J Pouch related live webcasts scheduled for 2026

The Red Lion Group schedules another series of live webcasts for 2026 featuring world renowned speakers on subjects of great interest to patients considering or having undergone J Pouch Surgery.

We are delighted to report we have another new speaker (for us!) this year – namely Dr Alexa Duff lead clinical psychologist specialising in IBD at St Mark’s Hospital and founder of the Gut Brain Connection (gutbrainconnection.co.uk).

As you may be aware, Red Lion Group began broadcasting live webcasts on Zoom during the COVID epidemic, when we were unable to host our regular in-person Information Day previously held at St. Mark’s Hospital. These have proved so popular that we have continued with this practice every year since, and this year is no exception with an exciting line-up of speakers as detailed below.

Samantha Evans and Lisa Allison

Wednesday 18th February 19:30 (BST)- Preparing for Pouch Surgery
Wednesday 29th April 19:30 pm (BST) – Managing Pouch Complications

A dynamic duo: Samantha Evans, nurse consultant for stoma- and pouchcare at St Mark’s Hospital, and Lisa Allison, clinical nurse specialist for pouchcare, who oversee the before and after activities of St Mark’s Hospital’s pouchcare and pouch operations. They will be presenting two joint Zoom webcasts on Wednesday, 18th February and Wednesday, 29th April respectively.

The two events are deliberately linked as the first will show the structure of the St Mark’s pouchcare nursing team and how they prepare patients for pouch surgery; while the second will highlight the hospital’s enhanced recovery post-operative process and how they manage pouch complications in the hospital’s Nurse-led clinics.

PS: Lisa Allison is a former chair of the Red Lion Group!

Dr Alexa Duff – The role of Stress and Anxiety in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns

Wednesday 15th April 2026 at 19:30 pm (BST)

Dr Alexa Duff – Founder of the Gut Brain Connection

We are delighted to report that we have lined up an original and fascinating webcast by Dr Alexa Duff – lead clinical psychologist specialising in IBD at St Mark’s Hospital and founder of the Gut Brain Connection (gutbrainconnection.co.uk). Dr Duff will cover a rarely-discussed aspect of our lives as pouchees, that is whether mental problems are a possible cause of UC or Crohn’s disease and whether stress or anxiety are contributory factors in the day-to-day behaviour of pouches. She will also review ways pouch patients can cope with the stigma of problems with the bowel – at work, in social situations and in close relationships.

Other issues that she will cover include :-

whether patients are given enough support for the psychological effects of pouch operations refering to some of the issues she has experienced in her work at St Mark’s Hospital.
what changes she would like to see introduced before, during and after operations to help pouch patients deal with a very difficult period in their lives.

This promises to be a fascinating session so make sure of your place by registering below.

Others Speakers and Events to be added. You can find further information about our webcast schedule for 2026 with links to register and view recordings of previous webcasts at pouchsupport.org/events/

News

J Pouch Support Facebook Group hits 2000 member milestone

J Pouch Support Facebook Group hits 2000 member milestone!

Jenny Hogan recently became the 2000th member of the J-pouch support (UK specific) facebook group, an online community which continues to grow and which provides an outstanding platform for pouchees to share pouch-related issues and comments and to receive tips, advice and support from fellow pouchees.

About the J Pouch Support (UK Specific) Facebook Group

The J-pouch support (UK specific) group was founded some 12 years ago by two pouchees – Sam Wainwright and Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford. The group moderators for the last 8 years have been Gary Bronziet and David Davies, who are respectively the Membership Secretary and Chairman of The Red Lion Group. RLG is a pouch support charity which is very closely affiliated to St Mark’s Hospital in London, where the operation was first conceived by Sir Alan Parks and Professor John Nicholls. With over 2,000 members, the facebook group continues to grow at a pace and is now the largest pouch support Facebook group outside of the United States.

The name of the group “J Pouch Support (UK Specific)” may be a little misleading, as we have members with all pouch configurations (e.g., W-, S- and J-) and although the name might imply membership is limited to UK-based pouchees, in practice the group has a truly global membership – as can be see in the demographics below.

