# Small bowel resection surgery - Recovery Questions



## davek

Hi, this is my first post here.  I've had Crohn's for a few years and it had gotten really bad in the last few months which led to a small bowel resection surgery.

I had the surgery last Tuesday and it's now been about 5 days since then and I am at home trying to recover.

Each day I feel I am getting better during the daytime.  By mid-day day 4 I felt fairly normal and functional and not having to be on much pain medication.

But, there are problems that I'm not sure how to deal with and it's hard to find information online.  The main problems I am feeling are:

1.  Have not been able to have a solid bowel movement.  Granted I've only been eating solid foods for about 2 days now and I have had loose bowel movements, so this might not be an issue.  But until I have a solid bowel movement of a stool it's a bit worrisome.

2.  The bigger worry is being unable to pass gas.  I was able to finally do this once during a loose bowel movement on day 4 yesterday, but before that and in the hours since that I haven't been able to pass any gas.  I feel gas bubbling in my intestines that pushes like it wants to get out but I just can't get it out.

3.  Bowel movements.  The few times I have gone now that I've started eating post-surgery have been liquidy and brownish reddish flakes.  This scares me a little because the reddish color seems like it would be blood related.  I'm worried that the reason I can't pass gas is some sort of blood clotting in the resection area and when I do push things out it's the dried up clots.  The red isn't bright or black so it's probably just my paranoia.

4.  Pains.  The worst pain is surprisingly coming from my penis.  It feels like when I put pressure to have a bowel movement or pass gas the pressure is going to my penis and causing sharp pains.  My penis and testicles have been purple and swollen since the surgery, to which my surgeon said was normal because of drainage from the wound.  Those areas are very sensitive right now.  Pain medication works here and I feel mainly fine on a low-dosage of pain meds.

5.  Pains part 2.  The other pain is just a feeling of tightness or swolleness in the small intestine where the resection was performed.  This feels really painful when I wake up after sleeping for some time, usually because by that time all my pain medication has worn off.  A low-dosage of pain meds controls this pain really well.

I guess my main question is if this is all normal?  It's only been 5 days since the surgery, so I'm guessing it just takes some time to heal, some days to start having real solid bowel movements, and some time to pass gas.  But the pain at night and when I feel gassy in my intestines and penis/testicles area and the fact I haven't been able to freely pass gas and have a solid stool is worrying me as each day goes by.  On the good side I feel pretty well when on the pain medication and I do feel better each day so far.  Any tips would be appreciated.  

Thanks,


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## Guest

hi Dave, & welcome to the forum 

i didn't end up having a successful resection so i can't really comment how the after-effects feel. i did however, have fluid issues in my pelvic region following surgery and the pains and weird feelings from that were something else! i kept feeling like i was going to have a period.. so i guess that could be akin to the feelings you're getting down below.

erring on the side of caution though, i would try and let a medical professional know how you're feeling - even if you can't get to see your consultant, maybe just talking to a ward staff nurse might reassure you, or if she thinks you need looking at she'll advise you.

let us know how you get on.


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## davek

Thanks for the support.

The surgery was done laproscopically and I'd never really had any blood before the surgery, but was on a laxative (miralax) for an entire month up to the surgery which really affected my digestion.  About a foot+ was taken from the small intestine. and the small illieum was removed as well as a fistula between the small and large intestines that they found.  I wasn't given any medication besides vicodin on hospital discharge.  My doctor wanted me to take a week to recover first, then go see him on Thursday (9 days after the surgery) for a followup to decide what medications to go on.

I'm drinking a lot of water and doing a lot of walking.  I'm also not eating very much (I'm eating healthy, low fiber like advised; but I think I'm scared to eat very much so the amounts are quite small).

I've never had surgery before, so having my body not move and act normally is just a little scary and off-putting.

A positive note is that until the surgery I'd been rapidly losing weight down to about 104 pounds from 125 originally.  Once I was discharged I began rapidly gaining weight from anything I ate and am already at about 113 pounds in just a few days.  I'm guessing between the weight gain and the small portions of food it's just going to take me a while to get bowel movements going again.  I asked my doctor if I could/should take a laxative/stool softner to get going again and he said that it's too early to start taking laxatives, and that I should just drink lots of water.


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## davek

Is it normal to be really sore and need pain meds pretty much 24/7 for the first week after the surgery?

I only sleep for about 4-5 hours at night which is the length between the vicodin.  I also feel really stiff and painful everytime I wake up from sleeping or a nap.

I've been getting by on about 1 vicodin pill every 6 hours since my hospital discharge, but it seems like the pain in the area where the crohn's used to be (the small illieum; lower right corner near hip) is getting sorer and I had to take 2 this morning to not be in terrible pain when moving.  

It's been less than a week since the surgery, so hopefully this is just normal recovery pains.  But I have to be pretty careful with the pain meds because my GI only gave me barely enough pills to make it from discharge until I see him thursday.  He only gave 40 pills which is supposed to last from friday -> thursday, which is only enough if I stick to 1 pill and rarely take 2.  I'm guessing he would call in a refill if I do run out though.  I don't think GI's want you to suffer in horrible pain until you see them, lol.


