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Colectomy to treat constipation?!?!
Please help, I have reached a point of nervousness and concern. Even with that I am hopeful that this will solve the problem.
I am scheduled to have a colectomy in about a month. My surgeon has tried everything he can think of to help fix my constipation problems. At this point I am lucky to have a bowel movement every two weeks, but have gotten into a routine of having to have a disimpaction about once a month. My surgeon had sent me to a specialist (no results from the specialist). At a follow up with my surgeon, he had mentioned the possibility of removing my colon. He told me he had to go to a conference and would ask some of his colleagues for their opinions. With that being said, I got a call from his office yesterday. The nurse had told me that my surgeon had called him to let me know that the general consensus was that I needed to have my colon removed.
I scheduled the surgery for the next available date (my surgeon will get back basically in time to do the surgery). This means I do not really have an opportunity to talk to my surgeon before hand. I have a feeling I will not be able to get many answers before the surgery date comes.
I do not really know exactly what my surgeon will be doing - other than removing the colon. I am hoping I will not end up with an ostomy (temporary or permanent). I have no idea what to expect after the surgery. Having to wait a month without answers is a little nerve-racking.
If anyone has had a colectomy to treat chronic constipation and could share some information with me I would really appreciate it. Right now I am sitting in the dark waiting for a little light to shine in.
Thank you for your help.
Quartzn99
I am scheduled to have a colectomy in about a month. My surgeon has tried everything he can think of to help fix my constipation problems. At this point I am lucky to have a bowel movement every two weeks, but have gotten into a routine of having to have a disimpaction about once a month. My surgeon had sent me to a specialist (no results from the specialist). At a follow up with my surgeon, he had mentioned the possibility of removing my colon. He told me he had to go to a conference and would ask some of his colleagues for their opinions. With that being said, I got a call from his office yesterday. The nurse had told me that my surgeon had called him to let me know that the general consensus was that I needed to have my colon removed.
I scheduled the surgery for the next available date (my surgeon will get back basically in time to do the surgery). This means I do not really have an opportunity to talk to my surgeon before hand. I have a feeling I will not be able to get many answers before the surgery date comes.
I do not really know exactly what my surgeon will be doing - other than removing the colon. I am hoping I will not end up with an ostomy (temporary or permanent). I have no idea what to expect after the surgery. Having to wait a month without answers is a little nerve-racking.
If anyone has had a colectomy to treat chronic constipation and could share some information with me I would really appreciate it. Right now I am sitting in the dark waiting for a little light to shine in.
Thank you for your help.
Quartzn99
Lvfrogs,
Sorry I didn’t reply to you sooner, I didn’t see your message until today February 26, 2012. Not sure why I didn’t see it until now, but signed back into my account to look for some other information on a different topic (having issues following the Plan B pills). You are more than welcome for all the information I can give you. I am happy that I was able to help you through some of this and I am still willing to talk about anything regarding it with you.
Thank you, school was rough but I am happy that all of my medical issues didn’t interfere with it too much. I just started a masters program for counseling and am looking forward to the next 2 years of school to get that done. I am a bit healthier now so I am hoping school will seem a little easier this go round.
I am happy you are doing well following the surgery. I have to say the first couple months seemed the hardest for me, but I also had a lot of complications from the surgery so I really am hoping you don’t have to go through any of that. Congratulations on the 5 hour drive and cruise. That really is a big step when you are able to do something like that after going so long with GI problems.
I do not eat many fruits or vegetables due to my food allergies so on that I can’t really tell you what to expect. I do eat meat and eggs. I eat more meat than eggs but that is personal preference not for any GI related issues. I have been eating meets and a regular diet for a while now and really don’t have too many issues. I have noticed if I eat or drink much dairy I end up with VERY runny stools. I’m not sure if that is related to the colectomy or my lactose intolerance. Other than my food allergies, I am not following any special diet. I am supposed to because I am still losing a good deal of weight but I find it more enjoyable to eat what I want when I want instead of being told what and when to eat. The only thing I really avoid since the surgery is spicy foods. I have found that if it is spicy in my mouth it will be in my stomach, intestines, and when it comes out… That is not the most enjoyable experience. I have also found that tomato based products tend to increase the frequency and liquefy my stools but it hasn’t been bad enough to make me decrease who much I eat. I just know if I choose to eat it I am choosing to make a few trips to the bathroom for a day or 2 afterwards.
