Chronic small bowel obstruction from adhesions

Hello @nancybev,

You’ve come to the right place to get support from people who understand what you are going through – welcome. Here are a few other conversations that may interest you as well:
– SBO due to Adhesion https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sbo-due-to-adhesion/
– Lumpy, Dumpy & Grumpy https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lumpy-dumpy-grumpy/

I found this, recently paper published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology; the study researches the quality of life and (2) rate of recurrent small bowel obstructions (SBO) for patients treated with novel manual physiotherapy vs no treatment:
https://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v24/i19/2108.htm

The study concluded: "A manual physiotherapy significantly improved quality of life and significantly decreased the rate of re-occlusion for patients with a history of SBO. Performed in an outpatient setting, the non-invasive therapy significantly reduced repeat obstructions. In addition, the physical therapy has a much lower risk and cost than hospitalization or surgery."

@kanaazpereira , thank you! I will read the other threads you referred to. As to the journal article, once again, many of the authors are associated with Clear Passage, so that makes me think that it's not completely objective! I would love to talk to a gastroenterologist, or read an article, that recommends that therapy but has no connection to the people who would profit from people utilizing it. I haven't checked, but I highly doubt that insurance would cover such a treatment, as it seems to be somewhat experimental and not endorsed by the medical community at large. If an independent GI recommended it, I'd be on the next plane to Florida! 🙂 But I appreciate your recommendations.

I did do massage on my abdomen, very gentle, in the area where the distention was and it really seemed to help.

@thull , thank you! I've started to do that when I start to think I MIGHT have an sbo coming on, just in case. It just seems to make sense that if things are just starting to stick together in there, some gentle massage in the area snd a little stretching might loosen things up. These are all the kinds of things I wish a GI could explain/confirm/deny for me, but hearing others' personal experiences is also a big help!
In the past few days I've made a major change in my eating habits (nothing but juice, water, coffee, tea, and popcicles until evening, followed by a really healthy and easy-to-digest dinner). I've put a lot of thought into it, and I'm hoping that it will make future sbo's a lot less severe, or at least change the patterns so that the worst of it happens during the day instead of always in the middle of the night! We'll see what happens, but I feel a lot less anxiety when I know there's nothing in my stomach that would have too much of a hard time getting through quickly.

@nancybev and @thull

It sounds like we are all on the same page, working at self-care and advocacy. Unless our doctors have actually experienced our symptoms they cannot really understand how we feel. This discussion group is so good for me. I'm glad that you are both benefiting as well!

@hopeful33250 , I agree! I'm happy to have found a group in which there are people who understand. I've been so frustrated--there are so many complex and serious health conditions for which cures have been found, or at least people are working diligently to find cures. But with sbo's, which are so awful and are potentially life-threatening, doctors seem to all say, "Just deal with it and hope for the best." There HAS to be a better way!

I was also diagnosed with small bowel cancer called neuroendocrine or Carcinoid Cancer. Surgery at Mayo and they got it all. Bloodwork every 6 mo and scan every year for probably next 15 or so years (I am now 72). How are you doing post diagnosis?

Hello @nancybev @thull @bradleymom1967 and @ginpene05

It has been awhile since you have posted about adhesions from surgery and I was wondering how you were feeling? Any changes that you would like to share?

I am doing ok, still on low residue diet. Have a colonoscopy scheduled 11/16 at Mayo. They want to see the reattachment site from the inside, to make sure it all looks ok. Not sure what tests they will order for small intestine. Having to take iron supplement as I was way low. Haven't eaten any red meat since July. It seems to be bothering me somewhat, so having to take Dulcolax when I take it. They are planning to introduce some fiber back into my diet as long as tests come back ok. My big thing was getting to my daughter's wedding 09/29 with no issues. Had a great day and was actually able to eat!

@hopeful33250 , thanks for asking, and I hope you're all doing well. @thull , I'm so glad that you were able to attend your daughter's wedding, and that it went well!
As for me, in the absence of any useful information from any doctors (okay--I might have a little chip on my shoulder, or in my small intestine, about that! 🙂 ), I've made kind of a radical change in my diet recently. During the day, I have only coffee, tea, juices, water, popcicles, etc. After 6:30 p.m. I have a very healthy and digestible dinner (and a vitamin!). So basically I'm almost fasting for roughly 22 hours per day.
What I'm HOPING is that it will make it less likely that I will have solid food in the "pipeline" if an sbo starts again, and that maybe it will pass without too much pain and vomiting.
If nothing else, since I've kind of "flipped" my eating schedule, I'm hoping that sbo's will at least be at their worst during the day, when I can get help more easily, than in the middle of the night, when they've almost always happened in the past. We'll see!