Tips for Living with a J Pouch

Living–and living well–after a j-pouch procedure is not only possible but very common. The keys are to be patient with yourself as you gain experience and to follow our tried-and-true J-pouch success tips. With a little time and proper ileal pouch education, you’ll soon retrain your body and become comfortable with new routines.

Managing an Active Life after J-Pouch Surgery

It’s important to remember that, once you learn to manage daily activities with your J-pouch, you’ll feel better, and be healthier, than you were before the procedure (when you were dealing with severe ulcerative colitis symptoms). Here are expert tips for success after your ileal pouch-anal anastomosis surgery, both from the leading BCIR (Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir) and Kock Pouch surgeon and from patients with daily, practical experience using the J-pouch:

Decrease Stool Frequency and Increase Predictability

Tips for decreasing the number of bowel movements (especially at night, when it can interrupt healthy sleep) include:

• •Consider adding a fiber supplement to your diet.
• •Avoid late eating. Eat dinner 3 or 4 hours before retiring to bed.
• •Eat a small dinner.
• •Avoid eating foods that cause diarrhea in the evening. 
• •Take anti-diarrhea medicine before bed.

Avoid Irritation After Bowel Movements

• •Keep the anal area clean and dry.
• •Use unscented, white and soft toilet paper or baby wipes, and gently blot. Consider spraying water from a squirt bottle and/or drying skin with a blow dryer when practical.
• •Take warm baths.
• •Try tucking a cotton ball near the anus opening, to keep small leakages from touching the skin.

Prevent Fatigue or Depression

• •Join a support group, where you share experiences, and use your doctor’s and other patient’s advice, to help ease frustration as you become more proficient at using the J-pouch.
• •Stay active and engaged with friends an family.
• •Be patient. Remind yourself that things will get easier as you master daily bowel movements with your J-pouch.
• •Stick with an exercise program, like walking, swimming or playing sports. You will become abler as you adjust to your J-pouch.

Seek Options for a Failed J-Pouch

• •If your J-pouch is interfering with your life, and adjustment tactics have not worked well, see an expert for possible options. If a failed J-pouch procedure is making you miserable, Dr. Don Schiller offers options to correct your issues with advanced procedures, such as J-pouch replacement/transformation with the innovative BCIR.

Your Expert J-Pouch Surgeon in Los Angeles

It’s crucial to choose an expert ileostomy specialist to help you select the proper procedure and perform it flawlessly. Your trusted surgeon and his staff will guide you through the process of recovery–and help you learn to become completely comfortable with your ileostomy. Contact the Los Angeles offices of Dr. Don Schiller to learn more about J-pouch options. Call 323-472-9931 today.