Ostomy Reversal Six Weeks Later

Hi,
I had my ostomy reversed and was reconnected on Jan 6th. It's been a tough 6 weeks "training" my bowels to work.
I came home with instructions to eat everything. I had to change that to low residue, low fiber for a couple weeks. Then I slowly added fiber (citricel- it doesn't make you bloated, which helped me because I needed to eat because I had lost too much weight).
I had more problems with constipation then diarrhea. I took miralax every morning first thing when I woke up then drank a cup of coffee to wake up my bowels. This worked and now I pretty much empty my bowels in the morning just like I used to before the cancer which is really nice. I still go a few times throughout the day or in the evening but not all day like the first couple of weeks. But it takes a good two hours in the morning because it doesn't happen all at once, it takes a few trips to the bathroom. So I can't just get up and go like I used to.
I eat a lot of high calorie foods like ground beef, turkey, pork, eggs and even whole milk with cereal. Kefir, ensure shakes, pasta, burgers, baked potatoes with all the trimmings.
My plan is to switch over to Metamucil soon. I'll try 3 times a day and see if that works and I can stop the miralax.
I'm still rather weak. I go in for vitamin b shots at my naturopath. That has really helped my energy. Plus he checked my blood work and put me on vitamins that I was low on like calcium, potassium and vitamin d. All this has helped. I FORCE myself to walk every day for 20-30 minutes. Plus I am a busy mom of 3 young boys whom I homeschool. Ugh. What a year it has been! If I can do it, YOU CAN TOO!
Hang in there.
God be with you!
BBT

How is your hydration? Are you guys drinking enough - at least 2 to 3 litres of water a day? What kind of pain meds are you guys on? They can slow down the bowel considerably. Can you give a bit more details as to daily meds, fluid intake, etc.?

Hi,
Sorry for the delay. The Metamucil produces the most formed stool but also produces gas which produces "signals" that I have to go when I really don't. The citracel doesn't produce the gas and works ok. Not as formed. A nutritionist I saw told me about Heather's Tummy Fibers. It's soluble fiber instead of insoluble. She said it really helps with diarrhea. Today citracel has my vote. It makes things soft, btw. All the fiber supplements do. Take them with at least 8 oz. of liquid. I am taking gabapentin for nerve pain. I was in a very bad car accident in 2007. Other than that I take vitamins and supplements to get my strength back. No iron. And I drink lots of water.
Kay BBT

HiBBT,I am a homeschooling mom of 4 myself! i'm 4 weeks out yesterday. I haven't had any constipation, but I seem to be following a pattern at this point. Mornings are hard for me as my bowels are much more active. I go 3-4 times in the morning, but then throughout the afternoon I have fewer bathroom visits. Not feeling like I live in there anyway. My surgeon recommended benefiber so that's what I'm using at this point. I am relying heavily on the marshmellow trick from the ostomy days on days where I simply can't be in the bathroom.

I have just eaten 3 actually because I have been up for over an hour in and out of the bathroom. Not sure what is causing the night visits today. I took some nyquil cold though before bed so I assume there is something in that med.

Thanks Grandview, and Jodi- welcome. I hope your reversal goes very well. Don't expect much the first two weeks. Be easy on yourself. Take little walks, eat easy to digest foods like broth & jello and work your way up to rice and other things. Those first two weeks can be rough if you expect too much but if you are expecting to be laying low you'll be ok. Usually they say by the 3rd week everything starts to work better.
Grandview, congratulations on making it to 4 weeks! I had a nice pattern for a while but then lost it because I stopped taking the pain meds which were slowing things down. Now I take the fiber to bulk things up and to keep from getting diarrhea. But that could change tomorrow. This is what I've learned: MY BOWELS HAVE BECOME VERY UNPREDICTABLE!!
I am going to see the surgeon on Monday to ask him some questions. Also I have pain most of the time when I get a signal that I have to go. Like spikes in my rear end. OW!
(hemmroids maybe...I can never remember how to spell that awful word!)
BBT Kay