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Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?
Three months after colon resection I had a severe stomach cramp this morning and have not had a bowel movement yet. This is the first time this has happened. So far things have been good.
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You are very welcome. Not sure I told you but I live in Washington state so if you walk this time of year, bundle up! If you run across any tidbits of info or anything that has helped you, I would love to hear from you. Happy healing ❤️
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1 ReactionThank you Virgo for this reply. I too feel that each of us are different and just have to adjust. I slept good last night too with NO nerve pain and little pain in stomach. I thank God for that ! Jitters just about gone , so I feel I am getting better by the day. If we all look back on how we felt a month ago, we could say we are much better than we were. I do try to walk everyday when it is nice out and not too cold. I live in N.C. and the weather changes everyday. I feel I have not regained all of my strength back, for it takes alot out of you. But that will come in time too. My outlook and overall attitude is much better. Have a wonderful day and thanks for your post .
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4 ReactionsGood morning. I’m so glad to hear you are feeling better! It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride with this surgery. A lot of “what to expect” I found was not addressed, but maybe, medical professionals are reluctant to share what MAY happen. . After I wrote a response to your chat entry, I went back through previous entries/responses and found many people having similar experiences on similar points of healing. I was reminded that I have gotten better. The thing is, I think you have to figure out when, what and how to go on with causing as little irritation to your system. I just have had a few days where I struggled with some abdominal pain, gas, and bowel frequency; When I reread the previous entries from members, I found several members report the same thing at 5-6 months. Based on this info, I’ve up my fiber drink and backing off on raw foods. I think, for me, that’s how it’s going to be. It may change in time, but it is still better than a worse outcome. I think you have made a big leap in your healing process. Sounds like your body is starting to adjust and “ do it!s thing”. Keeping any inflammation in check is the key. Each of us has to figure out what that is individually. Keep sharing what works and establishing a blueprint for new members. Take care virgo1952
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2 ReactionsThank you for this info. I had first good nights sleep last night in 1 month. No leg pain either, but I had gone so long without sleep I probably passed out and did'"t know it. lol Today have had 3 bm that were normal so I thank God for that. Still having pain in lower belly where incision was and an uncomfortable feeling in upper belly. I drink probably 50 oz. of water daily , only 1 cup of decaf coffee. I am hoping by the end of April I will feel so much better. Trying to eat small meals, that seems to help . Drinking 1 glass of Metamucil a day has really helped bulk up my stools and it depends on what I eat also. But it does help me. Thank you and pray we will soon have our life back and be well.
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2 ReactionsHow did your CT scan turn out ?
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1 ReactionI had the same thing happen to me. I am 71 and had resection done 2 months ago. I was doing really good for a change last week . Now I have pain all across stomach every day ! Have taken Tylenol, no help. I am so tired of not feeling good and so sick of complaining all the time. The pain is more pronounced on the opposite side of surgery.
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2 Reactions@carlyrn - I’m sorry you are going through these pain episodes- while being pregnant too.
First- you had major surgery in October and lost part of your intestine -in the process the nerve supply probably was interrupted and has not had time yet to regrow. Therefore, it is easy to understand why you have constipation too. Irregular peristalsis. It’s good that the ER tests were normal though. Unfortunate that the staff didn’t treat you well. Are you able to contact your surgeon or gastroenterologist to talk about what’s happening and what else can do to alleviate the constipation?
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3 ReactionsHi. You kind of sound like me when I connected with this group. Different circumstances but same surgery. You are not alone with frequent bowel movements and stomach pain. I remember Coleen telling me to be patient and it was early days. I think I got more information and support from this chat group then from local medical facilities. Ask Colleen about a member who also experienced leg pain and numbness. He might have some pointers. Not sure about your pain. Mine was the actual incision healing. The surgeon cut through abdomen muscle. I also think you experience stomach pain with your body adjusting to a new normal. I know taking gas pills and picking foods that were easily digested (noodles, few veggies, chicken, no hot, no spicy), I still can’t eat chocolate☹️ It’s been five months and I have a scheduled eating routine that allows me to have my day and stay regular. What that means for me is still having multiple bowel movements, but not feeling housebound. I eat a lot of fibrous foods (now), but mostly, I drink a lot of water/liquids and exercise daily. Also, Citracil has been helpful when needed. At this point, it’s working and I can live with this. Working towards normalizing my bowel frequency, that just takes time I hope you start feeling better. It was 21/2-3 months before I started seeing a marked improvement .
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3 ReactionsHi @carlyrn, am I correct in understanding that you are currently pregnant? Were you given any dietary regime to follow to help ease the constipation? Normally, I might suggest getting a second opinion, however that will likely be impossible during this time of the coronavirus crisis. Can you request a tele-consult?
I'd also like to bring other members into this discussion who may have some thoughts and experiences to share, like @astaingegerdm and @virgo1952
@mizreehop1896, like @lisag03 said, 2 months after surgery is not very long. Her friend had her sigmoid removed because of diverticulitis and said it took over a year to feel normal. It is so hard to heal if you can't get proper sleep. Is there anything that helps you sleep better?
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1 ReactionI am 2 months post op . Was dong fairly good until I started waking up with the jitters every morning after a night of no sleep because of nerve pain gong down my legs. Never had that until after surgery. I am really regretting I ever had the surgery. I would rather deal with the Diverticulosis than this. Stinging, burning pain across lower abdomen and uneasy feeling in lower stomach. I go to bathroom constantly and have gone as much as 10 times a day! My urine just flows from me, not much control at all, I am getting really depressed because when you are hurting all the time , you don't want to do anything. I have prayed for the Lord to take this pain from me. Doctor says that everything inside and out is healed and there is nothing I can do to hurt my insides. THEN WHY AM I STILL HURTING ??? He says it is nerve pain and it will subside, but WHEN ? I just want my life back. I am 71 years old , but I have always liked to stay busy and now somedays I don't feel like doing anything but sit. Anybody out there going through this too ??