Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?

I'm 44 years old . had an colon resection done about 2 months ago.. Everything was doing GRT.. Normal bv. Pain from surgery gone.. Woke up this morning with a sharp pain.. Almost like the first time.. Before they told me I had diverticulitis.. And removed the bad section.. Pain little lower than the first time.. But same.. No where near any of the surgery spots.. Should I get chk..

I am also 3 months post op. Unfortunately, things have not been good. I've suffered with severe constipation since the surgery. I woke up at 2 a.m. with left sided pain. I took a Gas-X and it resolved. I believe mine was due to the constipation. I'm going to be having a CT scan today.

Hi. You kind of sound like me when I connected with this group. Different circumstances but same surgery. You are not alone with frequent bowel movements and stomach pain. I remember Coleen telling me to be patient and it was early days. I think I got more information and support from this chat group then from local medical facilities. Ask Colleen about a member who also experienced leg pain and numbness. He might have some pointers. Not sure about your pain. Mine was the actual incision healing. The surgeon cut through abdomen muscle. I also think you experience stomach pain with your body adjusting to a new normal. I know taking gas pills and picking foods that were easily digested (noodles, few veggies, chicken, no hot, no spicy), I still can’t eat chocolate☹️ It’s been five months and I have a scheduled eating routine that allows me to have my day and stay regular. What that means for me is still having multiple bowel movements, but not feeling housebound. I eat a lot of fibrous foods (now), but mostly, I drink a lot of water/liquids and exercise daily. Also, Citracil has been helpful when needed. At this point, it’s working and I can live with this. Working towards normalizing my bowel frequency, that just takes time I hope you start feeling better. It was 21/2-3 months before I started seeing a marked improvement .

Thank you for this info. I had first good nights sleep last night in 1 month. No leg pain either, but I had gone so long without sleep I probably passed out and did'"t know it. lol Today have had 3 bm that were normal so I thank God for that. Still having pain in lower belly where incision was and an uncomfortable feeling in upper belly. I drink probably 50 oz. of water daily , only 1 cup of decaf coffee. I am hoping by the end of April I will feel so much better. Trying to eat small meals, that seems to help . Drinking 1 glass of Metamucil a day has really helped bulk up my stools and it depends on what I eat also. But it does help me. Thank you and pray we will soon have our life back and be well.

Good morning. I’m so glad to hear you are feeling better! It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride with this surgery. A lot of “what to expect” I found was not addressed, but maybe, medical professionals are reluctant to share what MAY happen. . After I wrote a response to your chat entry, I went back through previous entries/responses and found many people having similar experiences on similar points of healing. I was reminded that I have gotten better. The thing is, I think you have to figure out when, what and how to go on with causing as little irritation to your system. I just have had a few days where I struggled with some abdominal pain, gas, and bowel frequency; When I reread the previous entries from members, I found several members report the same thing at 5-6 months. Based on this info, I’ve up my fiber drink and backing off on raw foods. I think, for me, that’s how it’s going to be. It may change in time, but it is still better than a worse outcome. I think you have made a big leap in your healing process. Sounds like your body is starting to adjust and “ do it!s thing”. Keeping any inflammation in check is the key. Each of us has to figure out what that is individually. Keep sharing what works and establishing a blueprint for new members. Take care virgo1952

Thank you Virgo for this reply. I too feel that each of us are different and just have to adjust. I slept good last night too with NO nerve pain and little pain in stomach. I thank God for that ! Jitters just about gone , so I feel I am getting better by the day. If we all look back on how we felt a month ago, we could say we are much better than we were. I do try to walk everyday when it is nice out and not too cold. I live in N.C. and the weather changes everyday. I feel I have not regained all of my strength back, for it takes alot out of you. But that will come in time too. My outlook and overall attitude is much better. Have a wonderful day and thanks for your post .

You are very welcome. Not sure I told you but I live in Washington state so if you walk this time of year, bundle up! If you run across any tidbits of info or anything that has helped you, I would love to hear from you. Happy healing ❤️

Thank you to every person who has posted there operation ! This has help me so much ! Thank you

Hi @troyhenn22, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It's good to know that the discussions and messages people post about their experiences helps others, even people who don't post. Thanks for taking the time to write.

Troy, have you been diagnosed with colorectal cancer? Have you had or will you soon have surgery?