constipation?

Never thought I'd be asking this... but is it possible to have constipation with the j pouch? I've only had mine for a week, and I'm not sure if it's gas pains or if I am just actually constipated. But I often feel like I have to "work out" some poops. It is rarely runny at all. I am eating a lot of breads and pasta and macaroni and cheese and bananas, and watching my sugar intake. Could this be why? Or is my j pouch just still getting used to being used in general... I know I am not blocked up because my bloating is going down significantly every day and I constantly feel (and hear!) gurgling inside my belly.

I am not well versed with jpouches and I am sure a few will chime in. My assumption is early on I would still be very careful with the foods and not eat so many thickening ones until things heal in there.

I am surprised you were not given some kind of hand out or guide to follow for the beginning to help you eat foods that will keep the stool from being too loose or too solid.

The jpouch forum should have this info I would think???

Thinning foods are: any kind of alcohol, chocolate, grape juice, prune juice, splenda, sucralose and of those fake sugars and real sugars too. Good luck. Rosemary

Yes pancakes! This is exactly what I am going through. It actually is kind of DIFFICULT to empty my j pouch. I seriously never thought that would be the case. I was preparing myself to have no control and I was expecting to be incontinent for a long time after surgery but I truly am having the opposite problem. It's so odd! Drinking a lot with meals is new advice to me, because my surgeons and nurses always have told me to try to keep my liquids separate from my meals... but this was also advice on how to keep my stool thick to have more control. Last night was terrible. It felt like I had a boulder in my a s s ! But I followed your guys' advice and had cup of coffee before going to sleep and it seemed to loosen up somewhat. I am in the habit of drinking a quart of gatorade every day, but maybe I need to drink more liquids throughout and during meals like you said.

It has only been 10 days since my surgery, and I feel great! Which is strange because it took me weeks to feel this great after my 1st and 2nd surgeries... but I am afraid to start trying vegetables and other fibers in order to loosen my stool, just in case the site they closed in my small intestine is still swollen. I am deathly afraid of a blockage, I even hesitated eating carrot cake the other day because of the tiny carrot shavings in it! Do you think my insides are still swollen from surgery 10 days post, even if I feel this great? Or am I being a little dramatic...

I would stick with the GI soft diet for maybe two more weeks or so. You can have swelling at the old stoma site that could cause problems. You can do things like applesauce, canned peaches or pears, and well cooked soft veggies like broccoli or carrots. If you can chew it to mush, eat it. You might also consider a fruit and veggie combo juice until you can add more to your diet.