The Colon Club

What a helpful response, MissMolly/karen. My husband had paralytic illius that mimicked small bowel obstruction after his colectomy. Thankfully, no scarring or adhesion issues were involved. We were not given recovery advice like this, so thank you. If/when my husband has future surgeries, this information will come in handy in case he has major bowl slowdown.

MissMolly wrote:Mike:
Glad to hear that the worst of the SBO is behind you and that you are back at home. Home is where true healing begins.

I have had a few open surgeries . . . And a few SBOs . . . One requiring surgical lysis of adhesions and several that decompressed with an NG tube and bowel rest.

My own opinion is that fate and chance play a large role in the incidence of SBOs. From my surgeon: Most SBOs occur within the first 12-16 months following abdominal surgery. The incidence reduces markedly after 12-16 months as scar tissue/adhesions mature and soften.

Following an acute SBO, as you have had, be cognizant that the segment of intestine above the “kink” or narrowing will remain inflamed and dilated and swollen for a few weeks (10 days-2 weeks). There can also be associated infra-abdominal inflammation (called stranding) due to the release of inflammatory markers and endocrine effects to mediate the stress response. Focus on hydration. Eat small portion sizes, graze. Soft, easy to digest foods (creamed soups, chicken pot pie, steamed carrot medallions).

Hot showers can relax abdominal and back tightened muscles and ease intestinal distress. Relax with a buckwheat microwave warm pack.

Here, too, is an importune time to use a titrated dose of an osmotic laxative (Miralax, Milk of Magnesia) or magnesium supplement (500 mg capsule or powder of magnesium citrate).
The key is to somewhat liquify the consistency of digested food material so that it can pass through swollen or restricted areas with greater ease as you heal from the after effects of the SBO.

People can develop acute constipation with retained food proximal to the area of SBO and this can mimic symptoms of the original SBO - this due to irregular motility, stop and start contractability of the traumatized small intestine coupled with swelling/effusion of the intestinal lumen. All to say . . . Your small intestine has been traumatized and will be in a state of flux and healing for 7-10 days. Keep to soft/easy to digest foods and small portion sizes, focus on hydration more than solid food intake, consider use of an osmotic laxative, move about and walk as you are comfortable to encourage the intestines to move and hum along in synch.

Welcome to the Adhesion’s Club. The first “attack” is always frightening simply because it’s onset is abrupt, intense, and unexpected. The pain is truly enough to bring you to your knees.

Fingers crossed, you may never experience another SBO. But if you do, you’ll have this experience to draw upon to recognize symptoms and to guide you through to the other side.
Karen

Thank-you for a detailed response from experience. The doctors and nurses didn't have this stuff - the discharge papers were fairly light on recommendations because the folks that write these things haven't experienced them. I showed your post to my wife and so she'll have some guidelines for my diet going for a couple of weeks.

I haven't had a BM since Monday night which has had me anxious this week. But water has gone through and there's been lots of gas. So that had me more hopeful. I didn't really eat much since Tuesday evening so hopefully things squeeze out. Nothing like the fear of an SBO to keep you from eating a lot.

Mike,
Are you still in pain? Any success with eating yet? This journey is rough.
S

I had a very large BM last night so there's a great deal of mental relief. I feel back to normal today which is saying something. I expect bowels to be irregular for a week and I'm taking it easy on the GI system for a week before going back to a more normal diet.

I have not had what I would consider pain but lots of funny feelings. I was passing gas after drinking water which was strange and there was no odor to it. I passed gas after eating small amounts of food as well. The odor has come back though there isn't gas after water anymore. I'm not sure how the air got in unless it was sucked in to the GI system from the water going down. Or gas gets trapped by waste so it comes out in spurts along with waste.

At any rate, an overall painful experience and I'm working on getting back to normal. Normal is doing weight training, running, etc. I was not sure if I should run as I was worried about damaging something and I kept weights light. So back to some slow running to see how that goes.

Mike:
Recovery from a partial small bowel obstructions does take time. It is not as simplistic as one minute the small bowel is kinked and the next minute the small bowel is wide open for traffic as usual.

You can expect more of a hiccup-type of recovery over the next week to 10 days. That is, overall lessening of intestinal unease but with occasional bouts of distension, gas, waves of pain, and disrupted intestinal motility/ movement. It is sort of analogous to a car that has a blinking warning light and the car is sputtering as it lurches toward a service station.

Do keep a focus on hydration. Hydration and more hydration. Hydration will help flush the intestinal tract and keep digested food material from stagnating as intestine motility waxes and wanes.

Walking, yoga, Pilates, and light weighths as exercise is promoted and A-OK. I would discourage you from running. Running places a lot of gostling-around of internal organs and can be more traumatic then soothing for an intestinal tract her is already confused as to what has happened with the obstruction.

Hot showers, hot soaking bath can be ever so helpful to ease muscles that are contracting and guarding.