As I am approaching 1 year post-op (March 4th) I guess it is time for a review of my life and GI system. I am still battling nausea and the vomiting has eased up a little bit, but it is still there. My primary doc is currently trying to convince me that I will never have a normal digestive system, but things are SO much better than they were. My bms have slowed down a lot at this point. Oddly enough I still have some issues with constipation, but now at most I go 4-5 days without going. I can deal with 4-5 days so much better than over a month. I do have days when for whatever reason I have to make 5-6 urgent trips to the bathroom (don’t have many days when its more than that). On those days my stools are anywhere from slightly colored water to just runny consistency. I have noticed any time I eat lettuce it seems to come out the same consistency and color as it would if I chewed it and spit it out (I know that may be a little graphic, but at this point are any of us not used to that? lol). When I go a few days without going to the bathroom my stools are firm, but not hard. I do still occasionally get intestinal cramps but I do not get the pain I use to have prior to the surgery.
I currently am taking byntl (sp?) for the cramps, pepcid, viibryd to give me the munchies and to prevent constipation, and cymbalta to prevent abdominal pain (cymbalta does cause very watery stools for me, not sure why and my doc doesn’t really know either), plus I still take my promethazine and zophran for nausea. I am able to travel pretty well, I do have to watch what I eat and how far the next rest stop is if I eat while driving, but I don’t really have any problems with that. As embarrassing as it is, I have learned it is always good to carry an extra pair of panties. There have been a few times when I thought it was just gas and I have been wrong. That does not happen very often though, but I like to be prepared at all times incase it does. I have been lucky enough that that has not happened while at work. That is another BIG advantage for me. I am not in so much pain like I was prior to the surgery so I have been able to work full time. I question my sanity for working full time and full time in the masters program, but that is only due to the work load not anything from GI issues. I do find it a little embarrassing to have to go to the bathroom frequently while at work, but I would much rather do that than not go at all. I am still 100% happy I had the surgery. I have not once thought it would have been better without it. I still do not get the cramps, nausea, and diarrhea with my periods like I used to get prior to the bowel resection I had in Sept 2010. Still not sure why or how that surgery fixed those issues, but I am not complaining about it one bit.
How are you doing since you had the surgery? I hope everything is still improving. The weight loss can be a mixed blessing depending on how you look at it and where you are in general with your weight. You mentioned you don’t eat much, why is that? Just curious on your appetite, mine has been pretty low. I have days where I may only eat one or two small snacks and feel fine with that, but that is why my doc put me on the viibryd.
I wish you all the best of luck and health and hope to talk to you soon if we can get back into checking in a little more frequently. Feel free to email me anytime if you have any questions (my email goes to my phone so I will see it no more than a few hours after you send it).
Quartzn99
Sorry I didn’t reply to you sooner, I didn’t see your message until today February 26, 2012. Not sure why I didn’t see it until now, but signed back into my account to look for some other information on a different topic (having issues following the Plan B pills). You are more than welcome for all the information I can give you. I am happy that I was able to help you through some of this and I am still willing to talk about anything regarding it with you.
Thank you, school was rough but I am happy that all of my medical issues didn’t interfere with it too much. I just started a masters program for counseling and am looking forward to the next 2 years of school to get that done. I am a bit healthier now so I am hoping school will seem a little easier this go round.
I am happy you are doing well following the surgery. I have to say the first couple months seemed the hardest for me, but I also had a lot of complications from the surgery so I really am hoping you don’t have to go through any of that. Congratulations on the 5 hour drive and cruise. That really is a big step when you are able to do something like that after going so long with GI problems.
I do not eat many fruits or vegetables due to my food allergies so on that I can’t really tell you what to expect. I do eat meat and eggs. I eat more meat than eggs but that is personal preference not for any GI related issues. I have been eating meets and a regular diet for a while now and really don’t have too many issues. I have noticed if I eat or drink much dairy I end up with VERY runny stools. I’m not sure if that is related to the colectomy or my lactose intolerance. Other than my food allergies, I am not following any special diet. I am supposed to because I am still losing a good deal of weight but I find it more enjoyable to eat what I want when I want instead of being told what and when to eat. The only thing I really avoid since the surgery is spicy foods. I have found that if it is spicy in my mouth it will be in my stomach, intestines, and when it comes out… That is not the most enjoyable experience. I have also found that tomato based products tend to increase the frequency and liquefy my stools but it hasn’t been bad enough to make me decrease who much I eat. I just know if I choose to eat it I am choosing to make a few trips to the bathroom for a day or 2 afterwards.
As I am approaching 1 year post-op (March 4th) I guess it is time for a review of my life and GI system. I am still battling nausea and the vomiting has eased up a little bit, but it is still there. My primary doc is currently trying to convince me that I will never have a normal digestive system, but things are SO much better than they were. My bms have slowed down a lot at this point. Oddly enough I still have some issues with constipation, but now at most I go 4-5 days without going. I can deal with 4-5 days so much better than over a month. I do have days when for whatever reason I have to make 5-6 urgent trips to the bathroom (don’t have many days when its more than that). On those days my stools are anywhere from slightly colored water to just runny consistency. I have noticed any time I eat lettuce it seems to come out the same consistency and color as it would if I chewed it and spit it out (I know that may be a little graphic, but at this point are any of us not used to that? lol). When I go a few days without going to the bathroom my stools are firm, but not hard. I do still occasionally get intestinal cramps but I do not get the pain I use to have prior to the surgery.
