HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Practical Post Surgery Questions

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/9/2011 9:52 AM (GMT 0)
I'm having my first major surgery in about a month.. a resection of 8" or more of strictured TI, cecum, and ileo-cecal valve and whatever else they find..
and I'd like to be as prepared as possible with things I should get for the house before I am admitted.
What supplies do I need to buy?? as in what kind of "wipes" for the bathroom, adult diapers needed? anything else??

I keep reading that I am going to have explosive diarrhea with my ileo-cecal valve getting taken out..
Does this diarrhea wake you from sleep? or does it just happen a while after eating? Or does it just "leak" out when you are sleeping??
What did you use to put on yourself or your bed to keep things clean if there are accidents at night?
What about after when you were going outside again?

Which painkillers worked best for your pain and how often did you have to use them? My surgeon has mentioned oxycodone to me.
Aside from moving around as much as possible was there anything else that helped you heal faster?

My bed at home is very high off the floor. My thinking is that this might be helpful as I wouldn't have to use my stomach muscles to get in and out of bed.. just get my legs over and slide off.. getting back on seems easy too.. Is there something I'm overlooking??
How long were you on clear liquids? and when did that change over to low residue.. and then to 'regular food'?
I know I am supposed to wear very loose clothes after I get home.. what worked for you as far as not rubbing or adding pressure to the wounds?

I know I have a million questions and that everyone is different..
I've already gotten some great advice on here and would like to get more.
NY Veggie

Post Edited (NY Veggie) : 4/9/2011 4:14:18 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/9/2011 10:07 AM (GMT 0)
sorry I forgot to put in a subject line before I posted this..
does anyone know what I should click to edit it so there will be a subject?

also for some reason my profile didn't show up in this post I started yet it showed up in a previous one
I have a lot to learn on here still
thanks
NY Veggie
Posted 4/9/2011 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
Well, as you probably suspect, everyone is different post surgically. But besides having stretchy waistband type clothing and slip on shoes...

Since you might not be able to bend over/lift after surgery, put some thought into having things that you need that are down low moved up to waist level. For instance, my cereal cabinet is a bottom cabinet. I would move it all to the top of the refrigerator... Also, you might want to invest in one of those grab things on a stick.

Bathroom items: flushable wipes, Tucks, reading materials.

I am getting ready for surgery on Tuesday, so I just finished paying the bills for the next month.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head...
Sudsmom
Posted 4/9/2011 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
Not a lot of answers as I did not have my ileo-cecal valve removed but wanted to reply as I read one of your other replies and we have a few things in common.

I am in my late 50's and have had a stricture removed in my colon. But like you, it took a long time to get that way so thought your doctors comments regarding biologics interesting.

I never had problems with diarrhea and never took pain killers after I got home from having surgery. Had laparoscopic surgery.

I was off clear liquids while still in the hospital and after four week post-op follow up with surgeon, was told I could eat anything. I wouldn't go that far and was careful not to eat anything I thought would be hard to digest.

Now I can pretty well eat anything except popcorn but do pay more attention to what I eat.

Walking is the best advise I got.

Anyway good luck and hopefully things will turn out well.

Posted 4/9/2011 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
You will have explosive diarrhea, but its not like you will poop yourself. Just will have incidences where you gotta go now. I never used any diapers or anything like that. It only lasts for a couple of weeks until your body adjusts to the changes.

Biggest tip is to try to walk as much as possible. If you have a full open surgery it will be a little difficult at first, but little by little it will get better. You will have to push yourself a little, but it will happen. I used a pain pump in the hospital, then switched to Percoset (oxycodone) for home. Walking really helps your bowels to wake back up and get things moving again.

Also be sure to get back on your maintenance meds so you don't have to have a repeat like I did. I hope your surgery leads to a long long remission. Hugs!
Posted 4/9/2011 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
I had my IC valve removed. I had explosive D for a few weeks, usually a short while after eating. It took about 6 months to get back to almost normal. I tended to be constipated before the surgery, now I am ok but I have D more than I used to. I went from liquid right to my regular diet. I usually eat 6-8 small meals/snacks a day. I didn't need diapers but I did sleep with a towel under me just in case. My surgery was due to a tumor, not Crohn's so my diet may be different than yours.

The post-surgical pain wasn't bad. It was well controlled in the hospital, first with a pain pump then orally. The first few days at home were a bit rough because I was a bit too active but the percocet took care of it.

I also have a high bed. I can't remember if it helped but I do remember that after a hernia repair surgery, I needed a stool to get in and out of bed. I usually end up on the couch in the living room for a few weeks after surgery. Frequent naps during the day make it a bit difficult to sleep through the night.

Stretchy waistbands are great, you can position the waist lower if necessary. I had a few pairs of high-waisted "granny" undies that I ended up loving. I could fold down the waistband to exactly where it was most comfortable.
Big baggy T-shirts are nice but I also liked spandex tank tops with the built in bra. I didn't like anything brushing against my skin so the tanks were more comfortable, they were just snug enough to keep from rubbing on my skin. They were essential a few weeks after surgery when I started to get nerve pain and sensitivity when the cut nerves started to heal.

