Vomiting week after surgery - obstruction?

[Annika]

Dear all,

I am new at this forum.
2 and a half weeks ago my husband had a small bowel surgery,
because of heavy pains which could not be diagnosed with colonoscopy, CT etc.

Crohn was diagnosed, in the centre of the small bowel only
(big inflammations, no obstructions or adhesions).

In the hospital he only got a water infuse for 3 days.
As from the 4th day he only got very liquid soup.
At home he continued with blended soups.

He started with prednisone (40mg) and for the first time in months
he didn't have diarrhea and blood in the stool..
So far so good.

Since he lost a lot of weight and continued to lose weight, after a week he tried to eat some rice and soft peas.
Then the problem started.

About 3 hours after the food he got unbearable pains and
was vomiting only liquid (the food passed the stomach and was already in the small bowel).

After that he only ate blended soups again, or mashed cooked apples.
When he eats mashed apples it's fine, but every time after a plate of blended soup it starts again, the pain and almost every time vomiting liquid.

Could it be an obstruction? Since it always starts at the same time (about 3 hours after the soup).
For one hour he feels awful with most of the times vomiting, then it goes away, until the next meal..
In this way, he continues to lose weight since he eats very little. 'Luckily' he 'only' vomits liquid, so what he eats is absorbed.

Both the surgeon and the gastro-entrolog say to be patient, that is may be a swelling of the internal wound and to eat only liquid foods for 2 more weeks.
But we are worrying it's an obstruction of the scar tissue.

Has anyone experienced this as well, or knows what it means?

Thanks a lot
Annika

 

[DJW]

Hi Annika. I'm glad you called the doctor. I've had a lot of obstructions. With obstructions I have NO output from the ostomy. I get very bloated and cannot keep even sips of water down. The pain comes in waives and is off the charts. I'm told far worse than labor pain. I'd follow the doctors orders but if he can't keep any fluids in he can become dehydrated very quickly - 8 hrs. Call again if he's bloated, in a lot of pain or can't keep anything in. Always better safethan sorry.
Wishing a speedy recovery.

 

[Annika]

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your reply and concern.
Luckily he can drink water and the soup he eats stays in (he just doesn't eat much because everytime after eating he gets heavy pain).
3 hours after eating he gets an attack, so the food is already in the small bowel.
It looks like that when the soup passes through the small bowel it has difficulty to go down, so it wants to go up.
And then he vomits liquid, because the stomach is already empty.
There is one hour of heavy pain and then relieve.

So it looks like when the food passes the place of the wound of the operation, it is stuck for a while.


Thanks for your advise to drink more water, to compensate the loss of liquid after vomiting.
Thanks, Dan I wish you a lot of strength and love for your Crohn's..
Annika


Has someone experienced this too, or knows what it could be?
- swelling of the wound of the operation?
- the muscles?
- an obstruction on the spot of the incision - is this possible one week after surgery?
-

Thanks