Total Colectomy Part 34

Janie, it is unbelievable what these doctors have told me. But, thankfully I am now seeing a doctor that understands our issues more than the other 2 doctors put together. LOL

I am still having bloating issues, but not as bad as last week. I have to be real careful not to over-do it on the miralax....if I take too little, I can't go and if I take too much, I have only a little liquid output....I am so weird!! GRRRRR How can I get stopped up taking too much miralax? I have no idea, just know it happens to me.

Our last day of school is May 26th. YAY I have so much to do before my surgery...my house is a wreck...I may actually hire somebody to clean it up! I just can't keep up with all of my responsibilities working, going to softball with daughter, then all my time sitting in the bathroom. It has gotten really old.

I got my bloodwork back today....Vitamin D is low, iron was good, cholesterol was 198 total, but good cholesterol was low, and triglyerides were high...so, they are giving me a script for vitamin d, and I only have to take it once a week, and another script for a cholesterol med that helps with triglycerides, bad cholesterol and good cholesterol. Everything else was normal....makes me very happy and know I need to quit smoking because it will catch up with me one day.

Lizzie, so glad to hear you sounding better....

They made you bring your own eggs, Suggle??? Sheesh! Thanks for explaining that the left side is the ascending colon. I wonder if the doctor thought I wasn't bright enough to handle the terminology or if he thought I should have known.

Lizzie - it's good to see you here again. We have been so worried about you. Thank the Lord for bringing you through that touch time. Still praying for your total healing.

Yesterday the doctor did a physical exam and checked digitally how well I could push and squeeze. I thought it was odd but he said that I did well. Could that be why he didn't order the defogram? Seems like a strange and unreliable way to test for pelvic floor disfunction.

Tracy - Please don't let the doctor put a guilt trip on you. What you are enduring is not your fault. I'm sure most of us have this condition because of genetics (as Janie pointed out).

Has anybody heard from Amanda (Jacoby)? It's been a week and a half since her surgery, right? I'm concerned about her - last I remember she couldn't pee on her own.

Marisa,
I know I should know this, but do you have pelvic floor dysfunction? Or a rectocele? I'm wondering if maybe my rectocele could be the reason I have to keep going back to the bathroom so many times. Only a little comes out each time, but over the course of a few hours, I do feel pretty empty. The only time I go ALOT is in the morning after my miralax and metamucil, then I drink my magic coolatta from Dunkin Donuts and within an hour I go ALOT....seems like anything left over from the night before just comes out really strong. I'll go a few more times with just a little bit, but I always feel great after that! LOL

Regardless of all the issues with miralax, going to the bathroom so many times, etc it is STILL better than not going without mega laxatives and still not knowing if they'll work. For now I can live like this, and I pray the miralax doesn't stop.

I have an appt. with a new GI on June 8 (my old GI retired and warned me not to get a colectomy because he said most people end up with ileostomy) and I'm anxious to get his opinion on my surgery. I actually met him 3 weeks ago when I had an endoscopy and he is so so friendly, so I'm hoping he'll be very candid about what I might expect. Hopefully he has other paitients who have had these issues and even a colectomy.

I have an appt. with my surgeon on June 10. I haven't seen him since October; I've been playing with metamucil, miralax, etc. trying to find some combination that works better than what I'm doing, but haven't found anything better yet. I'm going to ask him about the STARR procedure. I'd love to see if repairing the rectocele would help, but I'm afraid at the same time!

Allie,
I don't like the manometry exam at all. When you take the enemas, do you use just plain water? My doctor told me to buy the fleet enemas and throw the liquid out and just use warm water. I think the solution in the fleet can give you a reaction like you had.   Actually, keep alot of empty bottles around because if I get backed up at all, an enema will definitely help the rectal pressure I sometimes get.

I've had biofeedback twice; once before and once since surgery. I loved the tech I had before surgery, but with my colon nothing was going to work. The tech I had after surgery was useless, was more interested in talking about her constipation issues than working with me. There are just no other biofeedback therapists near me or I might try again. I wonder if I had the first therapist since surgery now if it might help. The therapist plays a big part in your success, I think.

Post Edited (Janiepain) : 5/19/2010 6:26:55 AM (GMT-6)