap one’s pants. Oops.”  But, indeed abdominal pain, diarrhea, et al. were side-effects.  I have since stopped taking it and have been continent and happy for several days now! Also glad that no scope was needed. “The dreaded apparatus!” as Kramer would say.

So, I am in Portland, apartment and job-hunting and had a nice interview this morning. When asked for a “candid” reason why I left my last job, I replied, “I had emergency surgery.” I did not go into detail, because explaining that I was having surgery for a twisted J-pouch required much too much explanation! She then followed-up with, “Are you doing okay now? Is this something that would prevent you from working?” I paused…answered, “No.” I wasn’t exactly forthcoming about my GI distresses, but I have been able to work for the past 6 months.  It’s hard to decide how to handle these situations. I can work now. There is the possibility that I will not be able to at some points in the future, but not being a fortune-teller, I kept my mouth shut.

I’m also on the hunt for a good GI out here, before I officially move. The one my current GI recommended is not in my insurance “network”. God bless the insurance companies! So, the search continues. Feel free to recommend who manages your guts in Portland.

Hope you are all having a good, adult-diapers-free week!

And just an added note about the aforementioned twisting of the pouch. NOT common. This happened b/c for some reason or other, I did not make the scar tissue most folks do that basically holds the pouch in place. It happened once, and was “untwisted” by my surgeon, who chose to avoid surgery to “tack it down” to my tailbone unless it happened again. It did happen again…So I had surgery this past April to fix it and so far so good. Very painful, but again, not at all common.  I asked my surgeon once if this could be because I did lots of yoga. He kindly giggled and said, “No.”

These posts might also help out:

• November 4, 2010 -- Fear Monger, MD (6)
• April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
• November 10, 2009 -- 6 Months Later: Jaypouchirifical (22)
• June 17, 2009 -- Keepin’ it Real in the Real World with IBD. (6)

Below are some photo updates at the 15 month point about what my scars look like. The little bulge on stomach around the ex-stoma area seems to be settling down and not as bulbous as it was in the 9 month photos.

These posts might also help out:

• July 20, 2011 -- 2 Years Post TakeDown (6)
• April 5, 2010 -- Home from Surgery #1 (1)
• November 10, 2009 -- 6 Months Later: Jaypouchirifical (22)
• January 28, 2009 -- Meet My Hernia (2)