Demographics and activity

There are twice as many women than men in the membership and the demographics show that two thirds of members are aged between 35 and 54 The group has a phenomenal activity level of over 70%, reflecting the very high engagement amongst this close-knit group. The most popular days for posts are Tuesdays and Thursdays and the most popular times are 8am on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and 7.30pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

As would be expected, the most heavily repesented country is the UK, but you can get an idea of the world wide reach of the group (which is also reflected in the Red Lion Group membership)

The female members outnumber the men by about 2:1 which is an interesting statistic. Does that represent the number of pouches out there, or maybe an indication that women are more inclined to use social media, or join support groups?

The J Pouch

Pouch surgery involves the surgical re-plumbing of our bowels following life-saving surgery and which avoids the need for a permanent stoma and allows us to pooh via the bottom in the normal way. The outcomes of surgery are variable and hence the appeal of advice, guidance and support for pouchees and potential pouchees, particularly for members who live in the more remote areas where they might never have met another pouchee and where the medical professionals might not know much about pouches, let alone have the detailed experience and knowledge required to resolve common pouch issues.
The group is hugely supportive and kind and very well informed from their own personal experiences. Every new member receives a personal welcome message which is tailored to their personal pouch circumstance.

Joining the Facebook Group

Because of the personal nature of the discussion, the group is a private facebook group, which means that to view the content and to post or comment it is necessary to submit a join request to the groups administrators. If you are not already a member, you can submit a join request by clicking the button below and then submitting a join request. Your request will normally be accepted within 24 hours.

Join Group

It is not necessary to be a member of the Red Lion Group to join the Facebook Group (and vice versa!)

We look forward to many more years of growth and to many more years of pouchee support and advice via this very special group.

Welcome to Jenny and here’s to the next 2,000 members!

You can read Jenny’s inspirational story here.

News

Our 2000th Facebook Group member shares her inspirational pouch…

Our 2000th Facebook Group member shares her inspirational pouch journey – which started at the age of just six!

Jenny Hogan lives in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, in the shadows of the Harbor Bridge. She is a qualified nurse specialist and works part time in intensive care, whilst also raising two young children. In her younger years she travelled widely and during a stay in Edinburgh she had a clock stolen by a Scottish International scrum half – not so unusual for anyone who knows any Scottish scrum halves. But Jenny has one feature that is common to us all in this group, she has a pelvic pouch! Furthermore, Jenny recently became the 2000th member of the J-pouch support (UK specific) Facebook group, an online community which continues to grow and which provides an outstanding platform for pouchees to share pouch-related issues and comments and to receive tips, advice and support from fellow pouchees. To celebrate this significant milestone, we thought it would be nice to share Jenny’s remarkable pouch story, which will resonate with many of you and might inspire in equal measure.

Jenny’s journey

I first noticed signs of ulcerative colitis at the very young age of just six years old. Steroids didn’t resolve the disease and were beginning to stunt my growth by the time I was eight years old. That was when my parents were faced with the stark reality that I needed a total colectomy to save my life.

Pouch surgery was in the very early stages in Australia at the time and only carried out in a couple of centres, but my parents and I were lucky. One of my surgeons, Professor Graham Newstead, had received training at St Mark’s Hospital and, along with his colleague Eddie Shi, had already performed pouch surgeries on two other children. So I became the third child at the centre to receive a pelvic pouch when I was just ten years old – one of the youngest people ever to have pouch surgery apparently.

My pouch surgery was done in a two-stage procedure: total colectomy and J-pouch creation in the first operation, and closure of the temporary ileostomy in the second. I was very unwell after the first operation due to extremely high output and related complications such as dehydration. I had to spend most of the time between the two surgeries in hospital on a drip just to stay hydrated. As a result, the second surgery was carried out only three months later, in October 1988.

I have unpleasant memories of that short period when I had a temporary stoma, and I’m extremely grateful that the pouch surgery has allowed me to live bag-free for 38 years and counting since those early days. I remember my mother being calm and pragmatic throughout; she had full trust in the surgeons and was prepared to consent to the pouch surgery on my behalf. I also had the chance to speak with another young pouchee, Rachel, who was 14 at the time and very supportive of the surgery. Even so, it must have been an extremely worrying time for my parents. Nevertheless, I recovered well from the second surgery and was back at school within two weeks. In general, I remember a pretty much carefree time, with my only concerns being the noise I made in the toilets and the discomfort of natural toilets—basically holes in the ground—on school camps. I’m sure many fellow pouchees can relate.

