Internal Hernias and Bowel Obstructions

HI all

 I am currently in the hosipital  from last Fri until now recoverving from a bowel obstruction and internal hernia. This has been a long and hard process and I remain clueless on when I will be discharged. My nurse told me that my white blood count was up this am but I am still waiting for the doctor to make his rounds. I am still having a little diarherea but think God Im not vomiting bile. Some one who has had this experience can you tell me about your recovery process , how long were you in the hospital? any helpful information to fight this illness because I want to go HOME. Staying in the hopsiptal for 6 days has been NO JOKE!!!!

I am also recovering from a bowel obstruction that I had surgery for on the 18th of June. I went home on the 6th day after surgery, but felt that something was wrong----the docs were ignoring my complaint of increased pain and inability to eat. So I went home and three days later my incision devekoped an opening and was draining pus and blood. The docs office was closed so I went to the ED and they opened my incision and ckeaned it out and I am currently doing dressing changes 2x daily to an open wound in my belly. I was unaware that I had been running fevers as my thermometer was not working. Then over the next few days I developed lots of nausea and was running fevers again. So I had a CT and they found 2 abcesses inside, one in the right front of my belly and a small one on my spleen. I ended up having a lovely drain put in the larger abcess which I still have, and an antibiotic to hopefully get rid of the other abcess. I spent another 7 days in the hospital, until I am finally not running fevers anymore. Just yesterday I started being able to eat small amts at meals again. My strength is zapped due to inability to even get protein shakes down. It has been a nightmare, needless to say.
I went basically a month with nothing but fluids--too nauseous to even try and eat.
I don't know what your situation is but for me, I had to have about a 5 in*****ision to open me for the repair, and the surgeon told me that there was some leakage of bowel contents whi*****reased my risk of abcess.
My advice to you would be make sure you have an accurate thermometer and take your temp often....try to go long enough without pain meds that will decrease your temp...I was told to call if temp grtr than 101.5, however, I found the doc seemed concerned even about temps over 100. Also, increased pain is a sign of trouble,too. Best wishes on your recovery.

Hi I had my RNY on the 30th of June and after second day I was very nausous and they took a x-ray on the thrid day to find that I was very bloated so I had to have another surgery. I had a hysteromy 4 years ago and I had scar tissue  and my bowel was twisted so they had to get out all the scar tissue and untwist my bowel. After the surgery on the 2nd of July they took everything very slow. I was fed through my IV only and was not aloud to have anything oral for 4 days then on the five day they started with the ice chips for one day then jello for one day and cottage cheese, yogart and applesause the next day. I was in the hospital a total of 11 days. It very scary. I have been told by my doctor with scar tissue it can reoccur at any time. It could be a year, five years, ten years. No one knows when it may come back but to just remember the feeling of the bloating and nausea and  to get to the ER because they would have to operate.
Iam getting better each day

Gwen

Im sorry to hear that you are in the hospital and not feeling well. I did not have to go thru what you are going thru, but feel at this time I may have an internal hernia or possible partial bowel obstruction. How did you know that you had these problems? what were your symtoms? what types of tests did you have to have done? I think you will be able to go home soon, just relax and take walks around the hall to get out of your room and maybe talk to others who are also walking. Didnt the doctors tell you what they are waiting for before you can go home? You are better being in the hospital just in case something happens to you at home because you dont want to have to go to the ER and have to wait, plus go thru all kinds of tests too before getting a room. Again Im so sorry for your illness better of luck and Hope you are feeling better when you read this, hopefully you are home too!!! Have a wonderful day!!

Hello!

If you are glad the OP is in the hospital why aren't you?

If you believe you have an internal hernia, why aren't you doing something about it or are you?  I've had two IHs and both were only discovered by exploratory surgery.  If you have not been to see your surgeon for an exam and/or have not presented as an emergency when you were/are in pain, do so immediately. 

A 4 yr post op recently died from an obstruction while on vacation because she wasn't tended to properly.  I've had five obstructions and nearly died more than once. 

Please do not take this lightly.  You can find yourself in a precarious situation at any time.

Please seek help ASAP!  

