Moving on...

Well, it's been an age since I last wrote anything about colon-free existence. Still - not much to report.

I have:

• battled Pyoderma Gangrenosum back and forth - almost killed the bastard, then got complacent and it nibbled another grotesque hole in me. Anyway, it's down to a 5mm patch that I conscienciously swab with steroid paste every day. I'm determined to get it back.
• rediscovered my sex life! My long-suffering and wonderful boyfriend gave me time - a long time - to start feeling like sex again. To be honest, it's weird, because you can get out of the habit quite quickly, and when your body doesn't feel... quite... your own, it's difficult to feel sexual. I wonder if anyone else has experienced the same thing?
• worked out clothing options to deal with my slightly altered physique. This actually works quite nicely in the winter - so I've timed the whole thing perfectly...
  

Which brings me on to my next point. I went to see my surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster last week and he raised the possibility of the next step - J-pouch life!

As he led me through the options - keep the ileostomy and have my 'rectal stump' removed (I love these phrases - really makes you feel like an attractive human being) or go for the jpouch. He gave me a long explanation that involved his tie jauntily playing the part of my ileum.

Apparently he has some patients who prefer to keep the bag on the outside - one who wanted to 'go into the bush' - something I'd never do. But it also made me think - surely going out on an expedition it'd be rather harder to fiddle about with stupid little bags, wipes, glue etc. But, I digress. Perhaps it works better for some people, and as I said, something I'd never do - I get a bit itchy if I drive outside London.

It's strange really, because I was rather apprehensive about the pouch operation - not least because it was quite horrendous having the last one and I managed to have all these irritating little complications. He made it sound really quite good, claiming it offered the best quality of life.

Then - 'what did I want to do?' It's strange how doctors always ask you that, considering, really, they know a lot more about it than you do.

So, anyway, I said I'd give it a go. Watch this space.