Ileostomy Surgery Patient Gary Woodward, Publishes Never-Before-Told Personal Story About Life ‘Without a Bag’

Los Angeles, CA Nov. 20, 2006 — A little-known ileostomy surgery procedure called a BCIR meant Gary Woodward could live ‘life without a bag’ – something he thought would never happen. “Quality of Life” magazine recently published his never-before told story.

In it, Woodward recounts his devotion to the healer and friend who made it possible as well as his deep concern for fellow Brooke ostomates who may never know about the life-changing operation.

The BCIR ileostomy surgery procedure gave Woodward – who lost his colon and rectum to ulcerative colitis at age 21 – the freedom to live life without an external appliance. Twelve years later, the 58-year-old businessman still rejoices the life he lives today — but he also nurses a deep concern.

“Those of us who have undergone BCIR ileostomy surgery are living normal, healthy lives with no need for an appliance,” says Woodward. “By the very fact that no one can see our internal pouch means those who could benefit from this operation may never know it exists. So, I decided to tell my story publicly and help spread the word: There is another option.”

The BCIR is an abbreviation for the Barnett continent intestinal reservoir, named for the American doctor who developed the procedure in the 1980s. The operation creates a self-sealing internal pouch that temporarily stores waste without the use of a bag or other external appliance.

In 1963, when Woodward was a teenager growing up in Los Angeles, cramping, bloody stools and general poor health led his doctors to a devastating diagnosis: ulcerative colitis. Six years later, as a junior at the University of Hawaii, the condition “finally brought me down,” he says today. His doctor, a young surgeon practicing at a small community hospital, recommended Woodward undergo the newly developed Kock pouch procedure instead of the standard Brooke ileostomy surgery. “He told me getting a Kock pouch meant I would never have to wear an appliance.”

The surgery failed, but not before Woodward suffered months of delays, hospitalizations, painful infections and finally, a long and stormy recovery that effectively left him with a standard Brooke ileostomy – the very operation he set out to avoid. So much for the Kock pouch that didn’t work; now he would wear an appliance to collect stool.

Relieved at last of pain, Woodward resolved that the unsuccessful surgery would not dictate his life. He returned to school, later joined a crew sailing to New Zealand and eventually settled into a career as a certified emergency paramedic. But he still struggled with the problems all Brooke ostomates face from time to time – leaks, skin irritations, odor and gastric noise.

In 1995, he found hope tucked inside an issue of "Parade" magazine. There, he spotted a small ad that described a new type of ileostomy surgery called a BCIR. Like the Kock pouch surgery that failed him so many years before, the ad promised life without an appliance.

Could it be true?

He cautiously waited several months before calling Los Angeles ileostomy surgeon Don Schiller. The doctor’s assistant, Tillie Huber, picked up the phone. It was a watershed moment for Woodward.

“That day, Tillie became my provider and fairy godmother and Dr. Schiller became my healer and everlasting friend. I was 45 when he converted my non-functioning Kock pouch to the BCIR. After 30 years, my life was back to normal.” Woodward says things only got better.

“For 12 years, I have enjoyed the freedom and comfort of the BCIR. Today, I live in New Zealand with my fiancée, Martha “Mel” Lindsey, where we own and operate a vacation rental cottage in the Bay of Islands. We love our life hosting guests from all over the world.”
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For more information about BCIR ileostomy surgery and to download Gary Woodward’s personal story, visit www.ileostomy-surgery.com – or to contact Gary Woodward, contact him by calling Dr. Donald Schiller in Los Angeles at the Ileostomy Surgery Information Center — 310-204-4565.


About Dr. Schiller –
Don J. Schiller, M.D., FACS, is an authority on BCIR ileostomy surgery. He has operated on hundreds of ileostomy patients during his 30-year career. Schiller is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and was certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1977. He received his M.D. degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and did surgical training at UCLA in Los Angeles.

Focus: Ileostomy surgery, BCIR