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## mommy1st

Everyones pain tolerance is different, but if you are in that much pain you should really call your surgeon ASAP.  I hope you start to feel better soon.  Good Luck


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## daisy_dueller

HI Dave! Everything you described in your first post (minus the penis part-since I don't have one) is exactly how I felt. It took about 2 months for my stool to harden up (probably due to the fact I was paranoid about solid food for a bit), and I still can't pass gas normally all the time...feel like I need to, but it's like my body just sucks it right back up again!

Regarding the pain meds...when I was in the hospital, I took them whenever they gave them to me, and took a prescription of T3's home with me. I found I was taking between 4 and 6 daily for about 7 days...just so I wouldn't have to feel it AT ALL. It pretty much worked, except for when I had to cough, sneeze, laugh, or yell at the cat...OUCHIES!

I should add that mine was NOT done laproscopically...I was full on invasive surgery. Do you have a follow up with your surgeon in the next couple weeks?? If not, maybe you could call him just to ask him if what you're feeling is normal. Sometimes you just need to hear it from a pro.  I wouldn't worry about the pains just yet...only because you did just have major surgery a week ago. The body needs time to heal! I was off work for 8 weeks, and probably could have used another 2...my GI said that major surgery takes months to heal fully...and there will be little bumps in the road, and days when you feel like crap. 

Keep us updated! I hope you start feeling better


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## davek

Yeah I have a follow up on thursday.  The pain is starting to get better and I definitely do feel like I'm recovering.

One thing though.  I had my first solid bowel movement this morning and it kind of scared me.  See a year+ ago my stools were normal roundish, but over the last year they had become thin strips due to narrowing of the small intenstine right at the end.  The whole point of the surgery was to remove the narrowed section and open it back up as well as the crohns section.

Well today when I finally had my first solid stool 8 days after the surgery...it was thin narrow strips that were hard to pass and I felt constipated/dry (I started taking prilosac today for my acid reflux by my GI's order, which drys me out I think) :\  I was expecting my stools to be back to round big stools again.

So can anyone reassure me that this is normal and the stools are just thin at first because of the swelling/recovery of the resection area and that over time the strips will get larger if they removed the narrowed part/crohns part?  Or was the surgery a failure and I'm still stuck with a narrow/scarred intestine that's going to be tough for things to pass through without blockage?

Thanks,


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## Guest

it could just be completely normal, your intestines probably won't be back to proper function just yet, could even be swollen in there from the surgery & messing around. i'm glad you're seeing someone soon.. let us know what they say. meanwhile, it occurred to me you may be a bit dehydrated which can also affect the BMs, both in ease of passing and appearance. maybe try & drink a bit more than you have been doing.


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## karisue

davek said:
			
		

> Hi, this is my first post here.  I've had Crohn's for a few years and it had gotten really bad in the last few months which led to a small bowel resection surgery.
> 
> I had the surgery last Tuesday and it's now been about 5 days since then and I am at home trying to recover.
> 
> Each day I feel I am getting better during the daytime.  By mid-day day 4 I felt fairly normal and functional and not having to be on much pain medication.
> 
> But, there are problems that I'm not sure how to deal with and it's hard to find information online.  The main problems I am feeling are:
> 
> 1.  Have not been able to have a solid bowel movement.  Granted I've only been eating solid foods for about 2 days now and I have had loose bowel movements, so this might not be an issue.  But until I have a solid bowel movement of a stool it's a bit worrisome.
> 
> 2.  The bigger worry is being unable to pass gas.  I was able to finally do this once during a loose bowel movement on day 4 yesterday, but before that and in the hours since that I haven't been able to pass any gas.  I feel gas bubbling in my intestines that pushes like it wants to get out but I just can't get it out.
> 
> 3.  Bowel movements.  The few times I have gone now that I've started eating post-surgery have been liquidy and brownish reddish flakes.  This scares me a little because the reddish color seems like it would be blood related.  I'm worried that the reason I can't pass gas is some sort of blood clotting in the resection area and when I do push things out it's the dried up clots.  The red isn't bright or black so it's probably just my paranoia.
> 
> 4.  Pains.  The worst pain is surprisingly coming from my penis.  It feels like when I put pressure to have a bowel movement or pass gas the pressure is going to my penis and causing sharp pains.  My penis and testicles have been purple and swollen since the surgery, to which my surgeon said was normal because of drainage from the wound.  Those areas are very sensitive right now.  Pain medication works here and I feel mainly fine on a low-dosage of pain meds.
> 
> 5.  Pains part 2.  The other pain is just a feeling of tightness or swolleness in the small intestine where the resection was performed.  This feels really painful when I wake up after sleeping for some time, usually because by that time all my pain medication has worn off.  A low-dosage of pain meds controls this pain really well.
> 
> I guess my main question is if this is all normal?  It's only been 5 days since the surgery, so I'm guessing it just takes some time to heal, some days to start having real solid bowel movements, and some time to pass gas.  But the pain at night and when I feel gassy in my intestines and penis/testicles area and the fact I haven't been able to freely pass gas and have a solid stool is worrying me as each day goes by.  On the good side I feel pretty well when on the pain medication and I do feel better each day so far.  Any tips would be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,


Hi  and welcome,

I know its stressfull, but it takes time, and if you drive you wont be able to for about 6 weeks. (or until you are able to do an emergency stop)

Dont forget you have been pulled about and your new bits have got to heal and recover and work again it is a magor op.  I know on my fourth or fifth day I was allowed soup then it progress very very gradually from then. As for solid stools depends on what you have been eating and how soon after you were allowed to eat solid food.  You have to think of it as replumbing, we have like little brushes in our bowel that push the "matter" along as it takes nutrients from it, if you've been joined up these little brushes have to work in the same direction, where as before they worked in another direction.  When I asked my consultant he said it can be painfull when this happens but it will stop.

