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Posted 10/29/2005 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
Well my mom is age 65 and has had 13 bowel obstructions due to adhesions. Her last time was ten yrs. ago until 3 weeks ago. She had surgery and was in icu for twelve days then was put on a full diet and moved to a regular room. After the second day she developed pain in her stomache the dr. ordered a cat scan her small bowel perforated in two places back to surgery. This was on last Sat. she has a drain in her stomache and two days ago the drain was leaking feces she has another perforation they are transfering her to another hosp. Can any of you tell me can you live without a small bowel? I feel so helpless she is so skinny she has not eaten in a month except for the two days and she is so weak. So I would imagine surgery again the third time in one month can any of you maybe give me some input

                                Please help thnak you Pam

Posted 10/30/2005 10:42 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Pam.

I am sorry that your Mom is having problems. Does your Mom already have an Ostomy?Ileostomy or Colostomy? There is a lot more of the small bowel than there is of the large bowel(Colon) And I know that you can live without the large bowel because I dont have mine anymore. If its her small bowel that is having the perforations, then I think what happens is, the surgeons remove the section of bowel that is causing the trouble and rejoins the small bowel back together. I don't know how much can be safely removed before absorbsion etc would become a problem though.

Did your Mom start of with liquids and then soups before she started back on a proper diet? Maybe she went onto solid foods a bit too quickly.

I hope that she gets the help that she needs at the next hospital.

Sue
Posted 11/3/2005 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Pam, there is a lady at the Et nurses office who works as an office assistant and lost her large bowel and a bunch of her small bowel also.  She looks very healthy but I think she has to take supplements.  Hang in there, and let us know how she is doing.  Hopeso

Posted 11/4/2005 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
     I have a friend who lost all of her colon and nearly all of her small intestines to Crohns disease.  She looks great.  Since she has so little intestine left and can't absorb enough nutrients, she has TPN every night.  This is parental nutrition.  They put in a "port" in the chest wall and then you can hook up the liquid nutrition and feed yourself.  (You can receive medications this way also.)  I had that done before my initial surgery because I was getting so weak they didn't think I'd make it through surgery.  The TPN works great!  My friend still eats anything she wants, goes to restaurants, etc., but she has to give herself liquid nutrition at night...usually when she's sleeping.  Hope this helps.

 

Sherrine

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