HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Home from resection- questions

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/6/2011 9:24 PM (GMT 0)
I just had surgery and got home yesterday. I had one foot of small intestine removed, the ileocecal valve, cecum, and appendix. They did take a little colon too. I have a few questions:

I am extremely puffy and bloated and look like I'm about 6 months pregnant. I know this is water weight and also from the gas they pumped inside me during surgery. Any idea how long this lasts? It is very uncomfortable and causing pain in the lower back too. Any tips besides farting that will speed the process?

What will happen now without a valve or cecum? Am I doomed with diarrhea forever (my problem was major constipation because of strictures) or will the diarrhea subside after a few weeks?

I passed two loose bowel movements and they were completely black and with blood. Is that normal?

Any other recovery tips would be great. I have two small children and know this is going to be a long road.

Thanks,
cmommy
Posted 6/6/2011 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
Yes it will be a long road, but each day you will feel better. When I had my first resection I had a 3 and 6 year old, so I do remember how tough it is to want to be super mom and not be able to. After about 2 weeks you will be feeling much better, at about 4 weeks, you will be amazed at how you feel and at 6 - 8 weeks things should really settle down and get back to what will be your new normal. You will have lots of D at first. But it should slow down after a few weeks, once your body starts to adjust. If after a while you are still having trouble you may have Bile Salt D and there are some medications that you can take to help with it, but you need to give your body time to adjust first. As for the bloating, that will go down too. You could try some simethicone to help, or lying on your side to help push the gas through. But really it should subside in a few days. I just had surgery in March. I was not gassy for more than a few days. I was puffy for a month or so. But really I didn't want to put anything tight on anyway, so it didn't much matter to me. I wore sweat pants and called it a day. My incision was sore! Could you wear a loose sundress, or elastic shorts to be more comfortable?
Posted 6/6/2011 10:47 PM (GMT 0)
The gas from surgery is not inside your intestines, it's inside your body so simethicone won't move that gas out any faster. Your body has to absorb it, walking and moving around is supposed to help. The simethicone will help with any gas that is in your intestines that may be causing you to bloat and putting extra pressure on the gas outside of your intestines.

I was still a bit bloated a month after my surgery. I still needed a nap 6 weeks after my surgery. It takes time to heal. Don't lift anything heavy if you can help it for as long as possible, even after the doc says you can. You don't want a hernia.

Watch your posture! People tend to hunch a bit and guard their abs after surgery. Make sure you are standing as straight as you can whenever you are up. Roll your shoulders back and do some gentle stretches. You don't need to add upper back pain to the mess.

Expect the D for a few more weeks. It didn't seem to matter what I ate, sometimes I'd explode, other times I'd be fine. Each week, the explosions happened less frequently.
Posted 6/7/2011 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
I agree... walking but no lifting. I learned the hard way, and now have a hernia. And all because of laundry.... LOL It took me about 8 weeks before I felt the surgery was worth it. Good luck and keep us posted.
Elizabeth
Posted 6/7/2011 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
I also have 2 small children and just had resection #2 in Feb. Make sure you have help with your kids. You should not lift them and need to rest often.
Posted 6/7/2011 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, I started taking cholestyramine after about a week or so. It helps slow down the really bad d. For some, the d doesn't last more than a few weeks.

Take care.
Posted 6/7/2011 9:33 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone! My kids are thankfully past the carrying stage so I'm grateful for that. They are still small though and definitely require some attention which I'm sure will make recovery tougher.

I still haven't had much of a bm. Diarrhea twice that was black/bloody. Which of course I am freaked about because it's one thing on my discharge instructions that's a bad sign. Do you think it's ok?

I only did the percocet twice yesterday so I'm trying to prevent the constipation.

I still am getting that terrible shoulder pain from the gas they pump in you for surgery. Everything I have read says that should have passed within about 72 hours. I'm going on day 6 in the morning...

Definitely looking forward to the day when I feel this surgery was "worth it"!

cmommy
Posted 6/7/2011 11:53 AM (GMT 0)

Hi cmommy!  I had my only resection over 20 years ago, but I still remember the bloat.  Patience is a virtue in this case.  It will settle down.  Can you lie down on a hot pad for your shoulder?  That helped me when I had the pressure problems.