Was you fitted with a cathiter, mine was in for quite a few days, but I'm a woman.
I'm afraid you will have to be patient, (I was terrible trying to run before I could walk)  Its nice to be home though and in your own bed, and on waking it is painfull because you get quite stiff in the tummy and dont know which way to turn because your tummy muscles are healing too.  

What you are feeling and going through is normal but if in doubt contact your GP or hospital as you must of been given a number to contact as after care, will be surprised if you havent.  Hope this has helped in some sort of way, take care. x


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## davek

I saw my GI and Surgeon on thursday.

The GI didn't know anything about my pains and recovery and said to talk to the surgeon about all that.  The only thing the GI said was that I was a high-risk crohn's patient because I had a fistula between the small and large bowel as well as narrowing and just bad crohns (they took 23cm out).  So because of that the GI suggested I go on Remicade in about 3-4 weeks after the wound has healed and stay on that to keep the crohns from returning anytime soon.  The GI also recommended stool softners because I was very dry/constipated despite drinking 8-10 bottles of water a day due to the low fiber diet + vicodine.

The surgeon heard all my pains and problems and said everything is completely normal and to just give it 3 more weeks for the wound to heal and see him then.  The surgeon also went against the GI and said to not use stool softners because he wants the body to learn to pass full sized stools again and to just drink lots of water (which doesn't help because that's what I'm doing and still constipated).


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## umpharmd

stool softners are fine...just don't use any laxatives.  Stool softners cause the bowels to retain more water and therefore softer stools.

FYI- I am a pharmacist.


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## davek

umpharmd said:
			
		

> stool softners are fine...just don't use any laxatives.  Stool softners cause the bowels to retain more water and therefore softer stools.
> 
> FYI- I am a pharmacist.


Thanks.  What do laxatives do that are different and worse?  Most stool softners I see have the words stool softner & laxative on them.


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## umpharmd

Stool softners just soften the stool (go figure).  Laxatives actually speed up the bowels.   If laxatives are used too much your body can become accustomed to them and not be able to have a BM without using a laxative.

The most well known stool softner is Colace (docusate sodium), perfectly safe and is actually given to pregnant women and children.


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## kello82

hey dave, how are you doing?
i just came upon this thread and wondred if any of your pains have improved soince your last post?
i have not had a resection, but i just had surgery on april 7th (ileostomy), and i can say that i am still having the surgery pains and need to take the painkillers almost 24/7, so youre not alone in the slow healing process!
i think it just takes the body a long time to adjust what happened. someone goes in there and pokes around and snips things here and there, i think our bodies are entitled to freak out and change its normal rountines.
good luck, let us know how youre doing  if you can!


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## JohnPet

I'm just recovering from a lapscopic ileocectomy. I was discharged from the hospital on my 3rd day and starting eating.  I ran into trouble and encountered a blockage after about a week - maybe I was too aggressive in my eating?  I got readmitted -- and stayed for 3 days.  The surgeon discharged me saying that there was nothing wrong - and that I needed to relax and give it time. I'm in the situation where I get very bloated when I eat - and I'm really concerned that I'm going to block up.  It feels to me that I am getting that same level of pressure I used to get as part of a blockage.... Is this just normal slow healing - or is something wrong?  The surgeon says I have swelling in that area - and therefore everything is moving slow and the problem will get gradually better over time (2 more weeks).   However, it just doesn't feel right - and is actually freaking me out.  Has anyone had a similar experience?


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## kello82

hey john
i am recovering from surgery too. i have an ileostomy, but it is just a diversion-none of my bowel was removed.
sorry, im unclear about the specifics of your surgery...did you have your entire large intestine out? and how lng ago was your surgery?

im not sure if ive had an official blockage yet. i have a complication called PPG around my stoma, so that has been causing some constricting i think and i end up with killer cramps right behind the stoma. where is your pain when you feel blocked?
i freaked out at first too. i would say though, just from my own conclusions, that as long as you arent in horrifying pain or vomiting, and as long as stool is still passsing, then you arent in immediate danger.
thats just my opinion though! if you feel scared then get help please of course. we each know our own bodies better than anyone else.

what have you been eating? my surgery was on april 7th and i am still vitrually free of raw fruits and vegs, anything rough i stay awway from and i make sure to chew till food is liquid in my mouth.

hopefully this helps a bit, if you can answer those questions i might think of more things.
but i am still totally new to this too. learning what is normal and not normal with the ileo is quite difficult


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## JohnPet

Thank you for your reply.   I hope your situation works out OK.  It sounds like you are handling it well.  I guess these things can take time to heal.

