1. < Digestive Health

Colonic stricture

Posted by catherine1290 @catherine1290, Sep 7 6:02am

Does anyone else have to deal with a colonic stricture. I had to have balloon dilation to try and open up the colon. It was only a little successful. It is a daily concern and any constipation could result in surgery.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

catherine1290 | @catherine1290 | Sep 29 5:25am
In reply to @helen001 "Yes please let's keep in touch." + (show)
@helen001

Yes please let's keep in touch.

Jump to this post

You can write to me anytime you need to talk.

REPLY
shelleyW | @shelleyw | Oct 2 2:11am
In reply to @mbiagio "Thank you very much Shelly for your good wishes. Yes the surgery would be on my..." + (show)
@mbiagio

Thank you very much Shelly for your good wishes. Yes the surgery would be on my sigmoid colon removing about 12 inches. Evidently I’ve had diverticulosis forming for years and then if it gets inflamed, that is when it’s diverticulitis. I’ve thought since my 20s that I had IBS. And I know that I did not have bad diverticulosis in 2007 when I had my last colonoscopy. I had an attack of diverticulitis last December after high doses of ibuprofen following Dental work and then I had an attack in January. My colonoscopy had already been planned from last October for the end of January and we were all just shocked at the stenosis and severity of the diverticulosis. I’ve been trying to work with diet, supplements Metamucil, MiraLAX, magnesium and still Having difficulty…I don’t go daily. Even drink abiut 60oz h2o daily.

The surgeon told me it was not a matter of if but when to have the surgery so I went ahead and scheduled the surgery. However, as it gets closer, I’m having second thoughts. 😩
I worry about potential complications in the future, such as perforation, fistula or obstruction, from diverticulosis, but I wish I could find a way to management medically.
I’m not sure about the balloon dilation just because the surgeon said there is a narrowing south of the sigmoid colon that she thought was from adhesions from a prior surgery, which I had my appendix out at nine and my right ovary about 14 years ago so on the right side. So again, I’m not sure if balloon dilation is an option, but it may be something to think about before I go ahead with the surgery. 🤷‍♀️

Jump to this post

mbiagio,
Based on your second paragraph, I would definitely consider the surgery. It sounds like you are being told that the problems won't go away on their own and there is no medication to make it go away.
Get a couple of second opinions, if that would help your decision process. And your sigmoid, and possibly more of your intestinal tract are narrowing, straining to 💩💩is just going to get worse.
I think I said this before, but I don't like getting old and I take issue with the way our female bodies were created 🤪🤪
I will be gone for a few weeks, my surgery is tomorrow.🤮😳🤯🥵, scared, who me? ShelleyW

REPLY
shelleyW | @shelleyw | Oct 2 2:30am
In reply to @helen001 "Hi I am in exactly the same position as you. I've had 2 different opinions on..." + (show)
@helen001

Hi I am in exactly the same position as you. I've had 2 different opinions on surgeon saying he recommends surgery before diverticulitis makes it an emergency another surgeon saying I don't need surgery yet! I'm at a loss. The surgery is terrifying.

Jump to this post

helen001,
You are so right, surgery is terrifying. It seems to me that I have come home, after a surgery, better, but soon find out I have something else wrong with me. I am more and more concerned about infections picked up in the hospital. Shelley W

REPLY
1 reply
shelleyW | @shelleyw | Oct 2 2:37am
In reply to @mbiagio "Thank you very much Shelly for your good wishes. Yes the surgery would be on my..." + (show)
@mbiagio

Thank you very much Shelly for your good wishes. Yes the surgery would be on my sigmoid colon removing about 12 inches. Evidently I’ve had diverticulosis forming for years and then if it gets inflamed, that is when it’s diverticulitis. I’ve thought since my 20s that I had IBS. And I know that I did not have bad diverticulosis in 2007 when I had my last colonoscopy. I had an attack of diverticulitis last December after high doses of ibuprofen following Dental work and then I had an attack in January. My colonoscopy had already been planned from last October for the end of January and we were all just shocked at the stenosis and severity of the diverticulosis. I’ve been trying to work with diet, supplements Metamucil, MiraLAX, magnesium and still Having difficulty…I don’t go daily. Even drink abiut 60oz h2o daily.

The surgeon told me it was not a matter of if but when to have the surgery so I went ahead and scheduled the surgery. However, as it gets closer, I’m having second thoughts. 😩
I worry about potential complications in the future, such as perforation, fistula or obstruction, from diverticulosis, but I wish I could find a way to management medically.
I’m not sure about the balloon dilation just because the surgeon said there is a narrowing south of the sigmoid colon that she thought was from adhesions from a prior surgery, which I had my appendix out at nine and my right ovary about 14 years ago so on the right side. So again, I’m not sure if balloon dilation is an option, but it may be something to think about before I go ahead with the surgery. 🤷‍♀️

Jump to this post

mbiagio,
I forgot to mention, I have been using miralax, all the scripts for CIC, for over 17 years. My dosage of miralax is often 2-3x the recommended dosage, my GI approved this, not that his opinion means squat to me. I use Metamucil gummies, they don't cause as much gas,bloating, etc as the powder form. I take megadoses of magnesium too. ShelleyW

REPLY
helen001 | @helen001 | Oct 3 8:37am
In reply to @shelleyw "helen001, You are so right, surgery is terrifying. It seems to me that I have come..." + (show)
@shelleyw

helen001,
You are so right, surgery is terrifying. It seems to me that I have come home, after a surgery, better, but soon find out I have something else wrong with me. I am more and more concerned about infections picked up in the hospital. Shelley W

Jump to this post

Glad you come home better than when you went in. Do you mind me asking how did you cope with the surgery and recovery afterwards? Have they manages to reconnect the bowel? I go see the specialist next week and am still unsure whether to opt for surgery. Keep strong. All my best Helen

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.