[jcoldtamales]

Nearly four weeks ago, I had emergency surgery to remove my cecum (where the small and large intestine meet) and part of my ascending colon. I went to the emergency room with unbearable pain in my abdomen that turned out to be caused by a cecal volvulus, or twist in my colon above the cecum. The cecum had enlarged as a result of the blockage and was on the verge of rupture. Four lengths of intestine were also wrapped around the cecum. It was a twisted mess.

I am doing quite well, except for bowel problems that appear to be typical of my stage or recovery, severe nighttime/early morning headaches, and, most worrisome, persistent discomfort in my lower right abdomen at approximately the site of the penrose drain (which was removed two weeks ago). It is particularly noticeable when I stand up. It feels on the one hand like a side ache and on the other like something needs to be stretched out down there. I want to bend over backward to stretch the area out. Has anyone else had this same experience? Is it at all normal?

Many thanks in advance for any ideas that anyone may have.

Jackie

[gemjewel]

I would certainly call your doctor and run it by him. I feel the same sensation of needing to stretch
my whole body(mainly the abdomen). I mentioned it to my doc and he said it was normal following my type of surgery. My surgery was very different than yours so always best to check with your doctor.

[jcoldtamales]

Thanks, gemjewel. That's helpful. My GP told me this afternoon that he thinks I should schedule another appointment with the surgeon to check this matter out. Nothing open till September 23, but who knows? Maybe this feeling will go away between now and then.

Jackie

[gemjewel]

Hey Jackie,

I'm so glad to hear you have an appointment with your surgeon. Besides the stretching thing, the other symptoms your having definetly needs to be put out there to your surgeon. Let me know how you make out with the surgeon and what he has to say.

gigi

[jcoldtamales]

Awfully nice of you, gigi. Thanks.

I fear I gave myself a setback yesterday, and I'm not sure why. I've been walking my dog around the block for the past few days after lunch. Yesterday, I tried to run a bit with him. I also had a bit more fiber in my diet yesterday than I've been having. I was awake almost all night with very painful waves of intestinal cramping that have lessened but by no means disappeared since I had a bout of diarrhea this morning. The sore spot in my lower right abdomen that I originally wrote in about yesterday is much more painful today than it has been in the past, and my tummy is very tender to the touch in that spot.

A friend who's a few weeks ahead of me in recovering from an even more extensive colon resection than mine says that he has had similar problems when trying to exercise. He recommends Tylenol.

I suppose it's possible that the cramping has to do with the increased fiber, and the heightened pain in my side is related to my stupid attempt to run. It has, however, been four weeks since my operation. My discharge papers said not to lift anything heavy or engage in strenuous exercise for three weeks.

If anyone else has gone through any of this, I would love to hear from you.

Jackie

[gemjewel]

Hi Jackie,

Sorry to hear you had a setback. I can't believe you ran with your dog. So soon after surgery. I'm not supposed to do anything rigorous for six weeks. No lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. No laundry, vacing and such. We are both in the same category of surgery, a big major surgery. Give yourself a chance and get your strength back first. I have tenderness at my scar site and my stoma site. I will be reconnected in Oct./Nov. They have to do a barium enema study first to make sure all is ok where they resected my colon and if all looks good they will set a surgery date from there.
No walk in the park, this type of surgery. I have heard some people have no problem following the surgery and are ok. Hopefully this will be the case for us as time continues to heal us. I guess this is a very individual thing. Keep the faith and take it easy!

[jcoldtamales]

Thanks, gemjewel. I haven't visited SurgeryChannel for a while because that setback I spoke of last time turned into a doozy. I had a blockage. The doctor thinks what caused it was two things I ate the day before it began, a fresh fig and some broccoli, both of which are high in indigestible cellulose. I am 5'8" and weighed 115 pounds before my surgery. Now I'm down to 103.

For five days after the blockage, I was on nothing but liquids. Now is day four back on so-called soft foods. So far so good, but when I left the hospital I was told (1) no dietary restrictions and (2) no lifting or strenuous exercise for three weeks. (Just as a reminder, I had my cecum and a chunk of my ascending colon removed in an emergency surgery in mid-August.)

I've always been a great walker, so I'm wondering now--five weeks postsurgery--how much walking would be okay at this point. I'm definitely going to be more careful about what I eat, although without any guidance from surgeon or hospital...

Thanks to all and take care,
Jackie

[gemjewel]

Hi Jackie,

So sorry to hear about the blockage and the 5-day hospital stay. What a nightmare huh? Good to hear your back on the road to recovery though. Walking is great. Listen to your doctor when he says nothing
strenuous for 3 weeks. Keep yourself ambulatory (walking) nothing heavy, rigorous, just listen to your
body and the doctor. Forgive this question, but do you know what foods are high in fiber and hard to digest? If not, go on line and find out what foods are high fiber plus hard to digest foods. I would stay away from those ones for now. Talk to you soon. Take care. gemjewel

[jcoldtamales]

Gemjewel,

I haven't visited this site for a while because I had to spend a couple weeks out of town in connection with my work a while ago and kind of got out of the habit. I just logged in today to see how everyone was doing. How 'bout you?

My general health improved markedly after the five-day blockage I wrote about in mid-September. It was like, one day I was almost an invalid, the next day I was almost normal, thank God. But that's just my overall level of strength and energy. My intestines are definitely not functioning normally--one day it'll be diarrhea, another day squiggles, another day what I call a cow flap :-), very rarely something that looks like it might be trying to approximate a normal movement. But I'm lucky not to have the 10 or 15 times a day problem that several other people talk about on the forum.

I still have what feels like a stitch in my abdomen. It moves from place to place, God knows why. But I never had it before the colon job, so I know it's related.

I do think the general gist is slow improvement all around, though. And I very much hope that's true for you and for everyone else that checks into this forum.

Jackie

[gemjewel]

Hi Jackie,

Glad to hear you are doing better. Back to work and everything! That's great. I'm doing just ok. I have to have a 3rd surgery. It is a re-do because the surgeon who did my first two surgeries (a week apart and both "big open surgery) messed up. I'm waiting now for my new "colorectal" surgeon to call me as we speak. Its been 2-1/2 months since my second surgery and I think the 3rd will be in Nov. sometime. I have to keep the
faith. It is what it is and no sense crying over it, it won't change anything. Now that I'm with the right doc for this condition, Lord willing I will be ok. I haven't quite got all my strength back.

Again, I'm so glad to hear how much improvement you've had!

gemjewel