My initial recovery hit a glitch about six months after my take-down when I became breathless and tired, and it turned out I was severely anaemic with very low iron levels. I was transfused with three units of blood and recovered quickly, but I’ve continued to need iron supplements right up to the present day. Other issues have included occasional pouchitis (which responds well to a few doses of ciprofloxacin) and butt burn (which I manage with a dab of low-dose steroid cream). Aside from these, I got on with my life—travelling the world whenever I could while studying nursing, with only the occasional small-bowel obstruction to worry about if I ate too many trigger foods such as leafy greens, raw mushrooms or apple without chewing them to mush. In 1996, I was hospitalised with a more troublesome blockage that resolved on its own but served as a key reminder for me to chew properly.

These issues aside, I feel fortunate to have had good outcomes and continue to be well to this day, some 38 years on from my take-down surgery. I remain cautious about eating a balanced diet, chewing thoroughly, avoiding trigger foods and not gulping down a pint of water immediately after meals. Perhaps the biggest impact my pouch has had on my life is that I’ve avoided travelling to parts of the world where food-poisoning risks are higher. I hope one day I’ll overcome these concerns to visit Asia and South America and enjoys the many and varied foods.

I experienced no negative sentiments from others while growing up—I just got on with things. I married my husband, Anthony, at 30, and we have two lovely children: Eleanor (12) and Fletcher (9). Both were delivered by C-section to prevent any issues for the pouch during childbirth.

Jenny with her husband Anthony and Children Eleanor and Fletcher

My job as an intensive care senior nurse is very demanding, involving 12-hour shifts spent mostly standing and walking around the ward. However, I’ve never had pouch-related restrictions and haven’t felt the need to share my pouch status with colleagues.

In terms of function, I feel my pouch works pretty well: 6–8 bowel motions per day depending on food and drink, and only very occasionally needing to get up once in the night. I don’t experience urgency. I have a pouchoscopy every couple of years and am currently under the care of Dr Catherine Ellard. As far as I know, there are limited pouch-support networks in Australia, and I really value the online resources on pouchsupport.org and the J-pouch Support (UK specific) facebook group. I’ve already benefitted from discussions about hydration and even followed the recipe to prepare the St Mark’s rehydration drink—for the first time in 38 years of pouch life!

Welcome to this super supportive group Jenny and thank you for letting us tell your remarkable story.

David Davies
RLG Chairman

Stories

Land’s end to John O’Groats with a J Pouch

Having a J Pouch proved no obstacle for RLG member and runner Bruce Willoughby’s ambition to complete this historic “Run Brittania” ultra marathon

When I told a friend I had a foolhardy dream to run an ultra-marathon he said: “What’s stopping you?” So, I made a list of all the obvious no-nos and improbables including sharing rooms and toilets with fellow competitors, lack of loos on the route, poor nutrition knowledge and hydration problems.

However, my fantasy of achieving the seemingly impossible was re-kindled when a running friend completed the 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats and returned triumphant.

Then suddenly my earlier misgivings started to nag me again. I am a GP and had a pouch op in my 20s and for a long time the thought of running was too much due to the jigging about that can make you want to go to the loo. This sometimes made it easier to not do the things I wanted to do.

Despite that I had started to go for a few short runs gradually increasing the distances until in 2023 I ran the London Marathon. I then started to train more seriously and ran a 30-mile and then a 35-mile ultra-marathon which began to give me hope.

Then, as luck would have it, I had a problem with my knee and needed surgery. This reduced my preparation time from 18 to six months and forced me to cycle to help build up my fitness.

The big day arrived on 31 May this year and the 22 runners taking part in the event catchily-titled “Run Britannia” met up at the start at Land’s End.

**Starter’s orders: the 22 ultras line up at Land’s End**

The event itself turned out to be as much a physical challenge as a scenic adventure. During the first few days we were buoyed with excitement as we negotiated the stunning 630-mile South West Coast Path, followed by Somerset’s spectacular Cheddar Gorge and finally ending that first week crossing Bristol’s Clifton Suspension Bridge.

