SEVERE CONSTIPATION 1 WK POST - HAVE YOU EVER HAD IT? I DID!

HELP!

I was just in emerge tonight because I was so badly blocked that it required human intervention with fleet enema and 3 suppositories not working at all. The doctor had to literally help pull out the mass that had been growing!

My surgery was the 19th. Discharge the 21st. today is the 24th. I last had a movement on the 18th!

Were you all checked for a bowel movement before discharge?

I was not.

I told them I had not gone since the 18th and no one was concerned.

Anyone else have this experience. It was a nightmare and now I am scared and can't sleep!

Help please...any advise!

Wow, that is scary. Loads of sympathy from me. I hope this doesn't happen again!

Two questions which might elicit better info from others: Which sugery did you have, and were you on a special pre-op dient?

I was on protein shakes for 2 weeks pre-op, and this caused all my stools to be pretty soft or loose, and that has continued even now (2 weeks post-op).

I've never gone to the ER for constipation.  I've had it terribly.  In fact, a few days ago, I was still having trouble after a suppository.  I needed human intervention as well, but I just gloved up and did it myself.  I don't think I would go to the ER, unless I guess if I was unable to do it myself for some reason.

I take Mirilax daily and that usually does the job.  Oh, and thanks for the reminder - I am going upstairs to grab a dose of Mirilax right now!

 My surgeon told me that sometimes the anthesia and medications they give you for surgery make you constipated and told us to take magnesium citrate or milk of magnesia the day before the surgery so you dont get too back up. I also had my surgery on the 19th but I've had a bowel movement since my surgery. Right now I'm on liquids and don't expect too many more.

Hi: Pain killer medications can cause this problem also. I know, if I take pain killers I can't go to the little boy's room either. When I had hand surgery I went through the same thing, I was blocked and in pain finally after taking hot tea, suppositories and coffee enema I was able to go. It only took about two hours before it all started working, thank God. The best thing is to stay relaxed, as best you can, it'll come.
Stay soft and flowing, ha, ha LoL.
Best wishes.  88 FL

Thanks for all the posts. So today my rectal pain is pretty severe and I feel like I am going to rip me a new one every time I sit to send out a poof or a little wee marble of a poo.

So this is what I had as of yesterday http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_impaction and I had done what they refer to as "Manual dis-impaction"...what a nightmare!

So despite the enemas, I was on a road that was getting dangerous and had no choice but to get help from the ER....thank god for Canadian Health Care! I had no idea what I was in for when they walked in cloaked and masked, but lets just say the room I was in was definitely closed for the night and unable to be used again!

For those that have mentioned you've tried getting it out yourself, just so you know the nurse had me try again and she suggested sweeping around the wall of the block and my inner rectal skin and running my finger gently with a glove...for something smaller I could see this being affective, however I was a lost cause. Anything that wont move more than what your gentle gloved finger can do on your own should be left to a professional as there are very thin layers of skin in this area that can tear very easily. Once this happens, you have a whole new set of problems that many people with Crones Disease can understand because it does not heal well and once broken and repaired will not function with the same elasticity and will inhibit your ability to eat brans, grains, some veg and dairy that we bariatric peeps may need to turn to from time to time.

I had the roux en y and did 3 weeks of optifast where I had both solid and runny stool.

Now today, I am sore...my whole body but mostly my bottom and my surgical skin area and the muscles that were cut through for my surgery. I know I've been set back a few days of recovery as I was 5 days post yesterday and able to almost put my socks on without it taking 30 minutes and I was able to bend enough to get about a half a foot off the floor to pick something up and now today, I feel like I am at square one needing help again with simple things and wiping is pain in the arse literally and physically because of the "pain" and the reach factor is not so good. Getting in and out of laying and seated positions is still a HUGE bumMer for me....WHEN DOES IT GET LESS PAINFUL???...OR GO AWAY ALL TOGETHER???

My emotional state is the worst because I am scared to eat and I've been now drinking my stool softner (15ml) before every meal instead of the 3 tbsp I would have taken at night all at once. I'm still on liquids and am afraid of food and hungry at the same time. It's vicious!

Now every time I sit on the john I pray to GOD (which I never believed in until yesterday) that it will be pain free and I will make a bowel movement. so far...very little is coming out. Like a small marble size if anything at all and i'm afraid it's all impacted again and there was some that hadn't come down yet.

As for complications....I was NOT expecting anything like this.

But I shall move forward and hope for the best....it's all I can do

Rollin' Out!

Sarah

64 + oz. fluid a day, 2 stool softeners a day, walk-walk-walk and a suppository to get started sometimes.

So sorry to hear you are going through this.  Prior to discharge my room mate asked the nurse about whether we need to have a bowel movement prior to leaving the hospital.  She indicated that no, it can take a while with the surgery and that we are only drinking minimal fluids (we had been on i.v. drip, and the pain meds.

I was discharged on the morning of December 14th, and that same afternoon I had my first bowel movement (unaided).  I have been going pretty regularly since then.  I also do not have too much applesauce or apple juice and both can help to stop you up.  There is the BRATT diet for those with diarrhea (Bananas, Rice, Apples, Toast and Tea).

My first week of Optifast I had a major case of Optitrots.  (6-8 times per day!!!)  Then I was asked to stop certain medication and up the use of the Metamucil capsules.

May your bowels and incisions heal nicely for you.  All the best this holiday season.

Judy