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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/30/2012 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
I had a ileocolonic resection on may 24th.  I was in the hospital for 4 days and I am home now.  Surgeon told me he was in for a surprise when he opened me up.  Not only did I have one severe stricture which we knew about, hence why I had the surgery, but there was another really bad stricture at the end of my small bowel and colon.  We didn't know that was there.  But it explains a lot of pain i was having.  Surgeon said if they didn't find it I probably would have been back in six months having emergency surgery.  He said the opening was the size of a pin hole.  He's like Ihave no idea how you were passing anything through there.  So now I'm home and on pain meds b/c i am so friggin sore.  Going back to surgeon in a week to have staples removed.  Not fun not being able to move.  I am so SORE.  But hopefully this surgery (2nd one) will do the trick and with the remicade I can go into remission.  :-)
Posted 5/30/2012 11:55 PM (GMT 0)
It sounds like it's good you had the surgery. I hope you recover quickly and are out of pain soon!
Posted 5/31/2012 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you gumby44.  Yes definitly needed the surgery.  Hopefully I can maintain some sort of remission.
Posted 5/31/2012 3:45 AM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to share that I have been in remission since the 2001 after having the same surgery. It was the best choice and I have not regretted it once! I have had 11 pain-free years until very recently, so there are success stories - and am hoping my current discomfort is unrelated...well done, and I wish you a speedy recovery!
Posted 5/31/2012 10:36 AM (GMT 0)
Glad things went well and you are home now. Once the post op pain subsides you will love not being in pain all the time. I think I dealt with my stricture pain for so long that I didn't really realize how bad it was. Then post op I was shocked not to be in pain 24/7. Good luck and I hope your recovery is quick.
Posted 5/31/2012 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone.  I have never been in remission.  I was diagnosed in 2002.  I had a resection in 2004 for very badly diseased small bowel and also was running 105 fever.  It was done emergently.  7 months after the surgery I had a colonscopy b/c I wasn't feeling well again and sure enough the disease was back at the reconnection site.  ( I had a temp ileostomy the first time).  So i know the drill and I'm hoping and praying to get longer than 7 months.  As far as post op pain.  It feels like it's never going to go away.  My abdomen is so sore I can't bend, walk to much or i get winded, and even lay to long.  Everything feels so tight.  I have staples in the 4 incisions which doesn't help and the incisions are itchy which is a good sign b/c i know that means they're healing.  My back is killing me and the darn painkillers i'm on (dilauded) is not strong enough.  Also I have to cough continuously from the anastecia and it's very difficult.  I just wish I would heal and get back on with life.
Posted 5/31/2012 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
bella, I'm so happy that you got those fixed. I hope you will have years and years of remission and freedom to eat a little more and enjoy life. Go slow with trying new foods (if you are planning on trying that), and stay on a maintenance treatment under your GIs care. It will likely take some time for your bowels to recover. Take it easy!
Posted 5/31/2012 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
Good Afternoon Bella, I so happy to hear your surgery went so well, I have been looking on the board to see if you had started posting again.

I completely agree with Roni, really take it easy with what you eat, and take it from me you need to let things heal properly inside before you dive into your regular diet.

Welcome back Bella.

Posted 6/7/2012 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
I truly hope you are on the road to recovery/remission, we have a horrible disease however, we are here for you!

Hugs
Posted 7/9/2012 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone? Just wanted to update the situation. Good news first. I'm no longer in pain post op. That's about it. I am having a slew of problems though. One, I have watery loose frequent diareah. At least 10 times daily if not more and in the middle of night which doesn't help with the sleeping situation. I have excessive painful gas which makes me bloat and then I feel neaseated. My bottome is so friggin sore it's rediculous. My stomach gurgles and makes loud noises and I feel like I have to go constantly. Which I do. I'm so uncomfortable and I'm incredibly irritable. Sometimes I think I'm going to pass gas and I actually pass stool. I went to see the surgeon and he said to take immodium three times a day. Is this normal? I have no formed stool whatsoever and food passes undigested. Since surgery which is now 7 weeks post op I have been on a low fiber/ low residue diet and on fri surgeon said go to town. Eat whatever you want. Yea ok. Not only the diarea thing but I have pain in my bellybutton area. Please tell me this is normal after bowel surgery. I've had one 4 years ago and this def did not happen. I was tested for c diff and it was negative. Surgeon says it might be an overgrowth of bad bacteria to eat a yogurt everyday with live cultures. i do this already. Anyone out there that can help me I would greatly appreciate the advice. Hope everyone is feeling well :-)
Posted 7/9/2012 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad the pain has gone, but the rest of it doesn't sound ideal :-/

I've never had a resection, so I'm not sure how 'normal' any of that is. I've heard of people having problems with diarrhoea after a resection, but I dunno how long it's meant to take to get better. The sore bottom can be alleviated a bit with a suitable cream or wipe - I've got something called Preparation H. (Don't need it atm, but I certainly did during my last flare up.) Might be better solutions than that, though.

Have a distinct feeling a yoghurt a day is not going to help your overgrowth of bad bacteria. Simply not enough bacteria. I'd look into getting a dedicated probiotic, such as VSL#3, although such probiotics can be expensive. Anyway, a course of antibiotics is normally used to treat SIBO first of all.

Good luck and hope you start to feel genuinely better soon.
Posted 7/11/2012 7:51 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Bella,

Just wanted to let you know that I have had 2 bowel resections, 2 incisional site hernias & an abdominal wall reconstruction.

My incisional site hernia was located at my belly button. The surgeon repaired it. Two months later I complained of the same localized pain in that area. My surgeon told me I just need to heal longer. I saw my surgeon for a 2nd & 3rd time, my GI, PCP & finally my GI again all in the length of back & forth for a full year only to find out what I had been saying all along and that was that I knew my hernia had come back. It just took someone to order a CT for me to find it!  UGH

I just want you to be aware of a incisional site hernia's symptoms. Look it up on line. Maybe you have that going on?

Also after my surgery I had complained about the VERY bad diarehea just like you & my GI told me about taking Immodium as well. He said that we could take up to 8 a day without it being a problem. I can only take up to 4 a day before it starts teetering between bouts of D & constipation for me. Can't stand dealing with constipation!!! But it did help with all the gurgling sounds.  Maybe it will give you some relief though.

Best wishes,

~Sukay blush

Posted 7/12/2012 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sukay,  thanks for your input on the situation.  It seems, for now, the gurgling has subsided.  I am still having pain at the belly button and also on the left side where I had the surgery now.  It's a shooting pain and it hurts.  I spoke with my GI about the problem with the belly button and left sided pain and was told I just needed more healing time.  I am going to look up the hernia symptoms and hopefully there is nothing going on there. 
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