An initial announcement that the Red Lion Group Information Day and AGM, 2020, will take place on Saturday 25 April at St Mark’s Hospital, Harrow. This will be another action-packed day catching up on the latest topics of interest to pouchees, potential pouchees and relatives and friends of pouchees! All welcome but numbers will be limited. Please keep the date free! More information will follow as the agenda firms up.
They came they saw, and heard all about living with an Internal Pouch….and ate some cake as well!
Twenty-five years young and who better to celebrate such an epoch-making event than the first chairman Dr Martin Peters who flew back to the UK from Spain and even postponed his own wedding anniversary to launch this year’s Silver Red Lion Group Information Day.
Epoch-making, age-defying – all descriptions apply – this turned out to be the largest and best-attended Day in the group’s history with more than 80 Red Lion members, relatives and healthcare professionals meeting and mingling at St Mark’s Hospital’s Himsworth Hall on 27 April this year.
At least five RLG founder-members joined the celebrations and both Dr Peters and founder-member Tim Rogers, the first editor of Roar!, gave rallying speeches and assured us that the new days are just as good as the old – if not better! And the stats bear this out, with a growing membership, a greater reach in the UK and overseas and a flourishing new website.
Every Information Day celebrates progress and change in recovery, achievement and technology – as reflected in the talks which featured such topics as biofeedback (Ellie Bradshaw, St Mark’s lead biofeedback nurse), Pharmaceutical research (Uchu Meade, St Mark’s pharmacy manager), Diet (Gabriela Poufou, St Mark’s dietitian) and the workings of the ileoanal pouch (Lisa Allison, St Mark’s clinical pouch nurse specialist).
But perhaps there is no better sense of fulfilment than discussing your personal problems and challenges at a workshop, as members found at three animated events for male and female members – and families and friends – which enabled them to speak openly and frankly about their concerns with fellow members.
It was a day to remember – aptly summed up by one Red Lion member who said: “Even though I have had my pouch for 21 years, I picked up some very useful tips and I loved the opportunity to meet other pouch owners.”
See you at the next one in 2020!
You can download the presentations below.
Don’t forget, you can find presentations and/or video recordings from this year’s and previous year’s Information Days on our resources page from the menu bar or by tapping here.
If you would like make a donation to the Red Lion Group or organise your own fund raising event, please see our JustGiving links below.
Do you have a j-pouch, s-pouch, w-pouch or considering pouch surgery? Have you ever attended a Red Lion Group Pouch Information day at St. Marks’s hospital? Whether you are a regular or first time attendee – you will be very welcome and I am sure you will find the day interesting and beneficial.
The Information Day on Saturday 27 April 2019 will celebrate the Silver Jubilee with an address by Dr Martin Peters, who was the first RLG Chairman way back in 1994. Martin will be reflecting on RLG then and now and on his own reflections about living with a pouch for the last 25 years.
We are delighted to confirm that Professor Omar Faiz, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Clinical Director at St. Mark’s Hospital will be speaking on Modern developments in Pouch Surgery.
Another highlight will be Elissa Bradshaw, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Biofeedback Therapy at St Mark’s Hospital, who will be speaking about the importance of efficient pouch emptying, the mechanics of pouch emptying and how you can empty your pouch more effectively.
Meet and mingle with other pouchees and pre-pouch patients and share your experiences in our interactive work-shops.
The cost is only £8.00 for Red Lion Group members and members’ guests, and £10.00 for non-members. Cost Includes lunch and refreshments. Full details and registration form below.
The 25th anniversary Information day will take place on Saturday 27th April 2019 at
St. Mark’s Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ.
See Getting here
If you are driving, FREE parking is provided to attendees in the St. Mark’s Hospital car-park (Please request a parking pass on the application form below).
