For women only-- jpouch pain

I am having my first real period since my second step jpouch formation and am having horrible rectal and vaginal pain. I usually have painful cramps and heaving bleeding but this is a sharper pain and in different areas. The surgeon's nurse said that it could be normal due to healing, but it's such a stabbing pain, I don't understand how it could relate and make the area where the pouch was formed hurt too.

I know I need to have a pap done by my gyn, but wanted to get these surgeries over with before I go and have more tests done. Guess I'm trying to stay out of dr offices for awhile. And I'm sure that my gyn has no experience with other who have had the jpouch.

Anyone else have this happen? I pray that this is not what I will have to look forward to every month or I will need heavy pain killers or call off work or both every month!

Would appreciate any info. (If you're a guy and read this, remember, I warned you!

Thanks Peggy the surgeon's nurse seems to think that it's part of the healing process, so I guess I'll have to hope that's true. It's so frustrating because they don't tell you what to expect and everytime you turn around, there is another pain or problem you have to wait out to go away. The rectal pain is subsiding and hopefully by tomorrow it will be better.

I continually worry about other problems arising and the physicians will not know enough about the jpouch and will keep referring me back to my surgeon. Don't get me wrong, my surgeon is great but the hospital he works at is about an hour away from my house and I don't want to have to go there for every little thing.

I'm trying so hard to stay positive, but I've felt like $&!* since June and really just want to feel normal. I look at other people I know that treat their bodies like crap by drinking and doing drugs and think how they have no idea how lucky they are and how they are wasting away their health and all I want is mine back. So I had my pity party today and cried like a baby but will go on tomorrow and put on my happy face and hope for the best.

Thanks for your concern