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what does an obstruction feel like?? pls reply soon

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Posted 10/18/2009 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I got my ostomy last Monday and it has been working fine but today I have been getting these really bad pains in the middle of my chest (sternal area).  They are coming more frequently and am really scared.  What does an obstruction feel like?  i ate chicken and pasta today- not out of the ordinary but my output has been very liquidy for the last two days.  I may end up calling my doc but feel bad cuz it's sat night but if the pain gets worse i will call.  i know he will send me to emergency and i'm trying to avoid that.  drinking lots of water and going to pray and just took 2 vicodin.   please reply to let me know if this sounds like an obstruction or what you may think i should do. thanks guys.

 

Posted 10/18/2009 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
Nutz,

Is poop passing into the bag or is the bag empty of both poop and gas? Are you nauseaus and or vomitting? Is the sternal pain coming in spasms? If I were you I'd call my doctor. As your ostomy is so new, if you are not passing anything, it might be post-op ileus rather than an actual blockage. Ileus is a temporary shut down of the gut system typical after gut surgery. Your's was last monday. Things can be fine at first, but then as we eat the gut can shut down. At the ER they would likely just put you on npo (nothing by mouth), give you an IV, antinausea med and let your gut rest. It may be what you need. I have to go to bed now so this will be my last post tonight, I'll check back in the a.m. Good luck. Rosemary
Posted 10/18/2009 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Rosemary,

Thanks so much for the post. I didn't end up calling the doctor. It is morning now and the pains did eventually go away- I think the Vicodin and Ambien helped- lol. Yes, I was still having liquidy poop and gas pass through the bag. I was not nauseous nor was I vomitting. Come to think of it, the pains were somewhat spasmic. I am glad that is over but now I know that it may just be ileus. I wonder how long that can happen after a newer ostomy. Gosh, so much to worry about with this... As if the pain isn't enough. Regardless, thanks so much for the reply.
Posted 10/18/2009 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Nutz, As long as you are passing gas and poop and are not vomiting it instead, then there is little chance that you have a blockage. I was in and out of post-op ileus for a month after getting my ileostomy. My guts "woke up " after 24 hours and I was fine for 5 days gradually being worked up to the "house Diet" in the hospital.

I was discharged on Day 5. 6 hours later that night I was readmitted with nausea, distention, practically no ostomy output. I was put on "nothing by mouth" and IV's and Zofran for nausea. Every time we tried to work up to food, my guts would shut down again. Finally I really distended and vomited poop. Then I had an NG tube for 4 days. Every few days they would take me off suction for a few hours, leave the tube in place (which was good because they didn't have to keep putting it in and taking it out), then re-hooked it to suction and see how much stomach contents had accumulated. Gradually the accumulated amount diminished. And more started passing into my bag.

Finally after a month I was discharged, and SO FAR (2+ years now...wrap on wood) I have been OK. So, in my experience, a post-op ileus can happen within a month after surgery.

Keep me posted. Rosemary
Posted 10/18/2009 5:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nutz,

I am glad you are feeling better. Dillon had ileus while in still in the hospital and it was the reason that we were there for 15 days. With him, everything stopped going through and he had a really high output of almost water...every clear light brown liquid....at one point the bag was filling every 30 minutes. He also had severe vomiting. It doesn't really sound like this is what you had or maybe it was a milder case. Sounds more likely, to me, that maybe you just overdid it a bit with the pasta etc and maybe had a bit of a blockage that has passed. Do you still have your home care nurse coming to the house? She might be able to give you some more insight. We were told, when we left the hospital, that unless there was no output from the stoma for 6 hours, or you had severe vomiting to assume that there was a partial blockage and to try to ride it out with walking and no food. They also suggested massaging the belly and adding some warmth ( hot water bottle...be careful of heating pads as they can get too hot and hurt the stoma).

All that being said, anytime that you have a bad pain I think that it should not be taken lightly. I know that the last place you want to go is the er, but at least they should be able to say, yes it is only a partial blockage and it should pass. If the pain comes back I would not ignore it.

I would take it really easy today with food, get out there walking, and see how the day goes.

Thing of you ,
Cathy
Posted 10/20/2009 8:40 AM (GMT 0)
normaly when I have a blockage I end up vommiting, 3 times I ended up in the hospital with a NG tube to suck the blockage out. NOT FUN
Posted 10/25/2009 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you to everyone for all of the replies as I am checkingthis several days later!  The pains only lasted that night and I've been ok since.  Hope everone is doing well- Happy Sunday:)
Posted 10/26/2009 10:02 AM (GMT 0)
sounds like an ileus. if you are not vomiting or spitting up bile then I think you should be ok.
Posted 10/27/2009 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
nutz, u were saying you have pains on your sternum? i get that too, and it is kinda scary just cause its not anywhere near the surgery site..i get the pain every few days, any one else?
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