I had the last 6 inches of my terminal ileum removed - along with the ileal cecal valve, the appendix, and just a few inches off the colon.  It was done through a single incision laproscope - which is considered "minimally invasive".  

I had this done because I had scarring (narrowing) of the last 2 inches of the terminal ileum.  I have had the disease for about 20 years.  It's been slow growing.  I decided to get it surgically repaired hoping that it would make me less crampy and more able to travel.  Also I am on a very restricted diet so as to avoid an obstruction.  Lastly, about every year I would get a blockage and need to go the emergency room.  The blockage for me is vomiting, passing no gas, distended, hurts all over by abdomen. etc.  Most of these blockages have all resolved with an IV over the course of a day in the ER; once I needed to be admitted for a few days.

My main concern is that I'm going to block-up again now... a second time... as I'm trying to recover from the surgery.  It would be helpful to me to know if anyone has had surgery on the ileum and had a crampy/bloated recovery, but eventually got through it.  Because currently I'm concerned that I have had a complication. So I'm wondering if my experience is perhaps not that uncommon.


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## JohnPet

Thanks Pen for your support....  I'm just a little nervous considering I had that blockage as part of my recovery.  

I think I just need to try not to think about it obsessively - and tough it out - much like I'm sure you had to do when you had your infection.

I will try the Ensure today.  I do need to put back on some weight.  I will probably also get the test you suggest after the recovery.  Sounds like a good idea.

Thank you for your comments.  I really appreciate it.   

I guess we can all be grateful that we don't have something worse....  

Thanks again, - John


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## kello82

oooooooooo

i just re read and i realized i read your situation wrong!! i thought you had an ileostomy too!! but the word you wrote was ileocectomy. i was reading too fast and mixed up the two words!
well, then some of the stuff i typed about food blockages doesnt really hold true for you lol.
sorry about that!
i even started posting a link to the ostomy discussion boards for you, and then re read your post and realized what was going on.
oops!

well im sorry, now i dont have as much advice for you as i havent had a resection surgery, so i dont know what the post op feelings from that are.
keep posting though and asking questions!
and i will reiterate what i said before--if you really feel like somethingg is wrong, seek medical attention. we all know our own bodies the best, and its better to be safe than to wait until something is seriously wrong. but like you said, it might just take some waiting and toughing out the pain.
good luck! let us know how you are feeling


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## JohnPet

No problem... I appreciate that you care.  

I'm doing a better today.  I have less bloating, and all the functions that the digestive track are supposed to perform ... appear to be performing.   So hopefully I am now on the upswing - and healing properly from the surgery.

I think in my case, I was released from the hospital after only 2 nights -- and perhaps that was too early.  I started to eat too much too fast.  And then was right back in the hospital.

Changing gears here - but I know the medical community says it doesn't help - but I am actually going to focus on my diet as one means to manage this.  I had previously tried the SCD - and that seemed to help.  Although I did get a partial blockage when doing that diet because it favors a lot of fruits and veggies.  But still I think the low carb aspect to it might have been helpful to me.  And now with my narrowing removed - I should be able to tolerate the fiber.

I'm sure there are some posts on this site about diet - which I will check out.  But also general nutrition, exercise, stress control, rest, etc. - I would imagine are helpful for any illness.... So that is what I am going make as part of my overall program for health.

I'm hesitant to try medicines - because it seems that they can side effects.  Perhaps if it starts coming back, I'll need to re-evaluate it.  

Kello82 -- I hope all goes well with you.  Thanks again.  

To whoever create this site - thanks!  

- John


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## kello82

mikeyarmo made this forum--hes the one to thank 

yep there are plenty of posts about diet, exercise, overall well being practices, etc.
im sure by now youve discovered the "food and diet" section of the forum, has lots of info about diets and problem foods in there.
i tried the scd for a bit too! i was too sick at the time though and ended up losing weight rapidly, so i had to stop and get back to eating the high energy high calorie foods, anything that appealed really.

also you might want to go in the "my story" section and create your first thread in there! then everyone will get to know you and youll get a proper welcome and advice


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## lamar

*small intestine ileumresection recovery issues*

This is only forum I had found on the intestine surgery post-op recovery but I did found it useful so I thought I would post my progress as it seems related to other postings. 

I am in 6th week in post-op recovery and had variety of side issues.

I had resection of the small bowel - little one, mere 10 CM , though in ER after a long wait and with some complication. Full invasive incision, bowel resected and ileucecum valve saved - so said the report -  

I was stapled and put on morphine after the surgery. Note - I am a 52 year old male in perfect health with typical over-the-head California healthy diet (juicing fresh veggies etc, ...  ) - woke up and  felt relatively well, started drinking after 2 days, eating after 4 days when my friends Gastroenter. doc. had recommend to smell food to get bowels moving - it worked , or so it seemed - 
Unfortunately I the incision become infected,  followed by a pleiad of complications, from partial to complete unstapling in several ER visits and ending up in wound clinic for a week long cleaning and debridement of infected tissue, ....  see picture if you dare ...
That made me really watch my state - my symptoms  included sharp pains in different parts of my bowels - that's supposedly normal and it had slowly receded to minimum and seem to be related to diet, .

