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Bowels rebooting post surgery? Never trust a fart!
Just sharing a few thoughts on my post surgery experience and the re-firing of your digestive system, which is more polite way of saying that robotic laparoscopic surgery does a full knock-out to your bowels.
Waking it back up and getting it back to normal is a slow process during recovery. First thing, I’m not sure I’m the norm because it seems like symptoms are incredibly variable for us all. Just sharing my experiences. Recovery veterans, please share advice you have for folks.
Big deal phases of surgical recovery;
• You pass gas and people cheer! Hey, your digestive system is waking up. Let everyone know – Party Time!
• You poop! An aura sweeps across the horizon as the heavens open up to the news of your little, semi-solid gift to the world. You have offered the number one of all number twos of all time. It is fully celebrated for all its glory.
Let’s face it, we’re back to being praised like newborn babies who go through similar stages of digestive awakening. But, hey. I’ll take it. Yes, let’s celebrate these victories. It's a good thing.
But, there are practical matters after that. You don’t go straight from gas to poop. And, early on in digestive rebooting, never trust the fart!
My first gas was likely 10 hours after surgery (bit of a blur). The second gas was an hour later. However, the second release also had liquid and I got soiled through my gown. The nursing staff is prepped for this and not a big deal to clean things up. I think the nurse didn't expect this quite so fast.
In the next couple of days, here are the early warning signs that things are afoot; you hear your digestive system rumbling in sections of your body never heard since perhaps your college days mixing alcohol drink types that should never have be drunk in quick succession. Or, that trip to Tijuana and you bought the street tacos. Then, it settles and goes away. Gurgle. Rumble. Quiet in the valley. This is the precursor.
The nature of its full arrival is like you are standing atop a beautiful mountain range appreciating the beauty of nature and than a distant earthquake starts rumbling off on the horizon on another range. It then reverberates closer, now moving across your belly down to your lower backside. It rests for a bit. Then it gains power again and re-energizes. You resist, not knowing whether to clamp up or let it loose. After all of that, you emit a small, slow and less-than-impressive extended toot. A sigh of relief.
Then, a second wave comes and then the next toot includes a bit of soft liquid. Not a lot, but enough to warrant a change. You then realize….”Never trust a fart.”
When I it was time to go home (just four days ago),, I decided to up my insurance policy by wearing a pull-up brief even though it sounds like most people don’t do this.
What I knew was that people recommended wearing a continence shield up front because you do get some leakage around the catheter. But, I hadn’t heard a lot about the digestive system process. The car ride home went without incident in that regard, so yea for that.
But, I think my pull-up brief was a good call for me. It’s the nights that are tricky. You wake up with the rumbling. A low thunder. Is it a fart? Do I need to get up and get to the toilet? Trick question! You eventually find out....It’s probably both!
It’s getting better. I’m passing small, super-soft stools now. I now know when to get up and go. It gets old. But, hey, this shall pass and it’s getting better every day. Also, I’m early in this process and they say it takes at least a week to get close to normal on bowel function again.
For me, I was glad to have a brief (or shield) protection up front around the penis just from a hint of blood here and there early on (which is normal-sigh), nothing dramatic. Also, since my docs have me put on Bacitracin four times a day around the tip of penis and just up the catheter tube a bit, a shield up front helps keep that from staining underwear or shorts.
So, short version:
• Don’t trust a fart. If you are up to getting to a toilet, give it a go. If you can’t, it’s nice to have a brief to catch the initial watery mix. Having a protective pad on your sleeping spot is good insurance – though we haven’t had to change it yet.
• Candidly, a brief with tabs (diaper) would have made more sense for me during this phase because getting the catheter bag through the brief leg hole to pull it up over your hips is an annoyance I could do without. Also, getting a brief off with a catheter on is tricky too. Supposedly, you just tear the sides. But, instead, I keep a pair of scissors by the toilet and that works great.
• Take your stool softener. Remember, constipation is the enemy during the post-surgery recovery process. Let those urethral stitches heal and don’t put pressure on all the work they did inside.
• Follow your doctor’s suggestions. If you haven’t pooped, do the meds they suggest to get your system rolling. (in my case, two-ish days post surgery, a capful of MiraLax mixed with water taken earlier in the day did the trick).
Finally, I am so appreciative of my amazing wife, who has been such a strong support through this process. Early on, she told me to stop saying sorry and just is just there to help me through. Incredibly grateful.
That’s all I got so far. And again, I’m likely not the norm. But, this has been my experience on this segment. I’m too early on in this process to have more advice. What say the rest of you??
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Quick question for everyone that is not clear in my instructions: How long should I keep taking a stool softener?
The instructions want the stools like toothpaste. Just wondering how long I need to hit that target?
Also, finding the more often bowel going is making my but a bit sore externally. Do you recommend Desitin or something like Preparation H? Both products I haven't used before. Thanks!
@fritzo
My husband took Colace for a while just to be on a safe side, even though he never tends to constipate in general . As far as I remember he was using it for about a month after cath. was taken out. If your stools are too soft and too frequent just take little bit lower dose of Colace.
Regarding butt soreness - wash it every time you go and use either plain Vaseline or Desitin baby cream for extra protection. If you can, use a small mirror and inspect that area. If you see any pea size bluish bumps around your anal opening it could be that small hemorrhoids appeared and than you will need something with "active ingredients". Otherwise just keep it clean, dry and protected. Be GENTLE with TP !!! Just dab gently and than wash.
