Poster Kock Poucher

Thats me.
I saw my dear surgeon today and that's what he called me - a poster Kock-poucher. He even suggested that I write in to a journal that the Cleveland Clinic publishes called the Pouch-O-Gram and tell them my story. He said that the Kock pouch just isn't done very often anymore because it requires a tremendous amount of skill in the surgeon and a very motivated patient but it's a great option for people like me. He said I should let the world know how much I love it.

My visit didn't start off that great though. It started with being stuck three times just for blood. The nurse said I didn't have veins that God just drew lines on my arms. They did eventually get it though and the tech really was good. She was kind and she took care to be as gentle as possible and distract me by talking.

Then I went upstairs and when the nurse was taking me back I passed Dr Remzi in the hall, he said to the nurse "please be quick, I need to leave in 15 minutes." As I sat in the exam room after the nurse left though I felt distraught. I don't want to feel rushed, I don't need a lot of attention but I do need some time where he's not running out the door. So I just started to pray, I prayed that God would give Dr Remzi the opportunity to go do what he needs to do and then come back. I prayed "Oh God, if I could just have his undivided attention for 10 minutes - I'd settle for 7 if I can speak clearly." He came in shortly after I finished praying. I had been standing and leaning against a wall when he came in and he took a look at me and my stoma (Looks good!) then he mentioned an email I had sent him last week informing him of another problem I'm having. He said "You look concerned and I don't wanna rush you. I have a meeting I have to go to. Can you wait? I'll be back at 4pm" (it was 3:15) YES! Thank you, thank you, thank you God.

So he came back in promptly at 4 trailing his nurse and a Fellow. Now the most uncomfortable part of the visit came, he wanted to examine my perianal wound to make sure it wasn't the source of any of my new issues. Not only did I have to kneel and "assume the position" but this stupid table actually bends in the middle and jacks your rear high into the air so the doctor can get a really good look. Well now that my dignity has left the room.....

My consolation was that it was short-lived and probably the last time that will ever happen again, a fortunate side effect of having the rectum removed!

After that we got to talk, and I told him that I wanted to tell him the good things in my life since surgery and not just come in to talk about problems. He heartily assented and I related the following:

#1 I sleep through the night, all the time. I haven't slept through the night since I was 12 (before I had UC and lost my colon) and now I do it all the time. I don't have to get up to go to the bathroom and I can't even begin to express how awesome that is.
Dr Remzi was grinning from ear to ear at this point
#2 I go to the bathroom 4 times a day. 4 times a day. There is no way to relate to you people with colons what that kind of freedom means to me.

I was practically choking back tears of gratitude and he was still grinning and he turned to his Fellow and said "Look at her! She's a model of the success this surgery can be. I was reluctant to do this and I made her wait but she proved to me she was motivated and just look at her!"

Thats when he said I was a poster K-poucher.