Please!

Thanks for your reply. Im not glad she is in the hospital, but if she needs to be there for reasons the docs want her there. I just think that is safer than being home. I know the hospital is no fun place to be. After my surgery last year I spent several weeks at a time because of complications. I just know that i was safer there than being at home. I have made an appointment with my surgeon also I have schedule endo next week with my gi, if I need to go to the ER before then I will. Again thank you for your input and Im sorry that you had to go thru so many obstructions. I still not sure if that is what I have as my symtoms do go away and then later return

I totally feel your pain.  I am 3 1/2 years post op (RNY-lap) and was on vacation when I thought that I got the stomach flu.  After sitting in a hotel room for 3 days vomiting and in incredible pain from stomach cramps, I told my husband we needed to drive home and take me to the emergency room.  I had even gone to a clinic the night before and the dr. there said, "oh don't worry, it's probably just a virus."  Well was she wrong.  I went into the hospital and the quickly found out that I had a bowel ob. from a ct scan.  Several dr. came in and said a lot of time they just do an NG tube and see if the problems clear, but then a surgeon came in and said that he felt like it needed surgery immediately, he thought that I might lose part of my bowel.  So I went into surgery that evening.  Mine was also a twisted bowel from scar tissue (I've had 2 c-sections and a lap RNY).  He also said that the twisting could occur at any time years later.  I was told that with any ab. surgery you have a 10% chance each year to get a bowel obstruction.  But it also doesn't mean after 10 years you will automatically have one.

Anyway, I guess I got lucky, because I was in the hospital a total of 4 days  with an NG tube for 2 days.  That seemed worse than the scar, which is about 8 inches right through my belly button.  While I was in the hospital all of levels were also very low and I received a lot of supplements and 2 pints of blood.  When I had my labs done in March everything was normal.

So far everything is going well.  I am 3 weeks post op and feel about 80% and am eating normal again.  I am just really scared that this will happen again.  I don't think that I can go through another surgery.  Over the last 3 weeks I have even regreted having the surgery, especially if I get another one.  But, since the surgeon said there is NOTHING I can do to prevent another one, I guess all I can do is pray.

Good luck to you, I will pray you get out of the hospital soon.

I've been reading a lot of threads about a dear OHer who passed away from an intestinal blockage, and how we need to advocate for ourselves-- and I wanted to make something clear--

If you are suffering an intestinal blockage, all the noise in the world may not save your life. Or better said, if you think you're being loud enough, BE LOUDER-- and arm yourself with knowledge so you recognize it beforehand.

My story: 3 days after having my gallbladder out in June, I started feeling very nauseous and suddenly could not keep food down. (That'd be hard for some to note because they have trouble keeping food down anyway.) I hadn't had gas or a bowel movement in 7 days, but having just had surgery suspected it was just slow in coming.

After 6 hours of this nausea and pain not passing I paged my surgeon and his assistant. I was told that neither were answering their pages. I was able to get in some water eventually and went to bed.
 
The next day the nausea and pain intensified. By 6pm I could take no more. I was home alone, and so instead of driving to the metro hospital where I had my RNY, I could only drive as far as the local ER. This choice almost cost me my life.

I was sweating and crying when I went in. I explained to the triage nurse that I had an RNY and a gallbladder removal just days before and suspected I had an intestinal blockage, and that the pain was excrutiating. An emergency. I could die. 

But It was a holiday weekend, and people who cut their fingers on beer pull tabs were taken back, women who were upset over boyfriends, the general ER riffraff BS that takes place on a holiday-- and I was left standing (couldn't sit) in the waiting room for FIVE hours-- even though I returned several times to triage to say, "I can't take this much longer-- I am very afraid I have had a blockage and need a doctor NOW."

When I was finally seen, the CAT scan was "inconclusive"...the doc told me he saw a lot of fluid in my belly but thought it might be from the gallbladder surgery, and I should follow up with my surgeon in the morning. I was discharged at 6 am with nausea meds and pain pills.

