HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Ileostomy Reversal- When will I feel normal again?

Support Forums
>
Ostomies
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/25/2009 9:41 PM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone! 

  I had my temporary ileostomy reversed on April 8th.  I spent 10 days in the hospital because my bowels just wouldn't "wake up".  Lazy bowels!!  Now I've been home for a week and still having a lot of diarrhea, cramping, and urgency problems.  Sometimes I can go hours between bowel movements, but other times I go 4 or 5 times in the course of a few hours.  I'm on the low residue diet, but things still seem really unpredictable.

  My incision is healing great and I feel much better than I did after the original ostomy surgery.  I want to go back to work next week part-time, but I'm worried about the diarrhea, etc. at the office.  It's embarassing and uncomfortable.  When will things start to go back to normal?  I know things won't be perfect, I understand stools will be loose, etc. for a long time or possibly forever, but when can I start feeling confidant to go to work?

  What are other people's experience with this? 

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

Erica

Posted 4/26/2009 2:04 AM (GMT 0)

Erica, I'm going to be watching this closely. I had my ileostomy reversed on April 13th. I was in the hospital 8 days. I think they kicked me out, because I was up and out way to much the day they sent me home. I over did that day, because I figured i'd be there over night, and why not get out and go tour the hospital?? Well, instead I come back to my room, and have lunch, and am out walking, and the doctor comes up and wants to know how i'm feeling, and do I want to go home?? well duh!!

I'd love to know when i'll be normal also. But i'm redefinining normal now!! I'm hoping to go back to work in about ten days. I can't drive for two weeks, and that will be up in ten days. I wont be able to lift, but I can at least do something part time.

Posted 4/26/2009 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to ask you a question instead of giving you advice (i had not done m ileostomy).

during the stays in your hospital (after having your ileostomy reversed), your bowel didn't "wake up", did they insert a NG tube into your nose or something?
when I had my colon removed and a temporary ileostomy, i had endure 6 days of ng tube. i'm so scared of the NG tube lol.
Posted 4/26/2009 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
The NG tube which xcxcxc is talking about is Ryles tube. I used to have it quite often as my bowels would either not wake up, or else I will get blockages. It would take a while before you get formed stools. It is not that you always have D or loose stools. A lot also depends upon the food you take. Some people take 3 months to get back to normal (5 to 7 stools), while others may take 6 months to a year. Have patience, the things would be fine very soon. With each passing day, you would feel better and much stronger.
Posted 4/26/2009 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
I had an ng tube from wednesday afternoon until friday morning. the worst part is having it put down while awake. I've never woken up from surgery with one, and have ended up needing one after each abdominal surgery about two days out. this time I didn't get emesis in my hair though!! Cetacaine spray is your friend. It really helped me out, with the NG tube. It hurt me so much, I didn't want to talk, eat ice or anything.

Posted 4/26/2009 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
No NG tube for me. After the third day my surgeon and the nurses started to talk about an NG tube, but I was really reluctant to do it. Finally on day five I agreed to the NG tube if things didn't turn around by the end of the day. I had some xrays and then luckily I finally "woke up", so I didn't have to get it. Phew!

I still can't decide what I'm going to do about tomorrow. Shoud I go to work for a half day or not? I'm worried that I might get there and then have bad cramping and diarrhea. But if I don't have a rough morning it seems silly to stay home still. What do I do? I'm so worried!
Posted 4/26/2009 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
Erica,
Worrying about it will only make things worse - I know, it is easier to say it than to do it. Please don't try to let it bother you. Can you decide in the morning whether you "feel" good enough to give it a try?
Posted 4/28/2009 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone.
I gave work a try yesterday. Just a half day. I did okay. I'm sore today so I stayed home to rest. Met with the surgeon for my post-op follow up. She says I'm healing well and the diarrhea is to be expected. She told me it will get better over time but I really just have to wait while my system gets back to normal. The bad news is that the surgeon got the pathology report back and my crohn's is active again! Not fair! It's only been 6 months since my resection. I meet with the GI doc next week and I'll start meds then. I guess I'll just take it one day at a time. If I feel good tomorro I'll try work again for a half day.

Erica
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply