Partial blockages

Just had the worst one yet since surgery 15 months ago; had half an hour of bad pain and nausea, and emptied the bag a couple of times (the second time it filled up in an under a minute with watery liquid). Had some relief after that, but not total, because I could still feel the pressure in my abdomen (familiar from Crohn's). The pressure and discomfort is still there as I type, but I think the worst part is over.

Foodwise, it wasn't like I ate a whole bowful of raw broccoli, or whatever. Had a side-salad for lunch, but if I have to start cutting out salads now, I'm gonna go nuts. I'm already a bit wary about eating fruit and veggies, but I had thought up until now salads and tomatoes were reasonably safe. It seems like I'm gonna end up right back on the low-residue diet again at this rate.

Why are partial blockages so common with an ileostomy, I don't get it. Can't the surgeon create a wider opening or something. It does seem like they tend to nearly always occur right behind the stoma rather than, say, halfway along the small bowel.

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 6/2/2014 7:56:45 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Cuppa, so sorry to hear about the partial blockage. Not including my full on ileus a week after surgery, I have only had them a couple times, once early on while my new plumbing was still adjusting, and the second about a month ago when I was travelling all day, neglected my hydration to the point of barely needing to pee all day, and then eating a big bag of roasted almonds over the space of the day. Dumb dumb. I seriously doubt that you need to cut out salads and tomatoes, but rather just stay more hydrated through the day and eat such stuff in more moderation. Summer requires more discipline hydrating though.

Sorry guys. I'll try to make my last post before bed a non-whinging one... Difficult :-/

@Pro - It wasn't a hot day today, but I should probably try to drink more. I get bored with water and soft drinks are expensive to drink in bulk :-/ I don't think I drunk enough today, though. Had a cup of black coffee with my lunch (which was actually a ham and cheese sandwich; the rather large side-salad accompanied it. Thank god I didn't eat the coleslaw as well), and then not much else until after dinner. Did have a Powerade drink and a cup of tea after dinner, but I guess it was too late by then.

@rdm - Yeah, probably didn't chew enough either. It's not always greed or hunger. Sometimes I eat too fast out of anxiety or even boredom (just want to be done with the meal). Can't say I like the thought of chewing everything to death, but should try to chew certain foods more than normal.

Can adhesions be found with a CT scan? I'd like to know if I have any adhesions which are causing a narrowing.

Okay, am off to bed now... >.>

    I have a permanent ileo and have had a few partial blockages...all due to my not chewing sufficiently.  I never experienced any nausea with them though.  The stoma was a bit sore and distended.  My solution...drink some hot tea....by your name I would imagine you like tea....drink some cranberry juice and gently massage the stoma.  Worked for me !

My understanding is the same as UCW's, the intestine has to "turn a corner" basically in order to be brought out, that's why most blockages with stomas occur close to the opening (the emergency blockage card I have from UOAA even suggests that the doctor should try inserting their finger and breaking up the blockage manually, since it's likely to be that close).

Anyway... I had a lot of partial blockages with my loop ileo, and 30 minutes is not too bad!! I know it's not comfortable but they can go on a lot longer. There's certainly no reason to stop eating salads forever, but do take it easy for the next few days because you'll be swollen inside from the blockage.

Always keep some juice (or wine!) handy, it's very good at moving them along.

I have found I can eat some salad, but I need to eat it with other food, like some chicken or some bread of some sort. I don't know why, but this helps.

I also have better luck if I don't eat it consecutive days. Like I can eat an apple one day, a banana the next, a salad the next, no fruit or vegetables the next, then maybe start over.

Keep experimenting with your diet. I know it gets old, but it is what it is.

I had partial blockages at least once a week with my loop ileo, despite being very careful about what I ate. Sometimes the pain lasted for hours, but hot broth generally did the trick. I was able to start eating apples, just had to peel them first.