**Scenic route: Bruce Willoughby flanked by Clifton Suspension Bridge**

I was managing by eating low residue carbohydrate foods during the day and keeping myself hydrated, and then moving on to high protein and high carbohydrate drinks and meals in the evening.

However, by the end of the second week as we crossed into Wales and the Offa’s Dyke Path national trail, I faced a new challenge – aching shins and swollen ankles, popularly known as shin splints, which the event’s physio taped up to enable me to continue.

In the third week our doughty crew reached the North West of England via the Runcorn Bridge, through St Helens and Preston, along Morecambe Bay to the Lake District. My shins were still suffering but, pain or no pain, it didn’t dull the excitement of crossing into Scotland at Gretna Green.

It was an emotional moment, celebrated with bagpipes and a hearty Scottish breakfast. I couldn’t believe we’d come so far, but we were still only halfway to John O’Groats.

Then reaching Glasgow, following the meandering River Clyde, in week four saw us push further north, skirting around Loch Lomond and crossing Glen Coe to Fort William on the West Highland Way in the shadow of Ben Nevis.

My shins started to subside and allowed descents without major issues. Reaching Fort Augustus, along the Caledonian Canal, the final week, with over 200 miles still to go, was filled with breathtaking vistas, especially the infinity views above Loch Ness and the magnificently remote Scottish glens.

The final day – 4 July – though wet and cold, couldn’t diminish our immense feelings of accomplishment as we rounded Duncansby Head and arrived at John O’Groats with a potent mix of pride, exhaustion, disbelief and relief.

It took us a total of 35 days (we actually ran for 31 days with a day off each week) and I’m proud and relieved to have completed something that two years ago I thought was impossible.

I hope that by completing and sharing my dream, others will be inspired to try and achieve theirs – whatever it is.

**Finishing touch: 874 miles later – Bruce wears his ultra-marathon medal**

A version of this article first appeared in ROAR! issue #69 – Autumn 2025. If you would like to read other articles like this, why not become a member of the Red Lion Pouch Support group? You will receive printed copy of ROAR! twice a year and have online access to archive ROAR! editions going all the way back to issue number 1, published in 1994. See pouchsupport.org/join for further information.

Events

RLG monthly J Pouch forums on zoom

A quote from a first time attendee “…Thank you – I did enjoy the session.
I’d forgotten that in certain circles I am perfectly normal!“.

Updated 10 July 2025

The latest monthly pouch forum took place on 7 July 2025 via the magic of zoom with 16 participants dialling in from the luxury of their own homes for an evening of relaxed and supportive pouch-related banter. Once again, we had an international attendance with at least three people calling in from the USA, a couple from Europe and even one from Wales!

These meetings are informal with no set agenda, no minutes and no recordings. Participants speak freely about their pouch issues and pouch experiences, which often includes “lavatorial comment” (as my Dad used to call it), but all “in the best possible taste” (to quote the 80s UK comedian Kenny Everett!).

There were new people for whom this was their first meeting, all the way up to regulars who attend most – if not all – of these monthly zooms. In terms of pouch experience – we had the full range, from recent pouches and those who were thinking about getting a pouch all the way up to 40-year pouches. So plenty of opportunity for sharing experiences, mentoring the newbies and providing lots of support from this fantastic group.

Topics discussed included but were not limited to:

Likelihood of adhesions and/or strictures causing blockages
Horse riding with a pouch
Long distance cycling with a pouch
The St Mark’s pouch/fistula annual update
J-pouches for FAP and differences from pouches formed because of UC
Diet and pouches
How to avoid leakages
Difference between leakage and seepage
Any complications of long term living with the rectal stump (prior to pouch formation)
Air travel with a pouch
Air travel with pouch and stoma paraphernalia
What is a fistula?
Safety of living with an inflamed rectal cuff

As usual the conversations went on beyond the 90 minutes, but almost all the attendees stayed on the call to the end, reflecting the relevance for them of the topics being discussed.

