Total Laparascopic Colectomy for Colonic Inertia

OMGosh Leslie-

Please do let us know what has happened - I will be praying for you !

Right after my surgery I had blood in my BM's but the doc and nurses said that was normal - but I have not had any bleeding since then.

Anxiously looking forward to hearing back from you ! Hope everything is OK !!!



Blessings, ~ Pamela ~

Jana - I heard lettuce was always going to be a problem & I always just loved salads :-( Hummus - yummie !!! yay- something new I had not thought about trying.

We have an organic store and restaurant here where you can buy it straight from the drive through. I can't eat the pita bread they serve with it though. I wonder if I can just eat is alone ?

One of our Mexican drive throughs have soy already cooked that they put in their burritos and taco salads. They sell me a plain side order of just a cup of soy so I don't have to buy and cook it. It is high in protein and very soft and digestible.

Now I am craving hummus ! lol I will have to get some my next trip out

I hope you are feeling better (hopefully your period is winding down?) and hope Leslie is going to be ok !

I am ready to crash after my first week at work at only 2 weeks post-op . WHEW !!! I am not dong a thing tomorrow but watching football games all day ! lol

Well get some rest and will check in later ...
Love and blessings, ~ Pamela ~

I don't have a j pouch so I have no idea, Leslie. I wonder if it is stretched out from you not going since Friday ?!? I would be totally miserable. I have been worried about you & am sooo glad you are back home. Definitely f/u with your surgeon first thing in the AM and let us know what he thinks.

I have to call mine as well as I can't go without the Reglan since starting back to work. I think it is from stress. I cut back on my eating this weekend and have taken it easy around the house so I seem to be better - just hungry. I am scared to eat now as I am getting low on the Reglan and don't want to get backed up. I am hoping to get a new RX called in tomorrow since they never got back with me on Friday.

I sure hope everything turns out ok with you. I am getting ready for bed now as Mondays are usually very busy after the weekend - so write me back tomorrow after you talk to your doc & let me know what is going on. I will write you back as soon as I can catch a break at work.

Thanks for checking in and maybe someone else with a j pouch will give you some feedback. You may need to start a new post as this one has been going on for awhile now !

Good luck and try to get some rest tonight. Will talk to you tomorrow either here or shoot me a message on facebook. Prayers and blessings ~ Pamela ~

OMGosh - I would be freaking out too ! Try to be positive and pray pray pray ! Just take one day at a time. Tuesday morning is less than 24 hours a day. I would not drink if I were you. Alcohol is an irritant to the GI tract. Try a movie rental instaed to get your mind off of things ! lol

I finally got my RX for Reglan this morning. The doc ordered 3 x a day but only gave me 30 pills which is 10 days worth so I am thinking he only wants me to take them as needed ie like last week when things wouldn't move due to the return to work stress. After I took a couple everything has been working fine, so I think they are just to use PRN. Lord knows I don't want to get dependent on them and then have them not work when I really need them !!!

I have been eating a lot lately trying to get my weight up and so the increase in volume of food along with the stress probably had something to do with the slowing down. Funny how my weight will go up 3-5 pounds then back down again ?!? I am wondering if I am EVER going to gain my weight back ? I think once I can work out and drink the potein drinks while bulking up I will be able to add some muscle mass then. Until then I am not going to worry about it and just eat when I am hungry and stick with foods I know are safe.

haha - I thought once I had the surgery I would be able to eat anything I wanted. that joke was on me ;-) I have had to restrict foods years before now due to the IBS - not knowing all along it was CI. Now that I think about it - I remember having enemas as a child and I had a hard time with constipation during my pregnancy when I was 20 - and that is when I started taking laxatives and continued every since - having to increase the amount and frequency until I couldn't go without them. Well at least the Reglan is cheaper than 25 Senokot plus two Amitiza a day !

Ok, back to work I must go. Thanks for checking and and please let me know what the doc says after your appointment tomorrow. I will be praying for you ! Love & hugs your way, ~Pamela ~ 

Leslie - I have had a neck and back injury from 2 different car wrecks - so I know what that pain is like. The pain pills will stop you up though big time. Have you tried a series of lumbar blocks for your pain or use of a TENS unit or Duragesic patch as a substitute for the pain meds ?

I have found the really sharp pains to be gas related. Who'd have thought that gas could hurt sooo much ?!? That probably is not helping your back pain either as the gas pains seem to cut right through to your back. Have you tried Gas-X or Beano or TUMS ???

Just trying to brainstorm and think of something to help you out. I feel for you - I really really do ! Try to hang in there just one more night and I pray the doc will give you some answers tomorrow.

PS - they also have pain pumps for people in chronic pain ...

~ P ~

Ok- thanks Leslie and I look forward to hearing from you 2morrow then ! ~ P ~

Pam,
I'm jumping in late here to your conversation, but if you're having trouble going after surgery, have you tried miralax? Like you I was constipated my entire life and lived on senokot every 4 or 5 days to make me have a bm. It's been 1 1/2 years since my total colectomy, but since month 3 I had trouble going....and ironically it was when I went back to work. I actually took 3 months off and can't believe you went back after 2 weeks!!

Anyway, I take miralax 2X a day and have for over a year now, and it's the only thing that keeps me comfortable. My GI, as well as my internist and colon surgeon all said it was fine to take because without it I'm miserable. I still drink prune juice about once a week ( have you tried that?) and that will also help move things along.

Good luck!

Leslie,
I'm so sorry you're having so many issues. I hope and pray you won't need any further surgery!

Janie

Janie , thanks for all the well wishes..

Pam, n Rosemary and all:  I went to my surgeon and he did a rectal on me and looked at my ct of my j-pouch, he said its perfectly fine... He said the other doc should know that once you have the total colecotmy with the rehook up with the j pouch.  It needs to stretch to hold the pooo, so I was happy to hear that plus any reason to go see my surgeon is just fine with me...He is so handsome, and what a great guy he is, he told me if I ever have any concerns to call him and he will be there 4 me...OMG melt my heart...

So I had ate sausage for breakfast on sunday at the hospital what a mistake...it bloated me up would not let me poo, and had horriffic gas pains the kind that stab you all day yeasterday, till 1am last night all hell broke loose and was running to the potties every 15 mins with d all night and still this morning.

So virtually pooped out and going to take a much deserved nap...

Now pam you take it easy girl.

Love to all

Leslie

Pam,  Yes was so relieved tht no surgery was needed...yup, hitting the hay..and you rest up when you can..

Love Leslie