Feeling lost

[Joannerogers]

I am in need of advise and encouragement . I had my liver resection on the 30th of November. I was doing fairly good after my 10 day hospital stay, even went to Florida to spend Christmas with in in laws. I had been taking my oxycodone on a regular basis. Sudden at 3 in the morning I awoke with extreme abdominal pain...I could stand, walk, sit....nothing. I had my husband call for an ambulance and they admitted me to the hospital where I got really good pain medicine that took care of the pain but when it wore off the pain was back raging. I think the doctors finally diagnosed me with constipation from the pain medication and possibly passing a kidney stone and a small uti. Now I'm afraid to take any pain reliver except for Tylenol which only takes the edge off. My Ativan also can cause constipation and I desperately need it but won't take it because it might constipated me again. All the horrible pain I had has really hurt my incision site even though it has healed up already . This episode has set me back so far it's like I just had the liver surgery. I can only do a little everyday...sweeping the floor with a dust mop makes me short of breath, I'm starving mad hungry but the smell of food and the taste makes me sick. I'm at the point I wished I had never had this surgery even though my onc said it would give me ten years on my life. I still have the colon surgery to go and I don't think I can go through with it. I feel right now like its a losing battle.

Encouragement and advice from folks that have been where I'm at now is desperately needed.

[Kreature]

Hey Joanne.

I haven't gone thru what you are going thru, I had a cancerous polyp and after colonoscopys and 2 CT scans I was diagnosed with colon cancer in-situ in March 2015. Currently doing CEAs every three months. More colonoscopys to come. But I also recently suffered an accident that amputated part of my finger. The Dr had prescribed pain killers but also RestoraLAX in case the pain killers caused constipation. It's a once daily dose you mix a powder with water and drink. please go back to your Dr and get a laxative. You sound like a fighter and this will be a tool for you to be able to deal with the pain following your surgery. Best of luck and don't give up!

[bitchslapped]

Well I haven't been where you are, but I have been a caregiver. You don't have to suffer like that. Stay hydrated w/plenty of water for bowels, snack on dried prunes, drink prune juice, plum juice. Sunsweet makes Plumsmart which is a much lighter juice that does the same as the prune juice only it is not thick like prune juice. You might start out w/6 oz-8oz in the a.m. or divide a.m./p.m., adjust up or down as necessary while you're taking pain meds. Adjust so you are having a daily BM. When your appetite comes back add raw veggies, legumes to your diet & take Beano if you have to if causes gas.

Best Wishes
BS

[midlifemom]

My only thought, my colon resection was easier than my liver resection.
So don't let this scare you off from what you need to do.

[rwightman]

The colon resection is much easier than liver resection, especially if it is laproscopic so I wouldn't be too worried about that one. I think you should take the pain meds and supplement with a laxative or a stool softener for the constipation. There is no reason you remain in pain! As I recall, the liver resection pain subsided a lot at the three week mark.

[vilca11]

Joanne, hang in, it will be over soon. I had the same exact story you have now. My resection was on Oct 29. After leaving hospital ( do not remember when exactly it started, but about the time you indicated your started), had absolutely horrible abdominal pain - the whole abdomen, the liver, the pancreas, ovaries, intestines - it was unbearable.... all that on the same background as yours - constipation and gas - abdomen was terribly blotted. I did feel better when I was taking narcotics, but I knew that it is them what creates constipation and gas... So, kind of dead end.

I was asking for more oxycodone or hydromorphin,nevertheless, but Dr. Kemeny is tough about narcotics, she did not authorize any, and I was told to take Tylenol (very bad for liver), but I did not want to take it. I decided to tolerate pain for a few days and use all I can find for resolving the cause of the pain - constipation and gases.... I used Senna and it was HORRIBLE - yes, you do go, but your abdomen has twice more pain and suffering than was before for quite some time... So, I ended up using suppositories, my trace minerals, and overnight soaked in the boiled water prunes with the liquid... All 3 ways worked fine. That is how I resolved the issue. So, you can continue to use your narcotics, if you deal with constipation. Narcotics take care of the pain, but create constipation that in turn creates pain again - if you resolve constipation the result would end in neutral - no constipation + no pain....

Try it. This period of the severe pain will end soon, if you do the above. Right now I do not take narcotics, but FUDR and Ondansetron create constipation (the anti-nausea meds), and I just deal with constipation using one of 3 methods, depending what is handy - so there is no horror anymore of that blowing you up pain in the abdomen. Hugs, Vilca

[jhocno197]

With pain meds, you definitely need some sort of bowel regimen. My husband's doctor has him doing a dose of miralax twice a day.