It’s been a while since I’ve written anything and that’s mostly to do with work, but also because I’ve not had the stamina to return home after work and write any posts, but it’s brought me to the conclusion that I need to write a post about tips I’ve taken on since having the J-Pouch.
Water
I cannot stress this enough; you must drink water. More water than you normally would and definitely more water than a normal person would drink (and does have a large intestine and bowel).
You will get dehydrated very easily and quickly, and this leads to fatigue. You’ll end up getting into a really rubbish cycle and will find it very hard to get out of it.
Salt
Do you find that you’re craving salt? This is because you no longer have your large intestine and therefore you need to cater for this. Put extra salt on everything. Our body doesn’t work in the same way it would for a normal person and therefore we need to take in up to 10 times the normal amount of salt. Plus it tastes so much better with a J-Pouch (although that part might just be me).
Vitamins
You don’t realise it, but your body needs these. You’re not processing food in the same way anymore so ensure that you get vitamins via other methods. I am personally taking multi-vitamins in the form of a chew. That way my body can break it down and it’s better for me, being gelatin.
Sleep
I’m generally not a good sleeper. The less, the better.
That said, you need to sleep, quite a lot. You’ll actually find yourself needing to nap during the day. If this is the case, listen to your body and sleep. Regenerate and hopefully you’ll feel better. Fatigue is not a nice thing, but it’s something you’ll suffer with quite a lot.
Listen to your body
My final tip (keeping this short) is to listen to your body. Give it what it wants. Don’t push yourself too hard and be sure to rest. Take life easy and enjoy it.
I know this is a short post, but I’m planning on writing a lot more health related stuff moving forward. If you want to get in touch with me about any questions, drop me a tweet/dm via @Frayzurr.