The first very stringy and irregular bowel movement was becoming solid and without the presence of odd flakes surrounded phlegm like substance. Taking stool was not painless either, but stabilized pretty much now to not-so-unusual state, ...still with occasional runny stool.

the other issues seemed to either flabergast all my doctors, or they did consider that normal - though they would never said either way, iether way it was the explanation that I was missing -

1. dizziness and hyperoxigenation that is continuing to happen until now but had receded in frequency and power, ... I am back on stairmaster and walk a lot,  bike to the hospital daily. Had EKG , though negative,  , first , I thought, it's post-anesthesia side-effect but that should not last ore then a few days, .... so I am waiting for that to end and not happy about it ...

2. sudden and extensive in different areas of both of my legs and pain in my right pelvic femoral canal that is still there so I cannot stand on my right leg - I suspect large amount of fluids or ascites to travel around ???  and slowly getting dissipated but doc's did not confirm that and coul not find any references but one of the post mentiones that as well. They ran 2 x  ultrasound fro DVT / clotting - that was fortunately negative, but although swelling is gone now the pain and pressure in pelvis is still there, ... very annoying as it prevents me from doing standing yoga poses.

3. my nipples and chest had constant pain - they were super-sensitive to the touch - no one can explain why, but it's slowly receding now, ... after 6 weeks , ....

4. I have been sweating at night, without fever, I go through 3 shirts easy although now it receded . It is accompanied by total dryness in my moth that made my tongue stick to to the palate,as if saliva stop being produced, .. also not explained, .... 

right now, I am in 6th week in po-op recovery and am a little impatient getting better - though I understand I lost 3 weeks with reopening and cleaning the incision. 

Hope this will be useful to somebody, JL


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## Tony'sWife

*Preparing for Resection*

Hi.  My husband has Crohn's disease, and will be having a small bowel resection next week.  The plan is to remove approx. 20 centimeters of his small bowel and colon, and also repair a fistula that has developed between his colon and bladder.  We have been told that he will be in the hospital for about a week.  The hospital is in another city, so before the surgery, I have to have everything in order at home for his return.  I'm assuming for the first few days or weeks, he will be eating lots of jello, soup, mashed potatoes, pudding....soft foods.  Any other advise or suggestions about how to prepare in advance?  I really don't want to be having to leave him alone once we return home, even to run to the grocery store.


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## lamar

Hi Tony's wife, ... it's really doc's call - but what worked for me was the liquid diet 2 days after the surgery - juices, etc. ... then 4 days after surgery mashed potatos , porridge, cream of rice that I totally loved, ... chicken soup with veggies really boosted my energy, ...  I was really just listening to my palate 
I was a bit paranoid of having have to have colosectomy ??? spelling - the bag outside of your body - so , as I said, on the advice of my friend gastroent. specialist, I had nurses to bring me egg and bacon just to smell it to motivate my bowels to start moving - did some sitting yoga poses cross legged etc. as well - check with the doc, though, ....
more than anything, always having friends around was big plus, bringing food even if I couldn't eat it, ... also used a bioocclusive patch over my incision and took warm showers but it may not be recommended due to infectin,  .. but it felt like it was helping me? ....  

good luck and mainly no worries , ....


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## lamar

FYI - i am in 7th week post op - doing well, really pushing to get back into the shape - stairmaster, biking and lot's of walking uphill - fatigue is still pervasive , and some sweating does occur - my incision is closing pretty slowly - about 6 cm x 1 .5 deep to go ....


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## Grant

I had something very similar to this after my 1st surgery. Lots of diarrhea & some blood.
Went to see a GP who fortunately was very up together on crohns surgery. The blood was coming from the internal scab on the bowel falling off & causing a small blood loss. The diarrhea he told me to eat slightly more fiber.Not high fiber though, just cereal's like cornflakes.


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## Rob17

I'm new to the Forum. I've had crohns disease since age 11 and I'm 32 now. I just had resection surgery and I'm at my 4th week after the surgery. I have the incision just below my belly button and it runs to right about my pelvic area. I don't feel much pain at this point. I just feel some discomfort at the incision point. If I sneeze or cough I still feel a bit of pain. I had about 6 inches of my terminal illium removed and about 5 inches of my colon removed. I also had a very large fistula that ran down that area which they removed.

My concerns are that I'm running to the bathroom everytime I eat. Sometimes I havnt finished eating and I have to run to the bathroom.

My stool are always loose. I go to the bathroom often and I've lost a lot of weight. I've always been skinny and just before the surgery I was weighing 124 lbs. I now weight 110lbs. Mind you for my age and height I should be at 135-145 lbs.

I'm scared because I'm at my 4th week and I havn't gained a pound and my stool continues to be loose and watery. Is this normal? Will I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm scheduled to go to work in 2 weeks but I feel I won't be ready. Is there anything I can do to help my situation? Please help!