Here is the full Information day agenda (updated 20.03.2019)
| TIME | PRESENTATION |
| 10:00-10:30 | Registration with tea/coffee and biscuits |
| 10:30-10:50 | Welcome and AGM |
| 10:50-11:00 | Personal reflections on the Red Lion group 25 years on Dr. Martin Peters, Pouchee and first Chairman of the RLG |
| 11:00-11:10 | My parallel journeys – pouch and RLG Tim Rogers, Founder RLG member, first editor of ROAR! And still on the committee after all these years! |
| 11:10-11:50 | Modern developments in Pouch Surgery Professor Omar Faiz, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Clinical Director at St. Mark’s Hospital |
| 11:50-12:20 | Pelvic floor perfection and the importance of proper emptying Ellie Bradshaw, Lead Nurse, Biofeedback Dept, St. Mark’s Hospital |
| 12:20-13:30 | Lunch – a selection of sandwiches and cakes |
| 13:30-14:00 | Pharmacy Advice for Pouchees Uchu Meade, St Mark’s Pharmacy Manager, Lead Clinical Pharmacist |
| 14:00-14:30 | Diet and your pouch Gabriela Poufou, Dietician, St. Mark’s Hospital |
| 14:30-14:45 | Tea and coffee break |
| 14:45-15:55 | Personal pouch journeys and workshops 1) Female pouch issues Theresa Parr 2) Male pouch issues Gary Bronziet 3) Pouch family and friends (TBC) |
| 15:55-16:00 | Evaluation and close |
You can download the agenda below.
If you would like to attend please download the registration form below. Please complete the form and remit payment as soon as possible to guarantee your place as spaces are limited.
If you are not already a member, why not join now and take advantage of the discounted rate and other member benefits. You can join here.
Join NowWe look forward to seeing you there. Come celebrate our 25th anniversary with us!
How many of you use air fresheners? And if you do, which brands do you prefer? Roar’s team of expert testers give us their feedback – by Roar! editor Christopher Browne.
Please note – the Red Lion group does not endorse any product mentioned in this article.
To spray or not to spray – that is the question. Do you use an air freshener after going to the loo? And if you do, which one do you find works best for you?
For the first few months after I had my pouch fitted, I was not too concerned about its after effects or smell. I lived on my own and the only person who had to face the odours from the lavatory was me. However, it was when I went back to work and started going to social functions again that I sought ways to cope with the pungent after effects.
First, I studied the small print on the main high-street air fresheners and tried a succession of sprays without too much success. Though I found the odours from Neutradol and Febreze were slightly less acrid and medicinal than their rivals. Then I read about a spray that not only counteracts bad smells but also eliminates them. It had the neat-sounding sobriquet –odour-eater. How could I refuse? It was an apparently revolutionary concept in the mid-1990s
The brand name of the product was Airoma, aptly enough. After ordering one from the internet, I found I could order batches of three or more from eBay. They ranged from citrus and herbal fern fragrances to mango and cool –which didn’t really smell of anything and probably wasn’t meant to! After a few weeks I found the mango freshener gave off the most subtle and soothing fragrance. I continued to use it for work and play for several years and found the once murmured reactions of my friends and colleagues ceased.
I still use it, although very occasionally. As a catheter user I find I have less frequency and rarely leave more than a faint whiff in the corridors of power! If you’re a catheter user, please let me know if this applies to you too!
But enough of me for now, here are the Thoughts of Chairman Davies. “It wasn’t until I started to think about an answer to the question whether to use a spray or not that I realised how much this issue pervades my sub-conscious and drives my behaviours,”David says. “Sprays have never worked for me. If I’m in a busy public toilet then I’ll sometimes apologise with a smile to the person using the cubicle after me. They always say ‘that’s ok’or similar with a smile back and I wonder what they really think when they get inside!
“At my partner’s house we tried a few products, but they masked the bad smells with very powerful, nauseatingly sweet and synthetic smells. There are odour-free deodorisers on the market, but they didn’t do much of a job. So, we ended up with scented candles that I light (if I remember) when I’m using the toilet. The candles preferentially burn the volatiles in the air and let off a more subtle smell than the sprays,”says David.
Chairman Davies has another anti-odour technique. He has his own personal cubicle at home. “I have a convenient out-of-the-way en suite, which is my toilet of choice and is private,”he says. An eminently good idea for a family man or woman, I would have thought.But what do you do when visiting friends or going to parties? “At other people’s houses I’ll try and locate a remote toilet rather than using the one the rest of the dinner party guests are using,”says David.
Recently a group of leading manufacturers have been endorsing products called ‘essential oil sprays’. RLG’s membership secretary Susan Burrows and several other members of the Red Lion Group use a brand called Poo-Pourri.
