advice on surgery

Hi stressed mum 38 and welcome to Healingwell. I have had two open resections myself, the first being an emergency surgery. I had quite a bit of pain too. It will take some time. Tell her to be sure to stay on top of the pain. Take her meds before it gets too bad, or it is only harder to get it back under control.

Usually once she has some bowel sounds they will start her on clear liquids, then to full liquids then to a more normal diet. I didn't really feel like eating much, so don't be surprised is she picks at her food some for awhile.

She will also be getting some explosive diarrhea when the bowels awaken (usually within the first couple days after surgery). This will improve within the next fews weeks when her body adjusts to the changes.

I was in the hospital 8-10 days with my surgery, but thats because I got infection in my incision (rare). But most are in there for 4-5 days. Its going to take her 6 weeks to recover from the surgery. She needs to remember that she just had major surgery so it can also take the body a full year to fully recover. Be sure she gets on some type of maintenance meds afterwards too, so she doesn't have to have a repeat. Hugs to you both!

Hi Vicky, She had surgery two days ago. She is on the button for morphine and is having buscapan and anti bios through IV. The hospital is hell and she is getting no rest. Were you out within the week ?

Michelle x

Thanks Gail, thats really helpful we have not been given much information after months of agony it was a bit of a shock and we didnt get much information. Reading the internet just scares me to death hence joining the forum. Has the surgery worked for you ?

Thanks for the hug x

SO nice to know there are others out there xx

we are in sheffield, uk x

I'm not sure what things are like in the UK, but one of the first things I do when I have to be admitted to the hospital is ask for a sleeping pill to be RXed. If I need it I can ask for it, if not I don't have to take it. Explain to your daughter's doctor that she is unable to sleep because of the chaos of the hospital surroundings. A mild sleeping pill might be just enough to let her sleep through some of the background noise.

I have had 3 resections. Each time the duration in the hospital was a bit shorter, with the last one being 5 days, but the overall recovery period was about the same. It takes about 6 weeks to really gain your strength back and feel like yourself, but as Nanners said it is major surgery and to fully recover it will be a full year. Keep in mind that all of her internal organs have been messed with and shifted around. They have to resettle, her body has to adjust to doing its job without part the parts that were taken out, and all of that drains energy. So there will be times when she won't quite feel right.

Hi everyone, Just back from the hospital for an hour as Beth is far more settled, We are on a ward of 8 but good news is being moved to a quieter medical ward later, one we have been on many times feels like a second home She has managed to sit up today and use the comode pretty painful but she did it !!! Also managing her pain without the PCA much more. Said they wont offer her any foods until her tummy starts making noises Told her about all your lovley advice and wishes and she cant wait to join once out of hospital. So im sure you will be getting loads of questions

Another question, sorry keep coming up with them what are the chances of this happened in other parts and a relapse ? Forgot to mention Beth also have arthritis in mutiple joints (since the age of 18 months) which is treated with Methotrixate by injection once a week. She has also just started a block of infliximab infusions (again not much info given by hospital ) Should these meds help the crohns stay away ?

Again thanks for the support, really helping me at the moment xx

Wow 5 years that's fantastice news xx

The meds you mentioned (infliximab, particularly) are used in maintaining remission, so it's good to hear she's on those. I can't help with the surgery advice, as I have not had surgery myself. Wish her luck for me on a speedy recovery!

Glad to hear your daughter is starting to feel more comfortable. I have no had surgery like that but I did have three surgeries on a an abscess located next to my rectum and has spent quite a bit of time in the hospital, so I understand pain she is going through and not being able to rest in that kind of setting. The advice I would like to offer to you and your daughter is remember when that you just had major surgery and it is going to take quite a bit of time to recover so it is perfectly okay to just do nothing and be a "couch potato". I'm the the type of person who when I start to feel better I tend to over do it and then I pay for it the next day. I am constantly reminding myself that I just had surgery I need to take it slow. I get frusterated and cabin fever after a while, and I have also remind myself that it is okay for me to do nothing.

So I guess my point is remember not to push it, that if your feeling better still take it slow. And it's okay to do nothing as one recovers.

I hope this helps and makes sense, and I didn't just ramble a whole bunch of nothing.

Best of luck!

Immediately after surgery, I took it very slowly. I ate mashed potatoes (very runny, as they tend to thicken stool), noodle soup, graduated to broiled chicken and pudding. Soft foods that are easily digested. Beef is very hard to digest...as are veggies that are not cooked to mush. Watermelon settled well with me but it is fibrous and some people can't tolerate that right after surgery. The first resection, I have to clarify, did not go well and I flared 2 weeks after surgery, went back and they took my terminal ileum....then the 15 year remission followed. I knew remission wouldn't last so I did some all-out-food partying after I felt well enough. I wasn't going to waste a minute of feeling (somewhat) normal. Not everyone approaches life that way, some tend to be very cautious, but not me. She will know when it's time to be braver with food....and it's a hit or miss thing, and very individual. She'll soon learn what foods are triggers and which are safe.

One thing I will say about IBD, and that is, it makes us very compassionate people. If there's an upside to IBD, that is it. Life changes drastically with these diseases...as it should. We're not complacent anymore, nor do we take the good days for granted...or good health. They jar our eyes open to what's really important in life. Crohn's has been a good teacher for me. I've learned a lot about living well in spite of everything and I wouldn't trade those lessons for anything. It sounds like I love being sick, far from it...but I DO love the person I've become in spite of it. If that makes any sense.

Maybe I need to switch to decaf. LOL

It makes so much snese Saladshooter, Beth is currently in her last year at school and has so many ambitions but has missed the last 4 months of study. Remarkably though this has made her so much more determinded to achieve all her dreams so proud of her. Really don't know where she gets the strengh from some days Keep feeding back all your lovely advice and wishes and she cant wait to get on here with her own questions.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

M

Thanks Salad shooter, thinks she get sad her friends seem to be moving on growing up and she is kind of in limbo :-( but enough of this doom and gloom. fingers crossed for many healthy years and a new start xxx