My Experience - 7 Weeks After Nhs Halo And Haemorrhoidectomy
Posted , 64 users are following.
I am a 49-year old male and had stage 3 piles for about 5 years. They never really caused me any pain or suffering per se but were an inconvenience. I had been to my GP ages ago to make sure it wasn't anything serious. Towards the end of 2009 I decided to see what options I might have for sorting them out as I figured I wouldn't want them to get worse and despite being fit and healthy and eating well, they had not gone away of my own accord.
I went to my GP and she did a digital exam and said they were very small - didn't seem like it to me - she said she could refer me if I wanted but I declined. A few weeks later I figured I was copping out and returned to get a referral. I went to see a consultant locally who got me to come back for banding. This was very easy and though it was a bit uncomfortable I was optimistic that it would sort it all out. It didn't - even though it seemed like it would work it in fact made no difference whatsoever. I returned to him and he said he would try the schlerotherapy and another banding as they were quite big and the portable banding machine wasn't up to it. Again nothing really changed.
I read all these forums and was in two minds like so many others whether to pursue it any more. After all I was not in pain per se and clearly some people have really awful experiences, sometimes made worse by the tteatment - I knew I certainly didn't want anything slicing off! I read up what I could about HALO but it seemed to be mainly sales pitch. I decided to see the consultant again and ask him about it. He said he didn't know anything about it but his next step would be banding under GA and he was confident that would do it.
For one reason or another I wasn't convinced and so I called the HALO people and found out where there was locally that did it. They also told me how much it would cost privately (?3k+) but that with a referral I could probably get it on the NHS. A few weeks later I had a session with a consultant who explained the whole thing - also diagnosing a polyp as well as piles - which would never have responded to banding so I was glad to have taken the 2nd opinion. Anyway he put me on the waiting list for a polyp exision and possible HALO.
Time came around in about 6 weeks and I went into hospital for the first time in my life to have day surgery. I was apprehensive but quite positive. The whole experience was very reassuring - the staff were great and I felt very cared for and the surgeon was friendly and explained things. I signed on the dotted line, had my pre-med and felt the curtains close
Woke up feeling fine about 30 mins later. The surgeon explained to my surprise and a bit of shock that they had had to cut a large pile off so I might have a longer recovery time than expected (he had said at least 2 weeks for HALO and up to 10 for pilectomy). That concerned me a bit, espceially when the nurse brought my meds to take home - 3 types of opioid painkiller, 2 types of laxative and some antibiotics. I got the impression they were trying to tell me something. I stayed about 2 hours to satisfy them I'd had a wee, eaten and drunk some fluids etc and got my wife to pick me up.
Felt pretty OK generally even with after effects of the GA - ate and drank lightly and feared the first pooh which came 2 days after the op. Uncomfortable certainly but not especially painful. The absolute best thing after each BM was a nice warm shower spray for a few minutes which really soothed the bruised feeling. This got better over the next 7 to 10 days. I work from home so was fortunate that I didn't need to take time off per se after the first day getting my head clearer but I wouldn't have wanted to have to commute or be away from home.
There were some bad bits but not what I would have expected. The worst bit by far, and it was _horrible_ was the antibiotic (metronidazole)- I had to take it for 5 days and didn't realise what a nasty drug it is (check it out on ****)- around day 3 I was finding alternate nights of complete insomnia, nausea, sweating and a really depressing state of mind feeling like I would never get better. I googled all the meds and realised it was the AB and that these were fairly common side-effects. If I had had a longer run of them I would have asked to change but I figured I would see them out. It was awful and I did have another day off cos I just felt so damn bad from them. My advice here - don't just take what is given to you and not check it out - be aware of what has been prescribed (in fairness they did say thatsome of the meds could give nausea, constipation etc but I didn't expect this one to be so heavy).
