5 months post LAR / Mucus in stools

[galee]

Hello all! I am 5 months post LAR surgery. No ileostomy. I have been having mucus in stool for a month now. Over the phone my colorectal surgeons PA does not seemed concerned. Ordered stool test which came back normal, so no evidence of infection. The mucus is making me nuts. It’s enough to simply manage the early days of clustering, etc. Does anyone have experience with mucus in stools post resection without an ileostomy?

I am getting in front of my surgeon on Thursday to discuss. Any specific thoughts or questions I might have prepared?

Most likely my monkey mind is in overdrive but this mucus doesn’t sit well with me.

Thank you for your time and shared experience,
Lee

[JJH]

You can get some good background information on "mucus in stools" by looking at some of MissMolly's posts in this area. Most of these replies were for ostomy patients, but they nevertheless had good info on the underlying mucus-generating process in the bowel.

https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/search.php?keywords=mucus&terms=all&author=missmolly&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

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What Causes Mucus in Your Stool?
https://www.dailyhealthcures.com/general-health/mucus-in-stool-causes-treatments/

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Bristol Stool Chart
https://www.continence.org.au/pages/bristol-stool-chart.html

[sadysue]

Hi Lee.....I am nine years out from my initial DX and surgery. I have had mucous in my stool ever since my ostomy reversal surgery. In the beginning, it seemed that I released mucous almost every time I had a BM. Now it is only occasionally BUT nevertheless, still happens, sometimes even if I am not having a BM. I never worried about it but you should probably check with your doctor next time you see him/her. Good luck!
Mary Ann

[galee]

Thank you for your response! I saw my colorectal surgeon last Thursday. In person he still was not terribly concerned about the mucus. He feels if I bulk up my stool more with fiber that my intermittent pain and mucous might resolve. He stated that the only way to truly determine if there is another cause is to do a colonoscopy. He would prefer to wait at least 10-12 months from LAR. Of course, if thing’s ‘go south’ we will reconsider that option. He feels I am on a positive course of continued recovery.

With gratitude,
Lee