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## Sparkle2012

Hi - I just had bowel resection surgery and gallbladder removal.  I have a small issue with loose stools and my doctor said " if you have too many - take an immodium - if you have hard stools, take a colace."  I have a limit of how many loose BMs I will have (2) in a day and then I take half an immodium.  I am 2 weeks post op - lap surgery, quick recovery just waiting for abdomen to knit.  I did not need pain medication other than Tylenol in hospital - nothing at home.  I am wondering how long before the body adjusts as my surgeon said it would eventually mellow out.  Are you still having issues Rob17?


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## Grant

Rob17, Sounds like you need Immodium. Certainly life can be pretty miserable if your in & out the toilet all day. Syrup or capsules & dont take more than you need(that might take a few days to adjust). My lowest ebbs have been through the uncontrollable diarrhea & there are ways of stopping it unless you're in a nasty flare up. I'm also on Questran which is primarily to stop Bile infiltrating into what remains of my colon, but also binds things up. Again you have to be careful & gradually see what dose works for you.(2 sachets a day for me). I'd be talking to your specialist asap because the sort of diarrhea can drag you down mentally & physically fast. Best of luck Rob, lets us know how you get on.

Hi Sparkle2012,  Depends how many surgery's you've had. After my 1st surgery in 97 I had chronic diarrhea until I started eating cereal's & a bit of fibre, suddenly it was gone. That hasn't worked for my last three so I've had to use meds.
But as I said to Rob you need to, if @ all possible, be able to control your BM's. Its something that gives you peace of mind. If it persists & you are eating some fibre I'd be asking the specialist about something to help firm things up a bit.
Hope this helps.
Best Wishes
Grant


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## Sparkle2012

Grant said:


> Hi Sparkle2012,  Depends how many surgery's you've had. After my 1st surgery in 97 I had chronic diarrhea until I started eating cereal's & a bit of fibre, suddenly it was gone. That hasn't worked for my last three so I've had to use meds.
> But as I said to Rob you need to, if @ all possible, be able to control your BM's. Its something that gives you peace of mind. If it persists & you are eating some fibre I'd be asking the specialist about something to help firm things up a bit.
> Hope this helps.
> Best Wishes
> Grant


Thanks Grant.  First surgery - freshly diagnosed.


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## Grant

In that case I think I'd have a word with your specialist about introducing a small amount of fibre into your diet. Even just a small amount might just make you more comfortable. No need to go the whole hog & start eating loads of fruit etc, more like cereals. Would certainly check 1st, perhaps even with your GP.
Grant


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## Sparkle2012

Thanks Grant.  It did clear up....it seems to be from the soft foods diet I was on.  I've had an attack of something and am trying to eat some puddings, jello, soups, etc. for a few days to let it calm down and I started having issues again.  The harder foods seem to bring me normal.


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## Tombowers2

Hi guys wonder if you can help me, seems the most appropriate place to answer my concerns - 

Im posting this on behalf of my father who came out of surgery for Crohn's disease just under two weeks ago. He is now at home and was discharged from hospital after progressing well.

He had 40cm of the small intestine removed after 22 years previously, having the whole of his large intestine removed. He is left with 3.5ft of small intestine. Currently he has a stoma but this is due to be reversed after 2/3 months.

The surgeon undertook some serious work as the small intestine had attached itself to some of the surrounding organs (liver, kidneys, pancreas) and had to intricately clean and scrape the intestine away from these other organs.

As mentioned, when he was released from hospital he had started eating solids and the bowel motion was seemingly okay, albeit everything was a bit tender but he was not having any major problems. 

2 days after him being at home he started to feel sick and there was rapid discharge into the stoma which lasted a good few hours and then he had constant diahorrea (which lasted 36 hours) and was sick once. we were told that this could be down to an electrolyte imbalance, and did happen to him when he had the first surgery in 1990 but I have a feeling that this may have been a bug.

it has been 7 days since this occoured.

The current sitiuation is that he will get up in the morning and feel not to bad, he will eat something small - maybe a slice of toast or a small bowl of cereal, which he will feel okay eating, he may then have a banana or something small at lunch, but by 2/3pm he feels that the food is sitting on his chest creating a sicky feeling which leads him to having to lie down, and his intestine is gurgling creating lots of wind.

The food is passing through eventually but it seems that it is very very sluggish. taking double time time to exit the body.

The stoma bag is now being changed 4/5 times a day which we have been told is normal.

Can anyone on here relate to the sluggish bowel even up to 2 weeks after surgery? 

One of the things that is confusing me is that when he was discharged his gut seemed to be working okay but maybe this bug has caused the healing time to be extended.

Really looking for some reassurance that is quite normal and things will improve.

FYI he is not taking any codine, so that is not causing any of the issues.

His diet we are monitoring also and he is not eating fruit/veg/sugars/things with skins on.

Hope you can help, any reassurance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Tom


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## Sparkle2012

Sparkle2012 said:


> Hi - I just had bowel resection surgery and gallbladder removal.  I have a small issue with loose stools and my doctor said " if you have too many - take an immodium - if you have hard stools, take a colace."  I have a limit of how many loose BMs I will have (2) in a day and then I take half an immodium.  I am 2 weeks post op - lap surgery, quick recovery just waiting for abdomen to knit.  I did not need pain medication other than Tylenol in hospital - nothing at home.  I am wondering how long before the body adjusts as my surgeon said it would eventually mellow out.