This was another belter of a meeting with lots of good humour and highly supportive chat, with a range of pouch experience and with a wide range of pouch-related topics. Thank you to all who took the time to dial in and to Gary as always for setting the call up and managing the registrations. This is such a good forum for people to learn what pouch life is really like.

The next pouch forum takes place on Monday 4 August starting at 7.30pm. Hope to see you there.

Best wishes

David Davies
Red Lion Group Chairman

Check out the events page on our website using the button below for details of upcoming events and to register.

EVENTS

Published 13 January 2025
The first RLG pouchsupport zoom forum of the year took place on Tuesday 7th January with a group of pouchees dialling in from the comfort of their own homes and confounding the artic weather. The big benefit of the zoom forums is that you don’t have to travel to have an informative, supportive and relaxing pouch chat with fellow pouchees. You can make a cup of tea before, during and after or indeed crack open a tinny or a bottle of Pinot if the mood takes you (other wines are available!)

The RLG zoom forum series has been running for more than 4 years, since July 2020 when the RLG Committee set these forums up to maintain contact and communication amongst pouchees during the first Covid lockdown. The sessions are moderated by myself David Davies and Gary Bronziet – two RLG stalwarts. They make sure everyone who wants to speak gets a chance to contribute, they make sure wherever possible that all topics are discussed and they check that any new attendees are aware of the few practicalities. There are no minutes or recordings, so “what goes on in the zoom stays in the zoom” and this reassures people to disclose freely in the group. An important principle when the topics include pooh, medications and bowels (or lack of them) that would probably get an 18 rating at the cinema. The January meeting covered a wide range of topics, usually supported with all-important personal experiences and perspectives which help us to know we are not alone. Topics included :-

Blockages (causes, symptoms, treatments and the need to go to hospital),
Comparisons with life with a stoma
New stoma technology
Pouchitis (treatments)
Probiotics VSL#3 and Vivomixx (with the revelation that one attendee still gets VSL#3 on prescription!)
Haemorroids (occurrence, causes and treatments in pouchees),
Use of the Aquaflush system and comparison with a catheter alone
Use of Fibogel and Metamucil thickeners,
Gastrograpin
Bimuno prebiotic
Anusol, Germolene and Ostique stoma bags…..

In addition we talked about availability of pouch nurse specialist expertise and resourcing updates from St Marks hospital. There is no pre-set agenda, and topics to be discussed are agreed on the night.
It sounds pretty dry stuff, but humour is an important component, whether it is personal recollections of pouch disasters, confusion about best how to use a catheter on a moving train, offering used medina catheters to other pouchees (well washed apparently), how to hide a catheter on your person when attending a wedding or how to describe your operation to a blind date. This is a terrific group for some pouch-related humour!

Such is the vibrancy of the discussion – these meetings usually overrun. So it was that the meeting ended a few minutes past 9pm, but with almost everyone able to stay to the end.

This series has been running for over 4 years now; in fact the 5^th anniversary will be July 2025. It is a friendly and welcoming forum for pouchees and potential pouchees to enjoy a supportive and informal chat about pouch stuff. Thank you to everyone who dialled in and joined in with the discussions on 7^th January.

The next RLG zoom forum will take place on Wednesday 5 February starting at 7.30pm. Registration is necessary before the event to receive the dial in details, but registration does not commit you to attending – we know things crop up!

Registration is via the events page on the RLG website pouchsupport.org/events/

Looking forward to seeing familiar friends and new faces at the February session!

Best wishes
David Davies
RLG Chairman

Regular attendees will recall that we usually schedule our forums on the first Monday of the month. Please note a change to this policy. As we have been made aware, there are people that would love to attend our forums but have a clash with other regular commitments they have on Mondays. So going forward, we are going to vary the day and hope this will allow more people to attend. Hence, the next forum on Wednesday 5th February. 7:30 pm as usual!

Events

J Pouch related live webcasts scheduled for 2025

The Red Lion Group schedules another series of live webcasts for 2025 featuring world renowned speakers on subjects of great interest to patients considering or having undergone J Pouch Surgery.

We are delighted to announce that this year we have a new speaker (for us!) – Clemmie Oliver – a specialist IBD Nutritionist who has a pouch herself!

