wantrelief

Hi Shelley, for the first 3 wks I had nothing but liquid diarrhea up to 8 times a day.  Every time I would eat I would be in the bathroom within ten or fifteen minutes of starting a meal. Now at six wks this is improved.  I can usually make it through a meal and have about twenty minutes before I have to go to the bathroom.  It is still very soft with quite a bit of liquid.  I've noticed since I've started taking a multivitamin and iron supplement every day that it seems to have firmed up slightly.  (I haven't had a "normal" bm in like three yrs though).  Right after surgery and for the first few wks I also had urgency.  All of a sudden the feeling would hit me and I had to find a bathroom NOW!!  That is also somewhat improved but not completely gone. I've noticed that I can hear my intestines gurgling and feel the movement going on inside and I know that a bm is sure to follow soon.  Sometimes this is crampy and other times not.

I also had a little area around my naval that was not completely healed up when my stapels were removed, the doc put steri strips on and I kept it clean with peroxide twice a day.  It healed up nicely. I had open surgery so I have a ten inch vertical incision.  It's still sore but I'm pretty much back to my normal activities and even able to sleep on my stomach again for short periods of time!  As for the bathtub, I took my first bath after my stapels were removed.  I sat enough water to soak my sore bottom and legs but not enough to completely submerge my abdomen.  I waited until the place around my naval looked completely healed before I totally submerged myself.

My doctor asked me to not drive until I was off of the pain medication.  Which was at about the three wk mark.  However, I do occasionally still take a pain pill if I've had a really busy day and find that my abdomen is really sore.  Plus, I have proctitis and my rectum really hurts after having a zillion bowel movements in a day.  The narcotics are the only thing that makes that pain disappear for a while.

I have to say, surgery has been totally worth it. I already feel 95%better than before.

Shelly, as for my diet.....Both my GI and surgeon said "eat anything you want". I've been taking it slow.  Things that I would have avoided before surgery, I've been trying in small amounts and then waiting to see how it makes me feel.  So far, I haven't found anything that has caused me any pain.  Mostly raw vegetables and fruit bothered me before.  What are you on for maintenance medication?  Right now my GI has suggested that I take Flagyl long term. There are studies that suggest Flagyl will help maintain remission after surgical removal of CD.  I haven't started it yet (I really want to have a glass of wine first).  Silly I know!  I was taking only Pentasa and occasional bursts of Prednisone before surgery. I have a history of Maligant Melanoma in '00 so I have avoided immunosuppresents at all costs.   My GI said she doesn't have good solid evidence that the Pentasa will help keep me in remission so she left it up to me wether to continue it or not.  So far I'm taking 3gm/day. I feel like I want to do all that I can to keep this disease as far away from me as possible.

I'm glad you are feeling better, it really sounds like things are going good for you. Everything you have said seems completely normal compared to my experience.  So we are either good or we are both screwed up!  BTW, what state are you in?  I'm in Indiana.

I started back on Vit b12 injections monthly after my visit to the GI.  Losing your TI you will most likely need those injections.