Fergalicious, Hi there. 😊 Welcome to our support group. So sorry you’re suffering so.

I had a resection in which six inches of my ileum was removed. I do get very, very painful spasms that seem to come out of nowhere. They are so sever I find myself curled up in a fetal position on the floor writhing in pain. Luckily, I only get them once or twice a month.

Over time, I began to try to figure out what was going on. I noticed several triggers for the spasms. For example, if I went out to eat and ate a larger meal than usual, the cramps would begin shortly after eating. If I am mildly constipated, my abdomen can cramp hard until I have been able to go to the bathroom. Sorry for the graphics, but what was happening is that further back in my intestines, I might have very loose stool or diarrhea, which could not escape until I was able to release the constipated stool.

Our cancer causes diarrhea at times, and you may not even realize it is churning and churning causing severe pain.

I eat smaller meals. For example, I might eat half a usual breakfast when eating out - because if I eat it all at once, my abdomen can suddenly go into full cramp mode.

This may sound gross, but if worst comes to worst, I give myself an enema. It “clears” things up. lol!

My doctors have suggested meds for my stomach, but I found that by the time a med is digested, the attack is long over by then. I also get very strong heat flashes when these attacks occur.

I leave an outing early if I feel the first hint of an episode coming on. I try to stay calm. This is very hard to do. I just keep telling myself that the episode will end. The pain will end. I need to say cool, calm and try to relax until the episode is over.

Your surgery seems a lot more involved than mine was. I applaud you for continuing to seek medical advice. There are so many things that can cause severe abdominal stress. I don’t think most people can relate to the level of pain we experience. Usual abdominal cramps are nothing like the horrid pain of this.

Please keep in touch, and let us know how you’re doing. Hang in there! ☺️