On going side effects of Right Hemicolectomy 4yrs post surgery

[Ronnie16]

Hello all, I’m new to this forum. Looking for some info/support from people who might be going through the same thing as me.
I’m now 4yrs post right hemicolectomy op after being diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in Aug 2014.
I feel that my stools are still quite loose (all the time, every day) and the need for a bowel movement can happen quite quickly after a meal. Sometimes it comes on so quickly that I have to rush to the toilet, I can’t hold it in.
Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I would guess that this is happening because I’ve got less large bowel to absorb fluid from the stool and also less bowel for it to move through. But is this normal?
Apologies if this has already been discussed.

[Deb m]

My husband had a Rt. Hemicolectomy as well 8 years ago. He too still suffers from loose stools and all that you said. He takes two Imodium's every day and has for 8 years now. His oncologist at MDA said it's ok. It has helped quite a bit. It's just a normal routine for him now. He also found that drinking coffee makes it much worse, so he has stopped drinking it and that also has helped. Try taking coffee out of your diet, if you drink it.

deb m

[hiker]

I'm a year and a half post-colon resection and, although I don't have loose stools, I do have the urgency issue. I told my wife it's like the colon moves the stuff to a certain spot and at that point it's like a tripwire - I gotta go and go right away.

hiker

[O Stoma Mia]

...Try taking coffee out of your diet, if you drink it.

deb m

Ronnie16 - I had a low anterior resection, not a hemicolectomy, but I had similar problems four years out from surgery, and I found that eliminating certain foods and beverages from my diet helped solve the problem

What I would do if I were you would be to try to determine if there are any triggers in your diet that are making this happen. Try eliminating your favorite beverages and favorite foods, one by one, and see if it makes a difference. In my case, there are three kinds of beverages that I don't drink anymore because I know that they always cause problems. It might be the same for you.

Also, try eating smaller meals so that there is not so much bulk for the colon to handle at one time. And you might try a psyllium-based product to help firm up the stool.

EDIT:
There's also another thing I read about somewhere but I can't remember where. It said that timing of beverage consumption and temperature of beverage can make a difference: It said that, ideally, beverages should be consumed either 30 minutes before the meal or 30 minutes after the meal, but not much during the meal itself. I guess that's to try to separate the liquid part of the meal from the solid part of the meal so that the meal itself doesn't become so liquified in the digestive tract.

Also, warm beverages tend to trigger more diarrhea than cold beverages. And there might also be a problem with carbonated beverages as opposed to plain beverages.

Try different combinations and see what happens...

[Beckster]

Hello all, I’m new to this forum. Looking for some info/support from people who might be going through the same thing as me.
I’m now 4yrs post right hemicolectomy op after being diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in Aug 2014.
I feel that my stools are still quite loose (all the time, every day) and the need for a bowel movement can happen quite quickly after a meal. Sometimes it comes on so quickly that I have to rush to the toilet, I can’t hold it in.
Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I would guess that this is happening because I’ve got less large bowel to absorb fluid from the stool and also less bowel for it to move through. But is this normal?
Apologies if this has already been discussed.

I had a right hemicolectomy in Nov 2016. I had some loose stools for about 6 months, which I think was due to the chemo. However, after chemo, I am fine. In fact, my bowel movements are better now than before surgery. I eat alot of veg and fruits and I find that when I eat late at night, I will sometimes have a loose bowel movement in the morning. Butt....when I do have an "episode of urgency" your right, it comes on quickly. Luckily, this only happens once in a blue moon.

[mobrouser]

I'm the same as Beckster. Although the surgeon warned I would likely have looser stools, since chemo ended I haven't experienced that, and I don't remember it being an issue between surgery and the start of chemo either. I had roughly 30 cm removed starting at the terminal ileum.

My diet is mostly fruits, grains, nuts and veggies, dairy but very little meat (as in maybe once a week). No caffeinated beverages and last week had my first glass of wine in almost a year. It works for me, although I suspect others may find it dull.

mob