What is life like after resection?

[fateful_one]

what is life like after resection?

so, i have heard that most people that get a resection, wish they had done it sooner because it makes them feel - dare I say "normal".

i would like to know:

Will i be able to eat everything and anything without reactivating the Crohn's?

Will I no longer have chronic pain and bad cramping?

Thanks

 

[BigUglyCat]

Fateful...I've had 3 resections. The first at 19 and yes, I felt like a new person. However, the second resection did not give me the relief I was anticipating from the first experience. The third, however, did, once again, provided tremendous relief. I do not believe your doc would suggest the surgery unless he/she thought it was the only option to get you better...it has always been the very last resort for the docs I have seen and only occurred when obstruction/perforation were likely.

There have been days when I wished I hadn't had one or more of them, but realistically speaking, I'm probably alive today because I had them. However, I have refused other surgeries because I did not believe the doc had my best interests at the forefront (not Crohn's related). So, if you do not trust your doc,,,,,please seek a second opinion.

 

[Jennifer]

There's no scientific proof that the food you eat will cause a flare. Symptoms yes, flare, NO.

You may eat whatever you can tolerate after you have fully healed. Everyone has their own trigger foods (foods that makes you gassy or give you diarrhea etc. in general). If you don't know what your trigger foods are, then try stuff out and learn that way.

Your pain should be gone. The only pain you should feel is normal pain like pain from gas or diarrhea (even normal people have that on occasion).

I've had one resection and have been in remission for 11 years. I eat whatever I want and I know what my trigger foods are. I have symptoms when I eat things I know will give me diarrhea but I never had a flare (as one wouldn't).

 

[wolfem]

Just my opinion: I would only do it if it was absolutely necessary. I did not go into remission after my surgery and (just from experience) I cannot eat whatever foods I want. For me, eating certain foods makes a huge difference. I can almost avoid a flare entirely just but eating foods I know I'm not allergic too.

I think it varies depending on the person.

-Mary

 

[CDDad]

I had an emergency resection in the small bowel due to a rupture. Totally normal after, no restrictions and eat whatever I like. Hopfully they will remove the part causing your pain and cramping and you'll be good to go. Then just stay on your maintanence meds to stay in remission!

 

[Scifimom]

I had emergency resection last year, cause I was undiagnosed and the doctor thought I had lymphoma. I regret every single minute so far.

I had another flare in less than a year at the exact same spot I had the surgery. I have chronic Diarrhea (even now that I am on Humira) I cannot eat whatever I like and I am having pai and cramping regularly. I am in remission right now but it is drug induced.

I hate surgeons they first cut then ask,(my brother is a surgeon and does the same thing). They operated on me without concent, without information. I almost died on the table due to massive bleeding. I still have problems with low blood count and low potassium.

Get a second third forth opinion and weigh every option before you go under.

Just my 2c

 

[Jennifer]

I can almost avoid a flare entirely just but eating foods I know I'm not allergic too.

Well, you should never eat foods that you're allergic to.

 

[wolfem]

Well, you should never eat foods that you're allergic to.

I don't mean to be argumentative but I didn't know I was allergic to certain foods until I was tested. Granted some allergy testing isn't always accurate. Just by process of elimination, all of the foods that I eliminated from my diet turned up positive in the allergy test that I was given. It turns out my trigger foods were foods that I was allergic too. I'm just saying I certainly can't eat whatever I want and as long as maintain a strict diet along with supplementation, I do o.k. If I eat bread I become distended, etc, etc. Restricting certain foods seems to make a huge difference... in my case anyways.

I suppose some people are able to eat a wide range of foods without any problems

 

[DustyKat]

Roo had an emergency resection 4 & 1/2 years ago and she has been in remission since then, she is also on Imuran 50mg daily. Over time she has found that a vegetarian diet suits her best but that may be due to the fact that she has short bowel syndrome.

Dusty.

 

[Mrclayto]

I had a resection in May 2008. The surgery was easier to get over than my GallBladder Removal that I had one week prior. The only Negative I can remember was the pain/feeling of the colon "re-activating" after being temporarily paralyzed for the procedure. I had NO bowel control for about a month...but maintained complete remission for about 6 months. I would do it again...Mine was due to a mass/blockage at the Terminal Ilium.
I had "exploratory" surgery at the same time as my gallbladder removal. The surgeon stated there was a 'mass at least as large as his head'...I really had no choice but to have it, Even still, It was enough relief that I would do it again tomorrow.