I currently am taking byntl (sp?) for the cramps, pepcid, viibryd to give me the munchies and to prevent constipation, and cymbalta to prevent abdominal pain (cymbalta does cause very watery stools for me, not sure why and my doc doesn’t really know either), plus I still take my promethazine and zophran for nausea. I am able to travel pretty well, I do have to watch what I eat and how far the next rest stop is if I eat while driving, but I don’t really have any problems with that. As embarrassing as it is, I have learned it is always good to carry an extra pair of panties. There have been a few times when I thought it was just gas and I have been wrong. That does not happen very often though, but I like to be prepared at all times incase it does. I have been lucky enough that that has not happened while at work. That is another BIG advantage for me. I am not in so much pain like I was prior to the surgery so I have been able to work full time. I question my sanity for working full time and full time in the masters program, but that is only due to the work load not anything from GI issues. I do find it a little embarrassing to have to go to the bathroom frequently while at work, but I would much rather do that than not go at all. I am still 100% happy I had the surgery. I have not once thought it would have been better without it. I still do not get the cramps, nausea, and diarrhea with my periods like I used to get prior to the bowel resection I had in Sept 2010. Still not sure why or how that surgery fixed those issues, but I am not complaining about it one bit.
How are you doing since you had the surgery? I hope everything is still improving. The weight loss can be a mixed blessing depending on how you look at it and where you are in general with your weight. You mentioned you don’t eat much, why is that? Just curious on your appetite, mine has been pretty low. I have days where I may only eat one or two small snacks and feel fine with that, but that is why my doc put me on the viibryd.
I wish you all the best of luck and health and hope to talk to you soon if we can get back into checking in a little more frequently. Feel free to email me anytime if you have any questions (my email goes to my phone so I will see it no more than a few hours after you send it).
Quartzn99
MYNZZZ,
Thank you for sharing your story. I have to be honest and say that I started laughing as I was reading it. Don’t get me wrong, I was not laughing about what you went through, but I was laughing about the fact that almost everything you mentioned I went through. Yes, I took all of the medications you were given. When I started them (though some of them were not fun to take) I had high hopes because I was getting relief. Like you mentioned, I was only able to take them for a short period of time before they quit working for me. Once they quit working I got new meds or doses were changed and I went through the process all over again.
Trying to get cleaned out for the colectomy was a horrible process. By time it was determined that I needed it nothing was working for me other than being put under to have the disimpactions done. My surgeon knew how difficult things were for me because he was the one who did all of the disimpactions and was changing my meds. Because of that he decided I was miserable enough and opted to do the surgery without me being cleaned out. He did give me plenty of antibiotics prior to, during, and after the surgery, but I guess that wasn’t enough to prevent the infections for me. I have to say I am glad I did not end up with the NG tube, though there was a period where I actually asked for it because I got so sick while I was still in the hospital.
The weight loss was an unexpected benefit, I knew I would lose a little bit but not this much. I have reached the point now where I am not sure if the weight loss is still a good thing or not because I am still losing weight. My primary physician is concerned about my weight and is trying to stop it and get me to gain a little bit back. On average I am losing 1-2 pounds per week. I am 5’3” and down to 110 lbs. Prior to the surgery I was in size 11-12 pants, now I am in size 3-4 and those are a little big on me.
Now that you are a couple months out of surgery how are you doing? If you have any questions feel free to ask. At one point I was a little shy about talking about my poop but now I am comfortable with it and am willing to talk to anyone about it lol. Being 25 and talking about your poop seems a little odd for most people and there are days when it seems odd to me, but I would rather talk about it and help people than not.
Quartzn99
Thank you for sharing your story. I have to be honest and say that I started laughing as I was reading it. Don’t get me wrong, I was not laughing about what you went through, but I was laughing about the fact that almost everything you mentioned I went through. Yes, I took all of the medications you were given. When I started them (though some of them were not fun to take) I had high hopes because I was getting relief. Like you mentioned, I was only able to take them for a short period of time before they quit working for me. Once they quit working I got new meds or doses were changed and I went through the process all over again.
Trying to get cleaned out for the colectomy was a horrible process. By time it was determined that I needed it nothing was working for me other than being put under to have the disimpactions done. My surgeon knew how difficult things were for me because he was the one who did all of the disimpactions and was changing my meds. Because of that he decided I was miserable enough and opted to do the surgery without me being cleaned out. He did give me plenty of antibiotics prior to, during, and after the surgery, but I guess that wasn’t enough to prevent the infections for me. I have to say I am glad I did not end up with the NG tube, though there was a period where I actually asked for it because I got so sick while I was still in the hospital.