Since you have a month, I suggest you do some exercises to strengthen you legs. Squats help and if you don't have weights, you can fill gallon milk jugs with water to add weight. I've found that strong legs really help after abdominal surgery.

People tend to slouch, protecting their middle after ab surgery. This will end up giving you back and neck pain. Make sure that you are standing upright when you walk, even if it feels uncomfortable in your belly area. If your stomach feels really tight, try to lie flat on your back a few times a day for a few minutes at a time, slowly increasing the time.

good luck.

The biggest surprise was how exhausted I was and how long it took to get back to normal. I still needed an afternoon nap when I returned to work 6 weeks after surgery.
Posted 4/9/2011 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
Some really good ideas for me to consider.. I hadn't thought about some of these..
and I'm really glad that the D I will be having isn't all the time.. just when you gotta go you gotta go.. hopefully I will be awake for those..lol

Dagger - Some really good advice here.. I like the idea about the spandex tops and granny undies... right now i have a lot of soft skinny tanks that might work (it will be warmer here in NYC by then) also have really large draw string PJs (worn low) and very loose thin stretch pants that i already wear around the house instead of the typical sweats.. undie wise.. hmmm.. what about REALLY low bikinis? I'm thinking about the laparo cut that's going to be below my navel and the 2 side ones further down.. I think my bikinis are lower than those.. then again they might just have to open me up so that changes things too... When in doubt I can always buy some Mu-Mus..LOL I think I have a little bench thing that might work as well as a stool for the bed if I need it.. I am pretty tall tho. I like the lying on my back.. I figured I might have to sleep this way for a while as well.. and yea naps are on the agenda... My legs are pretty strong but I'm having so much joint pain now I can't imagine doing exercises.. also have Fibro so have to be careful

wow Bammer.. no pain meds when you got home! I have a high pain threshold but this is amazing.. all I can think is that operating on the colon is a lot different than the small intestine??

yea Nanners.. I know they are going to send me home with oxycodone and luckily for me they make one that doesn't have tylenol (makes me sick) or aspirin in it... I wish they did that with all the meds

Sudsmom.. as before, your advice is very practical.. all my pots and pans are below and HEAVY.. I am trying to teach my boyfriend how to cook.. I should write a book called "How to teach your boyfriend to cook in one month when ALL he's ever done is Boil things" HAHAHA
What brand wipes? are there different sizes?? and tucks are for hemmies?? I'm so ignorant about most of this stuff as I never had kids or cared for anyone with these problems... also are thongs ok as slip-ons?? And yes I already wrote down to pay bills far in advance so I don't have to think about them.

Thank you for all your good ideas.. I feel a lot more confident now
NY Veggie
Posted 4/10/2011 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
My bikini's were at just the wrong height but your incision will be in a different place than mine. I suggest you bring a few different styles to the hospital so you have something comfortable for the ride home.

Bring a small rather firm pillow for the ride home. It is a must for when you cough, sneeze, or laugh. I also had a bean bag style pillow that I put under the waist belt of the seat belt, the rubbing when you hit a bump was not fun. A folded up towel or small blanket will also work.

You will want some type of slip-on shoe for walking in the hospital. If you can easily slip your thongs on and off, and feel secure walking in them, they should be fine. I've always been given non-slip socks in the hospital but they could be difficult to put on and off if you can't easily bend, plus, you don't want to wear them in your clean bed after walking on the dirty hospital floor.

Pain wasn't bad after the first few days. I wouldn't have needed pain meds when I got home except I tend to overdo it. I stopped at the mall and the grocery store on the way home from the hospital. I think going up and down the stairs several times a day didn't help either. I have fibro and it gets much worse if I sit around so I left the house and walked around several times a day. The fibro was ok but the ab pain was probably worse than it would have been had I taken it easy. Even then, it wasn't bad at all. It felt like I had done too many sit-ups.

Since you have fibro, then I suggest you really be extra careful with the slouching. Stand up and slowly stretch until you are straight, then walk. Change positions frequently and stretch your arms and legs several times an hour. If you are lying on the couch watching TV, get up every hour or so, and then lie with your head where your feet were so you aren't always on the same side.
Posted 4/12/2011 4:18 AM (GMT 0)

NY Veggie said...
I'm having my first major surgery in about a month.. a resection of 8" or more of strictured TI, cecum, and ileo-cecal valve and whatever else they find..
and I'd like to be as prepared as possible with things I should get for the house before I am admitted.
What supplies do I need to buy?? as in what kind of "wipes" for the bathroom, adult diapers needed? anything else??

I keep reading that I am going to have explosive diarrhea with my ileo-cecal valve getting taken out..
Does this diarrhea wake you from sleep? or does it just happen a while after eating? Or does it just "leak" out when you are sleeping??
What did you use to put on yourself or your bed to keep things clean if there are accidents at night?
What about after when you were going outside again?