“I bought it on the internet at www.poopourri.co.uk. I don’t know why it works but it does. They market it as ’This before-you-go blend of natural essential oils creates a barrier to embarrassing bathroom odour.’ And the manufacturer has quite jokey instructions: ‘Spritz the bowl before you go and no one else will ever know.’,” says Susan, adding: “The spray comes from the US and this one is only available online but there are others on sale over here.
Sense of humour warning – Only watch video if you have a twisted sense of humour like me! (Ed.)
Another RLG committee member commented: “At home I don’t tend to use a spray but if we have guests, I use Poo-Pourri before I go. It is so much more effective than standard air fresheners and leaves the bathroom with a lovely lemon grass smell.”
Essential oils don’t necessarily appeal to everyone, however. Chairman Davies slightly poo-pooed the idea when he said: “They supposedly work by creating a film on the toilet water that prevents smells being released. That makes no scientific sense to me and nor does it cure the problem if you pebbledash the bowl.”
“At the end of the day all my friends and family know about my op, so I expect them to get on with it and generally they do. There is the usual mickey-taking when it comes to who is going to room with me on cycling weekends away with the lads,”he adds. I know what he means. I’ve had the same experience on a couple of overseas trips too!
Others find there is no substitute for good, old-fashioned common-sense. RLG committee member Peter White relies on fresh air to help clear away any lingering odours. “At home I tend to leave the window ajar for a few minutes with the door to the rest of the house closed. Many modern fittings allow ‘closed’windows to be slightly ajar, so allowing them to operate like a supersized trickle vent,”adds Peter.
Here is the Information day agenda (updated 20.03.2019)
You can download the agenda below.
If you would like to attend please download the registration form below. Note that the cost is only £8.00 for members and member’s guests and £10.00 for non-members (cost includes lunch and refreshments). Please complete the form and remit payment as soon as possible to guarantee your place as spaces are limited. If you have pre-registered, please send form and remit payment by 1 April to guarantee your place.
If you are not already a member, why not join now and take advantage of the discounted rate and other member benefits. You can join here.
Join NowWe look forward to seeing you there. Come celebrate our 25th anniversary with us!
Read more “Medication for your internal pouch – keep taking the tablets!”
Are you aware of the wealth of information available on the Red Lion Group website about Pouch history and living with a Pouch?
Over the years, we have posted personal stories from pouch owners and video recordings from the experts and pioneers in pouch surgery from St. Mark’s Hospital and academic institute.
You can find this information on our Stories page. Or look at the Resources page and browse recordings of Information Days presentations.
Some highlights from previous Information Days:-
So, whether you have a j-pouch, s-pouch, w-pouch or considering pouch surgery, why not attend this year’s Information day and hear expert advice first hand on pouch related topics and meet other pouch owners and pre-pouch patients. This year we will be commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Red Lion group.
The 25th anniversary Information day will take place on Saturday 27th April 2019 at
St. Mark’s Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ.
See Getting here
Here is the Information day agenda (updated 20.03.2019)
| TIME | PRESENTATION |
| 10:00-10:30 | Registration with tea/coffee and biscuits |
| 10:30-10:50 | Welcome and AGM |
| 10:50-11:00 | Personal reflections on the Red Lion group 25 years on Dr. Martin Peters, Pouchee and first Chairman of the RLG |
| 11:00-11:10 | My parallel journeys – pouch and RLG Tim Rogers, Founder RLG member, first editor of ROAR! And still on the committee after all these years! |
| 11:10-11:50 | Modern developments in Pouch Surgery Professor Omar Faiz, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Clinical Director at St. Mark’s Hospital |
| 11:50-12:20 | Pelvic floor perfection and the importance of proper emptying Ellie Bradshaw, Lead Nurse, Biofeedback Dept, St. Mark’s Hospital |
| 12:20-13:30 | Lunch – a selection of sandwiches and cakes |
| 13:30-14:00 | Pharmacy Advice for Pouchees Uchu Meade, St Mark’s Pharmacy Manager, Lead Clinical Pharmacist |
| 14:00-14:30 | Diet and your pouch Gabriela Poufou, Dietician, St. Mark’s Hospital |
| 14:30-14:45 | Tea and coffee break |
| 14:45-15:55 | Personal pouch journeys and workshops 1) Female pouch issues Theresa Parr 2) Male pouch issues Gary Bronziet 3) Pouch family and friends (TBC) |
| 15:55-16:00 | Evaluation and close |
You can download the agenda below.