The weight loss was an unexpected benefit, I knew I would lose a little bit but not this much. I have reached the point now where I am not sure if the weight loss is still a good thing or not because I am still losing weight. My primary physician is concerned about my weight and is trying to stop it and get me to gain a little bit back. On average I am losing 1-2 pounds per week. I am 5’3” and down to 110 lbs. Prior to the surgery I was in size 11-12 pants, now I am in size 3-4 and those are a little big on me.
Now that you are a couple months out of surgery how are you doing? If you have any questions feel free to ask. At one point I was a little shy about talking about my poop but now I am comfortable with it and am willing to talk to anyone about it lol. Being 25 and talking about your poop seems a little odd for most people and there are days when it seems odd to me, but I would rather talk about it and help people than not.
Quartzn99
I hope you read this as I never knew that you had responded to my last post. I am just now reading it and it is December 22nd!! and you wrote a wonderful post to me. So appreciative of that. It helps me to read it even now but I sure wish I had read it after my surgery. I somehow missed it.
First, may I say congratulations on your schooling! That is absolutely wonderful. I have 4 children in college so I understand how hard it is even when you are perfectly healthy. You should be so proud of yourself!!
I am doing well since the surgery. At first, it was like you describe, runny and I would have to go right away but it has calmed down since then and I can always make it to a bathroom if I need to. I even drove 5 hours away recently and went on a cruise that what a gift from my oldest son. I find that to be a big step in my recovery. I am still not eating meat at all or eggs and not too many vegetables but am getting there. That would be my only question probably? Are you eating meat?
I really hope you get this! You were so helpful to me. Have a Merry Christmas! and hope to talk to you soon!
and to MYNZZZ
You are the reason I even read this and I am happy to hear about your good results too and that you are happy you did it. I am so happy I had mine. I am so relieved not to feel so badly all the time and eating so very little. It's such a relief. I still don't eat much but that's ok, no more bloating and I can go!! I also lost about 25 pounds and am working on a bit more.
Good luck to you. I wish you all the best.
Colleen
First, may I say congratulations on your schooling! That is absolutely wonderful. I have 4 children in college so I understand how hard it is even when you are perfectly healthy. You should be so proud of yourself!!
I am doing well since the surgery. At first, it was like you describe, runny and I would have to go right away but it has calmed down since then and I can always make it to a bathroom if I need to. I even drove 5 hours away recently and went on a cruise that what a gift from my oldest son. I find that to be a big step in my recovery. I am still not eating meat at all or eggs and not too many vegetables but am getting there. That would be my only question probably? Are you eating meat?
I really hope you get this! You were so helpful to me. Have a Merry Christmas! and hope to talk to you soon!
and to MYNZZZ
You are the reason I even read this and I am happy to hear about your good results too and that you are happy you did it. I am so happy I had mine. I am so relieved not to feel so badly all the time and eating so very little. It's such a relief. I still don't eat much but that's ok, no more bloating and I can go!! I also lost about 25 pounds and am working on a bit more.
Good luck to you. I wish you all the best.
Colleen
Although I am quite late to chime in on this conversation, I thought that my little input may help someone along the way. I am 31 years old and recently had a colectomy (2 weeks ago)
I have had bowel issues since before I knew exactly what a colon was. When I was a child I used to shy away from foods and was labeled a very picky eater, but although I was somewhat picky that was not the real issue. The issue was that my body had serious problems with digestion and many foods caused me great pains. I was not at all aware of what was going on until I was about 12 or 13 years old and went on a church trip with my younger sister. Of course no one talks "poop" talk as a pre-teen or teen girl so still at this point I had no idea that me having bowel movements every 3-4 weeks was not normal. It was not until this trip that I noticed that our chaperone would get up every morning and "stink up the bathroom" I made a joke to my sister about it....something to the effect of "OMG she uses the bathroom every morning, who poops that often?" LOL An to my surprise, my little sister said, "Uhhhh hello, I do, everyone does." So it was then that I started paying attention that there was something wrong. Oh I forgot to mention that as a child or teen I was underweight for my height, not severely but definitely underweight as I weighed about 115-125 standing 5'7" and I am an African American female.
Well I brought my issue to my mother and she began to look into it. Soon I started seeing gastro doctors and all kind of people because I would have horrible pains and distention after a couple weeks. I had actually kind of learned to solve my own problem at the time because after I'd use the bathroom I'd eat until my belly was full for a few days and then I'd literally go without anything again until I could use the bathroom which could be weeks.
