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Now stool coming out of rectum...help please

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Posted 3/11/2011 11:35 AM (GMT 0)
Early this morning I had a lot of mucus come out and when I looked there was stool in it (looked like what I had for dinner...sorry, gross). It was a small amount and when I just went again it was an even smaller amount.

How is that even possible? I am calling my surgeon first thing, but I wondered if anyone ever experienced that. I looked on the Internet and found nothing. I am a little freaked out. I did have a partial blockage a few days ago, but everything has been normal since that.

Any feedback would be helpful while I sm waiting for a call back. I think she is in surgery today so I don't know when i'll hear back.

Thanks!

Karen
Posted 3/11/2011 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Karen,

first of all, let me calm you down, it's totally NORMAL! how long since your surgery? do you have a colostomy or ileostomy? but either one, it is probably a loop ostomy and with loop ostomies there's a way for stools to pass from the upper loop to the lower loop (also called distal loop) and it's SUPPOSED to come out from your rectum/j pouch.

google "loop ileostomy" and you'll get some illustrations of what a loop ostomy is like, it'll help you understand it better.
Posted 3/11/2011 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
2b, thank you. I have since looked at my literature regarding my j-pouch and temp loop illeostomy and when I look at the illustrations I can kind of see how that might happen. I called the dr and the receptionist said it was normal but after I hung up I was concerned that she thought I meant mucus coming out, not actual stool. She said the nurse would call back never the less.

I am about 7.5 weeks post surgery. I do remember that in the hospital I had a large amount of blood coming out of my ostomy. They irrigated through the stoma and about 12 hours later it started coming out of my rectum as well as the ostomy.

Thanks again.
Posted 3/11/2011 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
Normal!! You have a temp ostomy, also known as a diverting ostomy. Waste will go both down and out your new jpouch and out in the bag. I don't know why surgeons don't share this!!

Sue
Posted 3/11/2011 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
Me neither Sue! It's been so long since surgery and that hadn't happened before so it really concerned me. Makes sense, though.
Posted 3/11/2011 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
glad you're ok and calm now :) you're doing good!
Posted 3/11/2011 4:38 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, much better now. The nurse called back and verified everything that was said here. It's been a week of new issues for me (none major)...partial blockage, oozing sore under tape and now this. Can't wait to get the next surgery done...then I'm sure I'll be asking a whole new set of questions.
Posted 3/11/2011 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
The partial blockage probably helped cause this as it would have increased pressure inside ileum and so 'helped' push some of it through past the stoma opening onto the colon. Hopefully it will settle down for you now and you don't get any more scares or problems.
Posted 3/11/2011 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
Actually partial blockage or no partial blockage, this is a normal occurrence for a jpoucher with a temp ostomy. You can expect to continue having both bowel movements and output from your ostomy until your reversal surgery. Don't be surprised if you see blood too.......normal.

Sue
Posted 3/11/2011 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe it is a daft question but if the colon is still being used, why bother to create the temp ileo. Thought whole point was to rest the colon or have I misunderstood the j-pouch procedure.
Posted 3/11/2011 10:51 PM (GMT 0)
You have misunderstood the jpouch procedure. The entire colon and rectum are removed and a jpouch is constructed using about 1ft. of the small intestine. A diverting ostomy is created for temporary use, 6 weeks to 3 months. Because the temp ostomy is diverting ostomy, waste will pass into the newly made jpouch (which essentially is a false rectum) and then passes out the anus.

This is a surgical option given to patients with ulcerative colitis in lieu of a permanent ostomy. Once the reversal takes place (closure of the temp ostomy) the patient resumes regular bowel movements albeit with higher frequency due to the smaller holding space of the jpouch. I hope that makes sense!

Sue
Posted 3/12/2011 12:31 AM (GMT 0)
Just as everyone else has said, this is completely normal. I actually have it happen to me quite regularly, almost on a daily basis. My doctors are concerned at the regularity and are considering scoping through the stoma if necessary.
Posted 3/12/2011 12:43 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks suebear for explanation. Trouble is there are so many different operations and options available now and also different countries have different names for things. Spending ages looking up drug names that CD people mention they are on because I don't recognise them only to find they are totally diff name in UK. Swear they do it to confuse everyone.
Posted 3/12/2011 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
I am going thru the same exact thing!
Posted 11/20/2016 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
I know this is a very old post, but I am having the same issue, numerous times a day, the feeling is near constant. I am just over 3 weeks post surgery. I have passed small micro-poos and some bloody discharge. I have seen the doc about it but they don't see a reason as to why this is happening. It is driving me nuts.
Posted 11/5/2017 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
I see this is an older thread and wonder if anyone checks on it.

I had my surgery on 8/31/17 and up until recently I’ve had a lot of discharge and was told this was normal because of where the tumor is and where I had the radiation. Lately I’ve had what I say was passing gas and I had a lot of discharge. Then tonight I saw on my Depends (I wear them because of all the discharge I’ve been having) what looked like a small amount diarrhea but it didn’t smell at all. I’ve been having problems lately with my stomach, been pancaking a lot and having to change out my entire system sometimes as much as twice a day because of it.

I’ve tried changing my diet but so far I’m still pancaking and now this. I believe I had a loop colostomy, my surgeon told me he did a temporary loop but when I go for the surgery for the tumor they were going to make it permanent. Not quite sure the reasoning behind all that but that’s what was done.

I got a bit nervous when I saw what looked like diarrhea but after reading a bit on here I’m not as worried. I’ll still talk to my Dr about this when I see him next week. It’s never happened before and I assumed nothing like this would happen other than something going terribly wrong with the colostomy.

Post Edited (Sparrow5) : 11/4/2017 7:29:00 PM (GMT-6)

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