I am having surgery in June subtotal colectomy

After 47 years of suffering with what doctors have always called IBS, my doctor has found that my large bowel no longer works. My surgery for Subtotal Colectomy has been set up for June. I have been reading all of your posts and can not believe there are others who suffer from the same thing. I also been low on most of vitamins and minerals for the last two years. No amount of pills can correct this problem. Has anyone else had this problem with vitamins or is it just me?

I had a subtotal done back in September. I do have pernicious anemia and get B12 shots twice a month for that. I also take prescription vitamin D and folic acid.

Thanks to all of you. I can not believe I even admitted to this problem in such a public way. Most people do not want to even hear about this problem. I have dealt with chronic and severe constipation for my entire life. For the 1ST 20 years of life the doctors always said I was too young to have this problem it must be in my mind or I was making the symptoms up for attention. After the age of 25 the thinking was the term IBS. The doctors where always confused when no medication including prep kits work. I was so happy when it was found that waste does no leave the small bowel in my body. I found a great local doctor that finally understands my problem are not a little belly ache.

Hi what subtotal colectomy means?

I hope you "His Will" will find the peace with your surgery. My surgery should not be permanent but at this point the pain is so bad they could remove all of colon and I would not care. You asked how I got to the Chronic Constipation. The true name of my condition is Colonic Inertia meaning nothing moves in bowels. I use the term Chronic Constipation because it has the tendency to end well meaning conversations from people about how fiber or ..worked for them. I have always had something that baffles doctors. I eat but after 4-8 days my Bowels go into spasms that are Debilitating and it always feels likes rocks moving inside me. This lasts until a bowel movement and then I am normal again. I have tried everything fiber, every enema, suppository, laxative, Zelnorm, and Mirlax 3 cups a day for a year with no relief. I have seen doctors since the beginning of my life with the belief if you saw a doctor long enough they would help eventually. My mistake!! My family doctor told me to take a break from doctors and start using a hot water bottle enemas once a week and though not pleasant it has kept me alive. Being home and suffering I started making lists of the doctors I had seen with specialty, name address, phone number and brief information on test performed and results. By the time I saw my current doctor my list was four pages long and documented my history and not just what the doctor saw today. I noticed many doctors would say the same thing, IBS, stress... but a couple doctors from a teaching hospital thought differently. I started looking for doctors from this school because they thought outside the box. It has been found through many test that the muscles in the large colon do not work and food sits there until removed. Hope this helps!!

mcmom-

I too had colonic inertia. It took eight years to diagnose. There are a lot more of us on this site than you might think. Most of us post under the total colectomy message. I am nine weeks post-op from a total colectomy. I am starting to get my life back. I had a lot of complications with my surgery,  but not everyone does....i was just one of the few. I am finally going back to work next week. I can go to the bathroom for the first time on over eight years and I have no regrets about my surgery. It was the best decision I have ever made and I thank my new GI for the in dept testing he did and the amazing surgeon.