Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. - Dalai Lama

[Part 3]

I had had an ileostomy for almost a year before I had another surgery in March 2012. This time, it was for the construction of a J-pouch. I was done with having an ostomy. For this surgery, it was my surgeon with his magic hands who operated on me. He explained to me that the following year wouldn’t be easy as the peristalsis of my sphincter would need to get back in service. He also told me that I would probably have bowel movements 5 to 9 times a day and 2 to 3 times a night before everything returned to normal. He didn’t want me to be worried if dark circles appeared under my eyes due to my lack of sleep. Well, I was ready to welcome them with joy, so I had my third surgery (J-pouch). Everything went very well. I got out of the hospital a week later and felt like I was finally recovering my body. It took a while for me to adapt to my new situation, but I was oh so happy. In two months, everything went back to normal; I was evacuating 2 to 4 times during the day and rarely during the night.

Today, I can say that it was a great gift I gave myself. I’m happy that I chose to undergo that kind of surgery again, despite the possible complications in the beginning. It’s still trial and error as far as what food to eat, but everything is going well. Considering that my storage capacity is less than for normal people, I must coordinate my meals and my outings. Car trips must be planned too because I can’t stay sited for too many hours. I have to stop regularly to make sure I can stretch. I have some dietary restrictions; I must avoid spices and acidic and gas-producing food, but cellular nutrition is really helpful for my metabolism. I take a quality supplement to feed my cells and compensate for my lack of nutrients because I have no colon to absorb them.

If you want more information, you can read another of my blogs that talks about the importance of supplements, or contact me directly.

Long live J-pouches!

[End of Part 3]

Cindy