 

[fateful_one]

All great insights into the world of life after resection Currently, I am in remission but have to be careful about what I eat. There is constant draining/wiggling sensation as food/liquid moves through my terminal ileum to my colon. It feels like aliens in my body and is aweful,

Anyway, I have seen 4 different GI's in the last two years and had lots of tests. I kept telling each doctor that something wasn't right in there, that I couldn't eat without pain, that I was constantly afraid of having bowel obstructions. I was running out of GIs to go to at one point and became very discouraged. It wasn't until I went to a Medical center that specializes in IBD that my stricture/fibrotic terminal ileum was discovered. I recently had a colonoscopy and they couldn't get to the ileum because the IC valve was too little and fibrotic! And this is all while I am in remission.

I trust my doctor and believe this surgery will help me a lot. Eating a low res-diet for two years now has aged me! It is so unhealthy; I may be thin but I am also weak with very little muscle tone.

 

[Jennifer]

It wasn't until I went to a Medical center that specializes in IBD that my stricture/fibrotic terminal ileum was discovered. I recently had a colonoscopy and they couldn't get to the ileum because the IC valve was too little and fibrotic! And this is all while I am in remission.

I trust my doctor and believe this surgery will help me a lot. Eating a low res-diet for two years now has aged me! It is so unhealthy; I may be thin but I am also weak with very little muscle tone.

That doesn't sound like remission to me.

All those GI docs and none of them ordered any tests? I hope the surgery does help you and it sounds like it will to be honest. Glad you finally found someone who knew what they were doing.

 

[jboi85]

I had a resection in 2001 and was entirely symptom free after. I could eat whatever, whenever. I could go out and do 'normal' things, and had no pain for a good while after.
I'm not saying the op or the recovery were very nice (I had a very difficult recovery) But, the results were, in my eyes, well worth every second I spent in hospital.

 

[NicolaH]

I've just been told today that I could potentially need surgery soon, I'm just waiting on a barium to see whether my stricture is bad enough and that that's what's causing me my current pain as the inflammation in my blood is really quite low and normal.

The recovery of surgery really worries me, I worry about abcesses and infection, has anyone had these problems and would you still say it was worth all the pain to get to the 'happy place' you're at now? I'm just quite worried and a bit confused at the moment :-/

Nic xx

 

[Lydia]

I had no choice for my first surgery. My bowel abscessed and perforated and they needed to do an emergency colostomy. I did feel ok after recovering and 6 months later I had the colostomy reversed. I did good for awhile and got back to some nasty habits with food and smoking and drinking and I had another severe flare. After that I quit smoking and binge drinking with my buddies, started eating healthy and after a bout of steroids and taking immuran I went into remission. I took the immuran for a year and stay in remission for another 3 years. So I do think lifestyle/diet have as much to do with remission as surgery and drugs.

 

[kenny]

I had a resection in 2001 and was entirely symptom free after. I could eat whatever, whenever. I could go out and do 'normal' things, and had no pain for a good while after.
I'm not saying the op or the recovery were very nice (I had a very difficult recovery) But, the results were, in my eyes, well worth every second I spent in hospital.

Similar story here. I don't believe the damage could just heal and not mess me up big time. I needed that surgery to get to where I am today. And I'm feeling better than I have in years

 

[scifi-enthusiast]

When I had my resection I didn't experience any pain, just annoyance for having to deal with the bag. I was reconnected several months after my resection (look at my sig) and now I have adhesions that cause me pain 24/7. So if you're in dire need of it get it. But if you're symptom free some months and only in pain every once in awhile I wouldn't recommend it. Adhesions can cause pain all the time, flare ups can cause pain sometimes (depending on how well it's being treated of course).

I'm not saying not to go through with it, just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.

Also of course my experience is with a colostomy; not an ileostomy.

 

[zegermens]

I had a bowel resection done on 23rd December 2010 so I'm still recovering from it now. From speaking to different people, some people have quite a large incision and some smallish one. It wasn't the most comfortable after the op but now a few weeks later I'm feeling perfectly fine. I'm able to walk around perfectly normal and the wound still hasn't fully healed yet No pain, nothing. I'm eating quite more healthy foods now but I'm still able to eat pizza and other foods. Guess I'm just waiting to I have some foods which don't agree with me but as it stands I feel much better in my self and a lot less pain now than I was so apart from the obvious still being here I'm glad I had the operation. Good Luck

 

[Zalanicht]

I had an emergency resection in the small bowel due to a rupture. Totally normal after, no restrictions and eat whatever I like. Hopfully they will remove the part causing your pain and cramping and you'll be good to go. Then just stay on your maintanence meds to stay in remission!

Same