Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?

Hang in there, everyday it does get better. Don't measure your situation by projecting what has not happened, yet, or what occurred in different circumstances to others. They don't necessarily apply to your own situation or progress. One thing that did seem to help is that I forced myself to walk around the house every few minutes and returned to easy activities. It raised my expectations and diverted my suffering. Baby steps, like doing the smallest of tasks i.e., emptying the dishwasher even if it takes you twice the time as before. Four or five months from now you will be doing things you can't do right now, and you will feel empowered as you improve.

I am not familiar with a right hemicollectomy procedure. What exactly is that? I had a sigmoidectomy due to diverticulitis. I am only four weeks post surgery. I am experiencing little twinges, tugs and pulling type of pains inside but I’m assuming that is part of the healing process. Walking and moving around a lot seems to help them. The recovering sucks!

Three months after doing right hemicollectomy procedure I stii have pinchy tug in my right side.
Also why am I having severe right shoulder pain and how will I sort these out

Wow! I can’t even imagine all that you have gone through. Thinking of five weeks in the hospital and all the other weeks out of the hospital and that was just with one of your surgeries. You have been through so much.
We sure find out how much stronger we are than we think we were to begin with. I am hopeful when you say that you are back to eating normally. I have been working out for about the last 22 years. First a lot of Zumba, strength training classes and now I have my own stationary bike. We primarily eat fresh fruits and veggies and try to eat very healthy. I do believe all my working out is helping me recover from this as it did two years ago when I had bladder surgery. I am four weeks out and I actually sat on my bike and peddled super slow for 20 minutes. I was pretty proud of myself. I know it will take a while and I have to make sure I not use my core much. But I feel mentally better when I’m trying to get some kind of exercise. Three weeks leading up to my surgery I was doing just arm exercises because I was so afraid to get some kind of flareup. I was on antibiotics about every two or three weeks since the middle of February. My body is totally depleted but I am working my way back. Still on a low fiber diet since it’s only been four weeks. Hard to get in my brain that that bad area is out I am trying to get plumbing to work correctly if you know what I mean. Arm exercises helped a lot after my surgery trying to pull up my bottom half out of bed. So I’m glad I did it. Stay strong and I hope things continue going well for you. You are an inspiration!

The first one was to remove a cancerous tumor and I had two areas that were resected (one was at the sigmoid and the other was removal of ileocecal valve and appendix ovary etc) so two resections. About 10 days after that initial surgery, I was still hospitalized and feeling very sick. It didn’t get better and my drain was producing fecal material so they opened me back up and there was a leak at theresected site (the one at the ileocecal area) Two months later I developed a small bowel obstruction and it wouldn’t clear so they removed a portion of small bowel. Unbeknownst to any of us, my small bowel was possibly knickers and I developed an enterocutaneous fistula. They couldn’t fix it surgically because I was not strong enough for another procedure so we just waited to see if the bowel would heal. Ultimately it didn’t and the fistula broke loose and perforated my colon. I had emergency surgery and a fourth resection. I developed sepsis and also had a small leak so I was put in full bowel rest for 12 weeks (five of those weeks in the hospital)

I am definitely an unusual case and had lots of set backs. But the only thing that I also good things that happened. I never had to have a colostomy and I am now doing really well. I haven’t had any LARS symptoms and I’m able to eat what I normally was (I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and a somewhat high fiber diet). I feel like because I have ulcerative colitis, my colon probably was already inflamed. At the time, I felt overwhelmed with everything that went on, but I do feel like it all happened the way it had to. I do still have bloating and I don’t think that will ever go away but compared to a lot of people, my struggle is minimal

Vanessa 89
I have also read all of these comments in this group even more than once. Always trying to gain knowledge of this type of condition that leads to having surgery.
It sounds like you have so much going on. My heart really goes out to you and I want to send you hugs.
I am four weeks out from my sigmoidectomy and it has been filled with ups and downs of the way I feel physically and mentally. The one thing is you need to always be an advocate for yourself. You need to figure out what is best for you when it comes to the type of surgery that you feel that you need. It sounds like yours is stemming from your endometriosis? I am thinking if you try to treat the root cause hopefully everything else will fall into place.
With my surgery I felt like I did not want to go on feeling that constant pain all the time. Depleting my body with all the antibiotics and having nothing work. I am glad I had the surgery but being 67 years old I am frustrated at not recovering as fast as I want.
For years I have been doing spin cycle workouts four mornings a week and that got cut short when I got caught up in all this four months ago. Do you research. Talk to all the doctors and make best decision for you. I wish you luck in your next surgery whatever it may be.

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.

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.

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.

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.