large intestine removal

[brettswife]

I am 41yrs old and having my large intestine removed and my small intestine attached to my rectum.....I am very nearvous just for the fact that I work at a place that I can't just get up and walk away from my desk.(Police Department) to use the bathroom!  Do you get any kind of warning or does it hit all of a sudden?  The Dr adivsed that I would lose about 5lbs after they remove my intestine and probably much more after....has anybody had that?  I would appreciate any kind of input that you anybody can give.....

[Clg409]

I had a my entire large intestine removed 2013. No bag just resectioned to small intestine. My BM's are still pure liquid almost always, 10-15 times a day consistently. I am 109 and almost 5'8 that is very under weight. It doesnt matter what I eat or dont eat. I have been put on every anti diarrheal medicTion even meds used for chemo patients for flushing (octreotide) which just makes me completely weak and tired. Now they are talking put IV fluid in my home. Anyone else heard of such extreme issues or am I the only lucky one?

[teepot]

I have had a total large intestine removal because of a punctured bowel that happened during test in a doctors office. It was an emergency and I was sent to emergency in my own car. By the time I arrived I was totally oblivious to what was happening to me. I had surgery and was in icu for 30 days on a breathing machine. Sorry if I scare you, but please find out everything you need to know before you have this done. I am happy I did, because I am alive to tell you about it. My life today is consistent to other paitents with frequent bathroom problems and mostly I have to watch closely what I eat. My meat comes from a blender and I am unable to eat fruit or vegatables. Maybe my case is different from a planned surgery, as I am sure it is. I wish you luck and lots of family support and love. Thats what brought me back and gave me the will to live.

[barnaby100]

I had my large intestine/bowel removed 23 years ago when I was 18. I had very sudden ulcerative collitis caused they think by cholera. It was all removed and reconnected in 1 op- small bowel to rectum. At first I had sudden need to go to the loo- lots of accidents- went up to 20 times a day for first year. Then it gradually got less and less. Now  I go to the loo 3-4 times a day- for about 15 years I had to get up in the night- but not now. At best its like toothpaste- mostly much looser but very much under control. I can eat anything but dont digest some things (peas, mushrooms, nuts etc, some fruits but thats ok and they dont cause any problems). I put on weight and now sadly have a BMI of 25 which isnt great but given that I weighed 6 stone at 5 foot 7 at my lowest point its ok. Only downside is that I tend to get hemorrhoids about once a year and I have a rumbly tummy at times!. It hasnt stopped me doing anything- not had a day off work with it in 20 years- climbed mountains- trekked around asia etc etc
If I hadnt had the op I would have died but I can honestly say it has not hampered my life in anyway. Many of my newer friends dont even know. Please dont be put off my the negative comments in some postings- everyone is different but I have a wonderful quality of life and 2 great children - all after this op.

[mammo]

This is a common procedure and I have had 5 members of my family have their colon removed.  At first they had very frequent bowel movements but immediately started taking Imodium Anit-Diarrheamedication on the advice of their GI docs.  Thishelped a lot.  After  while you will learn what causes you to go more often and can adjust your diet accordingly.  My son is almost 39, had his colon removed at 12 and it never even slowed him down!  He is a marathoner, ultra-thoner, mountain biker,competes in jujitsu, and an avid hiker.  You will find that you become dehydrated easier without a colon, so keep yourself hydrated especially during exercise,  hot weather, and during any diarrhea, best done with orange juice and gatorade.  Also, you will find that if you get a stomach virus, it will hit you harder than a person with a colon.  If you get a stomach virus and are vomiting and having diarrhea you may want to go to the ER for IV hydration.  My son usaully has to do this about once a year when he gets a stomach virus.  He stays for about 3 hours, and is well enough to go home.  He lives a very full, normal life, he works out and has had no problems with his weight.  There is the inconvenience of going to the restroom often in the first 6 weeks, but then it improves

[Morecambe]

Hi - did you have a look at the http....523166 posting to which I referred to above in my 5 August 2008 posting?

If not take a look at it and do come back with any further questions

regards
Morecambe

[nmax429]

I am 17 years old and am having my large intestine removed in december. I am very nervous about the after-effects of the surgery and am wondering if you have experienced any problems due to the surgery. Thanks for your help :)

[Morecambe]

Hi - first of all thanks for the nice words Calgal!!  

Just to make it easier for you to find the most relevant posting, I suggest you try to log on to:-

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/523166

In my case, the urgency of going to the toilet for a #2 will lessened as time passed.  Probably in the first 4-6 weeks you will be in a situation of "when you have to go - then you have to go..."  However, during this period I doubt you will have returned to work since it does take time to recover fully from this major operation.  After 4-6 weeks then you can probably "hold back" for maybe 5-10 minutes without "an accident".

However, you can probably do something to manage this - perhaps every time you visit the toilet to do a #1 (~8 times per day???) then try to do a #2 (or a partial #2) at the same time.

I lost weight before and after the operation but this was probably as a result of IV fluids and minimal calorific feeding as well as reduced appetite for several weeks after the operation.  However, my operation coincided with the time of my retirement and, much to my shame, I have put on some weight.  This is probably caused by no work-related stress, getting a bit lazy in retirement and succumbing to too many chocolate biscuits during the day!!

However, if you are overweight then this operation and its associated aftermath does give you a "crutch" with which to lose weight.

If your weight is normal then you do need to keep contact with your doctors/surgeon if you find that after the operation, your appetite becomes suppressed such that you are losing weight.

Hope this helps - do come back if you have any further questions.  

Good luck
Morecambe

[CalGal]

Brettswife, look up Morecambe's posts. They will give you some of the best advice about how this operation will affect you and things that you can do to help yourself.