By the time I entered college, it was worse than every. When I got pregnant with my son, I gained over 125 lbs and still didn't eat much during the pregnancy. The pregnancy was horrible but retaining that weight after was much worse. I only lost about 35 of those lbs and that was with some serious exercise and taking adipex for a few months. Anyways I continued to go to my regular gastro doctor but eventhough he listened to me he just diagnosed me with chronic constipation and began treating me with all types of meds. I've taken everything from Dulcolax, Amitiza, Colace, Reglan, Muralax, Cytotec, Go Litely, Lactulose, etc...you name it and I'm sure I've taken it.
Well if you've suffered this problem then you know medicines only work for a short amount of time and then your body adjusts so everytime you think its getting better, the meds stop working and then the doctor has to adjust and re-prescribe expensive meds that you've already paid for but stopped working.
So fast forward to present day: 2011, I have 2 bilological children, custody of my nephew and a loving husband, I have had gallbladder removed, several hernia repairs, tummy tuck, breast reduction, c-section, endometrial ablation, and hysterectomy....AND MANY MANY MORE plus now a colectomy!!!
So I am hospitalized atleast 2-3 times a year due to my severe constipation and this time was no different. I went into the ER and they kept me. I sat in the hospital as they pumped me full of Lactulose, Muralax, etc for almost 2 weeks with absolutely no result AT ALL before they finally had a surgeon come to talk to me. They sent the surgeon who had removed my gallbladder so I felt very comfortable with him and trusted that if he reccomended the colectomy then I'd go forward instead of trying to avoid it like I did over 5 years before. They did the gastric emptying test and sitz marker and of course I failed. They told me that the key to this surgery was that they needed to get me cleaned out before it would be a good idea or else they were certain Id have to get a "bag". Weeeeelllllll here is the problem, I couldn't!!! I tried all I knew how and then I tried something that had proven to be very harsh on my stomach in the past but was worth it if it would allow me to have the colectomy and not make me have to have an illeostomy. It was called DULCOLAX BALANCE & I mixed it with gatorade. It took me two whole days of drinking before I even started to have a result and then when it started, it never stopped. I was nauseated, in pain, and just flat out sick but my system was actually cleaning out and I would not have to take the Go Litely which automatically made me vomit.
The day of surgery all they made me do was drink 2 bottles of the magnesium citrate and some antibiotics (pills) I got really sick the night before the surgery because I was so empty and they kept making me take those antibiotics but I had good nurses so I was ok, eventhough the phenegran did not work.
I did get all the way cleaned out and my surgery went well. It was only 3 hours. The surgeon said he left about 6 inches of my colon but the rest was useless. He did have to remove some mesh from my previous hernia surgeries and some stitches from my tummy tuck but I was okay with that as well. The worst part about my surgery was that I woke up with a tube in my nose down my throat (NG tube) and it remained for 5 days. It was the worst part of the entire surgery. While I was in the hospital I remained on ice chips until the tube came out and also I was receiving TPN (gross smelling vitamins & minerals through IV) and I kept my PCA pump (pain meds) until the last day so I could administer my meds every 6 mins with no help from a nurse. Anyway I had 40 plus staples that went home with me on the 7th day (they released me after 1 full week) No horrible stories of infection or anything to speak of, my story was a pretty good one. And although the tube was a bad experience, I'd rather wake up with that tube than for them to have to put it in there while I am awake. I witnessed them do it to my mom years earlier and it is horrible. So I won't complain.
So here I am 2 weeks post op, been home for a full week and I got my staples out today. i actually feel pretty good. Of course I am a little sore from the 10 inch cut but if that is all I have to complain about then I am just trying to make up something. After leaving the hospital, my stools were still very runny and I'd go almost every 2 hours but as I have started on regular foods, I only go when I eat and I can deal with that. My doctor warned me that I could have to go 8-10 times a day but I was willing to do that as well because anything would be better than not going for over a month and feeling as if I would burst and when I finally did go, it felt as if I would die and still didn't do anything but pinch off a little bit. Oh and some other great news, I have lost 40 lbs since the surgery and I feel better about the weight and am really excited to see how all of this will pan out.
So for all of the people who are contemplating the surgery. I think the best way to make the decision is to take a step back and think about all you've gone through and how dibilitating your issues have made you. I was spending atleast 3 weeks away from my family a year from being in the hospital alone not to mention laying in bed because my pain wouldn't allow me to move. I can't promise that your experience will be as easy as mine but I will say that if I had to do this all over, I'd do it with no thought. sorry I wasted the last five years trying to avoid it. Good Luck to you all!!!
