Bowel obstructions caused by adhesions following abdominal surgery

Hi and thank you for sharing your story with me.. I am curious of course, what is the lysis procedure you had done? I have been googling everything possible to see what my options are. I did find another surgeon, who is a colon and rectal specialist at one of the other hospitals I hardly use. He saw my records and agreed to take me,, I can't get in to see him until the 29th but his MA has been very good . already set up a series of small bowel studies starting next week.. I am doing so so, not as bloated but My diet is so boring,.,,cottage cheese and banana, chicken breast grilled , no spices and steamed baby carrots every night,, and I can not help but eat fresh made sourdough bread every day,,, one of my customers loves to bake it, I will eat it,,, I diverted and had some tiny pasta with diced tomatoes for dinner one night, they were seasoned with garlic, rosemary , basil,, Off the list now, gave me horrible heartburn I rarely get , the next day was not pleasant,, I am pretty much low to no fiber and I don't know when can I have a salad again, or an apple peeled,,,., is that safe. Since my original cancer 9 years ago which was actually stage 4 lung cancer that mets to the colon... and terminal. between the extensive chemo and colectomies etc my entire system is messed up so I was taking the MiraLAX and dulcolax,, then the miralax I stopped for some reason but still need the dulcolax, nothing else will work. Hence I end up liquid,,, and unpredicatable... What was your initial problem that caused the scar tissue? Do you get regular scans and how is your pain levels now,, Thank you for sharing, 🙂

My mom had stomach pain doctors kept telling her diverticulitis give he antibiotics send her home. 5 week in a row I brought her to ER. Nothing done 6 time she was in bad shape called 911 and an ambulance got her, the paramedics said poor luck at that hospital let's go to another. We did that night emergency surgery for 3 feet of her intestine was dead they had to remove, when you get old if 1 health care facility does not help you change right away mom was within hours of her death according to last surgeon.

My mom had stomach pain doctors kept telling her diverticulitis give he antibiotics send her home. 5 week in a row I brought her to ER. Nothing done 6 time she was in bad shape called 911 and an ambulance got her, the paramedics said poor luck at that hospital let's go to another. We did that night emergency surgery for 3 feet of her intestine was dead they had to remove, when you get old if 1 health care facility does not help you change right away mom was within hours of her death according to last surgeon.

I was hospitalized with partial small bowel obstruction six months ago which was cleared non-surgically. I had laparoscopic lysis six weeks ago for multiple adhesions which were from a hemi-colectomy/appendectomy over twenty years ago. I have had no improvement in symptoms since then. I know that things can get worse but what I want to know is do things ever get better?

I'm hoping for a reason to become more optimistic about my situation.

docm

Well, you are all up my alley. My appendix burst on a cruise ship in 2015 so I had sepsis and 5 hours of surgery in the Azores. Not the best concept.
Since then I have had 4 more surgeries for incisional hernias and one for adhesions that caused obstructions. I have had 3 obstructions requiring the NG tube. The last one was in Sept. I live in Reno and surgeons here say they don’t have the expertise to care for my issues of a tortuous colon, mobile cecum and more adhesions.
Here is the issue. The more abdominal surgeries you have, the less chance you have of total recovery. I am always in pain. I was referred to the University of Utah Medical Center and the colorectal surgeon there is afraid he would do more harm than good if he performed surgery. So no more surgery unless it is emergent. I would then have to be flown to Utah.
For the past week, I have had a fever and the runs. Take ER docs say it is gastroenterisit. I am starting to wonder as I have had a fever for a week now. The CT scan shows “Increased colonic fluid, suggesting of gastroenteritis.” So the ER doc said it is gastroenteritis, not just a suggestion.
We need to stay vigilant as most doctors really don’t understand the abdomin.
Take care you all!

Wow so sorry for what you are going through,, I thought mine was bad but as I read yours I am getting a better understanding of just how bad these obstructions are and much more common.. My CTs for years since I had surgeries for the cancer in my colon, always show colonic fluid, distended colon blah blah and no one seems there was a problem but me, First I am told I have more malignant tumors, then they cant find it , then I have gastritis , take these pills, finally GI listens to me after I tell him I get full so fast eating a morsel of something I am stuffed things dont move fast through me , I am always bloated,, finally does a pancreas test, my pancreas isn;t working ,,,puts me on creaon , I just started that...,, then here I am finally comes to head the obstruction., so now I am waiting on seeing a new surgeon,. My surgeon of 9 years who did my original colectomies etc,,, and a hernia repair from one oversaw me in the hospital now doesnt want to deal with me,, so I am now thinking is he not qualified to or confident to treat,,,, Who is taking care of you and what are they doing,, I know how you feel and it is rotten, I read somewhere that Drs are starting to use a metal stent to open narrowed intestines which is what mine shows with strictures, ??? I am in my journey now to find a fix,, Id prefer to avoid and invasive surgery ,,,, I wish you well , I hate saying hang in there,, but do more research.,,don;t give up!!!! Best wishes!!!

I had 3 small bowel obstructions last year and was admitted to the hospital each time and this week had 2 nights of extreme pain but it finally stopped after many tylenol. I ate lightly for 2 days and today feel almost back to normal. I didn't go to emergency as the wait time is about 7 or more hours (in pain). I didn't think this time it was obstructed as I was still passing gas.

It is interesting that you mention milk of magnesia as my family doctor once said it was the best thing (old fashioned idea) to get things moving. Right now I am on 2 different prescriptions given by my GI specialist but still take restoralax daily. If I get this terrible pain again would it be safe to take a milk of magnesia?

I don’t know if it’s safe for you to take Milk of Magnesia or not. I know it worked for me and my son. I hadn’t had a BM for 5-6 days before taking it.
It seems like more of the doctors want to write a script for everything instead of trying, old-fashioned remedies or something simpler first.

right. but you can't get them to give you something good for pain. they basically tell you to grin & bear it. or want you to do PT. first off i need something for the pain so i can do the PT. my doctor thinks PT is the cure ALL for everything. sheesh.

Isn't that the truth,, I have been prescribed percoset ever since my cancer dx , several surgeries and 18 months of chemo from hell.... my primary keeps me on it,, she understands the damage and pain to my bones and my spine a lot thanks to poison. when I was just in the hospital with my blockage, the discharge Dr I don;t even know scratches off the oxycodone from my list and writes stop taking, I thought who are you,, I have a primary.. I tossed those papers and I won;t go back to that shlock hospital.. Find yourself a good DR,, I know it is hard, try lidocaine patches they do help my back a little. but I will take it!!!