Sigmoid Colectomy...post op problems...has anyone else had same or similar?
Posted , 4 users are following.
I'm sorry post is so long but have so many worries I could do with some advice/Information from others who has had same op...Thankyou for reading.
I had the operation just over three weeks ago on the 12th November...spent two days in High Dependency Unit then five on the ward.
Was allowed home but apart from nutrition advice and being told bowels would take a week or two to get back to normal I was given no idea what else to expect...waiting for appointment for one month follow up with Surgeon.
First five days I hardly ate or drank as the smell and taste of food in the hospital made we want to gag...everything tasted or smelt bad...slowly getting appetite back and following nutrition sheet.
Felt terribly constipated with no bowel movement for the first week then diarrhea for another five days...now back to feeling as if I need to empty bowels but constipated...I am able some mornings to pass soft stools by pushing up hard on my buttocks...very painful but once I've managed to pass any stools I'm left shaking and looking really ashen faced...it's some sort of relief and doesn't last as long as that awful constipated feeling where it's impossible to even sit down.
GP subscribed Senna so bought Senokot Max Strength Senna and they are not working...still feeling constipated...at my 'wits end' and dread mornings.
Something else is I was cut from just over an inch above and through the navel...stitches have all but dissolved now but the navel and stomach area is still painful and still sore to touch..is this normal? GP doesn't seem to be at all concerned just told recovery times vary for each individuals.
0 likes, 7 replies
caroline45005 jenis
Posted
Hi. Sorry to hear you are having these problems. I also had problems with constipation and not feeling as though I had emptied my bowels fully. Laxitives didn't seem to work as well as they had in the past. I felt so unwell on and off over several weeks, was very weak with a lot of abdomen and deep rectal pain. My GP suggested aloe vera. I now take one H &B Aloe vera colon cleanse capsule before bedtime and so far have managed to empty my bowels fully each morning. Wow what a difference!! I really hope that they continue to help me. Totally natural product too. Good luck to you
jenis caroline45005
Posted
Thankyou Caroline for the Aloe Vera recommendation...I'll most definitely be trying those...deep rectal pain describes the pains I get exactly...described in a much better than I could.
glenda_82112 jenis
Posted
I am now 7 months post op. I agree the food was horrible in the hospital. Afterward I followed the soft food diet and ate minimally for 6 weeks. It takes your colon that long to heal. I have said many times on this forum, what goes in must come out. After the 6 weeks I slowly began eating foods that I hadn't had in years, a little at a time. Needed to monitor what my body could or couldn't tolerate yet. If you're on pain medication it will cause constipation, so make sure you drink lots of water. My morning routine was take my medication, after a bowl of cream of wheat. I also take milk of magnesium every morning even to this day. Walk after each meal as far as you can, eventually walking further. I also drink a small bottle of Gatorade every morning for electrolytes. Yes, even now my bellybutton is still very tender. My doctor explained it is the center of our central nervous system, eventually the tenderness isn't so severe. Ask away if you have any questions.
jenis glenda_82112
Posted
Also Glenda thank you for replying...shops now closed so first thing Monday morning it's Aloe Vera And Milk of Magnesia...I do hope they will give some kind of relief even if it's only a little.
I just wish I'd known how awful these after effects could be...although I had little choice about having the op as Surgeon said it wasn't just bad but very very bad and to leave it much longer could be dangerous at my age...I'm 70...also there was adherence to fallopian tubes and ovaries which haven't helped...saving grace was they had marked me up with big black crosses either side of navel for a pouch...so the most thankful words I heard when I came round was 'You haven't got a Stoma"
One question is why do they cut right through the belly button surely a little to the side couldn't make that much difference?
caroline45005 jenis
Posted
You are very welcome. Although the Aloe vera capsules don't take all the pain away and I do have to take pain killers, they certainly seem to help with some of the pain and with softening and fully emptying my bowels every day. I have not been taking them for very long, so I really hope they work long term, as this disease is for life. At 58 and diagnosed with this last year after bad infection, I realise the importance of drinking more water and definitely trying not to get constipated. I have to admit to concerns about an operation and possible stoma. I hope you get on ok with the aloe vera, although it can take a few days for it to work, I would be interested to hear how you get on. Take care.
Rhiannon_5000 jenis
Posted
Hi jenis, i had siimilar op but i had an iliostomy bag after for 3 momths for things to heal. I think all you describe sounds normal . its a big op. Can you not ring surgeons office for some reassurance? im sure someone on the forum will help you that has had this op without an iliostomy. the other thing to remember, it is very early days. it s a major surgery. It takes a while for things to settle. It did with me when i had the reversal and my bowel started functioning again. I hope things settle .
glenda_82112 jenis
Posted
I don't know why they cut through the bellybutton. My cut was right beneath it, and it was black and blue for quite a long time. Even now I have to be careful leaning against the counter. Would I do it again, heck yeah. It's a lot better than living with diverticulitis.