Just back from hospital for impacted bowel - Gross
(deactivated member)
on 3/1/12 5:25 am
on 3/1/12 5:25 am
Yesterday I wrote a post about how constipated I was and vented and got great advice from other people on here about how to prevent constipation and what they did to keep things moving.
I was up all night in really bad pain with cramping and was unable to have a BM. I got really scared when suddenly I could not pee any more and I was so uncomfortable that I could not stand it. I called my surgeon and explained the situation and she told me to go tothe ER. At 4:00 am my teenage daughter and I loaded up and went. It's a 40 minute drive and i was in so much pain I thought I was going to die. I was sobbing by the time we got to the front desk.
In a nutshell, I had an impacted bowel. There was so much pressure on my bladder that I could not pee. They first draied 2 liters of urine from me and i felt so much better. The doctor and nurse said that was an epic amount. Then for the next 4 hours they proceeded to give me 3 different types of enemas. The first two didn't work and just gave me horrible cramps. The third one was prescription strength with meds in it and they said they almost never give it out. (I asked the nurse why they didn't just give me the third type first and they said it's against hospital protocol.)
For some reason, a diffferent female nurse gave me each enema. It was the most painful, horrible experrience of my life. The room stank of feces since they brought in a portable john and it was disgusting just as I feared. My surgeon stopped in the room and sympathized with me.
I wish I could have avoided this since I had been taking 2 colace tablets per day before it all began, and also had incorporated some fiber into my diet. I don't know what I could have done differently other than have more laxatives.
I'ts 3:30 pm and I have had nothing to eat and am afraid to even take my vitamins. I may stay home from work tomorrow just to recover because I need to be close to a toilet since I am still pooping from the turbo enema.
What I take away from this is please, please make sure you are getting enough fiber post op and talk to your nutritionist right away about it. They emphasized protein but didn't say anything about constipation and fiber. This was so painful I never want to eat again and now I'm starting over I feel like.
I was up all night in really bad pain with cramping and was unable to have a BM. I got really scared when suddenly I could not pee any more and I was so uncomfortable that I could not stand it. I called my surgeon and explained the situation and she told me to go tothe ER. At 4:00 am my teenage daughter and I loaded up and went. It's a 40 minute drive and i was in so much pain I thought I was going to die. I was sobbing by the time we got to the front desk.
In a nutshell, I had an impacted bowel. There was so much pressure on my bladder that I could not pee. They first draied 2 liters of urine from me and i felt so much better. The doctor and nurse said that was an epic amount. Then for the next 4 hours they proceeded to give me 3 different types of enemas. The first two didn't work and just gave me horrible cramps. The third one was prescription strength with meds in it and they said they almost never give it out. (I asked the nurse why they didn't just give me the third type first and they said it's against hospital protocol.)
For some reason, a diffferent female nurse gave me each enema. It was the most painful, horrible experrience of my life. The room stank of feces since they brought in a portable john and it was disgusting just as I feared. My surgeon stopped in the room and sympathized with me.
I wish I could have avoided this since I had been taking 2 colace tablets per day before it all began, and also had incorporated some fiber into my diet. I don't know what I could have done differently other than have more laxatives.
I'ts 3:30 pm and I have had nothing to eat and am afraid to even take my vitamins. I may stay home from work tomorrow just to recover because I need to be close to a toilet since I am still pooping from the turbo enema.
What I take away from this is please, please make sure you are getting enough fiber post op and talk to your nutritionist right away about it. They emphasized protein but didn't say anything about constipation and fiber. This was so painful I never want to eat again and now I'm starting over I feel like.
Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It sounds really awful.
Do you feel like you have a good plan to prevent it from happening again?
Do you feel like you have a good plan to prevent it from happening again?
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
(deactivated member)
on 3/1/12 6:12 am
on 3/1/12 6:12 am
Thanks, Kelly. It was so awful I'm sitting here crying just thinking about it. I may not have had RNY if I knew my digestive tract would cause so many problems.
I guess I feel like I have a plan to prevent this. My surgeon said to add a teaspoon of mineral oil to all that I eat every day to keep things moving. She said it should not cause dumping. Also to take 2-3 colace tabs every night and gradually add benefiber to my food. I will do those things in a few days after I am sure the constipation is gone. Right now I'm afraid to eat. I just want broth and nothing else. I can't stop crying and wondering if I made a mistake having the surgery.
I guess I feel like I have a plan to prevent this. My surgeon said to add a teaspoon of mineral oil to all that I eat every day to keep things moving. She said it should not cause dumping. Also to take 2-3 colace tabs every night and gradually add benefiber to my food. I will do those things in a few days after I am sure the constipation is gone. Right now I'm afraid to eat. I just want broth and nothing else. I can't stop crying and wondering if I made a mistake having the surgery.
Well, you're a little bit traumatized right now. You just had a horrible experience and you haven't had enough time to experience significant weight loss yet so of course you're wondering if you made a mistake by having surgery. You'd had the bad but not the good yet. I bet in six months you'll be thinking you did the right thing.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
(deactivated member)
on 3/1/12 5:41 am
on 3/1/12 5:41 am
I wonder if you should lay off the fiber.... I feel like when ever I eat too much fiber, I get constipated... it is bulk forming... so... I feel like it makes a big ol blockage... (I know.. tmi)... I am talking about skipping the added fiber ...like benifiber or citrucel stuff like that.... (not talking about skipping fruit or veggies)....
maybe try your regular diet, without the added fiber supplement ..... increase your water intake, use something like Miralax daily in your tea, add mag ox supplements...
I am not a medical professional, and normally I shy away from these kinds of conversations, just because I am SHY about that stuff... but I feel your horror! at having to go to the hospital and endure what you had to endure... .. so, I am only giving you an example that works for me... (I have to skip the added fiber...).. and when I do that.. I dont even need miralax more than maybe once a week or every two weeks....
But, I would def add the mag ox... and even vitamin C can help!!
Good luck!! I am so sorry you had to endure that!!!
maybe try your regular diet, without the added fiber supplement ..... increase your water intake, use something like Miralax daily in your tea, add mag ox supplements...
I am not a medical professional, and normally I shy away from these kinds of conversations, just because I am SHY about that stuff... but I feel your horror! at having to go to the hospital and endure what you had to endure... .. so, I am only giving you an example that works for me... (I have to skip the added fiber...).. and when I do that.. I dont even need miralax more than maybe once a week or every two weeks....
But, I would def add the mag ox... and even vitamin C can help!!
Good luck!! I am so sorry you had to endure that!!!
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