Ileostomy Partial Blockage

[Badass]

Spoke to surgeon who feels I don't need to go to the ER as long as I am having a little output and not vomiting. Feels it will work itself out. But gosh those cramp spasms hurt like hell! Anyone have any suggestions on how to work this out-- I have tried massaging the area around the stoma and bringing my knees to my chest. I feel weak, nauseous and crampy. I know it is food. Really want this to end!

[CRCSue]

Sorry to hear you are having problems. I never had a blockage, but I remember reading that if I got one, I was to message my abdomen and bring my knees up to my chest and roll from side to side. That was one of my biggest fears while wearing the bag, if there was not a constant output, I was worrying about a blockage.

[triciah]

This is one of my greatest fears. The pain is horrendous. I have had a number of blockages and went to the hospital only the last time because of major vomiting. Now if my abdomen starts to hurt in any way, I start massaging it and trying hot pads. I also stop eating and drink hot fluids. I recently read that pure grape juice helps so I'm going to try that next time. I got that tip from the ostomy.org site. I haven't tried the rolling side to side yet.
Hope this helps a little.

[Badass]

Triciah, thank you, that helps a lot! Sounds like you are a veteran. This really is an awful experience. Can you give me an idea of how long these episodes last? It sounds like it could take a few days maybe for the blockage to work itself out?

[Badass]

OK, here's an update. Thought I would share what I am doing for future reference. Definitely getting more output and gas pain/cramping torture is slowing.

1. Took off bag and wafer and stood in warm shower letting spray beat against abdomen. Stoma really liked this.

2. Put on larger size wafer opening to give stoma a little room. Stoma very swollen. Made a mess of paste so may be some leakage but scheduled nurse to come tomorrow to help me.

3. Massaged belly especially around stoma.

4. Walked down the block and back to get things moving but no energy at all.

5. Advised by nurse to lie on left side. Draped abdomen with heating pad.

6. Drinking lots of fluids so, as nurse said, intestinal system won't forget its job.

7. Read in a couple of places grape juice helpful so sipping that.

8. Took my Zofran for nausea.

9. Advised by on-call onc ok to take some low reside food to support evening dose of Xeloda. Worried about doing this but absolutely will- want benefit of the dose.

So, I hope I am out of the woods. I understand this might go on for a few days but as long as things are moving in the right direction I think I can handle this.

Maybe this list will help someone else or be a good reminder for me if this happens again.

[triciah]

My episodes used to last about 5 hours but now they are longer. The last one was probably 10 hours before it worked itself out. It was horrible but did end eventually. I thought that I would be dehydrated but wasn't. I still asked for rehydration iv mainly to make my hospital stay worthwhile.My doctor said that next time I could get home care to do an enema but I'm not convinced on that remedy.
Thanks for posting what you've found.

[Badass]

Oh gosh, mine's been going on a lot longer than 5 hours! I thought the cramping might continue through the weekend, even once the flow gets going. When you time the length of your episode, do you mean till all symptoms resolve or till things start to move again?

[triciah]

Last time it was 10 hours before anything started to move. Things didn't "suddenly" start to move but over a little time. Cramping begins to quit but still takes awhile. If I was getting absolutely nothing out, I wouldn't wait days to head to the hospiatl but that's not your problem I see.

[Badass]

10 hours till anything moved? Yow! My heart goes out to you! My floodgates opened about an hour or two after the shower-- so much so that I called on call doc to see if I should take immodium so I don't get dehydrated, but didn't want to slow things down again either. He said definitely do not take immodium, that when things start moving a lot of liquid can pour out. So now it is a couple of hours later and I am feeling lots better
I think the grape juice helped a lot! Or could just be coincidence.

[RayGirl]

My docs said i didn't have an obstruction when my guts just decide to go back to sleep in the hospital day 4 after resection. But considering the first meal the hospital gave me included several things on the possible obstructive list from my ostomy nurse (which she finally gave me after my second meal) I have always wondered. However mine lasted for days, with no outputs.

In case you don't have a list, here's what was eventually provided to me.
Obstructive
apple peels
cabbage, raw
celery
Chinese vegetables
corn, whole kernel
coconuts
dried fruit
mushrooms
oranges
nuts
pineapple
popcorn
seeds

[Badass]

Raygirl, isn't that crazy that the hospital would feed you stuff that is bad for you medical condition? I have been pretty adventurous without a problem up until now- not sure if it was one specific food or just too much vegetable matter in one day.

Thanks for sharing the list!

Jane