Hi Brad! My strictures were an EXTREME CASE and may not reflect what's in your future. I had adhesions, another term for scar tissue, all over my small intestine due to previous surgeries. The adhesions caused strictures and blockages which were extremely painful because it seemed as though once food left my stomach it just stopped. Which turned out to be exactly what was happening. Parts of my intestines were so narrow that the food would not go through, sometimes for up to 3 days. Now remember I said that mine was an extreme case so only take some of the info into consideration. I had a Jpouch which is when the colon is removed and the part of the small intestine is fashioned into a fake colon (doesn't quite work the same way in terms of absorption). It's sort of like a cut and paste and keeps having to have an ostomy bag at bay. This worked for 6 years and was great but suddenly I began to feel incredible pain due to the blockages. The doctor performed a 4 hour surgery and removed so many adhesions. He stopped just before he got to the pouch so he wouldn't damage it causing me to have a permanent bag. Unfortunately, he didn't get all of the adhesions and I did have to get the bag because there was simply no other choice. I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS YOUR FUTURE. It's my experience and truthfully it's much better than living the way I was living. The pain was indescribable and I didn't want to live it was so bad. I guess my point is that adhesions and strictures and blockages CAN BE REPAIRED AND YOU CAN LIVE YOUR LIFE AGAIN. My surgeon tried not to operate when I was inflamed but just before surgery I became blocked so he didn't have a choice. I was actually thankful for the timely blockage because I knew he'd at least be able to see it clearly. And, yes, it is common to have more than one stricture handled during surgery. I also had 2 fistulas and the remainder of an abscess which was still continuing to drain. All of it got handled during the my surgery in January. I'm not sure if GI tests can spot strictures outside the bowel but there are other tests that can be done to detect them. Write down all of your concerns and talk to your doctor about all of them. If your doctor seems hurried or won't make the time to answer your questions in detain - get another doctor. You deserve to feel confidant before going on the operating table. I would get every test your doctor recommends even if it's inconvenient. The more information your doctor has about your condition the better prepared he/she is to handle repairing you.
If you do have surgery take good care of yourself, as best you can, before and after. Listen to your body. I can't stress this enough. If you need to sleep then sleep. It doesn't matter if you sleep 2 days straight. Rest is so important when it comes to healing. Go easy on yourself. You might feel lazy because you don't have the strength to wash a cup. Leave the cup in the sink. Your body will tell you what it needs. Listen to it. Let others help you through this. People that love you often feel helpless watching you suffer. It makes them feel better if they can help you get well. Let them. Talk to people you trust. Talk, cry, scream, laugh...do all the things you need to do and you will recover faster. What you're going through isn't easy and you need to recognize this and respect it.
Take good care, Sharon