The other downside was the laxative - I should have had clearer instructions. You definitely want to make sure you have soft stools etc and are acutely aware that what you eat has to come out the other end - soups, bran flakes, porridge etc are great for this. However if you just take teh laxatives as prescribed - and you are not already constipated (I am always regular)- then they will just play havoc and have you very windy (which also seems to come from the GA gases) and farting all the time with a sore anus is quite painful/uncomfortable in itself (esp if you're not too sure what might be coming down the pipes!) It kept me awake a bit.
What I should have thought with the meds from teh starts is - take them /if/ needed (except see below)
So I had been prescribed metronidazole as mentioned - I took that for the 5 days. I had 3 painkillers - Tramadol which I didn't bother taking, Codrydamol, I took a couple but then didn't bother (and my wife used them all up on migraines!) and Diclofenac - this last one I should have taken all the time but didn't. It is an anti-inflammatory and because I didn't bother with it I think I put myself back a couple days with a very sore and inflamed bottom - so this one I would say take as a matter of course (and I didn't have any side effects). For laxatives I had lactulose syrup and ispagel husks - both are palatable enough but as above I realised after a coupe of days that I probably didn't need them.
All told I was not incapacitated at all. It took a good week to not be too worried about the next BM. After that it just was a process of it getting better every day. The main thing was that the prolapsing piles/polyp were gone and that was a great relief. Had a check up last week and I would say I now feel 100% down there and no concerns at all.
I am very pleased I went ahead with it - I had overcome embarrassment about it ages ago and plain speaking is all that is needed - my reticence had been around being \"operated\" on but that all went very smoothly. I know there are some horror stories on here where people say that the op is worse than the piles but I am sure that complications are in the minority and I would not hesitate in recommending anyone suffering and holding back, check out a good consultant and have it all sorted out. I was glad I had it sorted out when I was fit and in good shape - I think that plays a big part in making the op run smoothly and the caring for oneself that much easier. If was old, infirm or very overweight I think it would be harder. Weight wise I had lost nearly 3 stone over the last 18 months and again I think that helped keep recuperation short.
If, and I hope they don't, recur then I would happily go down the same route again. I hope this story helps others.
Mr Relieved of Surrey
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5 likes, 218 replies
shaz3458
Posted
Thank you so much for all the info and advice.
You're right, it is very hard to get the right balance and as you say everyone is different. I'm absolutely convinced that the root of all my problems, after the first op, was the bran. I was advised to take it, I was told how important it was not to get constipated, I didn't start taking it until the 2nd week. Looking back, I was beginning
To get better until I started taking the bran. I had no idea how much to take so I sprinkled 2 tablespoons on
my breakfast every morning. I now know that I should have started with 1 teaspoon!!!
After a couple of weeks I was in agony and badly impacted. I didn't realise it at the time but it was the bran that had caused it. I stopped taking it after the 2nd op. But last week I thought I'd try it again, I had one
teaspoon on my breakfast for 2 days, thinking it would be better for me than laxido sachets, but after one day I was starting to get very constipated again. I went back on the laxido and threw the bran away. I am now just having a laxido every other day, I've started walking my dogs again and starting to feel human at last!!
I shall be eating the insoluble high fibre foods but building up gradually. I have also started eating kiwi fruit,
Which is meant to be very good for you.
I have semi skimmed milk on cereal. I've heard that soya milk can be bad for you, have you ever tried almond milk?? I'm thinking of trying it to keep away from dairy.
I hope that other people read our posts before and after having surgery. I'm sure it would have helped me if
I had had more information on what you should and shouldn't eat.
My consultant never gave me any helpful info at all.
Just before my first op all he said was " you may get some pain, take lactulose for a week, don't take any painkillers containing codeine and you should be back at work in about 2 weeks" !!! That was 11 weeks ago!!
I still have no control over my bowels and I'm dreading going back to work. I work in a men's prison!! Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be if I had an 'accident' at work !!!!!
Hopefully, with the correct diet and plenty of excercise I will regain control before going back, it's either that or tena pants lol.
