1. < Digestive Health

Tips for managing chronic Small Bowel Obstructions

Posted by jljacoby @jljacoby, Dec 10, 2018

Hey everybody!
I joined this group hoping to find tips for managing recurrent/chronic SBOs. I had a Ladd's procedure at 4 days old which left me with scar tissue.
I started having partial SBOs at 25 but they went misdiagnosed as biliary colic because my anatomy is weird so I presented with RUQ pain mimicking gallbladder issues.
Last year in March I was diagnosed with a closed loop bowel obstruction and had emergency surgery. They found that my intestines were adhered to my liver and gallbladder and the surgeon removed my gallbladder an resected a small portion of my small intestine. That resulted in a 21 day stay in the hospital due to post op complications.
This year in June I had yet another SBO that ultimately resulted in another surgery. My surgeon said it looked like someone had dumped super glue in my abdomen the adhesions were so bad. That surgery resulted in a 26 day hospital stay ( my bowels don't like to wake up post surgery).
I am now following a low fiber/no fiber diet, work out regularly, and drink 124 oz of water daily. I have had at least 2 SBOs since being released which were both managed with an NG. I find that eating any food sets me off and have had to stick to mostly liquids.
Any tips for how to manage this thing??
Jennifer

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

Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jan 5, 2019
In reply to @thull "Thank you! I will definitely have to try that once I am off clears! Right now,..." + (show)
@thull

Thank you! I will definitely have to try that once I am off clears! Right now, I just wish I could go to sleep and wake up and it was Monday already and time to get this over with. My husband had a dream last night that we were around somebody that had McDonalds French fries and I attaked them and started eating their fries!🍟🤣🤣I hope I don't get to that point!

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Attacking someone with McDonald's food, is so funny, @thull. However, I do understand where you are coming from. One time after digestive tract surgery (and a 7 day hospital stay) with no food or drink for almost 5 days, I would walk the halls pushing my IV pole and if food trays were in the hallway waiting to be picked up I would look at the leftover food with feelings of longing and temptation. Thankfully, I never gave into the temptation😂

REPLY
1 reply
thull | @thull | Jan 5, 2019
In reply to @hopeful33250 "Attacking someone with McDonald's food, is so funny, @thull. However, I do understand where you are..." + (show)
@hopeful33250

Attacking someone with McDonald's food, is so funny, @thull. However, I do understand where you are coming from. One time after digestive tract surgery (and a 7 day hospital stay) with no food or drink for almost 5 days, I would walk the halls pushing my IV pole and if food trays were in the hallway waiting to be picked up I would look at the leftover food with feelings of longing and temptation. Thankfully, I never gave into the temptation😂

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I walked down to the cafeteria just so I could smell all the food! MDe my stomach growl!

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jan 5, 2019

I hear you, @thull. I was pretty disappointed in myself when I realized that somebody's leftover lime jello looked good to me. You just have to laugh, don't you.

REPLY
nancybev | @nancybev | Jan 5, 2019
In reply to @thull "I walked down to the cafeteria just so I could smell all the food! MDe my..." + (show)
@thull

I walked down to the cafeteria just so I could smell all the food! MDe my stomach growl!

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@thull , your dream cracked me up! I totally hear you onthe McD's fries...
When I was 12 or 13, I had surgery done to try to "fix" the adhesions from the intestinal surgery I'd had as an infant (it probably just made the situation worse in the long run). I had the tube down my nose, and nothing but ice chips, for 3 weeks. Of course no one could explain to a kid why that had to be, and I was just SO angry and hungry! I returned to school 13 lbs. thinner, which would have seemed great at the time (I'd been a little chubby, or at least I thought I was) except that I couldn't stand up straight for weeks, so I didn't look that fabulous :).
Here's to a jumbo order of McDonald's (HAS to be McD's!) for all of us!!
Be well, @thull .

REPLY
2 replies
thull | @thull | Jan 5, 2019
In reply to @nancybev "@thull , your dream cracked me up! I totally hear you onthe McD's fries... When I..." + (show)
@nancybev

@thull , your dream cracked me up! I totally hear you onthe McD's fries...
When I was 12 or 13, I had surgery done to try to "fix" the adhesions from the intestinal surgery I'd had as an infant (it probably just made the situation worse in the long run). I had the tube down my nose, and nothing but ice chips, for 3 weeks. Of course no one could explain to a kid why that had to be, and I was just SO angry and hungry! I returned to school 13 lbs. thinner, which would have seemed great at the time (I'd been a little chubby, or at least I thought I was) except that I couldn't stand up straight for weeks, so I didn't look that fabulous :).
Here's to a jumbo order of McDonald's (HAS to be McD's!) for all of us!!
Be well, @thull .

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Thanks! Hope 2019 is great for all of us!

REPLY
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jan 5, 2019
In reply to @nancybev "@thull , your dream cracked me up! I totally hear you onthe McD's fries... When I..." + (show)
@nancybev

@thull , your dream cracked me up! I totally hear you onthe McD's fries...
When I was 12 or 13, I had surgery done to try to "fix" the adhesions from the intestinal surgery I'd had as an infant (it probably just made the situation worse in the long run). I had the tube down my nose, and nothing but ice chips, for 3 weeks. Of course no one could explain to a kid why that had to be, and I was just SO angry and hungry! I returned to school 13 lbs. thinner, which would have seemed great at the time (I'd been a little chubby, or at least I thought I was) except that I couldn't stand up straight for weeks, so I didn't look that fabulous :).
Here's to a jumbo order of McDonald's (HAS to be McD's!) for all of us!!
Be well, @thull .

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I agree, @nancybev. In 2019 you, @thull, and I should meet up at a McD's and have a chocolate milkshake. How does that sound?😂

REPLY
1 reply
nancybev | @nancybev | Jan 5, 2019
In reply to @hopeful33250 "I agree, @nancybev. In 2019 you, @thull, and I should meet up at a McD's and..." + (show)
@hopeful33250

I agree, @nancybev. In 2019 you, @thull, and I should meet up at a McD's and have a chocolate milkshake. How does that sound?😂

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@hopeful33250 , make it a vanilla shake and I'm in!!

REPLY
1 reply
thull | @thull | Jan 5, 2019
In reply to @nancybev "@hopeful33250 , make it a vanilla shake and I'm in!!" + (show)
@nancybev

@hopeful33250 , make it a vanilla shake and I'm in!!

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I love milkshakes, and French fries!

REPLY
1 reply
nancybev | @nancybev | Jan 6, 2019
In reply to @thull "I love milkshakes, and French fries!" + (show)
@thull

I love milkshakes, and French fries!

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@thull (and others), I just now came across this article on diverticulitis in the NY Times. Maybe it's all stuff you already know, but I thought you might want to take a look at it, and the comments section:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/well/live/can-i-ever-recover-from-diverticulitis.html?action=click&module=Discovery&pgtype=Homepage

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2 replies
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jan 6, 2019
In reply to @nancybev "@thull (and others), I just now came across this article on diverticulitis in the NY Times...." + (show)
@nancybev

@thull (and others), I just now came across this article on diverticulitis in the NY Times. Maybe it's all stuff you already know, but I thought you might want to take a look at it, and the comments section:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/well/live/can-i-ever-recover-from-diverticulitis.html?action=click&module=Discovery&pgtype=Homepage

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Good information, @nancybev. Thanks for sharing that.

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