When I called my surgeon, I read him all my tests-- enzyme levels, etc. He said he didn't hear anything alarming-- but he was listening for something gallbladder related-- a bile duct blockage etc. would skew the numbers. When it didn't, he more or less said, "You'll be fine." This was Monday.

By Wednesday the pain at night was unbearable. I cried and screamed into a towel. Wednesday morning I had a regular check up with my surgeon. Luckily, his assistant knows me very well and said, "Shari, you don't look right. Seriously." The surgeon said, "I don't know what to do-- want us to admit you and run some tests?" I think he expected me to say no, but I said, "PLEASE!"

So I was admitted around 4 pm. By 7 pm the pain was back, but they wouldn't allow me pain meds until after I had a CAT scan. I didn't hve the CAT scan until 3 am. They left me on a gurney in the hallway for an hour and a half  aftyerward, sobbing in pain, because they didn't have anyone in transportation to come get me. By the time I finally received pain meds at 5 am, I would have shot myself if I'd had access to a gun.

I finally fell asleep. At 7 am, my surgeon breezed in, threw open my curtains and said, "You're having surgery today. You have a bunch of fluid backed up in your belly, and we need to find out why." He explained he'd use the lap incisions he'd made for the gallbladder and go back in.

By noon I was in surgery.

At 4 pm, I awoke in the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. I focused on a spot on the ceiling. I could not talk. I had tears streaming . The dilaudid wasn't even touching it. 

They explained to me, "You're a lucky woman. Your bowel (intestines) had twisted and actually permeated the wall of your excluded stomach. Generally when this happens, and days pass, we find a bunch of dead bowel which we have to remove. But for whatever reason when we reconnected you, you pinked up right away. Now we just have to see if it works-- if you can move your bowels or pass any gas." I was told that the lap procedure went open-- suddenly-- when they couldn't locate the source right away-- I had a large open incision now from my sternum to my navel. I'd been gutted and beat up pretty badly in the process. But I was alive.

For five days, nothing passed. My urine was dark brown, I was losing kidney function. Then it started to lighten, and returned. And finally on the fifth day, while walking in the hall, I passed gas. Sounds stupid, but I was so happy I cried. I gained 25 pounds in fluid and unpassed stool in 3 days--but within two weeks lost 40. My recovery took many weeks, but I finally  feel better now. I am grateful for the opportunity to live, and feel obligated to warn anyone who will listen.

Blockages like mine are 100% fatal if not caught in time-- usually within 72 hours. Why mine didn't take me down in the FIVE days that had elapsed, I am not sure.
 
I wanted to make sure you know what we're really discussing-- how it feels, what it looks like, how you might be treated. Your local ER will NOT be able to help you. You need to educate loved ones so that they can speak FOR you-- a medical alert bracelet will not help you. The beloved poster who passed away may have done all of the above, and still they missed her blockage until it was too late. You need to do everything you can to make sure it doesn't happen to you-- and this sort of herniation-- sometimes called a Petersen's hernia-- happens in about 5% of post bypass patients. Five out of one hundred. One in twenty. Could be anyone.

Symptoms in an RNYer include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and distention, inability to pass stools or gas. (Apparently in DSers, gas will still pass.)

Know the signs and symptoms. Don't allow anyone to dismiss you. Do NOT ignore pain that will not pass. Insist on prompt and appropriate treatment, and train your family to know how to help you if it should happen. You may save your own life.

Can you give me your personal email address? I need to ask you some questions. My address is [email protected].


Thanks

Hi all,i had a internal hernia .had sugery 2 weeks later it brust again.was sent dallas and had my sugery .i was so sick .i had a twested bowel, lost lots of blood .did'nt know if i was here r not ,3 day's later my splin brust .i was in my own world for 3 mo's .then 2 mo's for rehab had to learn to walk ,use my upper body .had wound care on my but ,went to another rehab for that for a mo .so all together6 mo's in a hosp.came home ,i'm still with home health .my but just closed up 2 week's ago .still hurt's though.got down to 98 pounds thats from 400 pounds .they said all i went though had not a thing to do with my WLS ..lol.. ps sorry about my spelling it's not good ..lol.. also i type with 1 finger ..lol.. Brenda in tx