Bright Red Blood - 1 week after resection

[surfboar]

I had approximately 12 inches of my descending colon removed a week ago. Operation went well and I was out of the hospital in 3 days. First bowel movement and gas within about 3 hours of getting to the hospital room after recovery. For the past 6 days, I have had slightly larger and firmer stool each day with it being fairly gravely and black at first and progressing to a more normal brown/tan color. Today however, I have been going a lot. Probably 10 times. The last few times there were tinges of red blood. Then the last bowel movement, there was a a bunch of bright red blood in the water.

Is this normal? I have a call in to the surgeon's office but haven't heard back. I have some mild cramping feelings around my anus but no pain. Also, no fever.

I do have some internal hemmoroids and I wonder if I have irritated them with the frequent pooping? Or maybe it is the site where they joined the two sections of colon together.

[Utwo]

If you have your temperature of pain escalating, go to the Emergency Department of the same hospital where you had your surgery (if it's doable from financial point of view).

[surfboar]

Utwo,

Thanks for the reply. There is no pain and no fever, just a teaspoon or so of blood when I poop. I spoke with the after-hours surgeon and they said the same thing you did. He thought it sounded like hemoroids bleeding but to go to the ER if there was pain and/or fever.

Otherwise, I need to go back to the hospital (2 hours away) to have a scope to look at what is up.

[surfboar]

So I did end up in the ER after the blood in the stool continued. At the ER, all the bloodwork was normal and the CT scan showed everything was ok with the surgery site..... no leaks, no abcess etc. Since my hemoglobin levels were ok, they sent me home to follow up with my surgeon. Instructions are to come back if the bleeding starts to come between bowel movements or there is a fever. The working theory is that I irritated or tore something with my first round of solid stool and straining.

This morning, the bleeding has stopped. So far so good.