Hi all, Just for the record, when I stopped the soft foods diet, the D went away.  I'm good as new, aside from a freak ab spasms issue I had in the 3rd week post op, this was an easy (minimally invasive technique) surgery and I had a very quick recovery.  We went on a one week doc approved vacation in the 4th week and I was totally normal in every way.  It is such a blessing to be constriction free - pain free after 15+ years of pain after eating and semi-blockages.  Best thing I have ever done.


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## Sparkle2012

Tombowers2 said:


> Hi guys wonder if you can help me, seems the most appropriate place to answer my concerns -
> 
> Im posting this on behalf of my father who came out of surgery for Crohn's disease just under two weeks ago. He is now at home and was discharged from hospital after progressing well.
> 
> He had 40cm of the small intestine removed after 22 years previously, having the whole of his large intestine removed. He is left with 3.5ft of small intestine. Currently he has a stoma but this is due to be reversed after 2/3 months.
> 
> The surgeon undertook some serious work as the small intestine had attached itself to some of the surrounding organs (liver, kidneys, pancreas) and had to intricately clean and scrape the intestine away from these other organs.
> 
> As mentioned, when he was released from hospital he had started eating solids and the bowel motion was seemingly okay, albeit everything was a bit tender but he was not having any major problems.
> 
> 2 days after him being at home he started to feel sick and there was rapid discharge into the stoma which lasted a good few hours and then he had constant diahorrea (which lasted 36 hours) and was sick once. we were told that this could be down to an electrolyte imbalance, and did happen to him when he had the first surgery in 1990 but I have a feeling that this may have been a bug.
> 
> it has been 7 days since this occoured.
> 
> The current sitiuation is that he will get up in the morning and feel not to bad, he will eat something small - maybe a slice of toast or a small bowl of cereal, which he will feel okay eating, he may then have a banana or something small at lunch, but by 2/3pm he feels that the food is sitting on his chest creating a sicky feeling which leads him to having to lie down, and his intestine is gurgling creating lots of wind.
> 
> The food is passing through eventually but it seems that it is very very sluggish. taking double time time to exit the body.
> 
> The stoma bag is now being changed 4/5 times a day which we have been told is normal.
> 
> Can anyone on here relate to the sluggish bowel even up to 2 weeks after surgery?
> 
> One of the things that is confusing me is that when he was discharged his gut seemed to be working okay but maybe this bug has caused the healing time to be extended.
> 
> Really looking for some reassurance that is quite normal and things will improve.
> 
> FYI he is not taking any codine, so that is not causing any of the issues.
> 
> His diet we are monitoring also and he is not eating fruit/veg/sugars/things with skins on.
> 
> Hope you can help, any reassurance would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Tom


Hi, I just noticed this post.  I was told by a senior member of this forum that something occurs during surgery which can upset the flora of the bowel.  It was causing horrendous gas after my resection.  I started back on probiotics and that resolved the diarrhea and the wind.  It might be worth a try.


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## Elisabeth

My husband has had Crohn's for about 40 years and had a small bowel resection at the end of October 2012. He is 76.
He is doing reasonably well, much less pain, more energy, and is beginning to put on weight again, having gone down to 8 stone 5 pounds, he is now 12 pounds heavier.
The problem is the constant diahrroea , and I mean constant, at least hourly, sometime more, all day, and often during the night as well. He has been told by the GP not to take Immodium, and the dietician has said to stick to a low fibre diet. He is not due to see the surgeon again until the end of March - it has been put back by about 2 months. We were told originally that he should be improving by about 6 weeks after surgery, now it seems to be 6 months! He's been more or less housebound because of this and it is getting him down to say the least.
Has anyone else had experience of this and what was the advice you were given?


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## SilverFirePrime

About 2 1/2 months - 3 months after having a foot of small intestine removed, I started having very constant, very urgent diarrhea.  I told my doctor what was going on, and he put me on Questran, a Bile acid sequestrant.  After a few days of it being absorbed into my system, I noticed a complete 180.  The diarrhea stopped, and I even became fairly regular.

One thing to note about Questran, it's a powder you mix with a beverage, and it can be very nauseating to take, (almost as bad as some colonoscopy prep work) but there are also pill forms of it you can take.  I'm currently on Colestipol, and it still works wonders for me!


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## Smika

SilverFirePrime said:


> About 2 1/2 months - 3 months after having a foot of small intestine removed, I started having very constant, very urgent diarrhea.  I told my doctor what was going on, and he put me on Questran, a Bile acid sequestrant.  After a few days of it being absorbed into my system, I noticed a complete 180.  The diarrhea stopped, and I even became fairly regular.
> 
> One thing to note about Questran, it's a powder you mix with a beverage, and it can be very nauseating to take, (almost as bad as some colonoscopy prep work) but there are also pill forms of it you can take.  I'm currently on Colestipol, and it still works wonders for me!