MYNZZZ
I have had bowel issues since before I knew exactly what a colon was. When I was a child I used to shy away from foods and was labeled a very picky eater, but although I was somewhat picky that was not the real issue. The issue was that my body had serious problems with digestion and many foods caused me great pains. I was not at all aware of what was going on until I was about 12 or 13 years old and went on a church trip with my younger sister. Of course no one talks "poop" talk as a pre-teen or teen girl so still at this point I had no idea that me having bowel movements every 3-4 weeks was not normal. It was not until this trip that I noticed that our chaperone would get up every morning and "stink up the bathroom" I made a joke to my sister about it....something to the effect of "OMG she uses the bathroom every morning, who poops that often?" LOL An to my surprise, my little sister said, "Uhhhh hello, I do, everyone does." So it was then that I started paying attention that there was something wrong. Oh I forgot to mention that as a child or teen I was underweight for my height, not severely but definitely underweight as I weighed about 115-125 standing 5'7" and I am an African American female.
Well I brought my issue to my mother and she began to look into it. Soon I started seeing gastro doctors and all kind of people because I would have horrible pains and distention after a couple weeks. I had actually kind of learned to solve my own problem at the time because after I'd use the bathroom I'd eat until my belly was full for a few days and then I'd literally go without anything again until I could use the bathroom which could be weeks.
By the time I entered college, it was worse than every. When I got pregnant with my son, I gained over 125 lbs and still didn't eat much during the pregnancy. The pregnancy was horrible but retaining that weight after was much worse. I only lost about 35 of those lbs and that was with some serious exercise and taking adipex for a few months. Anyways I continued to go to my regular gastro doctor but eventhough he listened to me he just diagnosed me with chronic constipation and began treating me with all types of meds. I've taken everything from Dulcolax, Amitiza, Colace, Reglan, Muralax, Cytotec, Go Litely, Lactulose, etc...you name it and I'm sure I've taken it.
Well if you've suffered this problem then you know medicines only work for a short amount of time and then your body adjusts so everytime you think its getting better, the meds stop working and then the doctor has to adjust and re-prescribe expensive meds that you've already paid for but stopped working.
So fast forward to present day: 2011, I have 2 bilological children, custody of my nephew and a loving husband, I have had gallbladder removed, several hernia repairs, tummy tuck, breast reduction, c-section, endometrial ablation, and hysterectomy....AND MANY MANY MORE plus now a colectomy!!!
So I am hospitalized atleast 2-3 times a year due to my severe constipation and this time was no different. I went into the ER and they kept me. I sat in the hospital as they pumped me full of Lactulose, Muralax, etc for almost 2 weeks with absolutely no result AT ALL before they finally had a surgeon come to talk to me. They sent the surgeon who had removed my gallbladder so I felt very comfortable with him and trusted that if he reccomended the colectomy then I'd go forward instead of trying to avoid it like I did over 5 years before. They did the gastric emptying test and sitz marker and of course I failed. They told me that the key to this surgery was that they needed to get me cleaned out before it would be a good idea or else they were certain Id have to get a "bag". Weeeeelllllll here is the problem, I couldn't!!! I tried all I knew how and then I tried something that had proven to be very harsh on my stomach in the past but was worth it if it would allow me to have the colectomy and not make me have to have an illeostomy. It was called DULCOLAX BALANCE & I mixed it with gatorade. It took me two whole days of drinking before I even started to have a result and then when it started, it never stopped. I was nauseated, in pain, and just flat out sick but my system was actually cleaning out and I would not have to take the Go Litely which automatically made me vomit.
The day of surgery all they made me do was drink 2 bottles of the magnesium citrate and some antibiotics (pills) I got really sick the night before the surgery because I was so empty and they kept making me take those antibiotics but I had good nurses so I was ok, eventhough the phenegran did not work.
I did get all the way cleaned out and my surgery went well. It was only 3 hours. The surgeon said he left about 6 inches of my colon but the rest was useless. He did have to remove some mesh from my previous hernia surgeries and some stitches from my tummy tuck but I was okay with that as well. The worst part about my surgery was that I woke up with a tube in my nose down my throat (NG tube) and it remained for 5 days. It was the worst part of the entire surgery. While I was in the hospital I remained on ice chips until the tube came out and also I was receiving TPN (gross smelling vitamins & minerals through IV) and I kept my PCA pump (pain meds) until the last day so I could administer my meds every 6 mins with no help from a nurse. Anyway I had 40 plus staples that went home with me on the 7th day (they released me after 1 full week) No horrible stories of infection or anything to speak of, my story was a pretty good one. And although the tube was a bad experience, I'd rather wake up with that tube than for them to have to put it in there while I am awake. I witnessed them do it to my mom years earlier and it is horrible. So I won't complain.
So here I am 2 weeks post op, been home for a full week and I got my staples out today. i actually feel pretty good. Of course I am a little sore from the 10 inch cut but if that is all I have to complain about then I am just trying to make up something. After leaving the hospital, my stools were still very runny and I'd go almost every 2 hours but as I have started on regular foods, I only go when I eat and I can deal with that. My doctor warned me that I could have to go 8-10 times a day but I was willing to do that as well because anything would be better than not going for over a month and feeling as if I would burst and when I finally did go, it felt as if I would die and still didn't do anything but pinch off a little bit. Oh and some other great news, I have lost 40 lbs since the surgery and I feel better about the weight and am really excited to see how all of this will pan out.