Anyway, thanx again for your help. You take care
Love Shaz xxx
amanda31789
Posted
I remember being told about how to correctly sit on the toilet when I had my 'bio-feedback' following a diagnosis of rectocele a few years back. The nurse suggested elevating the knees by putting your feet on a stool; sitting up straight; rocking gently back and forth; giving it a good 10 minutes of gentle pushing (not straining, but kind of breathing and using tummy muscles). Time consuming when you're trying to get ready for the school run and work. I tried to keep it up but old habits die hard.
This morning, 5 days post surgery, I used a foot stool to gain a more squatting position on the loo. It definitely helped, although I still had 4 separate B.M.'s before I finally felt empty. I tried to wait, but you really need to wash because it stings! So it's a process of pooh, wash, pat dry (a hairdryer helps), lay on the bed feeling sorry for myself, move about when able to, to help things move along. I have a really sluggish system anyway, and that's part of my problem. Also my body isn't so good at letting me know, after years of ignoring the urge to go, and severe constipation.
It's a relief when that feeling of heaviness goes away, and it's only then that I start to get on top of the pain and discomfort. I think this 'part-emptying feeling is due to the rectocele because of its position and the effect it has on my bowel. It is as if the stool gets trapped, and when the stool is soft it can break leaving something behind. This for me is the worst part, because every single morning since the op I am in agony due to that horrid stinging sensation and bleeding. It is impossible to wipe, but better for me to sit on the edge of the bath and use the shower to wash. I then take a proper bath and soak for a while.
I have too been learning about fibre, and what a complicated subject it is!
I intend to give up coffee (Sunday was the last time I had one) and cut right back on tea (yesterday I didn't have any!) to just one or 2 a day. I drink 2 litres of water at least, and have other glasses of water with MOVICOL (at the moment I am having it 2 - 3 times a day) plus a glass of fruit juice.
Today I feel I have turned a corner, in that although my B.M.'s are still agony, at least they have been easy to pass because they've been soft, and today I got them all out of the way before 9.30am rather than late morning/midday. I suspect that the 'experts' say that to have 1 or 2 B.M.'s a day is actually very healthy, it's just really painful!!! For how much longer, I don't know.
I wonder if anybody can comment on what they looked like down there afterwards? I look like I have piles!
Do those lumps go away eventually?
Bye for now, and have a lovely weekend ladies
Mandy X
grace1982
Posted
Shaz-I am so pleased that you are starting to feel human at long last, I bet your overjoyed to be walking your dogs again. I can totally understand your fears about returning to the prison but try not to worry about it as stress can have a laxative effect on your bowels as its the body's natural reaction to empty the bowel in times of fear/anxiety! I'm glad you have identified bran as the culprit in causing your constipation, have you completely cut it out of your diet now? I have never tried almond milk, in relation to soya milk I have never tried it but I think it is high in protein and if you drink too much it can make your constipation worse, apparently rice milk is good for people trying to eliminate dairy produce. I've had soya cream but that just tasted of nothing, it would be good to use in cooking though. I love rice pudding and now cook it with coconut milk its lovely! Its hard changing from the foods you like and are used to eating! Have you ever tried fibergel sachets? Its basically husk powder(insoluble fibre) that you drink once or twice a day, its gentler than laxido and tastes a damn sight nicer too! You can buy it both over the counter and on prescription.That may be worth a try if your BM's are uncontrollable. Do you feel the need to go unexpectedly? I would love to be able to move my bowels every morning without difficulty like most people but unfortunately that will never happen! Senna tablets are gentle laxatives also, you take two every night, are you on those? Did you try the cream I told you about?
I completely agree in what you said about pre and post op advice, you should be told 6/8 weeks prior to surgery to adjust your diet, build up your fibre intake slowly so by the time your op comes your bowels are regular. Its stupid that there's no preparation advice because post op its too late and you have all the problems with your diet and resulting constipation, which, in your case resulted in further surgery which could of been prevented if your body was prepared! Like you Shaz, I too really wish I had read posts like ours way before the op so I could of prepared myself for the hell of post op recovery. I have my post op appointment on 10th December so hopefully my surgeon will say everything's o.k and no further action is required!
