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Posted 2/14/2016 1:32 AM (GMT 0)

Hi;
I have had my colostomy for 10 years and about three years ago I had to have my colostomy moved from my left side to my right side, because I was having my 4th stoma hernia. Now for the past year and a half, I have five bowel blockage. I am on a high fiber diet and drinking plenty of liquids, but they keep coming back. Does anyone else have the same problem, and if so, do you have any ideas as to how to make them go away for good or what can I do to prevent them all together?? I am in NEED OF DESPERATE HELP PLEASE. confused


Edited to add a Subject line :)... Shaz

Post Edited By Moderator (Shaz032) : 2/15/2016 5:22:47 AM (GMT-7)
Posted 2/14/2016 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Sandie, sorry about your situation. Your GI doctor and/or surgeon should be able to advise you as to how to prevent future blockages. I'm not qualified and maybe so folks here had similar experiences and can offer suggestions but I would start with the pros. Your docs need to evaluate the severity, frequency, remedy, the entire history.
Good luck and please keep us posted.
Michael A
Posted 2/15/2016 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hi;
Thank you for your reply. I went to a Colon/Rectal Specialist about two months ago, because I thought that I had a hernia over my stoma. He told me that he would touch me any more. He felt the hernia, and just walk away and talking under his breath. So now I have found a doctor that does work on stoma hernias, and has been falling me since my first bowel blockage. I have a MRI scheduled for the 29th of this month and I go see him on the 3rd of March. Depending on where it is and how big it is, he said that he might go in and fix it. I have been also getting sharp pains in my right side beside my stoma, a well as severe cramps for all of the fiber I have to take.
The doctor at the hospital did tell me to get up and walk around the house as much as possible, but I just had foot surgery and I am suppose to stay off of my foot. He also told me to eat a lot of foods with high in fiber, which I have been, drink lots of water, which I have been. I have been staying away from my pain pills. and any other medicine that might cause constipation.
I would just like some information on those of you that have, or have had a bowel blockage. I am just so tired of being attacked by them.
Thank you for your help.
sandie
Posted 2/15/2016 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sandie, I wonder why he keeps saying high in fibre as some people can't have high in fibre diets. I'm new to ileo. BUT if you read my sig, my deal was function caused "constipation" due to rectal wall folding into itself, redundant lazy colon which was removed and more. Point being, with constipation high fibre is not always the way to go.

Many GI's and surgeons know this as the fibre can indeed make it worse.

Before my ileo surgery they opened me to remove "surprise" adhesions and twisted small bowel they assumed formed right out of gate of total colectomy.

Dec 15/2015 I got my ileo. I had a "blockage" for the first time, 7 weeks out. From introducing fibre. My post op appt was a few days before that. Surgeon said go ahead eat reg food. I slow cook spahetti squash and chick and meatloaf and veggies etc. Soft. (No BRAT being a fitness buff.) He said go ahead, eat reg food.

I sauteed green beans and garlic, BOOM. Had pain by my stoma and below on right side that night, got really bad, by morning I'm like "what?" Had to change appliance and stoma was double in size. Researched blockage. Kept drinking herb tea with 1 tbsp coconut oil, 3 cups later and it passed.

It was all the high fibre green beans. Now back on what I have been eating slow cooked veggies etc, no problems. I'll wait a while further out as my intestine has been through a lot lately with back to back surgeries. I'll make sure any swelling is resolved and then reintroduce more normal texture in fibre but very very slowly.
It may or may not work. Doc said I had a lot of adhesions he removed and hadn't seen anything like that before.


Maybe due to all of your past surgeries you have some small adhesions and you simply can't pass fibre if it's too much? Sounds like you are eating a lot of it. Some docs push it. Look it up, fibre is not the "end all be all" for constipation. It can in many cases, "cause" it depending on the unique situation of the individual.

Try slow cooking veggies like I do, see how that goes for a while?

