J-Pouch Takedown Anniversary
Next month is my 5 year takedown anniversary for my j-pouch. I have stated many times that the j-pouch has a 94-96% success rate. But you don’t hear many success stories on the internet because most of them are out there living their lives and not boasting about it on the internet. Because you don’t hear a majority of the success stories out there, I feel compelled to keep sharing my own story of life with a j-pouch. 
Success & Failure Stories
I have given a lot of thought to how I would address this year’s takedown anniversary. I thought it might be helpful for you to hear stories of other successful j-pouchers that you might be encouraged should you ever find yourself facing the prospect of surgery. Then I thought I’d be doing you a disservice if I only mentioned the successful stories. That’s when I thought it might be good to shed light on not only the good stories, but the not-so-good stories. You also need to hear about the j-pouch failure stories.
Introducing Jordan
I met Jordan a couple of years ago. He’s a great guy and extremely helpful. I’m so thankful that he was willing to share his story.
Jordan is a 35 year old ulcerative colitis patient living in Orange County, California. He’s been living with a healthy j-pouch since 2013 after living through a severe, 18 month long flare. Now that he has his life back, he’s been able to have a rewarding career in real estate while pursuing his passions like fitness and motorcycle riding.
Q&A with Jordan
Q: When were you Diagnosed with IBD?
A: I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in June of 2010. Just shy of my 27th birthday.
Q: What medications did you try?
A: At first I was put on Asacol and Rowasa enemas. Luckily, I went into “remission” almost immediately. Afterwards I managed my symptoms with a low dose of Asacol. However, about 18 months later my symptoms came back and I was in a severe flare. During this time I was on and off prednisone, 6-mp, and even Remicade infusions.
Q: How did you get to the point of surgery?
A: After about a year and a half of trial and error with the medications and treatments mentioned above, my outlook was bleak. I couldn’t work, eat, sleep, exercise, and had lost about 35 pounds in less than 2 months. I was extremely sick and my back was against the wall. MY GI was puzzled as to why nothing was working, even IV steroids. I had done some of my own homework and discovered a treatment option called the “j-pouch”. I had a consultation with a surgeon and knew instantly this was the best thing for me.
Q: How many surgeries did you have?
A: My j-pouch operation was done in three separate surgeries over the course of 5 months.
Q: When did you start feeling like you had your life back?
A: The pain from ulcerative colitis was gone. I just had to wait for the pain from surgery to subside, and for my body to learn its new function and get used to all the new plumbing. I would say I felt like I had my life back less than 6 months after my final surgery. That’s when I was cleared to resume my normal diet, exercise routine, etc.
Q: Are you happy with your J-Pouch?
A: I’m extremely happy with my j-pouch. I consider myself lucky. Other than a minor case of cuffitis shortly after my takedown procedure, my j-pouch has been healthy ever since 2013.
Q: If you had to do it all over again, would you?
A: Despite the pain from surgery, the mental strain, and the physical challenges, I would go through the procedures 100 times if it got me to where I am today. I don’t regret a single choice I’ve made.
Q: Were you told that surgery would “cure” you?
A: I don’t believe the word “cure” was ever used. My surgeon told me something like, “this is the organ that is diseased and inflamed, we are going to take that organ out.” I was never led to believe that this was a “cure” for ulcerative colitis.
Q: Do you feel like you have a better quality of life living without your sick colon?
A: My quality of life is much better than living with a sick colon, it isn’t even a question. Although my new “normal” is challenging and I wouldn’t want someone with a healthy colon to experience my life today, I am still very happy and wouldn’t change a single thing.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like other patients to know about your experience with UC and/or a j-pouch?
A: Be patient with your body. Figure out what you can and can’t tolerate. For example, I have friends that can’t eat foods like salad, popcorn, etc., while I eat these things all the time. Every patient is different. Don’t be afraid to ask your medical team the tough questions, they’re there to help you. Nobody can make the decision to have surgery for you, this is a very personal choice and once you make it, trust yourself and stick with it.
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Thank you again, Jordan! I really enjoyed reading your story! To connect with Jordan, you can find him on Instagram here.
Check out some other great j-pouch stories by clicking on the links below!
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