Colonic stricture

Hi Catherine, You might want to scan through the following discussion while you wait for members with some experience with a colonic stricture to respond.
-- Sigmoid colon stricture due to diverticulosis/diverticulitis:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sigmoid-colon-stricture-due-to-diverticulosisdiverticulitis/
@mbiagio and @speedbird have mentioned strictures in other discussions and may have some suggestions or experience to share with you.

Catherine,
I like John's suggestion.
Chronic 💩💩 is on my " do everything to prevent it " list. I won't bother with the gorrey details. I use miralax in high doses and add Metamucil gummy's every few days. So, I keep my colon in thin mush to full diarrhea. Fortunately I don't work, rarely leave the house and if I do, I get to wear those such stylish depends 🤪 ShelleyW

Shelly, Is that all the doctor recommended doing? Have you had balloon dilation? I know I can repeat it one more time but I'm saving it until I get as bad as before. Maybe you should cut back just a little on the Miralax dose so it's not so thin.

Catherine, I have been with the same PCP, GI for 17 years and YEP, they both actually just stopped working to help me. They were both tired of me getting worse, I think I just reminded them, that they aren't perfect and they don't have all the answers. I had 3 digital removals, done by, myself. OMG, these hurt so much. Then 3 months after the GI didn't believe two x-rays, 4 weeks apart, the radiologists, n both, said a partial small bowel obstruction was forming. He wanted a CT, 4 weeks to wait. I was so scared of the digital removal, ate as little food as I could. I drank protein meal replacements and lots of water. So, of course the CT showed scant and fluid poop in me...the GI , took the credit, that he was right and I had no problem.... three months later, still using lots of miralax, I was in so much pain/cramping, I really don't remember much, but my hubby called for an ambulance, I passed out when the paramedic was trying to walk me to the ambulance, I was in ER for several hours, while they were deciding to operate or use the nasal gastric tube to decompress the loops in my small intestine. I got the gastric tube, that is so painful, 3 days in ICU, I was able to go home. I don't know what the balloon dilation is, I will look into it. Why did you have one and why can you have only one more? But for now, I am just too scared of solid poop. I have not had any poops, that even resemble normal for 4+- years. Thanx for the info. ShelleyW

I had balloon dilation due to a stricture( severe narrowing) in my sigmoid colon due to Crohn's.

Catherine, is the stricture/narrowing caused by adhesions or something else?

Crohn's disease

I had a severe stricture in colon due to years of Crohn's scarring. I had a colon resection removing approximately 12 inches. By prepping extremely well, everything was reconnected during the procedure...no interim ostomy or second surgery. While this was a serious and painful surgery, in my opinion, it was well worth it. It was completely successful, and in 2 decades, I have never looked back.
jenNash

See my comments below regarding colon resection.
jennash7

This might not apply to you, and I'm not a medical person, so please keep that in mind when reading this. But I'll tell you what is helpful to me. I seem to have an area just under my stomach and to the left where things get stuck. I have found that the following helps: I lie on my left side and just slightly rotate my waist to the right so that it opens up the area where things are stuck. After a moment I feel and hear gurgling, and things start moving. If things get stuck farther down, I take the heel of my hand and gently push downward (toward my lower abdomen) on the upward edge of the problem area, and that seems to get things moving again. This relates to my specific problem, but a massage therapist suggested it to me and it has really helped. Maybe you can figure out where things bog down for you. And a massage therapist may be able to give you good advice.