Bowel obstructions caused by adhesions following abdominal surgery

What is SBO ?

My bowel burst in 2015 and I had a colostomy placed and also needed a wound vac for three months ! Had resect a while later during which time doc took my sigmoid colon. Had constipation issues one year before all this happened and went to a Rectal specialist who found an issue with sphincter muscles, I believe. This was one year before burst bowel. Since burst bowel and sigmoid colon removal I have had bad "impaction or blockage " issues. Between total thyroid cancer removal and sigmoid colon removal i felt my body wasn't metabolizing my food thus food was backing up, also causing gerd. I take an over the counter pill to help me metabolize food especially after a high protein meal. Mostly it helps. It's called Betaine HCL with Pepsid. When it gets really bad I take Phillips Milk of Magnesia which helps greatly. Gastro doc had prescribed Relstor to help most recent issue. But when I looked it up it said "do not take if you've had a bowel obstruction, bowel perforation, diverticulosis etc" of which I had all three. As well as a basically violent reaction to the Relstor while the bowel emptied! I called doc late that night and said I couldn't and wouldn't take it as I had all the bad contraindications!!! He called back in the morning and agreed. Omg. What would have happened to me if I had taken it!!!!! I've added an apple a day. Cutting out snacking especially carbs. Portioning foods correctly and not overeating at meals, adding salads, and trying to finish eating at least two hours before bed. So far it appears to be helping but I woke up with gerd this am (even tho I had a normal
Bowel movement.). Drank some ginger ale to release gas. Don't know what else I can do 🤞🏻🤞🏻

I looked up SBO online. And I can see I have a lot of the issues that cause it. I was told by a radiologist that my neck is filled with ropey scar tissue (on top of my thyroid cancer and leukemia nodes!). And I've had FIVE abdominal surgeries!!! I'm doing PT now to try to keep myself moving, and maybe even buying a bicycle, as maybe I can break the adhesions (can that even be done!) I've been basically sitting, when not shopping or going to doctors, so I need to increase movement also which might help with SBO to keep things "flowing ". Just some ideas posted in my last post and this one now that I know what SBO is !

I had my initial colon surgery to remove my tumor in June 2019. I needed a second emergency surgery 10 days later. I started chemo and immediately developed horrible diarrhea and spasms. They had me stop the xeloda, and a few days later I developed horrible abdominal pain requiring me to be transported to hospital. I had a SBO caused by adhesions. They did multiple things to try and clear it (the last being a small bowel follow through scan) and at that point, I started throwing up contrast mixed with stool so ended up having surgery. He got rid of 15 cm of small bowel and removed tons of adhesions. But my bowel was nicked (we didn’t know) and I developed a leak. This turned into a fistula that eventually turned into a perforation and sepsis. When they repaired the perforation, he removed more adhesions. I haven’t had any obstructions since but have had a few times where I felt the symptoms coming on. I immediately stop eating, drown myself with fluids, heating pad and massage constantly. It’s always in the same place and I can deeply massage until the pain clears.
The obstruction was very stressful and mentally wrecked me for a good three or four months. My husband was out of town and I had to leave my kids by themselves for hours while he flew home. The pain was horrific and the NG tube was awful so I feel for your wife a lot. I would recommend surgery for her

Small Bowel Obstruction! sounds somewhat more palatable as an acronym....

I am so sorry you have had so many awful things happen. Five abdominal surgeries on top of everything else.. ugh. I have had four ectopic pregnancies, a myomectomy, tube surgery and finally a hysterectomy, so I feel for you.

Thank you for your ideas... I also find that exercise helps... I have a stationery bike at home and bike almost every day for a half hour. I also walk (the dog helps!) once or twice a day ... when it is not snowy or icy - I have osteoporosis so I have to be really careful in the winter. And, I lift weights every week... I remember the first time I was hospitalized, a nurse told me to walk as much around the ward as I could (I felt like a colicky mare!).

I am so sorry to hear all that. I hope you are feeling better, and I really like the ways you are self managing - I follow a similar regimen when I feel a SBO coming on... massage, heat, liquid diet, etc.

I'm actually off to PT where last time they put me on the bike with no tension at all for almost two miles, so I expect they will again! However I was nearly crippled last time as I have torn menisus in both knees and I hope bicycling is not going to aggravate my "not needed yet" surgery!! I wish I had a dog.... have no backup person to walk or take care of it in case of emergency medical. I did have a dog before my massive hernia surgery in 2019 and between walking the dog and diet change I lost 50 lbs in two months! I hate walking by myself. I'm bad company lol!!
I can't even comfortably lift 3 lb weights!! Really out of shape. Yet I can handle 25 lb bags of cat litter and 5 gallon water jugs!!

I am soooo sorry to hear of all you went through !! I suffered PTSD from my perforated bowel obstruction which burst my bowel. I also remember I had sepsis as well. Had a colostomy placed. Hospitalized three weeks without a doctor as the ER doc who performed surgery went on vacation the next day and I was left with five residents making my medical decisions. Came down with a secondary infection. I was put in all the worst rooms in the hospital. They ran out of my colostomy bags! Ran out of my meds. One room was leaking water on my clean clothes. PT people would come to pound my back to keep pneumonia away, every day at lunchtime while I was eating and never came back later on. I'm surprised I survived that whole 3 weeks in the hospital! To this day when I feel the need to be traumatized, I look at the photos of my stomach and the hospital records.......when doctors don't know what they are doing, which I find is happening more and more, the patient gets mentally destroyed. I can't imagine going through what you did with children at home!

Good for you! Keep going... I wish we lived closer as you could join my standard poodle and me for our daily walk. Congrats on the weight loss - I know how important that is... If you can lift litter and water, you'll be able to lift weights.. maybe you should channel your "inner litter" and pretend the 3 lb weight is a sack of kitty litter... hmm .. Hang in! We can do this!