Partial Small Bowel Obstruction Pain: Do things get better?

Posted by docm @docmeehan, Feb 18, 2023

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

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@danny5

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.

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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!!!

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@jacqueline1961

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!!!

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that dumbass discharge dr had no business to do what he did with the oxycodone. he's the type that says just grin & bear it. who cares. just suffer.

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@docmeehan

I am so sorry you are having to go through such a horrible time. I don't believe my situation is as bad as yours.

I developed all of the adhesions, scar tissue, as a result of a hemi-colectomy/appendectomy that was done 23 years ago. The adhesions have constricted my intestines and stomach and resulted in a partial blockage of the small intestines.

Lysis is a procedure (mine was done via laparoscopic surgery) by which the adhesive bands are cut through and removed with a laser or a scalpel. This frees up the intestines and hopefully allows for normal function. When I asked my surgeon how long it would be until we knew if the procedure was successful he said at least six months and that it might not be successful. It took a year before I noticed any sign of improvement but now I am experiencing much less pain
and my diet is a little more varied. Still almost no fiber.

I hope that this information is helpful and I wish only good things for you.

Someone on this thread mentioned abdominal massage and I have to say that I have also found abdominal massage to be very helpful in both relieving pain and promoting peristalsis. There are several videos on YouTube demonstrating the correct massage technique.

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Thank you so much for your explanations and well wishes,, This really is a lousy situation to be in but I have been dealing with Colon issues since 2014 , so almost 10 years of every day since I had the cancer surgery in my colon which that followed with 18 months of chemo... I am waking up not knowing how I would feel, Will it be a miserable gut day or will it pass and be ok.. Every year it has gotten worse,. I keep telling, begging, asking Drs to help , what do I do , what can I do, I get more tests , more scans, more ":you have a large malignant tumor and PObstruction in 21 The ER staff all specialists called in to do Emergency surgery, I refused, I didn;t believe them and knew the drill , I wanted my gi dr AND a biopsy ,, that head Dr was mad,, turns out his wife was appointed my new oncologist, I had already dumped the last one and she is dumped now too,, Not there are many choices here but when I have to tell a DR. what to do with me,, I dont need them. This time was in the works for months, maybe longer that it would happen,, But it never showed on a CT or a scope that I had a stricture and the colon had become so narrow,, I still don't fully understand me,,, I see GI DR tomorrow for follow up,, plus new Surgeon is the end of the month,.. Went for tests for small bowel study yesterday 8am.. way too early for me. and after 2 hours girl says I would do better with CTs with contrast, thank you .. Anyhoo I hope you don't mind if I ask you , when you get time to respond,.. what foods do you allow yourself to eat?? I am doing the same with low to no fiber foods.,.. and what do you take for a BM.. still the Miralax. I am finding I can;t seem to get a balance on anything.. I have an addiction to home made sourdough bread and one of my customers keeps baking it, it is his hobby so he brings me a loaf a week...sometimes that is breakfast , lunch and night time snack. i think I gained back most of what I lost prior to and in hospital but I donlt want to gain anymore, I am thin but fine where I am at now,, for me,. I have been taking the creon pills per GI dr, for the pancreas but half the time I forget, whether it works or not I donlt know.. I eat cottage cheese with a banana , Usually chicken breast with steamed baby carrots for dinner, NO carbonated water anymore, I know I should have stopped that a long time ago, Oh well back to regular water which I do drink a lot and tea with real lemon juice and honey,, I donlt want to over load on the carbs so I have kept pasta on the low.. I do love to eat and do however I am afraid to try other things,, I did have some whole peeled steamed tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic and salt last night, I wanted a salad so bad,,.. Do you ever eat a salad, Butter lettuce is so soft I wonder if that would be ok?? Thanks for the reminder on the abdominal massage.. I will you tube it.. I have had a couple drs tell me to do that, I do it but not the right way , I just push mine in and move it around which is bad. but when the gas gets stucks in the same spot nothing breaks it up,,. I drink that mylanta like crazy with simethicone and yet I donlt eat anything gassy. Ive taken enough of your time .. I wish you well days and every day.. Happy valentines!!!

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