I also had the same issue after a 4 foot resection. Was also given Questran. The powder comes in either Orange or Lemon-Lime flavor. The Lemon-Lime is much better! Also, you're supposed to mix it in a large glass of water. I was never able to do this. Instead I mixed it in about 3-4 ounces of water (which made it very thick but actually seemed to taste better) and then a drank a large glass of water behind it. It really helps. 16 years later I still have the "D" issue and still ocassionally drink Questran as needed.


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## Sparkle2012

i was told after my resection -- if you have diarrhea, take Immodium.  If you are having constiptation, take Myralax.  If you are normal -take nothing. I had Dcfor a few weeks following my surgery - I took a little Immodium and my body adiusted after a few weeks.  I rarely have any issue now.


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## Elisabeth

Thank you very much for your replies. We saw his consultant this morning and she has prescribed Questran, and said to take Immodium when necessary. Hopefully, the problem will be resolved in a few days.


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## Grumbletum

Hi haven't had major issues with D since my resection - depends what I eat drink - but I know there are other from the forum who've had a lot of relief from this with psyllium husk.


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## Bart4u

I have had Crohns for 39 years.  I have had three major resection with a about 120cm taken out of my small intestine.  I now have short bowel syndrome due to the amount of intestine taken out.  I take Humira, Questran and Imodium & Methadone for my Crohns.  I have had complications with every operation I had.  My operations have been open cut surgery.  First operation everything got infected and had to stay 6 weeks in the hospital, second they did a epidural and I had a leak in my spinal cord with extreme headaches.  Spent 5 weeks in the hospital and my last surgery in 2008 I did not pass gas for 2 weeks so I was not allowed to eat food or leave the hospital for 3 weeks.  The surgeon does not allow any food in your system until you start passing gas.  Gas can still build up and it can be painful.  Your intestines go to sleep once they are operated on and it usually takes 2-4 days for them to start passing gas.  For me it takes about 2 months for my system to be some what normal after an operation.  I always was very tired until about the 2 month time period.  Each person is different but it does take the body time to adjust.  I do have diarrhea for every bowel movement and I am in the bathroom 20 times a day because of the short bowel syndrome.  It is not a very fun life but there is not much I can do.  I try to be positive but at times is us very hard.


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## Sparkle2012

Bart - have you tried the psyllium husks or immodium?  Or is that not an option with short bowel syndrome?  Seems like they could do something for you to slow the bowel.


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## Bart4u

Sparkle,  I have tried everything there is on the market. I was taking a ton of drugs and my intestines shut down for four days and I had a blockage and had to go into the hospital.  Right now I take Questran and Imodium.


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## Sparkle2012

I'm so sorry to hear that.  It scares me sometimes listening to stories on this forum.  Some of the people here, you included, are dealing with so much with this awful disease.  I am blessed to have some degree of normalcy but I don't anticipate that will last forever.  I hope the Questran and Immodium give you some relief.  Take care..


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## EyesonHim

I am 36 and had a small bowel resection (ileum) 7 weeks ago.  I have been doing well, I think, but have a couple of issues.  I have had constant D but Imodium gives some relief.  I tried Questran for a while and it worked great, but I had side effects from it so I had to stop.  It gave me a constant a headache and my blood pressure dropped.  My incision is healing fine but I can still feel swelling around the resection area and in the lower right pelvic area.  I also have some back pain at times.  How long will these annoyances last?  Anyone else relate?


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## bentman54

I did not read all the posts but for Davek-- the penis thing got me ( I just had my second resection this year in March) and I believe it is as a result of the catheter-it did pass. I still have severe diarrhea and I take 6 Lomotil a day plus 2-3 Immodium. After my first one I had troubles as well and they gave me Questran to help--the section of the small bowel that was removed is the section that absorbs the bile secreted to help digestion. If it passes into the large bowel it acts as a laxative-- give your body time as it may relearn to do this function.


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## Sparkle2012

EyesonHim said:


> I am 36 and had a small bowel resection (ileum) 7 weeks ago.  I have been doing well, I think, but have a couple of issues.  I have had constant D but Imodium gives some relief.  I tried Questran for a while and it worked great, but I had side effects from it so I had to stop.  It gave me a constant a headache and my blood pressure dropped.  My incision is healing fine but I can still feel swelling around the resection area and in the lower right pelvic area.  I also have some back pain at times.  How long will these annoyances last?  Anyone else relate?


I had small bowel resection last year....not much pain...but I had muscle spasms (I'm guessing) about 2 weeks following which scared the hell out of me.  I finally took the pain killer they gave me when I exited the hospital and eventually it subsided.  I realized I had pulled a muscle or something when I was trying to get off a flat exam table unassisted (??) a week following surgery.  My doctor had had surgery too and was reluctant I guess to assist.  I will tell you that I still have sensations in the area where they did a lot of surgery -- a pulling, a tiny cramp, a soreness from time to time.  The Immodium helped me when I had the runs.  Are you taking a probiotic to help regulate bowel flora?  Align was suggested for me and it is wonderful.  I've seen some posts about psyllium husks for fiber -- I would check with the surgeon to make sure this is an option for you.


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