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after effects of bowel surgery

I am seven weeks post op after lower bowel resection and I am experiencing frequent water and flatulence problems. I also get occasional mucus. Will this get better and if so when can I expect an improvement. I am a slave to the toilet at the moment.

Regards


This discussion is related to Segmental resection of colon.
18 Responses
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433485 tn?1321813390
Hi there.  Thanks for the good feedback.  I spoke with another woman, who posts on this site a lot and she made an interesting and good point," there is no normal bowel movement after this type of surgery" or something like that.  Anyway, I am feeling better pain wise as well as mentally.  I think that the worry creates that awful vicious cycle.  I do notice that some foods cause me irritation the next day. For example, anything really salty, like chips, which I love!  I guess it is a matter of finding out what the foods are that cause problems.  
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Avatar universal
I started this forum (booker14) and I am now over four months in. It was a great help to read about everyones problems and what I did get above all else was that we are all very different. Thankfully I can now eat anything and am relatively back to nornal albeit taking two Imodium every day. I think if I didn't drink more wine than I ought I could probably reduce them too. Looking back I seemed to rid myself of  about a symptom a week. It does make sense and I agree with cgamer about not worrying about it after a while.  I feel glad that what I had, was caught early. One other thing I did read was that Tylenol was hard to give up, so I would be careful about that and all those things block you up anyway and to my mind can make things worse or at the least confuse the symptoms.
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500521 tn?1210085799
I have decided not to worry about anything to do with my bowels anymore.  I will if something extremely unusal occurs, but until then, I'm going to go on as if all is good.  My mother used to be a worrier and I was that way at first, then I realized it didn't change a darn thing.  I think it is the same here.  Sometimes its the worrying that makes it worse.  Does that make any sense????  So I'm doing great.  Had a good weekend and am eating well.  Actually working on losing weight right now.  Building on my exercises too!  I feel it will only help, not only physically but mentally as well.
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433485 tn?1321813390
I seem to be doing better with pain.  Went back to see my GI, last week. I think he thinks I am a hypochondriac.  I think my surgeon does too...lol.  I go see him in July.  What I am noticing is that my bowel movements seem smaller.  I am going regularly, about 3 times in the morning, which is normal for me but they seem smaller around.  I also have occasional diarrea but think that is dependent on what I eat.  I know that on Memorial Day we went to a BBQ and I got about 3/4 through a nice burger when I realized that the bun had sesame seeds on it.  I called surg. the next day and got a nice return call from his MA saying that if those (or any other foods) irritate me to stay away from them.  I am more concerned about the thinner bowel movements but not sure what is or isn't normal.....
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500521 tn?1210085799
Yes, I think she still has pain, don't know how much though.  I seem to be pretty much pain free!  I'm on my 6 weeks from surgery day today.  I can't believe it.  I was thinking this was never going to get better.  So, it seems to me that you sound like you are bending over instead of standing up straight?  Is that right?  You really need to work on getting straight, or you're going to be stuck like that.  It will probably hurt, for a while but will get better.  I'm so sorry that you are still struggling with the pain.  I'm telling you, you and my sister are about the same.  She is out doing yard work and trying to work through the pain, I think hoping it will strengthen the muscles.
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433485 tn?1321813390
Hi.  Does your sister still have any pain?  I notice that, mostly during the week, I am quite sore when I get home.  I think it is due to stress as I am a GED teacher for youth and they give me more headaches, I think, than my own teenagers did.  Lol.  My GI doesn't want me taking anything for pain, not even Ibroprofen....He said he wants me to "feel the pain"  personally, I think he thinks I am a nutcase as he also talked about counseling for my excessive worrying...lol.  I have to laugh as I am a clinical depressive, since age 9, and take meds for both depression as well as anxiety.  He recommended yoga or sometype of stretching exercises as he says it "opens up the area" rather than hunching over, which would cause pain.
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500521 tn?1210085799
You and my sister are two peas in a pod.  I sometimes wonder if we had the same surgery.  LOL!   I know we did, but the things you are experiencing are the same as hers.  I talked to her this morning and she says she thinks she can actually feel the food moving through her system, and that it its quiet painful sometimes.  And she usually ends up with diarrhea too.  I haven't had that, thank goodness.  I do chew longer, just from thinking it through in my mind that it would help.  
Well, have a great holiday weekend, we are off and driving to my daughters home.  I get to see my grandchildren.  I'm so excited.
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433485 tn?1321813390
Hi.  I have not experienced that type of pain but have noticed that some foods will cause very loose stools or diarrhea, which will leave me very sore in the area where I had the re-section.  I have not even tried to eat coconut yet! I love BBQ pork but I notice that I need to take very small bites and chew very well.... that is for all foods, really, which is what the nutritionist told me in the hospital..
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500521 tn?1210085799
So glad to hear I'm not the only one with a husband that watches and worries.  Glad to hear you're check up went well.  Sounds like good advice with the stretching.  Long ago I found the value in stress release activities.  Mine is sewing and quilting.  It occupies my mind and allows me to relax.  It has also been know to get rid of headaches for me.  I have completely gone off pain meds, accept for the tylenol.  Last night we went out to dinner with friends, and ate something that I shouldn't have.  My stomach felt like someone was squeezing in from the bottom up to the top then releasing it.  When the squeezing was going on it was extreme pain, then it would release, and no pain.  Does that happen to you???  I think it was BBQ pork from a chinese rest.  The last time it happened was after eating an almond joy bar.  It was the coconut then.