Janindra Warusavitarne – Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Wednesday 13th August at 19:30 (BST)
We are delighted that our next live webcast will feature Janindra Warusavitarne, the highly renowned Consultant Colorectal surgeon at St. Mark’s Hospital. I am sure that he is well known to many of you either from previous webcasts or indeed as one of his patients. This webcast “J Pouch or Stoma? A life changing decison” will take place on Wednesday 13th August at 7:30 pm. (BST) and as usual prior registration is required.

You can view a recording of this event on the Red Lion Group YouTube channel below.

Guy Worley – Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Monday 28th July 2025 at 19:30 pm (BST)
Former St Mark’s research fellow Guy Worley looks at the pros and cons of opting to have pouch surgery. Is it the answer for UC sufferers and what are the alternatives? He also reviews the latest technical changes in pouch surgery. Finally, he asks if patients are properly primed to give their consent to operations? Guy is now a consultant IBD surgeon at The Royal London Hospital.

You can view a recording of this event on the Red Lion Group YouTube channel below.

Clemmie Oliver – Nutritional Advice for J Pouch patients

Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 7:30 pm (BST)
Recipes for success! Specialist IBD Nutritionist Clemmie Oliver looks at how diet and lifestyle can support recovery from pouch surgery and how it is pivotal to our ongoing health with a pouch. Clemmie who had UC aged 9 and has an ileo-pouch herself founded and runs The Nutrition and Lifestyle Medical Clinic (NALM). She is a passionate advocate of helping pouchees cope with food issues and nutrition needs.

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from a specialist IBD nutritionist with personal experience of living with a J pouch. Early registration is recommended to ensure your place.
You can view a recording of this event on the Red Lion Group YouTube channel below.

Ben Barbanel – Back to peak fitness after J Pouch surgery

This webcast took place on 30 April 2025. Featuring Ben Barbanel who is a member of the Red Lion Group and owner of a J Pouch. Ben recently embarked on a fitness program and speaks about his journey to return to peak fitness at the “grand old age of 45” !

Ben is a regular contributor to Red Lion Social channels and last year was invited by Janindra Warusavitarne to speak at a European Colorectal Surgery Conference in Prague. He also Co-presented with Janindra on a Red Lion Group webcast on the “Patient / Surgeon Relationship“. Apart from the fitness content, the conversation and follow up Q&A covered in this session covers many topics relevant to Pouch Patients. You can view a recording of this event on the Red Lion Group YouTube channel below.

Others Speakers and Events to be added. You can find further information about our webcast schedule for 2025 with links to register and view recordings of previous webcasts at pouchsupport.org/events/

News

Has ulcerative colitis or related surgery impacted your ability…

Has Ulcerative Colitis or related surgery impacted your ability to work?

We have been asked to advertise a research project to be conducted by Mr Orestis Argyriou, a research fellow at St. Mark’s Hospital Academic Institute. His research is focusing on improving patient counselling around surgery for Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and more specifically into improving the delivery of information in relation to work-related experiences and Quality of Life (QoL), which he feels seems to be quite neglected.

The first step is to conduct qualitative interviews, to hear from patients about their lived experiences and the research team is interested to hear from people that have had different types of surgery (e.g. ileostomy only, J pouch or ileorectal anastomosis), as well as from people coming from different professions in terms of the physical requirements and components of their jobs.

Further information below. If you are interested in taking part please register your interest by contacting the research team by email at lnwh-tr.workuc@nhs.net

Mr Orestis Argyriou, MSc, MRCS is a Research Fellow in IBD & Colorectal Surgery,
St Mark’s National Bowel Hospital & Academic Institute

If you are interested in taking part please register your interest by contacting the research team by email at lnwh-tr.workuc@nhs.net

News

Back to peak fitness after J Pouch surgery

Back to peak fitness after J Pouch Surgery

The incorrigible Ben Barbanel has done it again! Regular readers of Roar! will have read about the five-year plan he created to help his recovery from surgery after pre-cancerous cells were found in the lining of his rectum (Roar!’s Summer 2023 issue). For by following a set of cleverly devised rules and changes of medication, the Red Lion Group member and pouchee successfully improved his lifestyle, family life and work as a City banker. Now he has moved several steps further ahead with another, even more rigorous regime which we will call Plan A!
Ben’s aim? To reach peak fitness in all his activities at the grand ‘young’ age of 45. And the father-of-three’s efforts didn’t go unrecognised. He joined a high-performance gym in London’s Mayfair and now features in their eye-catching, high-viz App – aptly (sorry!) named UP (which stands for Ultimate Performance). So how did our intrepid colleague hear about UP? He read about it in a fitness magazine called Men’s Health.