So for all of the people who are contemplating the surgery. I think the best way to make the decision is to take a step back and think about all you've gone through and how dibilitating your issues have made you. I was spending atleast 3 weeks away from my family a year from being in the hospital alone not to mention laying in bed because my pain wouldn't allow me to move. I can't promise that your experience will be as easy as mine but I will say that if I had to do this all over, I'd do it with no thought. sorry I wasted the last five years trying to avoid it. Good Luck to you all!!!
MYNZZZ
Lvfrogs,
It is important to get as much information as you can prior to the surgery. If your doctor is not really answering your questions, keep asking him or her. If you still do not get any answers, ask in here or in another thread so that someone can help you.
The 18th really isn’t that far away. How are you feeling about having the surgery? Understand that it is a stressful process and for some people (like me) recovery may be a little difficult. As one of my last words of encouragement for the surgery, I just got back home from my graduation ceremony from the University. The school is in another town than the one I live in. This meant I had to drive about 3.5 hours to get to the other town. I had to stop once on the way there and once on the way back. For some reason things are moving through me a little quicker right now than they had been the last few weeks. Even with that issue I was comfortable with making the drive without having any problems (I packed to be prepared, but did not need it). I was able to graduate with by BA is Psychology and had been invited into Phi Kappa Phi which is a national honor society that only the top 10% of graduating seniors get invited into. I have been through a bit with my medical issues (total of 12 procedures in the last 8 months) but was still able to finish school. I am still waiting on 2 grades, but even if the last assignments I turned in do not get the best grade I will have received my credits for those classes.
Long story short, despite the surgeries and difficult recovery, I was still able to complete school. It was a difficult process, but like I have said before I am currently taking things one day at a time to get through it. There are some changes (like bathroom breaks) that you will have to go through, but even if things are difficult for you (I am praying everything goes smoothly for you), stay positive.
I hope things work out with the blood clotting. That could cause some problems if things are not clotting properly. I had a bit of bleeding from my lower incision and I do not have a history of clotting issues. I really hope things go well for you and the clotting issue.
As for the stool softeners, I am not sure why anyone would need them right after having any part of the colon removed. Quick anatomy lesion – the small intestine mixes the food and liquid with bile to help break everything down even further and absorbs a good deal of the nutrients, the large intestine (colon) absorbs excess water and a few vitamins and minerals. With that being said when you disrupt the process of water absorption from the colon, your stools are going to be softer and more liquid than prior to removing any part of the colon. After I had my bowel resection I had about 3 weeks of pure liquid stool, after that time I returned to major constipation. As I am now a full 2 months past the colectomy the thickest my stools have been is about the consistency of putty. I have not taken any kind of stool softener or laxative since I had the colectomy. I am still on my pain meds which for people with a colon can cause constipation. I have not had any issues with that. The longest I have gone without going to the bathroom is about 12 hours. During that time I was a little more nauseous than usual so I had not eaten much. Even after the period of going about 12 hours without a bowel movement when I did go it was still very soft and again, not more than the consistency of putty. I do not think you will need the stool softener. It took me about 2.5 weeks following the colectomy to have anything other than water like stools.
Have fun with the prep. My prep was about a week long. I had Monday through Thursday on a clear liquid diet. Wednesday and Thursday I had to drink the half litely. Wednesday I also had to drink 2 bottle of Magcitrate. Unfortunately for me even with all of that I was only able to have 1 very small bowel movement. Everything that was left in the upper part of my intestines were pretty well prepared for things to work, but the colon was not doing anything so it was kind of blocking everything else from moving through. Due to the amount of stool I had left in my intestines my surgeon and I are convinced that is what caused the massive infection I had. So I am glad to hear you only need the day before for the prep. The prep is not a fun process, but it is very important in helping to reduce the risk of infection.
Best of luck. Keep me posted on how things are going. You are welcome for the advice and information on my experiences. I really am glad that my experiences were able to help you.
Quartzn99
It is important to get as much information as you can prior to the surgery. If your doctor is not really answering your questions, keep asking him or her. If you still do not get any answers, ask in here or in another thread so that someone can help you.
The 18th really isn’t that far away. How are you feeling about having the surgery? Understand that it is a stressful process and for some people (like me) recovery may be a little difficult. As one of my last words of encouragement for the surgery, I just got back home from my graduation ceremony from the University. The school is in another town than the one I live in. This meant I had to drive about 3.5 hours to get to the other town. I had to stop once on the way there and once on the way back. For some reason things are moving through me a little quicker right now than they had been the last few weeks. Even with that issue I was comfortable with making the drive without having any problems (I packed to be prepared, but did not need it). I was able to graduate with by BA is Psychology and had been invited into Phi Kappa Phi which is a national honor society that only the top 10% of graduating seniors get invited into. I have been through a bit with my medical issues (total of 12 procedures in the last 8 months) but was still able to finish school. I am still waiting on 2 grades, but even if the last assignments I turned in do not get the best grade I will have received my credits for those classes.