I'm so sorry you are having and had so much trouble. :(
Posted 2/15/2016 9:58 PM (GMT 0)

Hi;
Thank you for replying to my post. The second doctor that I am now seeing about my blockage, is the one who was assigned to me from the hospital I was in a year ago from the first blockage I had. He is a pretty nice doctor, but he keeps telling me that the more surgeries I have, the more scar tissues I am going to have, and that will cause more blockage. He is saying that you can not remove scar tissues for good. When they come back, they are worse the second time around. He is also telling me, that if he goes in and does another surgery, it could do more trouble than good. I don't understand, and have been so confused since I was told this back in August, when I had my forth blockage. I can not wait for my MRI the end of this month to find out what is going on, especially with the hernia I have now over top of my stoma. I am not only confuse, I am SCARED of what comes next after with all I have been told.
Thank You
Sandie
Posted 2/15/2016 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
If your blockages are being caused by a narrowing or kink in the bowel due to adhesions or your hernia, then a high fibre diet will likely increase your risk of blockages, not decrease them. Try following a low-residue diet for a week or two and see if that helps with the pain/cramping - google it if you're not sure what it is.

I hope the MRI provides some answers. Your doctor is possibly right about another surgery doing more harm than good - it partly depends on how prone you are to forming adhesions after abdominal surgery (some people are more prone than others). What that means for your hernia, I have no idea, but hopefully something can be done about it.
Posted 2/16/2016 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hi;
The doctor that I saw Friday evening when I was in the hospital, called me this evening to see how I was doing. We had a nice talk, and he said that he was going over my records from the past times that I have been in there for the same thing. He did say that there is no narrowing or Kinks in my bowel track, but I do have a lot of scar tissues. I have not had any extra added fiber in my diet today, but my stomach has still had that cramping feeling, with some cramps feeling stronger then others. The doctor did tell me that if I have pains tonight, to call 911 and have the Medics bring me in, and he would have more test run on me. We are at the end of a snow storm, waiting for the rain to start, to the roads can become a skating rink for vehicles, so on that note, I would have to be in really bad shape before I would call someone out to get me. Then if I get discharged sometime over night, how do I get home? It is one problem after another with me. Oh well, I just hope and pray that the next day will be better then the one that just past.
Thank You
Sandie
Posted 2/16/2016 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, not a good situation for you all the way around.

I don't know how much you weigh, this may or may not apply to you. I'm thin, had a mess in my intestines with adhesions, bowel twist yet NOTHING showed up. I was in pain, couldn't go to bathroom at all. Before it was just a small stream anyway.

Point being, I asked the imaging member of my team "how come nothing showed up after all those tests?"

He said, "Imaging contrasts off of adipose = fat tissue. Adipose adds definition by contrasting off of other parts/areas. Therefore we can see more clearly trouble spots. When there is less fat, nothing to contrast of, it becomes meshed together. There is no definition of 1 area to the next to see clearly.

I'm sorry there is so much ambiguity for you right now.
Posted 2/16/2016 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
24Morning;
Once again, thank you for responding to my site. I am over weight and I know it, but I have been trying to lose weight, and so far I have lost 10 pounds. I am down to 248 pounds. I have been on a yo-yo diet for about a year now. I keep falling off of it. I weight goal is 190-210 pounds. I am 5ft 7 in, and big boned. The doctor from the hospital that I saw, is being so good to me. He is also the one that called me yesterday afternoon to check up on my, also sent me report of every thing that was found when I had the C..T. Scan taken while I was there, as well as a copy of all of the tests that were taken back in August when I was in the hospital. I don't really understand everything that has been sent to me, but maybe some day I will find some one who can explain it to me in a broken way that I can understand. I don't understand the doctor's language they talk. But from what I am guessing, my insides are a mess and are in need of some serious help, but that help could lead to a dangerous situation. I am 67 years old and I have never felt like I do and don't know what else to think, except for the fact that my bowel track is slowly killing me in its own way, and once again, I am so scared. I have to much to live for.
Thank You
Sandy
Posted 2/16/2016 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
I wish I had more to offer........ Yes, I'm sure you have much to live for. I hope your doctor will be more specific and explain more clearly exactly what is going on "inside" for your full understanding. Perhaps set an appointment to have him go over the reports with you point by point?

It's not nice to have a complex situation such as yours which understandably could make many, so scared. My heart goes out to you Sandy.
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