Keep me updated on your progress
Hope everyone else is recovering and feeling a bit better every day, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you all.
Love Grace xxx
lara35299
Posted
I am know 4 1/2 weeks in. Was doing really well last week till this weekend!! Got really constipated, last time I went was Friday so have been taking loads of laxatives once again and back on painkillers. feel like I have gone right back to the beginning again, am so sore and bleeding again, think I may have torn myself, can't believe it. Just feel so muck pressure down there.
Was due to go back to work today but obviously haven't been able to and now only getting half pay !! Am due to go back Sunday now.
Am so fed up now, got my outpatients appointment in 2 weeks .
Was so happy to finally be off everything but alas not for long!
I really feel like it's just too narrow to poo through, feel like I'm going to be on the laxatives the rest of my like now.
Take care Lara xx
shaz3458
Posted
Sorry to hear that you've gone backwards again, I completely understand how you are feeling. I am coming
Up to 12 weeks, last week I really thought I'd turned a corner, I felt almost back to normal, something I never
Thought I'd feel again, I was off all pain killers and even walked the dogs for a couple of days.
I've been eating all the correct foods to avoid constipation and drinking loads of water but at the weekend the constipation came back, I was going to the loo about every hour but hardly anything came out so I took extra
Laxido, Sunday and yesterday I was in pain all day again, the laxatives helped me to go but it hurts to pass
A BM again and I went about 4 times yesterday. I am so fed up with all this, I feel like the surgery must have
gone wrong and I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life, one good day then 3 bad etc.. I'm still not back at work, my sick runs out this Friday but then I've tagged on 2 weeks annual leave, but I can't see how I'm
going to be able to do my job properly if I'm feeling like this.
I've never wished so much that I hadn't had this done, I feel like everything is twisted inside my bottom, it
Feels just as it did when my piles used to get bad, but at least that pain only lasted a few days and was more
Controllable.
I have another appointment to see my consultant at the hospital on Friday 6th dec... I'm thinking of ways to
Do him in lol !!!!!
By the way, what laxatives do you take ???
Take care
Shaz xx
amanda31789
Posted
Sorry to hear that both of you had rubbish weekends because of constipation, it really is frustrating! As a livelong IBS sufferer I know exactly how upsetting it is.
I am now day 8 post op. Following two days of stomach pains and weird headaches, I stopped the movicol yesterday and rang the Doctor for advice. I have been using it for a couple of years now, and I have had the headaches before. You have to get the dosage right, because it messes with the body's electrolytes and can give you an upset tummy and headaches. But as laxatives go, it suits me more than anything else. I wish I could go it alone, that would be a dream come true for me.
The Doc saw me in her lunch break (a miracle to get seen to be honest) my friend took me as I still cannot put all my weight on my bottom. The tummy pain wasn't anything to worry about, and she commented that things are healing well. I explained that I am Lactose intolerant and a long term IBS sufferer. I said that I am being really careful what I eat and have managed to keep things moving by using movicol and eating less carbs, more vegetables and fruit, and barely any red meat/dairy. I am terrified about getting constipated. Doc has referred me to see a dietitian (to help me get the right nutrients - I hope she has a magic wand) and wished me luck. Oh, and she told me not to take calcium supplements. They are constipating!!!
I got home and ate vegetable soup. 20 minutes later I had diarrhea. Stomach pain, sore angry bottom and headaches put me in bed for the rest of the afternoon. I was feeling like I might be best to just stop eating altogether!
I miss my son, he's still at his Father's. I can't tell from one day to the next how I am going to feel. I get bursts of energy and do some housework, but then a B.M. puts me back in bed.
This morning I felt brighter, got up and tried to have a normal morning; made a cup of tea (I have 2 cups of tea a day and sometimes a herbal tea in the evening, also I drink plain water - 2 litres a day), drank some water, squatted in front of the washing machine and put a load on, and put the radio on and danced around the kitchen! I ate some live natural greek yoghurt with fresh melon (I think my flora needs sorting) and thankfully I was fine, no grumbling, no pain, no gas.
That weird 'heavy' feeling was there, and I tried to go, using my foot stool to help. But nothing. I didn't want to strain. I went back to doing things around the house and about half hour after breakfast I managed to go - a bit. It still hurts and bleeds every time. I could not even imagine passing the kinds of stools I had before my op (rabbit pellets were common for me and I could sometimes go 5 days without a B.M.).
Lara and Shaz, what do you think caused your constipation? Do you keep a food diary, at all? Do you have any known foods that constipate? IBS is a nightmare because it's so complicated. Has anybody else been tested for lactose intolerance?
I have been reading about the best foods for keeping regular and especially as I have cut out dairy. I need to learn to love curly kale and spinach! I like fruit, but I am not a massive leafy green veggie eater. All that is gonna change for me now (but not cabbage, that makes me windy beyond belief!). Also I am going to give my coffee maker away. I have always had a feeling about certain foods, like chocolate, coffee, bread, pasta, eggs....
Also just to mention, someone was talking about different kinds of milk, such as rice milk and almond milk. I recommend both! I have just done my on-line shop and ordered some rice milk fortified with calcium. I use it with wheat and gluten free flour to make a white sauce for fish pie. I also have it on it's own and with porridge oats and it's delicious. If I eat porridge in the morning I have to avoid carbs for the rest of the day. The last time I tried having two portions of carbs in the day, I found my B.M's the next day were heavier and it made me nervous! For me, I think this is how I think I shall move forward. One portion of carbohydrate a day, such as a jacket potato or some wholegrain basmati rice with my evening meal. I have found eating eggs with mushrooms a filling breakfast and have finally gotten used to eating a bowl of soup on it's own.
I hope that everybody is feeling good today,
Love Mandy x
shaz3458
Posted
Pleased to hear you're having a good day.. Mines been ok, so far, but that's because I haven't had a BM yet!
It's still early days for you, hopefully with the right diet you will be ok.
I have tried loads of different combinations of food but there seems to be nothing that actually works or helps
with the dreaded bm's. I got some almond milk at the weekend and have it on cereal in the morning, it tastes
lovely but I'm not sure if it's making any difference. All veg gives me dreadful wind, I think my husband is on
the verge if moving out, either that or he's going to get a gas mask. I find it such a relief to be able to pass
wind so I can't even apologise. What I can't understand is why it's so bad, I'm trying to eat healthy foods but
the healthier the food the worse the wind, any veg and any fruit makes it bad. Pulses and lentils are supposed
to be high in fibre and good for the digestive system so how can something go in good but come out evil??
I give up, I really do, what's okay one day isn't the next.
I've never been a sickly person or had to take time off sick but I feel like I've turned into Mrs victor meldrew!!
I make the most of the days, or parts of the day, which are good, then get angry when it all hurts again after
going to the loo.
Things that never used to bother me have started to get on my nerves, I think it's because I'm always tired
and bored of being stuck at home.
Anyway... rant over lol ..
Keep the diet tips coming.. I try everything everyone puts on here..
Enjoy your day
Love Shaz xx
amanda31789
Posted
Passing wind! I have had wind that is so bad, even I want to leave the room! My boyfriend and I only just reached the stage in our relationship when we could do it in front of each other a few months ago. It's a two way street, I ignore his, he ignores mine, everybody's happy!
I have to say, since the op, it hasn't been terrible, but all the same, it happens a lot. I suppose it means things are moving along, though??? I expect your Husband and my Boyfriend could join a club soon....we could call it the 'long-suffering partners of those with IBS/pooping problems'!
I know my stomach is sensitive. It hates me when I am stressed or worried. It hates my time of the month. It even hates me when I change my routine, such as attempting to have a lay-in and not getting up, having breakfast etc... All these things take me on the road to constipation. When I am having a bit of an IBS flare-up (constipation one minute and explosions the next, all accompanied by lots of cramps) I find that I can barely eat during the day if I want to get through it without pain or needing to be near the loo. This has been my life on and off for years and also just prior to my haemorrhoidectomy because of stress at home. After my operation, the enema and lactulose upset me, then things settled down for a couple of days. It is now upset again, and I think it is because I have made big changes to my diet whilst still using movicol. I could not finish my soup today because the cramps started. I am thanking my lucky stars I haven't had an attack of diarrhea.
I was reading about gas, stomach pain etc. yesterday to try and get some answers and the foods to avoid seem to be the usual culprits:
spicy food, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, fried foods, processed foods, junk foods, eggs, beans, nuts, broccoli, cucumber and cabbage. They can increase gas in the stomach.
I was glad I read it just before I did my shopping order on-line! I was going to order a cucumber and some broccoli!
So, if you don't mind me asking, can you give me an example of what you might eat in a day? Since the op?
It is so helpful to me to have someone to talk to about all this, I can't keep talking to my BF because he really does not understand and probably wishes I'd stop moaning. He can poop every morning, eat rubbish and never gain weight, he never gets an upset stomach and eats stuff that's out of date etc. without a second thought. He can never truly understand how it is for me.
Speak soon,
Mandy x
shaz3458
Posted
Yes, it certainly does help to have someone to talk to that understands, I think my husband has given up hope of me ever being back to normal !
I have been eating broccoli because I was told it's soooo good for you and high in fibre !! I'll give it a miss for a while and see if things improve.
Meat wise, I usually only have chicken, either roasted, stir fried or occasionally in a casserole.
Vegetables, I'll have carrots, broccoli, courgettes, green beans and sometimes spinach, I did buy a cauliflower but that's asking for trouble, so I stopped eating that.
The things I am now eating are:
Breakfast is either weetabix or Cheerios with almond milk and a cup of green tea.
Mid morning I have 2 kiwi fruit.
Lunch I have soup or scrambled egg and grilled tomatoes, or sometimes a small portion of baked beans on
one small slice of wholemeal bread ( because they are high in fibre)
For evening meal I'll have chicken and stir fried veg, usually carrots, mange taute peas, courgettes, broccoli , But now I shall cut out the broccoli,
Mid afternoon I'll have an apple or satsuma.
Sometimes I have sausages, jacket potatoe, tinned tomatoes and peas.
Tomatoes are supposed to be full of goodness, whether fresh or tinned.
Or for evening meal I'll have salad, I sometimes have a bit of cucumber but cut out the seeds as that is
meant to be the bit that causes the wind problems.
I try to have fish once a week or tinned mackerel with salad or a few veg.
I haven't had any alcohol for over 3 months, I used to like a vodka and coke on a Saturday night, I had one
once and suffered so much the next day so dare not try that again.
I try to avoid crisps but if my husband is eating them I can't resist a couple. I've avoided chocolate except for dark chocolate, but it has to be a very high cocoa content, it's meant to be good for you and have a laxative
effect, I only have one square a night, that's my treat. If I don't have any it doesn't make any different to how I feel or go to the loo !!
Sometimes I have pasta, I make my own sauce out of tomatoes and I have chicken and veg mixed with it.
I prefer to have wholemeal pasta but when my husband did the last shop on his own he came back with a
huge bag of ordinary pasta, he said it was on offer !!
Actually, when he goes shopping on his own it's a nightmare, I tell him to stick to the list but other things get
added or switched.
When I have salad, I usually have beet root, again, because of the goodness in it, have you ever had
problems with beet root ??
The trouble is, I can't eat peppers, sweet corn, cheese, kidney beans, berlotti beans etc so that doesn't leave an awful lot to have on a salad !!
I also don't think I'm getting enough excercise, I started walking my dogs last week but after a couple of days I had to stop, my stomach felt so heavy and I started getting a lot of pain in my bottom, it's meant to be a
lovely day tomorrow so I'm going to try a short walk in the morning. I daren't go too far because I still don't
have control over my bowels and if I need to go, I have literally seconds to get there!!
Anyway.. I hope that's been helpful, I'd love to hear what you have to eat, and if any of the other girls read this can you tell us what helps for you and what to avoid please.
Take care for now.
Love Shaz xx
amanda31789
Posted
Your diet sounds very healthy. It is frustrating to eat healthily and still have problems with constipation. Have you heard about 'toilet training'??? It is all to do with training the body to go regularly, advice on how to sit on the loo, advice on how to avoid straining. I know you said you were tested for wheat intolerance and are o.k. to have it, but can I ask was that a G.P. testing for gluten intolerance (coeliac disease)? I heard recently, that with an increase in patients complaining of sensitivities to wheat, that there needs to be more specific testing for wheat intolerance as opposed to gluten and that it needs to be taken more seriously. I am certain wheat makes me constipated, in all it's forms. Have you tried eating oats? Brown rice and potatoes in their jackets are good.
When you got constipated, was anything else going on? I mean, were you stressed or upset about anything? The stomach can react to stress so easily.
As for what I eat, typical things are:
natural, plain live yoghurt, fat free, served with melon (I get the yoghurt with all the live cultures in it)
a couple of oat cakes with some hummus or peanut butter
herbal teas and one cup of normal tea first thing (with a little lactolite milk and sugar)
soup - usually a veg with or without chicken; anything that doesn't have wheat or dairy
scrambled eggs with mushrooms or salmon
chicken roasted served with brown basmati rice and whatever vegetables I have (asparagus, carrots, curly kale, green beans, peas, butternut squash)
Fish pie - a mix of white fish and salmon mixed with cauliflower (steamed first) and topped with home-made white sauce (wheat and gluten free flour, butter, lactolite milk) served with peas (I made this prior to my op)
Jacket potato with baked beans
I am still trying to figure out what upsets me, I had home-made kebabs with peppers, onions, salmon, butternut squash and tomatoes topped with a plum sauce and re-heated basmati rice the other night and I started having stomach trouble after that. I am in a mess really, trying to figure out what is causing all of this.
What's for dinner?
Mandy x
lara35299
Posted
Your comments on wind did make me laugh but it's so true, I have such bad wind all the time and the smell is awful. Sometimes they are so violent it literally vibrates up my my bowels for a few seconds, so weird!! But that's another reason I'm worried about going back to work with as if I hold it in I will get such bad pains!! I also find that it can be really painful just passing wind still.
You all sound like your eating very healthy, I too am trying, yoghurt for breakfast, sandwich lunchtime or soup, veg with something in the evening and In between fruit.
I am wondering if it was me drinking Friday night made me constipated as saw your comment Shaz about vodka and coke. I too went round dome friends for the first time in a month and ended up having about 5 vodkas and cokes and it was the following day it all started.
I am still not going properly, did go this morning not a great deal considering I have 4 days worth to get rid of but yep made me so sore inside.
I suffered really badly from ibs in my late teens and early twenties, in agony all the time and def think that it was related to stress. I do get relapses every few weeks and get really bad pains but normally only lasts for a day or so but cope with it. I every now and again get constipated but normally by day 3 go without any help. But this is definitely in a league on its own, I really don't think it's food related for me it's def something to do with the op that's making me like this unless it has set something off again as find it quite strange after the drink Friday night, tho think it might be the gas in the coke not sure.
How's everyone's work been about the time off, I feel awful every week keep saying I won't be back this week, worried they are gonna get fed up with it.
Take care Lara xx
amanda31789
Posted
Just read something really interesting I wanted to share regarding bran. This was in an article in a newspaper a while back. It said:
Doctors often advise adding a handful of bran to cereals to help with constipation (defined as going to the loo less than three times a week).
This is because bran is insoluble fibre, meaning it fills the stomach up and stimulates the bowel.
But bran can actually exacerbate some forms of constipation.
For constipation, there’s a belief that eating fibre such as bran always helps. But with slow transit constipation (STC) — a nerve and muscle problem that causes the slow passage of waste through the large intestine — it can cause bloating and excessive gas.
And for five million of the 12  million people suffering IBS in this country, fibre is one of the worst things, says a Professor of Medicine who's name I shall leave out.
He said that adding a bulking agent in the form of fibre such as bran gives the bowel even more work to do.
A significant number of IBS patients might be hyper-reactive to agents that stimulate or irritate the gut, particularly when it comes to bran.
So there it is, bran isn't always helpful!
Mandy x
amanda31789
Posted
Lara, regarding wind, it's better out than in! I read somewhere that eating a diet rich in fruit and veg usually produces gasses that don't smell to evil; it's meat that causes the really bad ones. But then, it could be something that your stomach is sensitive to. I can't coke, I get really bloated. I intend to avoid alcohol full stop, even at Christmas. I am absolutely terrified of getting constipated now that everything feels so narrow and tight!
I spoke to my Dad today, he has suffered with digestive problems for years and was told it was IBS. He says he can't eat onions. And I just finished reading that article; it also mentions onions (they are a FODMAP food) and says they must be well cooked to avoid fermentation in the gut (causing wind etc). Other FODMAP foods include pears, apples and stone fruits (such as peaches and plums), and vegetables such as broccoli, sprouts, cabbage and spring onions. The article was to do with healthy eating and how it can sometimes make your tummy worse.
All this learning!!!
I have not got a job at the moment, I have a little boy but he is with his Father and I miss him. I hope he can come home this week, I just need to try and drive my car!
Mandy
shaz3458
Posted
Bran is definitely my enemy!! I threw mine out when I worked out that it was causing me so much trouble.
I had a blood test for wheat intolerance months ago and it said I was not intolerant to wheat, but all that does
is rule out one thing in a million.
I decided today to start having a spoonful of lactulose breakfast and tea time instead of the laxido, just to see if it works any better. It probably won't, but I need to give it a try.
Lara . . I have exactly the same wind experience as you with the vibration and how it sometimes really hurts
just to pass wind. I keep thinking that this is not so much about what I'm eating and more about an operation
that has caused damage to my insides. The fact that I had to have a second op proves something went a bit wrong!! I have followed all the guidelines since day 1 , I haven't strained once, I haven't taken any painkillers
that contains codeine, I've drank copious amounts of water, eaten healthily, stayed away from the alcohol and look where it's got me !!!! Almost 12 weeks off work and still suffering and have no bowel control !!!
My work have been brilliant, I work in a healthcare dept and my boss is a nurse, she has been very understanding and has told me not to come back until I am right !! (That'll be never at this rate) my pay runs out at the
end of next week so I'm taking a couple of weeks annual leave just to give me a bit more time, as I just don't
know what I'll do if I'm still like this when I go back but I can't afford to be off with no pay.
I know we are all different and certain foods which might be okay for one person might not be okay for
another but we are all suffering the same symptoms and it seems nothing really helps relieve them.
I have decided today to start a food diary. I'm writing everything I eat and drink and when I have a BM and
How painful it is, whether or not I take painkillers etc..
I don't know if it will help but maybe I will pick up on something.
I've just had a call from my son, he lives abroad with his girlfriend, he has just told me that they are coming to stay with us for a few days... I'm now worried that I might not be able to get in the loo when I need too!!!
In answer to an earlier question about being stressed or worried etc.. I don't think I have, I've been trying to
think if there's a link there. I have had quite a few sleepless nights and the day that follows is usually a bad
day, but sometimes you just can't sleep!
Anyway.. It's really good to be able to chat to you all, I think I'd go mad without our chats !
Take care
Shaz xxx
shaz3458
Posted
Crikey I think I'll just drink water lol !!!
I'll cut out the spring onions and apples as well as the broccoli and see if it makes any difference.
My wind is always worse after eating fruit and veg, I have been advised not to mix veg. If you have meat only have one type of veg with it.
This is all very well but its not very appetising. I'm still going to give it a go tho
Love Shaz xx