Adhesions or strictures of the colon

In 1989 I was diagnosed with colo/rectal cancer.  As a result,  surgery was performed and my rectum along with my gall bladder,  ovaries, and appendex were removed.  I have had a colostomy since that time as the surgery was irreversal.  For two years things went fairly well without any pain or problems.  I adjusted to this new way of eliminating.  Then gradually it became painful to empty my colon.  I consulted several gastroenterologist and colorectal surgeons and many test were done to find out what was causing so much pain.  It seemed that the more fiber intake the more painful it became as the food traveled through my intestines.  I did not get answers and I was given several different medications that did nothing to relieve the pain.  Pain medication did nothing to help.  Finally two years ago I had a heart attact and while in the hospital a gastroentrologist was called in because of the pain in my stomach.  It was not possible to do a colonoscopy as the water would not flow into my colon.  A cat scan was done without my bowel emptied.  I was told that adhesions were attached to my colon at different areas causing a narrowing in those areas.  This is why I cannot tolerate fiber as my bowel wont handle the large amount of stool that fiber creates.  The pain is increasingly worse.  I try different foods in hopes that I will find a diet that will keep my stool soft.  This is dfficult as fiber helps to keep the stool soft.  If anyone has a problem simular to mine,  i would appreciate hearing from you.  FANCI

Thanks Judy.  I've never been diagnosed with Crohn's disease but I will ask my Doctor about it and I will try to adhere to a low residue diet.   Several Doctor's have suggested that my problem is IBS and that I should take fiber pills or metamucil and that was absolutely the wrong thing for me.  I wish you the best of luck with the liver biopsy.  I've not been prescribed predisone but I have read quite a lot about that medication and it does seem that it could damage a persons liver.  Over the years I've learned that Doctors are like anyone else.  They sometimes make mistakes.  Take care.

JudyK89 said...
A lot of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative patients have strictures and narrowing of their bowel, and diet is huge in managing the disease. There are low fiber diets, soft diets, low residue diets that really seem to help. Fiber usually makes it worse, at least for us. You may want to look into these diets.

Thanks again Judy.  It is very painful and sometimes so much so that I am unable to do anything.  I was wondering why I had not been diagnosed with crohns. You are exactly right when you sat that bulkly foods get stuck and everything backs up.  Why is it that Doctor's don't seem to understand this.?  One colorectal surgeon wanted to remove my entire colon but two other surgeons did not agree with that so I am just dealing wth it the best I can.  It nice to hear from someone who has the same symptons as I and I value your suggestions.  I am currently on a low residue diet and it seems to help a great deal.  Have a wonderful day and thanks again.