If you would like to attend please download the registration form below. Note that the cost is only £8.00 for members and member’s guests and £10.00 for non-members (cost includes lunch and refreshments). Please complete the form and remit payment as soon as possible to guarantee your place as spaces are limited. If you have pre-registered, please send form and remit payment by 1 April to guarantee your place.
If you are not already a member, why not join now and take advantage of the discounted rate and other member benefits. You can join here.
Join NowWe look forward to seeing you there. Come celebrate our 25th anniversary with us!
Hopefully, you have already saved the date for the Red Lion group Information Day and AGM, 2019, which will take place on Saturday 27 April at St Mark’s Hospital, Harrow. The Red Lion Group Information Day is one of the most informative events for patients, prospective patients, friends family and health care professionals with an interest in Pouch Surgery.
You will have the opportunity to hear from some of the leading professionals in the field of Pouch Surgery practise and research and interact with fellow pouchees, prospective pouchees and health care professionals. You can view videos from previous information days here on the Red Lion Group website.
Spaces are limited and you are recommended to register your intention to attend as soon as possible. Attendance fee (which includes refreshments and lunch) is £10.00 for non-members and £8.00 for members.
You will be sent regular updates on the agenda as they become available and payment instructions in due course.
Register Now
Confirmed Speakers
The Information Day on 27 April 2019 will celebrate the Silver Jubilee with an address by Dr Martin Peters, who was the first RLG Chairman way back in 1994. Martin will be reflecting on RLG then and now and on his own reflections about living with a pouch for the last 25 years.
We are delighted to confirm that Elissa Bradshaw, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Biofeedback Therapy at St Marks Hospital, will be speaking about the importance of efficient pouch emptying, the mechanics of pouch emptying and how you can empty your pouch more effectively.
Biofeedback therapy is an effective treatment for bowel dysfunction. The service at the Sir Alan Parks Physiology and Neuromodulation Unit has been successful in providing biofeedback therapy for 30 years, where treatments have extended and evolved to help both the physical and psychological needs of pouch patients. It is particularly useful for pouch patients, who may experience a variety of difficult symptoms including increased bowel frequency, evacuatory dysfunction and incontinence.
You can read more about Bio Feedback research at St Marks Hospital here.
The Kangaroo Club – a pouch support group based in Oxford – is holding its next annual Information Day on Saturday 6th October 2018.
Cost: Free of charge
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Venue: John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
The aim of the Kangaroo Club Information Days is to give a chance to meet other people who have had colorectal surgery or who are eligible for such surgery. As well as time being given for informal discussion with other attendees, there is a full programme of more formal sessions led by medical staff from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust .
The Information Day on 6th October 2018 will include a full programme of sessions covering:
For more information and to register to attend please click here
We look forward to seeing you there.
The 2018 Information Day took place on Saturday 12 May 2018 at the St. Mark’s Hospital in Harrow.
We were delighted to welcome over 80 attendees including pouchees, potential pouchees and medical specialists
2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the invention of the Pouch at St. Mark’s hospital and we were delighted to have Professor John Nicholls one of the pioneers and foremost experts on the subject as keynote speaker giving his personal reflections on 40 years of the pouch operation.
David Davies with Stephen Want, RLG member, who gave a talk about his experience as one of the earliest recipients of the pouch
David Davies with Lisa Allison after her presentation on the subject “Pouch Surgery Complications“. Lisa is a Pouch nurse specialist at St. Mark’s hospital and former Chair of the Red Lion Group.
David Davies with Dr Jonathan Segal of St. Mark’s hospital, after his presentation “Pouch Research Update – medical & surgical perspectives” .
David Davies with Mr Janindra Warusavitarne of St. Mark’s hospital, after his presentation on the subject “Modern developments in Pouch Surgery“.
David Davies with Miss Sam Evans after her presentation of “Fertility, fecundity and pregnancy with a pouch“. Sam is a Clinical Nurse specialist in pouch care at St Mark’s hospital.
There were also a number of work shops and of course food & beverage.
You can find recordings of the presentations from this years event here on the RLG web site.
We look forward to seeing you all again next year!