As for the D, I also am on cholestyramine.  I had 18" of my terminal ileum removed, then later my gallbladder.  I have had D constantly since until I went back on the cholestyramine.  The doc can prescribe generic or you can get name brands.  I am trying to get back on the Prevalite version--it has artificial sweetener so some are leary of it but I have found it mixes better in my juice and it seems to work better for me.  Talk to your doc about it.  It made me have a much more normal life!

Posted 6/7/2011 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi cmommy!! You really need to try to walk as much as possible to move that air out. If you don't the pain from it is just going to get worse. Walk, walk and walk some more. It will also help your recovery alot.

Also, I would at least call your surgeon and discuss the bloody stools. Better safe than sorry. Hugs!
Posted 6/7/2011 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
I've had two resections, never had black stool. I did have very dark brown and thick liquid stool (looked similar to baby meconium) that pretty much exploded out of me over a two hour period. It was rough. lol.

If your instructions says it's a flag, then call your nurse or surgeon.

Post Edited (Roni) : 6/7/2011 8:26:44 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/8/2011 12:16 PM (GMT 0)
I just had my resection on Monday. Had terrible gas pain at 3am last night that persisted until 7 am this morning. I got up and walked at 3am and again at 7am. I held a hot pad against my belly after my 3am walk and it helped enough for me to sleep for a couple of hours.

I don't know if simithicone will help or not. My doc said he write for some if I get another gas attack. My wife was given simithicone following her c-section.
Posted 6/8/2011 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone. I think the black stool must have been old remnants. It was not a lot and two days ago. However, my worry now is that that has been my ONLY bowel movement. I am so constipated! I have been doing senokort, walking a ton (really, I have a treadmill and am staying on top of that), drinking probably too much water and have resorted to prune juice and milk of magnesia as well. Nothing is happening though :(. I am 6 days post surgery and only one small bm.

Also, when I awoke this morning and was looking at my profile in the mirror I noticed I have a huge lump in my lower spine. My lower back is killing me. What do you think that is?

cmommy
Posted 6/8/2011 3:44 PM (GMT 0)
The lower spine bump doesn't sound normal especially since you are in pain. You should call your doc. Don't put it off.

I'd also suggest calling the surgeon about the constipation. The doc can decide if it is ok or if it needs to be addressed. It seems like everyone has D at this stage and since you are having the opposite, it might be important.

I've never regretted calling my doc, I've only regretted not calling sooner. Good luck!
Posted 6/8/2011 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks! Seems the prune juice and milk of magnesia have kicked in a little :). I am definitely worried about that lump in my back though. That couldn't be an abscess could it?
Posted 6/8/2011 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
Huge lump in back doesn't sound normal. Call your doc.
Posted 6/8/2011 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Whoa, I don't like the sound of the huge lump in back, either. Definitely talk to your doctor. Everything else you've talked about seems pretty much how things go after a resection. My doctor told me not to expect to be ready for routine tasks for four weeks. I scoffed at him before the surgery (I'm a very independent, active person), but he was right. And people told me that I wouldn't feel 100% normal until about a year had passed--and they were right, too. Your puffy abdomen will eventually (and slowly) decrease in size. I watched my daughter go through the same thing after her emergency c-section, and it takes a long, long time for every bit of swelling to go away. But it does. Have faith!

Walk, move around--but don't overdo it. Give your exhausted, stressed body time to heal.
Posted 6/8/2011 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
Had multiple resections over the years, many advise threads if you search yohimbe user.

Walk gently several times a day, this keeps the bowel moving
Sit upright, do not lie down if you can, this keeps the bowel in place
Lie on side to temporarily relieve gas, then on other side - 8 minutes twice a day
Drink plenty of chicken broth and water, this keeps the bowel working.

Walking is the best advice from the list above !
Posted 6/10/2011 12:54 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone! My back lump has disappeared. I wonder if it was just a build up of all of the water retention from the hospital stay. I have lost 16 lbs since I came home.

My bowels have started working a little too well which I guess is to be expected. Problem is a bm comes very quickly and i can't distinguish between gas and a bm which is frustrating :(. I know it will get better, it's just hard with 2 small kids. I also can't believe how exhausted i am. Unfortunately i am not totally off prednisone which is going to slow the healing. One week out of surgery though I can already tell the difference of having those massive strictures removed. I can actually eat (carefully)
pain free.

Thanks,
Cmommy
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply