So as some of you know, I had a very bad stricture which was dilated at my takedown which was about 7 weeks ago. About 3 wks after takedown I noticed I was having more and more trouble emptying. It progressed to the point where I couldn't eat anything solid without feeling constipated and horrible for hours. Since about Monday I was pretty much only able to pass stool if I was lying down in my shower, not practical or comfortable.
So I flew to Vancouver to see my GI and got dialated yesterday. I feel SO much better!! He said he hasn't seen a stricture that bad before and he was surprised I was passing stool at all. I was so miserable I am thrilled that he could easily fix me up. I've been passing stool much more easily and even passed some gas on the toilet! A funny thing to get excited about but it feels soooo good after my struggles these past few weeks. I'm just thrilled

Amazing what makes us happy - Glad things are working better and love to read your excitement... Now dont go overboard and start keeping a scrapbook (or crapbook LOL)... Enjoy the holiday and hope everything stays this way for you!

Good news Pixie I was wondering if you were doing ok as i noticed you hadnt been around for a while (us BC Interiors' have to stick together!).

I wonder if you ever thought that the ability to use the washroom without pain would be a welcome Christmas gift? It's sure some life we end up living!

Merry Christmas,
Mike

Pixie,
See? I told you dilating a stricture was no big deal. Glad you're doing better.
Jeffrey H.

Yes Pixie Jeffrey is right, dilating a stricture is no big deal. I have had my j-pouch seven years now and I experienced my first stricture last year. I was having to drink prune juice or use enemas to pass gas and stool. As you know the dilating is an outpatient procedure and done before you know it. On advice from my GI I now use my own finger in a latex glove on occasion to gently go up there and keep things opened up. Sorry for the description but it really has helped me.

Hi, Pixie.
I think I'm starting to have the same problem as you were. I'm finding I have to really push HARD to empty all the way, and I'm starting to feel like this is not what my surgeon would want.
He said he would dilate me next week, but did you have that experience?
Jeffrey H.

I never felt like I was emptying completely, and I'd feel the pressure and urge to go but then only small amounts would come out. I'd spend so much time waiting and trying to go without much success. I'd also get kind of a crampy feeling in my stomach. I try not to push at all really though, I had a hemmoroid a couple years ago and don't want to aggravate things. If I do want to push a little I will just tense up my abdomen and obliques instead of actually bearing down to push.
If you had a stricture before and you're starting to have problems again then that is the most likely culprit.
I've been trying to get my stool more liquidy to aid in emptying because I find it so much easier. For some reason though it's difficult, even if I drink a ton of water I just have to pee all the time and don't notice a difference in stool consistency.

It's weird because I have everything you described, minus the crampy feeling. But I've been pushing so hard I've given myself hemorrhoids. Nice. I'm going to contact my surgeon tomorrow. Even without the cramps it could still be a stricture. It shouldn't be this hard to pass.
It doesn't help that I'm still going 15-17 times a day. On the upside, I forced myself to go on the longest walk so far since my takedown two weeks ago. It might of been a coincidence, but when I got back, emptying wasn't as difficult.
Thanks again for the advice. You're ahead of me in terms of takedown progress, so I appreciate any more info you think relevant. Thanks!
Jeffrey H.

I also found at the beginning that walking and moving around a lot helped me to empty better. Sitting in the bath for a while too often helped my butt muscles relax and then I could 'go' easier.
I've been drinking lots of broth and water with elecrolytes mixed in and it has seemed to help keep things more liquid and easier to pass. This seems to have worked a lot better than drinking just plain water. Hopefully you can get dialated soon (if that is indeed the problem), you'll feel so much better.
Are you noticing any decrease in frequency yet? Are you staying on the toilet and trying to empty completely? I had a lot of trapped gas would cause pressure and make me think I had to go to the bathroom when I didn't. I found that if I could manage to pass some gas then I'd be able to stay away from the bathroom for longer periods.

Hey Pixie I havent noticed your post in this section,,was wondering where you gone
I am glad to hear you ve been helped by being dialated.
Merry xmass x

Pixie,
Just heard back from my surgeon. Because there's no cramping and because I've had a few "looser" ones in the last few days, he wants to wait to dilate. Thanks to Martiangirl's advice, I do stay on the toilet for at least fifteen minutes every time I go. Not only is it slowly increasing times between bathroom visits (today's all-time record, 4 1/2 hours!) but I'm also getting a lot of reading in.
I'm trying to push less but between that and the alternate battery acid, it feels like I've been probed by really vindictive aliens. Ordered some Calmoseptine, which should arrive any day.

Jeffrey, use some creams ,,dont wait for clamospetine..petroleum jelly will do if you have nothing else.And after each vist use a bottle with warm water to wash..dont rub,,only pat with towel. And stick some gauze or swabs or even kitchen towel paper folded between butt cheeks if you feel sore and have some minotr leakage in between the toilet visits.
4and half hours is good!..see its getting better already

I read far more in the bathroom than anywhere else! I have a great book though so it makes me not mind spending so much time in there. Haha. I second Ewa's thoughts on the cream - make sure you're using something, it really makes all the difference, I liked Desitin the best, and it was the cheapest too. Using a little spray bottle to wash before patting dry also helped me a lot when I was going to frequently.
I had a very good day yesterday, emptied at 8pm then went to a friend's house and was fine until midnight. Other than a couple loud stomach gurgles I actually felt good and didn't have to think about my pouch. Yeeeah. It's still such a nice surprise when I realize I've gone somewhere or done something and not had pain or need to rush to the toilet.
Ewa, I started doing the piece of toilet paper between the cheeks when I still had my ostomy and was leaking mucous, I continued doing it after takedown until last week. The first couple times I went without it I kept thinking I was leaking, and then realized that was just the feeling of my butt cheeks touching instead of having paper there - very strange!

Hey Pixie, I had my "I FORGOT I HAD A POUCH" moment today and yesterday too. Isisnt it great when it happens. i still stick some paper in between the but cheeks when i go out cose i dont want to leak and soil pantyliner when i am out ,.not that it ever happened but just in case. I dont always put it in and wonder at times if i leaked or not. I think there is still some mucous that si being produced even after takedown which should actually be protective to the mucosa tissue. Some of the wetness is transparent.
I am probabaly averaging 6-7 visists now a day which is way better then it was.Still feel gurgling noises adn pressure , especially in the evenings. But i can live with that.
I had been out on a few dates too!

Hey Ewa, I'm glad to hear that you're doing well! And going on dates! Hooray! 6-7 is really good for 2 months post-op. Are you eating a lot of different things? I've been quite restrictive since I got dilated, mostly because I've been going out every evening and want to be 'safe'. I've got the gurgling too - especially last night, I was at a friend's house watching tv and I turned up the volume because my intestines were making such a racket. Lol.