Your poop likely is more odoforous due to several factors. During the partial obstruction, food material becomes backed-up in quantity even before the obstruction gives its acute notice. There is usually quite a bit of retained food material. This food material “rots” in your GI tract much as food scraps placed down a sink but where it is forgotten to turn on the food disposal.

A partial obstruction also disrupts the normal bacterial flora that makes its home in the digestive tract. The bacterial flora are alive and have cellular metabolic byproducts. The odor of your output is unpleasant owing to retained gas and cellular debris from the bacterial flora.

All of the body-stress can add up. Taking a quality probiotic to repopulate the small bowel can be advantageous. VSL-3 is a medical grade probiotic that is highly regarded by colon surgeons and gastroenterologist. VSL-3 is the probiotic usually reserved for those with severe Chron’s or ulcerative colitis and was available by prescription only until last year. VSL-3 is now available without a prescription. It can be sourced through a pharmacy on request and I understand that it is also available through Amazon. I use VSL-3 myself with good effect. So switching your current probiotic with VSL-3 for a month or 2 might be worth considering if odorous and sticky poop remains.

Anyway . . . All to say, a partial bowel obstruction is an insult to the body. It does take time . . . and more time . . . To feel like yourself again.
Karen

I went without a BM for about 3 1/2 days and then it started slowly and then a day like today where it's about 15 hours of clustering. I must say that it's nice not to have to deal with bathroom stuff but not going for over two days gives me anxiety over a blockage. Water and gas were getting passed and that provides some reassurance but there is some relief when it happens. So I'm taking it easy this week, both with food and impact-type exercises.

I think that left-side sleeping does help a lot too.

NHMike wrote:I went without a BM for about 3 1/2 days and then it started slowly and then a day like today where it's about 15 hours of clustering. I must say that it's nice not to have to deal with bathroom stuff but not going for over two days gives me anxiety over a blockage. Water and gas were getting passed and that provides some reassurance but there is some relief when it happens. So I'm taking it easy this week, both with food and impact-type exercises.

I think that left-side sleeping does help a lot too.

I understand Mike. Once you experience a blockage, you are very aware of everything going on and wait for gas and stool. It has been over 3 years since I had mine, but I still worry about it. It is not a good experience.

I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but a hot compress (I use a rice-filled heating pad) underneath the lower back while lying down with a pillow under the knees can really help relax all the abdominal muscles that impact the intestines. It will help release the gas and stuff.

Things are more or less back to normal. Friday was a day of clustering and I had a moderate amount of clustering yesterday. I had a little this morning but I didn't eat that much yesterday which helps. I have a meeting tomorrow morning so I'm doing a 36 hour fast before it.

The effect of the SBO was that I usually went to the bathroom all at once which was actually more efficient. I didn't really have any more pain though I kept an eye on things and had a lot of fluids and didn't run, which was difficult. I didn't take Miralax but will probably take some today to try to completely empty out before tomorrow.

Is it safe to take Imodium or should I wait a while on that?

Wouldn't a blockage mean pain, not going for 3 days doesn't necessarily mean there is blockage? I mean there have been times where I don't go for the entire day, but that is because if I see any diarrhea I take two Imodiums right away. Overall things are getting better. Can't stand the unpredictability of going though

Rikimaroo wrote:Wouldn't a blockage mean pain, not going for 3 days doesn't necessarily mean there is blockage? I mean there have been times where I don't go for the entire day, but that is because if I see any diarrhea I take two Imodiums right away. Overall things are getting better. Can't stand the unpredictability of going though

The blockage was very painful but it only lasted about 7 hours. I didn't have a blockage afterwards but I was terrified of having another so I greatly slowed my eating. It was a relief when things started coming out though. It's the fear of the blockage that changes behavior.

I drove for 11 hours yesterday and had a clustering day but managed. I mapped out all of the rest stops and had plenty of supplies. I'll fast the day before driving back. I wasn't able to do this as I fasted for a meeting on Monday.

I am glad to hear that things are going well now.

Claudia

Blockage last night. But I was able to manage it without going to the hospital. Very little pain though moderate discomfort. I weigh myself once or twice a day and a blockage is indicated if my weight is a lot higher than normal. Too much stress in life means that I'm not taking good care of myself. My work has to be finished by tomorrow and things are looking good - I have some work to do tonight and a lot of work tomorrow.

Sorry to was Ur still struggling Mike, I've been following ur post but with my pending reversal I had nothing to add that would be helpful so haven't posted, .

The one thing I will add to everyones advice is Ur stress leaves seem to be really high ( work )
I believe stress is a massive contributor to cancer, if not the " main one "

I'm sure with your job it's quite difficult to avoid but if at all possible try to reduce it (easier said than done I know)
I'm as bad myself but I think it's vital

No one knows the reasons for many cancers but when I look at vegans and vegetarians hippies( lol ) living such clean lifestyle it has to make u wonder,,,?????
Hope Ur b back to Ur old self soon

ADELE X