As Ben says: “I often sat in boardroom meetings, glancing around, thinking ‘I’m the only fat one here’. As a senior London banker and a father of three, I felt the weight of my success – literally!

“Something just finally hit me one day when I was reflecting on the trauma of what I had been through – and I thought to myself that being in peak condition can only give me the best chance (but clearly no guarantee) of everything working well going forward, and hopefully living a long and healthy life! “I found that years of living with ulcerative colitis and long stressful workdays had taken a toll on my body, energy and mood,” he says.

However Ben’s efforts on the course meant he not only lost all his excess pounds but also felt happier and fitter. As he told Roar!: “Losing 20kg(!) and regaining my health with UP has completely changed my life. I’m now strong, disciplined and thriving in every area of my life.”

Ben’s personal trainer at UP, adds: “It’s no secret that Ben had complex health issues, but we managed to work through them together. He had a real eagerness to learn and was completely bought into the process at UP. That’s just one of the reasons he achieved such great results.”

If you would like some advice and/or health tips from him, you can contact Ben at bb@barbanel.co.uk

Christopher Browne
RLG Committee member and ROAR! editor

Next week, we will be featuring Ben in a Red Lion Group Zoom webcast where he will be sharing more details about his Pouch journey and Ultimate Performance (UP) fitness routine. This will take place on zoom on Wednesday 30th April at 7:30 pm (BST) and we welcome anyone with an interest in achieving their fitness goals after pouch surgery to share their experiences. For further information and to register, go to pouchsupport.org/events/

A version of this article first appeared in ROAR! issue #68 – Spring 2025. If you would like to read other articles like this, why not become a member of the Red Lion Pouch Support group? You will receive printed copy of ROAR! twice a year and have online access to archive ROAR! editions going all the way back to issue number 1, published in 1994. See pouchsupport.org/join for further information.

Events

J-Pouch anal and vaginal fistula study update

Updated 19 March 2025

Further to our last update on this study, we are pleased to report that the team are now ready to progress to the next stage and will be sending the questionairre to the eligible participants. People that have already registered their interest in participating will be contacted directly. If you think you may be eligible and are interested in taking part in this study, please email Dr Easan Anand at lnwh-tr.pavfcoms@nhs.net

You can download further information about the study below.

PAVF-COMS-Patient-information-sheet-March-2025

Download Now!210 Downloads

Updated 30 July 2024

We previously announced a new study into fistulae being undertaken by Dr Easan Anand, a Research Fellow at St Marks Hospital. As a reminder, a fistula is an abnormal connection (or tube) between an organ, vessel, or intestine and another organ, vessel or intestine, or the skin. They are particularly troublesome to treat – the best cure is for the body to close the fistula naturally using scar tissue. But this takes a long time and the “tube” has to be kept open during this time to prevent a closed area developing into an abscess. Hence the use of a Seton drain to help keep the fistula open whilst it is healing.

The goal of the research will be to evaluate the success of treatments for fistulae and identify the optimal method(s) to achieve the best outcomes for patients. Dr Anand will be building on work started by Dr Lillian Reza and Consultant Phil Tozer on this project. One of the fundamental challenges is to develop a questionnaire which patients can complete to evaluate their quality of life (QoL). The tool can then be used to measure the success of treatments in a standard way.

By way of an update, Dr Anand reports that there have been delays in finalising the pouch fistula quality of life scale (abbreviated to PAVFQOL). This scale is essential and will be the first and only scale which is specific to pouch-related fistulae, so it is well worth taking time to ensure it is right. Hence to all those pouchees who volunteered to assist with the research, Dr Anand sends his profuse thanks and asks that you be patient for a few more months whilst the scale is finalised. He will then be rolling out the questionnaire for volunteers to complete.

