Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?

How are you doing now @idkaren ? Hope you're ok

Check with your doctor, first. I use prune juice. It is yucky, but if you add a spoon of butter and warm it in the microwave, it will work a lot faster for occasional constipation. It has been about four + months since my e resection. Things go along fine/normal, for a while, and then it seems there a reversal. Everything starts to get better after about four months. But, if you feel the call to go to the bathroom, things can happen a lot quicker even when there is no diarrhea.

@jodiepage Thank you for the great advice. It has been three years since my colon re-section. I have referred to this as my “colon adventure” and my “new normal”. (I have read articles and it is now a term used by others). I also have periods of time where I am doing ok and then I will have a problem. Seems to be the way it is. I don’t panic like I did in the beginning when I was trying to figure it all out. Now, I have a plan of action that works for me. Be it medication, food choices and exercise. Of course, helpful advice from other members has been life savers. Knowing I am not alone.

Actually, after a while it just becomes part of your life, and you manage it. I did recover much better than I thought, decided that I was in control, and it was not ever going to define me.

I am better and life is returning to normal. I am not going to let this define me or control the activities that I have always done. I have a lot more good days,
now. Hope, you are feeling stronger, too. Let's stay in touch.

I have a large tumor in my lower colon, and the biopsy showed cancer. I have to fly back to America to activate my medical insurance. I'm wondering if Medicare part A&B, along with my Blue Shield will cover chemotherapy? Has anybody had experience with how to pay for chemo?

Hi, everyone. I feel like I have read every single comment and that I know all of you. I have colon resection surgery scheduled for August 10. I am SO scared. Im 50, a mom to five grown children and work for the world's largest tech company and have a very demanding role. I have Stage 4 endometriosis that has wrapped around my sigmoid colon and attached my left ovary to the bowel wall. I also have had five bouts of uncomplicated diverticulitis, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (weak connective tissue that so far have caused me to lose my gallbladder, uterus, and appendix). I also have lupus. I-am-a-mess. The surgery is "elective" but I've been told that it's just a matter of time before the ovary breaks through the bowel wall. I've also developed narcotic bowel syndrome so pain control after surgery will be an incredible challenge, which is terrifying. I have prayed so hard on the right thing to do, but in addition to my job, I also care for my mother who is also chronically ill. She would be homeless without my assistance. I'm scared of the surgery, of the ongoing issues that all of you have faced, but I'm also scared of the horrific pain I'm in now. I MUST return to work withing four weeks post-surgery, so I am taking note of all the wonderful advice and love you have all given and received on this forum to try to heal as quickly as possible but have a feeling my body will have other plans.

One of the best things you can do is get your body in the healthiest condition you can prior to surgery. Eat a protein rich diet and try and cut out processed and inflammatory foods. Make sure you are exercising and try to reduce stress (although it sounds like your life is very full). You didn’t say if your surgery will be done as an open repair or laparoscopic. But I’m thinking since you said four weeks that must be laparoscopic. I am three years out from my first colon resection surgery (I’ve had four all in a six month period in 2019) and I’m so fortunate that I don’t have LARS or the challenges others face. I also have ulcerative colitis so my healing was different. The one thing that I heard from every doctor who treated me was that my physical fitness helped me recover and helped me pull through when I was in ICU. My last colon surgery was because of a bowel perforation and I became septic and had to be intubated and on a vent. I was hospitalized for five weeks with that surgery and being physically fit helped me leave the hospital and come home. Load up in protein and maybe do something to decrease any stress. It sounds like you’ve had a rough time with endometriosis and I think this surgery being done as a planned thing versus emergency is a huge benefit.

Thank you so much for the advice @lisag03! Because my diverticulitis is uncomplicated, even though I've had it five times so far, I'm seriously considering only having the endometriosis excision and ovary removed if they could save the bowel once the ovary and endo is cut loose. I feel like the extra issues and unbearable pain beyond the diverticulitis have been caused by the endo and repeated cysts on the adhered ovary. My pain has been excruciating, like a hot poking knife coming up from the rectum into the bowel that can be relentless for days at a time. So many ER visits and CT scans show only one in five of these episodes on average is actually Diverticulitis. It's taken ten years and lots of gaslighting from the medical community to figure this out because endo does not show up on imaging studies, I had to find on my own and travel to a world renown endo specialist in Atlanta. I've read so much about managing diverticulitis with diet, probiotics, exercise, and meditation. Antibiotics still work for me to clear it up for now, and after reading all the after-sigmoidectomy recovery stories, I'm not sure I should not fight for a little longer. I have developed allergies to all quinolone, penicillin, and cephalosporin antibiotics, so my arsenal is getting smaller to treat it. But, with the EDS, the MCAS, the lupus, and now the Narcotic bowel syndrome, I already know the recovery from the resection would be very difficult at best. I will work to get as healthy as possible beforehand so that if it is necessary once they get in there, I will be ready. I will keep everyone updated if I do decide to move forward, or if it is decided for me once they get in there. Thank you so much again for sharing your stories, I have read every one of the posts from the beginning and taken all of your experiences and wisdom to heart.

Lisag03
Why have you had so many colon resection surgeries? I am four weeks out from my sigmoid colon ectomy and it doesn’t make me feel very hopeful hearing other people have had more than one surgery for this specially in a short amount of time. I had to have my sigmoid colon removed due to 3 1/2 months of non-stop diverticulitis flare ups, antibiotics and ER visits.