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433485 tn?1321813390
Hi.  Good for you doing some yard work.  I had to laugh as my husband watches me, on the weekends, to make sure I am not doing too much.  I find that I tire very easily so know when to stop.  I had my follow up, yesterday, and GI says I am doing well.  He also talked with me, a lot, about my anxiety and worry over my health.  They were good, kind words that I needed to hear.  He wants me off the Vicodin as he says that I am too focused on the pain.  Rather, he recommended some type of stretching exercises, like Yoga as he says that that is a good way to stretch out the intestine(?).  I think what he meant was that when you are sitting hunched over, it hurts me.  Also, he recommended some type of stress release, besides that.  I have known him for years and he knows what a worry wart I am...
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500521 tn?1210085799
I actually did yard work this past weekend.  Only for a little while, didn't want my husband mad at me for overdoing.  It felt good to do something more than walking.  My pain level is about gone.  Also went shopping, got worn out with that.  LOL.  But still had fun.  
I'm taking Metamucil capsules (2) every morning and now and again a stool softner.  I haven't had any trouble with bm.  I did find that coconut about killed me.  So I'll avoid that for a while.  
I don't have any follow up appts.  I go back for another colonoscopy in 3 yrs.
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433485 tn?1321813390
Hi.  Boy, you sound just like I was when you say that you get sore around 2.  That is exactly how I was...pain is much better now except when I eat something that doesn't agree.  I notice that I will wake up during the night and have several bms...and be sore the next day as sometimes they are like diarrhea.  I am trying to figure what it is but suspect any type of chips, possibly the salt??? Anyway, I am now back on fiber and take Citrucell FiberShake, every morning.  It seems to work well and doesn't cause the cramping that I was having.  I go back to my GI for my first follow up with him, on the 19th.  I go back to the surgeon in July.  They may due a CT as there is still some pain.  He wants to wait until then.  I am curious about your sister's possible scar tissue.  I have heard a lot about that in this forum.  I am wondering if that may be why they may want to do  a CT.  I wonder what they do about it if there is scar tissue or adhesions...
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500521 tn?1210085799
What a losey way to spend the holiday's!  I have also started back on fiber, no cramping so it seems to be doing okay.  I'm going to try to just use Tylenol for now on.  We'll see.  My pain level is okay.  Although I get tired and sore around 2 pm in the afternoon.  I went back to work a couple of weeks ago.  Not sure what I was thinking.  But, I sit at a desk most of the time, so not to hard.  My sister's pain level seems higher than mine.  She also had some of her small intestine taken, so she is thinking it has something to do with that, or scar tissue.  I have a high tolerance for pain, I'm just tired of the whole thing.  We are going to be going on a cruise in July, so I want to get back to being able to do things without too much strains.
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433485 tn?1321813390
My resection was not due to cancer but to multiple episodes of diverticulitis.  6 within 5 months, to be exact!  I ended up spending the holidays in the hospital, where I met the surgeon who did my surgery ( Jan. 24th). I started back on the fiber and seem to be doing well with Citrucell Fiber Shake. However, I notice that sometimes I alternate between nice, normal ( whatever that is  lol  ) bowel movements and diarrea.  I think that it depends on what I eat. I am still taking small amounts of pain meds as I notice some soreness, cramping after diarrea.  I am having my first GI follow up on May 19th as the surgeon has partially released me.  He may recommend CT scan in pain continues.  I think to make sure there is not scar tissue but not sure.  How are you and your sister's pain levels?  I think I am a big baby about all of this.... I have a low pain tolerance and a very high med tolerance.  I am a small woman, 51, but had to be put on large doses of pain meds in hospital ( Diladuad sp?) as morphine was not working at all.   Take care and how all is well.
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500521 tn?1210085799
Thanks Sue357
for responding.  My twin sister and I both had the surgery.  Her was at the end of Feb. 2008, they did find cancer on her but we got it so early she is now cancer free.  So then I was checked and was headed down the same road.  So also had the surgery.  So the fiber seems to be causing you cramping.  I am having pain that seems to come in waves, not sure if it is just part of the digesting process going on or what.  It also seems when I eat something, I have a wave of pain and then it eases up.  Hopefully that will go away too.
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433485 tn?1321813390
Hi.  I am over 3 months, now,  post op from having 7 inches of my sigmoid colon removed.  I thought I was impatient...lol, as I am still having some pain but it is better than when I was only 3 weeks post op.  I am having normal bm, for the most part, but sometimes alternate between that and constipation.  My surgeon has me taking fiber supplements now, but I would check with yours to see if that would help.  I know that after a month, I tried to resume fiber but was experiencing cramping so stopped for awhile.
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500521 tn?1210085799
I am 3 weeks from colon resection.  I must be impatient.  I was so hoping to find that I should be past the pain by now.  I am not having any problems with flatulence or bowel movements.  But, when I eat or drink I have pain.  More of an uncomfortableness.  Is this normal, when will it stop???
Cgarner
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433485 tn?1321813390
Hi.  I am over 8 weeks post op from a lower sigmoid colon resection.  I have experienced some flatulence but not a lot.  My problem( at least I think it is ) is that I am still experiencing some pain and am still taking pain meds ( Vicodin 1 or so a day).  I have not noticed any mucus and am not sure what you mean in regards to water.  Hope you are doing better.  
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