Which painkillers worked best for your pain and how often did you have to use them? My surgeon has mentioned oxycodone to me.
Aside from moving around as much as possible was there anything else that helped you heal faster?

My bed at home is very high off the floor. My thinking is that this might be helpful as I wouldn't have to use my stomach muscles to get in and out of bed.. just get my legs over and slide off.. getting back on seems easy too.. Is there something I'm overlooking??
How long were you on clear liquids? and when did that change over to low residue.. and then to 'regular food'?
I know I am supposed to wear very loose clothes after I get home.. what worked for you as far as not rubbing or adding pressure to the wounds?

I know I have a million questions and that everyone is different..
I've already gotten some great advice on here and would like to get more.
NY Veggie

The only thing I ended up buying for after my surgery was looser fitting shorts. I had staples put in the close up the incision and I found looser shorts made the rubbing less.

You do definitely get explosive diarrhea afterwards, but I would say it's something that you have about a minute to get to the bathroom. I never soiled myself, but had the bathroom not been free each time it could've been a different story.

It mostly only happened after eating (maybe an hour or two) and never while I was sleeping. I never woke up to that feeling, and it was generally when I was moving and walking around that I got the urge.

Going outside was something that I had to do slowly and for short periods of time. I was released home after a week of the surgery. A week after being home (so 2 weeks after surgery) I had to go for a checkup at the doctors. That was tough going out for the first time, but as long as I knew a bathroom was close by I was at ease.

I was using the "pain-pump" (morphine?) for the first 24 hours after the surgery and then they moved me onto high strength Tylenol for the rest of the week. By the time I left the hospital, I was taking no pain medication and was experiencing no pain.

I don't recall very much abdominal pain once I got mobile. The first 24-48 hours was pretty rough, but I was also so medicated I don't recall much (maybe a good thing!).

One of the things my doctors (rather hospital) did differently was after surgery they immediately get you eating. I started with jellos and such, but within a couple of days I was eating whole foods. They said it helps recover faster (and I was also made to walk within a day of surgery too). I agree with them, and do think it helped.

My worst experience was the gas pains after surgery. I literally felt like I was going to explode inside. Took about 2 days to finally pass gas and it felt a loooot better. Up until then the pressure was just building and pain did get pretty bad.

I only had my surgery a year ago (April 28th, 2010) so it's still relatively fresh in my mind. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Posted 4/12/2011 12:37 PM (GMT 0)
One other thing you might want to have is some large gauze dressings and surgical tape. I am 5 weeks post op, open surg, and I still put a big dressing over my incision IF I am going to wear anything other than sweats. At first I was wearing the dressings everyday until the staples came out. I just didn't want anything rubbing up against the incision. Now my incision has healed really well, but the extra little padding feels good when I have to put on "real" clothes.

I also had some large overnight sanitary napkins that I used for the first few weeks because I take a sleeping pill at night and I was always afraid of that darn explosive D. It just gave me some piece of mind, Also if I had to go out during those first few weeks.
Posted 4/12/2011 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
After several surgeries, I have learned these:

Sit up as much as possible, this keeps the intestines in place and the blood circulating more normally.
Avoid lying down and surrendering to the disease.

Take walks, very short ones at first, after the third week walk at least 800 yards twice a day. this keeps the bowels and legs going. If it is winter and icy walk indoors...avoid fallng at all costs !

I have a recumbent exercise bike and still use it every day to keep the bowels more normal.

Have had explosive diarreah during the course of the years:

Anticipate the times of day where it is the worst: in my case was right after breakfast, so I went to the bathroom BEFORE breakfast and tried to release the bowels, that helped 75% of my problems.
Wore diapers for the first week after surgery, was OK after that.

A lot of explosive diarreah is caused by distension due to gas and spasms, its the gas that causes the suddenness plus weak colon and rectum. You may consider some antispasmodics (donnatal) and mentally preparing yourself to control your bowels and release when you control the body...in other words, anticipate it and a lot of the feeling goes away.
Posted 4/13/2011 9:44 AM (GMT 0)
WOW thanks for all the great advice!!
I'm cutting and pasting all this to emails to myself so I'll remember all of it.
It is also very interesting to see how all of you coped with it.

I'm beginning to think I will just get adult diapers to be on the safe side. I can also use them on top of my sheets to protect my new mattress etc.. so I don't have to worry about accidents while I am sleeping. I think that's how they had it when I was in the GI wing. I already have pretty good posture but I will have to remember to stretch and walk a lot... not sit or lay still for too long. I'm sure that's harder than it sounds in the beginning... I'm hoping to just get outside walk around a little and sit on the bench in front for a while if I feel well enough...getting that gauze to protect the sore wound sounds like a good idea too. Here's hoping that I am not plagued by too much gas and diarrhea.. but I am expecting the worst so I'll be happy with anything that isn't the pain I've had. And yea aside from the narcotics I will also be taking something to sleep all night.
NY Veggie
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply