Perforated small bowel

I thought I'd write about my experience 16 months ago to date as I would really have appreciated hearing about similar experiences since I had my emergency surgery and slow recovery since then. I hope it might help someone else.

I had been absolutely fine - very well, normal weight, fit and active with no history of illness. I was 64 when this happened. I developed pains across the front of my waist during the evening and went to bed where I was sick in the night, maybe 6-8 times, bringing up yellow bile, not food. Next morning I rang 111 and the assistant took those few symptoms, made an appointment for me at the local small injuries unit. Once there a doctor felt my abdomen, took a blood and urine sample and almost immediately got me into a bed and started me on intraveinous antibiotics, before calling for an ambulance to take me to hospital. Once there I had a CT scan and it was noted that there were diverticular in my small intestine which had perforated. Apparently, it is more common for diverticular to be present in the large intestine. Within a few hours I underwent surgery for resection of the small intestine. I woke up with morphine and antibiotics intraveinously, a naso gastric tube with a bag on the end to get rid of the bile, a urine catheter and a wound site drain. Over the next couple of days the morphine pump was removed together with the catheter and wound drain. The naso gastric tube and bag came out after three days. I was encouraged to walk about as much as possible, eat and drink as I wanted, to continue with antibiotics and take paracetomol and extra painkillers if needed.

My wound site began on my pubic bone and went up to an inch or so higher than my belly button. 40cm of small intestine had been removed. 

After four days my wound dehisced (opened) and every time I stood up loads of fluid came out, so from having a reasonable sized dressing I was now putting loads of pads and incontinence pants on to mop up. A nurse told me that the hospital was working out which was best - stiches, glue or staples. Mine was glued. So I had to stay in hospital for a total of two weeks following which district nurses visited my home for the next three months to pack and dress the wound until it healed.

So, over the past 16 months since it happened, I have gradually improved but my abdomen obviously looks and feels scarred still - like a quarter inch wide rope up my middle. My tummy on one side often pulls, drags and swells but is definitely better now than it was even two months ago.

After the op food tasted very odd. Anything that was totally natural, like fruit, tasted fine but anything with colourings or flavourings was awful. I was told that I could eat what I like but have found that I cannot digest red meat, spicy food, celery or drink more than half a small glass of wine. I don't get stomach ache, just feel unwell.

One problem I developed was a sore tongue. Nothing much to see but it would be sore on one side, then the other, then the tip. My GP gave me some treatment for thrush, but it wasn't that and, of course, didn't work. I now know this to be a common complaint after small bowel surgery. The part that was removed was the jejenum, where nutrients etc are processed. So I have been suffering from B12 vitamin deficiency. I began taking B12 two weeks ago and the healing of my tongue has been dramatic. If only I (and my GP) had known earlier!

As no reason was given why the diverticular perforated, and I was told there are still 3/4 remaining, I am always afraid it will happen again and that has had a limiting effect on my life but the longer I continue without anything happening, the more confident I feel.

So, I am very grateful for all concerned for saving my life. I just hope that my experiences over the time it has taken for me to fully recover might help someone else going through the same thing.     

0 likes, 3 replies