Long story short, despite the surgeries and difficult recovery, I was still able to complete school. It was a difficult process, but like I have said before I am currently taking things one day at a time to get through it. There are some changes (like bathroom breaks) that you will have to go through, but even if things are difficult for you (I am praying everything goes smoothly for you), stay positive.
I hope things work out with the blood clotting. That could cause some problems if things are not clotting properly. I had a bit of bleeding from my lower incision and I do not have a history of clotting issues. I really hope things go well for you and the clotting issue.
As for the stool softeners, I am not sure why anyone would need them right after having any part of the colon removed. Quick anatomy lesion – the small intestine mixes the food and liquid with bile to help break everything down even further and absorbs a good deal of the nutrients, the large intestine (colon) absorbs excess water and a few vitamins and minerals. With that being said when you disrupt the process of water absorption from the colon, your stools are going to be softer and more liquid than prior to removing any part of the colon. After I had my bowel resection I had about 3 weeks of pure liquid stool, after that time I returned to major constipation. As I am now a full 2 months past the colectomy the thickest my stools have been is about the consistency of putty. I have not taken any kind of stool softener or laxative since I had the colectomy. I am still on my pain meds which for people with a colon can cause constipation. I have not had any issues with that. The longest I have gone without going to the bathroom is about 12 hours. During that time I was a little more nauseous than usual so I had not eaten much. Even after the period of going about 12 hours without a bowel movement when I did go it was still very soft and again, not more than the consistency of putty. I do not think you will need the stool softener. It took me about 2.5 weeks following the colectomy to have anything other than water like stools.
Have fun with the prep. My prep was about a week long. I had Monday through Thursday on a clear liquid diet. Wednesday and Thursday I had to drink the half litely. Wednesday I also had to drink 2 bottle of Magcitrate. Unfortunately for me even with all of that I was only able to have 1 very small bowel movement. Everything that was left in the upper part of my intestines were pretty well prepared for things to work, but the colon was not doing anything so it was kind of blocking everything else from moving through. Due to the amount of stool I had left in my intestines my surgeon and I are convinced that is what caused the massive infection I had. So I am glad to hear you only need the day before for the prep. The prep is not a fun process, but it is very important in helping to reduce the risk of infection.
Best of luck. Keep me posted on how things are going. You are welcome for the advice and information on my experiences. I really am glad that my experiences were able to help you.
Quartzn99
You are absolutely the best. You have helped me more than anybody. My doctor doesn't say much and when I ask questions, his answers are short. I see him on the 16th so will try and ask some more.
Thanks for the info on the pushing. It's very important to me as before I have the surgery, I am retraining my bowels as I was doing the opposite of what should have been done. It has helped me but I still sometimes try to push and from what you are saying, I shouldn't do that so thank you!
and as for the foods, I guess like you say, try some out at the hospital first and then afterwards at home, keep a diary. I like that idea as it will definitely help me to see what is doing what. Otherwise, I might forget. I think I read somewhere else that some people use a stool softener at first. Did you? I can't remember.
My surgery is May 18th, as long as my blood work is ok. It came back with a clotting factor issue so they sent me for more testing. I get those results this upcoming Monday.
I am also currently being tested for MS so have alot going on.
All my medicines but one have been changed over and that doctor wanted me to ask my GI doc so will do that and hopefully, won't have to change it out, as I will only have 2 days and one day is prep day and the other, surgery day!!
Thank you, thank you for all your help!!!
Colleen
Thanks for the info on the pushing. It's very important to me as before I have the surgery, I am retraining my bowels as I was doing the opposite of what should have been done. It has helped me but I still sometimes try to push and from what you are saying, I shouldn't do that so thank you!
and as for the foods, I guess like you say, try some out at the hospital first and then afterwards at home, keep a diary. I like that idea as it will definitely help me to see what is doing what. Otherwise, I might forget. I think I read somewhere else that some people use a stool softener at first. Did you? I can't remember.
My surgery is May 18th, as long as my blood work is ok. It came back with a clotting factor issue so they sent me for more testing. I get those results this upcoming Monday.
I am also currently being tested for MS so have alot going on.
All my medicines but one have been changed over and that doctor wanted me to ask my GI doc so will do that and hopefully, won't have to change it out, as I will only have 2 days and one day is prep day and the other, surgery day!!
Thank you, thank you for all your help!!!
Colleen
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