katrionatronica

I have a jpouch too. I called my stoma Shithead. I spent far too long shutting the fucker up when it farted to get along with it. Mind you, I had it for 18 months so our fling got past the honeymoon phase after a while.

I'll throw my jpouch story in here too.

My first surgery, to remove my colon, was an emergency cos I got toxic megacolon. It took me two months to recover. This was the hardest one, because I was seriously ill at the time of surgery - planned surgery is easier. My second surgery was to build the jpouch, which was also a two-month recovery. The final surgery was reconnecting my intestines, this was a 6 week recovery because I had complications but it can be as little as 4 weeks. I had a stoma all the way from the first op to the last one. I had a year long gap between ops 1 and 2 because of other complications, usually it's about 3-6 months, and 3 months between ops 2 and 3.

If the surgery is planned, they will do the first two in the same procedure. I couldn't have both at the same time because I was too ill and my pouch might not have healed properly.

It gave me my life back. If UC is really ruining your life - if it's at the point where you can't get out or you can't work - then getting your health back with a jpouch is amazing.

I'm really excited about how you're doing now!

Are you looking into other illustration projects? Any thoughts on commissions or projects for companies or books? Or any new characters or themes that you're thinking about drawing upon (hehe) personally?

I once saw a big guy getting chucked out by a female bouncer just pick her up bodily and run off down the street with her. He wasn't being at all threatening so she was taken unawares.

Has anything like that ever happened to you? How would you have dealt with it if it had happened to you?

Best and worst dates?