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1 ReactionWhoo-boy, sharing poop stories…the ways PCa bring us together! 😉
My bowel experiences were nothing like above. First, as a baseline…I’ve always been a very healthy pooper - good, solid, tumbling poops, no pressure, no pushing, three times a day, 7:30AM, 9:30AM, and 11:30AM, just like a train schedule. I’ve been that way my whole adult life.
I didn’t have any wet farts or anal leaking or anything like that - tighter than a bullfrog’s, I suppose. For the eight days I had my catheter in, I wore either really baggy shorts or a Scrooge-like nightdress, so as not to interfere with the catheter. I didn’t wear any incontinence products until the day it came out.
No issues, bottom-wise. My farts were very trustworthy indeed! 🍑 💨 ✅
My first BM was three days after my surgery, very soft, but very small. I’d call it a very lazy poop, but I was happy with it.
I stayed on my stool softener for probably 10 days - whatever the prescription was for, and I drank a lot of water. Diet was mainly soft foods - applesauce, scrambled eggs, pudding, a little plain pasta, ice cream, bananas. No burgers, no fries, no pizza, no bacon. That was my diet for probably a month.
Anyway, every BM got more substantial as time went on, but always very soft, like chocolate soft serve (sorry if that ruins it for anyone!). My the time my catheter came out, I was back to going three or four times a day, but it was really spread out.
Then my catheter came out.
That seemed to kick my butt in the butt, so to speak. Those big, soft BM’s turned into something more like rabbit droppings. It was like my bottom just sort of gave up and did the bare minimum.
Now, I’m happy to say, 3+ months out, I’m much closer to pre-surgery me - big, easy plops, mainly in the morning. No straining, no pushing.
One last thing - you know that feeling you get when you really, and I mean *really* have to pee? That feeling that goes all the way into your penis, you’re so full? Like right to the end of it?
I’d get that feeling when I’d have a big gas bubble or a BM working its way through, like it would press on my bladder or something. I’d get that sensation out of nowhere, think that I’d have to pee, skedaddle to the bathroom, sit down, no pee, then…RRRIIIIIIPPPPPP!!!…out would come the kind of gas that lifts you off the toilet a quarter-inch, and then that urgent pee feeling would immediately pass.
Aren’t our bodies a marvel. 😆
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2 Reactions@surftohealth88 OK, that is so incredibly helpful. I do have the body wipes, so I'll start giving that go.
A month on softeners-that's a long time. But, got to do what we got to do. I'm going to message the doc office and see what they say. My son (a rehab doctor himself) is recommending that I continue the 1 capful of Miralax a day for a while. So, guess, I got to.
Yeah, typically don't have roids, but might be in that realm. Maybe I'll start with Desitin and see if that helps first.
Thank you so much!
@turtbean Wow-maybe you need a seatbelt on your toilet seat-we don't want you to get rocket launched on the next Artemis moon mission!
Prior to this, I was so regular, you could almost set the clock by it. I would go once a day every morning and I was good. I eat a pretty high-fiber diet normally and it worked great for me.
Now, everything is out of whack. But, just got to roll through it. Glad I got a place to share, because I guarente NO one else in my life wants to hear all of this. 🙂
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2 ReactionsA quick AI search and I get this for butt sensitivity during this time. As @surftohealth88 says, Desitin is best used as a barrier cream. Prep H is best used to reduce hemorrhoid pain-which clearly can be triggered by this process.
Looks like you don't want to take too much PrepH, so trying Desitin first and then maybe do the combo if I have to go there.
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Desitin (zinc oxide) and Preparation H serve different primary purposes for anal discomfort: Desitin is a barrier cream that protects skin and reduces moisture-related irritation, while Preparation H (phenylephrine or pramoxine) acts as a vasoconstrictor to shrink, soothe, and reduce pain from hemorrhoids. Both are used to manage symptoms like itching.
Health: Trusted and Empathetic Health and Wellness Information
Health: Trusted and Empathetic Health and Wellness Information
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Desitin (Zinc Oxide):
Best for: Soothing irritated, sensitive skin, reducing moisture, and preventing skin breakdown around the anus.
Action: Forms a protective, thick barrier.
Usage: Effective for persistent itching and minor skin irritation, similar to its use for diaper rash.
VCU Student Health Services
VCU Student Health Services
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Preparation H (and similar medicated creams):
Best for: Shrinking swollen, inflamed hemorrhoid tissue and numbing immediate pain/itching.
Action: Uses phenylephrine to shrink swelling or pramoxine/lidocaine for numbing.
Usage: Better for acute hemorrhoid flares.
Caution: Should not be used for more than 7 days without consulting a doctor.
Health: Trusted and Empathetic Health and Wellness Information
Health: Trusted and Empathetic Health and Wellness Information
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Key Takeaways:
Combination: Some users find success applying Preparation H first to shrink swelling, followed by Desitin to protect the skin.
Alternatives: Witch hazel (e.g., Tucks pads) is also highly recommended to shrink tissue and soothe irritation.
Consult a doctor if symptoms persist for more than a week, cause intense pain, or involve bleeding
@fritzo
Miralax is MUCH stronger than Colace . My husband used half dose only once and ended up with diarrhea - so go easy on that. He used Colace once a day and that kept BMs soft but he did not go often - he had BMs twice a day as he usually does.
Wet towels are not much softer than TP and they have some chemicals added so it would be preferable to wash yourself with plain water - use hand held shower head or buy one of those traveling portable "hygiene" bidet bottles ( like HappyPo , etc).
And yes, please do not use prep H if you do not have hemorrhoids. If you for some reason do not feel comfortable looking down there, than you will need to go to doctor to check the area. Regular family practitioner will do.