If you are a pouchee with a diagnosed fistula (either now or in the past) and you would like to join up and take part in this research then please email Dr Lillian Reza at l.reza@nhs.net. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence and the research project has been improved by an independent ethical committee.

Regards

David Davies
RLG Chair

You can view the original article on this study below.

Have you ever been diagnosed with – or treated for – a J pouch-related fistula and would you be interested in taking part in a St. Mark’s Hospital based study?

If so, would you like to help Dr Easan Anand with a research study he is leading into outcome measures for fistula treatment? Outcome measures include such things as pain, quality of life and incontinence and it is important for these to be standardised so researchers around the globe can work with the same outcomes.

Easan is working at St Marks Hospital under the supervision of Phil Tozer and Ailsa Hart, who have both given webinars for RLG in the past

Who are we looking for?

You can take part in this study if you have ever been diagnosed with or treated for a fistula related to pouch surgery and you are over the age of 18 years.

You can email Easan on lnwh-tr.pavfcoms@nhs.net if you have any further questions.

Introductory discussion meeting on Teams

Easan will be holding an introductory study management group meeting on 18 March 2024 at 7:00 – 7:30 pm on Teams. This will be purely an introductory discussion and is a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the study if you are considering taking part.

If you would like to attend, please email Easan on lnwh-tr.pavfcoms@nhs.net to request the Teams meeting link.

News

Wear your Red Lion Group T-Shirt with Pride!

High quality Red Lion Group T-shirts with the new logo are now available for purchase at a cost of £10 each plus £2.50 post and package. White and with the red and grey logo displayed prominently on the chest, they are a striking addition to any summer wardrobe. These are very good quality T-shirts and you won’t be disappointed!

A guide to sizes is provided below:

Size	S	M	L	XL	XXL
Chest (inches)	34/36	38/40	42/44	46/48	50/52

Please contact David at info@pouchsupport.org with your size(s) and delivery instructions and see below for payment instructions .

Please send your payment by scanning QR code below or click here. Cost is £10.00 each plus £2.50 for post and packing. All proceeds will help to bolster the RLG finances for 2025.

When you go to the payment website you will see the following page.

Enter the applicable amount as advised in the AMOUNT box to make a one off donation.

Please do NOT tick the Gift Aid box.

Membership Secretary Gary Bronziet in Mauritius 2024

Please send us pictures of yourself wearing a Red Lion Group tee shirt with pride and we will add to gallery!

J Pouch related live webcasts scheduled for 2026

J Pouch related live webcasts scheduled for 2026

Samantha Evans and Lisa Allison

Dr Alexa Duff – The role of Stress and Anxiety in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns

J Pouch Support Facebook Group hits 2000 member milestone

J Pouch Support Facebook Group hits 2000 member milestone!

About the J Pouch Support (UK Specific) Facebook Group

Demographics and activity

The J Pouch

Joining the Facebook Group

Welcome to Jenny and here’s to the next 2,000 members!

Our 2000th Facebook Group member shares her inspirational pouch…

Our 2000th Facebook Group member shares her inspirational pouch journey – which started at the age of just six!

Jenny’s journey

Land’s end to John O’Groats with a J Pouch

Land’s end to John O’Groats with a J Pouch

RLG monthly J Pouch forums on zoom

RLG monthly J Pouch forums on zoom

J Pouch related live webcasts scheduled for 2025

J Pouch related live webcasts scheduled for 2025

Janindra Warusavitarne – Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Guy Worley – Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Clemmie Oliver – Nutritional Advice for J Pouch patients

Ben Barbanel – Back to peak fitness after J Pouch surgery

Has ulcerative colitis or related surgery impacted your ability…

Has Ulcerative Colitis or related surgery impacted your ability to work?

Back to peak fitness after J Pouch surgery

Back to peak fitness after J Pouch Surgery

J-Pouch anal and vaginal fistula study update

J-Pouch anal and vaginal fistula study update

Who are we looking for?

Introductory discussion meeting on Teams

Wear your Red Lion Group T-Shirt with Pride!

Wear your Red Lion Group T-Shirt with Pride!

Privacy | Sitemap

The Red Lion Group is a UK registered charity number 1068124