RLG monthly J Pouch forums on zoom

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.

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!

J pouch forum update and register for next event

J Pouch forum update and register for next event

Red Lion Group chairman, David Davies, reports on our most recent online J-pouch forum

The latest Red Lion Group (RLG) J pouch forum took place on Monday 5^th February and was chaired as usual by RLG Chairman David Davies, ably assisted by Gary Bronziet, RLG Membership Secretary.  There were 20 attendees, a mixture of familiar regulars and a smattering of new pouchees and potential pouchees who were joining for the first time.  The sessions take place via the online meetings platform Zoom, which means people attend from the comfort of their own home and from anywhere in the world.  Indeed, on this occasion, we had two attendees dialling in all the way from the USA.

The sessions are informal and are not recorded or minuted – anything said in the zoom stays in the zoom.  This helps to put people at their ease to share personal details of their pouch experiences and issues.  It is a friendly and very supportive group and many of the attendees gain valuable insights and support as well as comfort to know that they are not alone. 

The topics are suggested on the night and there is usually a smattering of common pouch themes.  On this occasion it was a packed agenda with topics discussed including

• Managing blockages
• Tactics to prevent night-time toilet trips
• Osteoporosis and pouches
• Vitamin D deficiency in pouchees
• Post-op recovery time before driving and lifting weights (presumably not at the same time!) 
• Tactics to thicken up pooh
• Tactics to avoid leakage especially at night
• All things wind
• And finally, we had a potential pouchee on the call who asked the question – whether or not pouch surgery had been a good decision?

These topics generated lots and lots of comment and discussion as you can imagine – so much so that we ran out of time to discuss wind.  So that topic will be number one on the list for next month’s meeting, along with other pressing pouch-related topics, I’m sure. 

The next zoom pouch forum will take place on Monday 4^th  March, starting at 7:30 pm.  Attendance is open to all, but please register beforehand to receive the meeting link.    You can find the registration link and details of other upcoming events at pouchsupport.org/events/ or tap on button below.

With thanks to all the attendees for your many and varied contributions.

David Davies
RLG Chairman

J Pouch Forum update

J Pouch Forum Update

The first RLG pouch forum of the year took place on Monday 7^th February and what a welcome return!  

Some 30 or so pouchees dialled in from the comfort of their own homes to chat informally about pouch-related stuff, to share experiences and suggest solutions and to realise that we are all part of a special community. Brilliantly chaired by softly spoken Chris Browne, who gently lights the blue touch paper and then sits back and lets us chatter away, whilst ensuring that everyone gets the chance to speak and be heard.  The audience was mixed, with new and old pouchees, regular attendees and newcomers.  But, as always, the warmth and sense of community was as strong as ever.  

Topics covered in a thoroughly riveting 98 minutes included nutrition, overnight frequency and seepage, use and availability of catheters, vitamin B12 and D deficiency, the challenge of educating GPs about pouches, pelvic floor exercises, peristalsis, full emptying, absorbent pads, loperamide, local pouchee meetings and many other topics. Gary Bronziet was pressing all the right buttons once again, despite being in hospital recovering from pouch-related surgery (adhesiolysis).  And RLG Trustee Theresa Parr was on hand to add reassuring and learned comments, as ever. 

The time flew; Chris drew the evening to a close at 9.08pm but one felt it could have gone on for an hour longer.  A terrific evening for anyone with pouch-related questions or concerns, or those just wanting to be reminded they are part of this special pouch community.  As one newcomer commented “we all look pretty normal!”

The next RLG forum will take place on Monday 7^th March and thereafter typically on the first Monday of every month.  Please register in advance at  https://pouchsupport.org/events/ to get your log in details and to keep track of other upcoming events.

David Davies 

RLG Chairman