It's been three weeks post takedown and things are NOT easy at all. I am having this adbominal pain on my left side (opposite of the stoma site) and if I fully extend myself it gets worse. When I walk, I have to hunch over and walk gingerly because of the pain. I am not sure if this is gas pain because it is almost always there when I shift positions. On a few occasions I have felt stuff pass through the spot and have felt mildly better. I am on no pain medications but am close to possibly taking them. This pain was non existent a week or so ago but has gotten worse the last 3 or 4 days. I could distinctly tell what gas pain felt like in the hospital and this feels different.

Sometimes the pain on my left side goes away only to return in my right side (but its not incisional or anything surface related). I know it's only three weeks post TD and maybe its my bowels still getting adjusted causing the pain but what worries me is that I didn't have this pain BEFORE and I feel like I may have digressed. Although, I am starting to eat more and more. I just began fiber supplements with one wafer of metamucil, and I take my probiotic and fish oil. My butt burn and anal gas reshuffling have gotten better but this pain is making me almost immobile. Walking DOES not help me but only hurts more for some reason. I have a very tough time sleeping in betwene BM's due to the pain as well.

Someone please help! Takedown is starting to depress me somewhat. I know it's only three weeks still and I need to have patience but its still freaking tough! Thank you for hearing me rant...

Possibly a partial obstruction? Kind of sounds like the pain I had/have when obstructed. Is everything moving through fine or have things slowed down?

Everything you describes sounds like when I had my abscess. I couldn't walk straight, I had a constant pain that would worsen when I would move. Either way I would definitely go to ER. It's is better to get it taken care of early than put it off. I personally don't think it is normal not to be able to walk. Let us know what happens.

ah man, i am freaked out. i can walk, it just hurts a bit to stand up totally straight. What is an abscess? ER? Lord.... Everything is moving through perfeclty fine, stool and gas. I will stop the metamucil fiber for a bit I suppose and stick to more liquids just to be safe. Wow, I didn't realize this was going to be possibly serious.

What tests can they do to determine if its an abscess? I had surgery in Mayo Clinic, Minnesota but am now home in Houston so don't know what is standard protocol at a local ER.

The other thing that occurs to me is that you might have a hernia.

Let's start slow and work our way up. It may be a kink in the intestine. When they shuffle things around in there, it can happen. Find positions that are comfortable and ease your way around to them. Slight and mild stretching or even lying inverted (legs high up, head down, abdomen on a downward angle). Driving over speed bumps on the way to ER knocked mine out!!! Floating in a bath or pool?
If it isn't kinks it may be a mild occlusion, hernia, gas or abscess. Start by taking your temp, checking and marking down intake and output and keeping a diary on how it goes in and out and when the pain eases or gets worse. If you are having a high fever please go strait to ER.
All of this is a precious diagnostic aid for the medical people following you. At ER they will start with an x-ray and blood work, or an ultrasound. Blood work is to rule out bleeding or infection, ultrasound or x-ray to rule out lumps, bumps and kinks.
Please do not make light of your fears. You are too far away to run back to the Mayo but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be followed up.
Let us know what is happening.
Sharon

Have you tried using a heating pad, does that help out at all. I can't say I felt anything like that. The only pain I ever had was with the stoma scar hurting every once in a while. As you said I would stay clear of the metmucil for now your kind of pushing that. You might still have some swelling where your stoma was reconnected with your pouch. Having thick output might be hurting to pass through that area.

Aashkab,

Hey man, sorry to hear you are suffering through the worst of the post TD blues. As for the depression, I can relate. I think it mainly comes from grieving what you are perceiving as lost - your freedom, a normal life, etc. If you can get to the point of acceptance of the change, you will get past that mental roadblock. Realize, of course, that things will get better for you. I was a mess for a month or two.

As for your pain, I think people have listed out the possibilities. Here's my take:

1. Hernia: could be, but not likely - depending upon where the pain is. If it's near an incision or low in your groin it could be a hernia. Otherwise, I would doubt this as the problem
2. Abcess: a definite possibility this early after surgery. You really don't need to go to the ER though, unless you are in severe pain or unless you start running a high fever (over 101.5). I had an abcess after surgery #1 and knew it due to the pain and finally a fever
3. Adhesions: I don't know if you have any incisions on the left side or not. I had a lapro incision over there that I know created scar tissue that caused me pain shortly after surgery. It was so bad that I didn't think I would be able to sit on the toilet the day after surgery. The pain decreased and things have gotten much better
4. Bowel obstruction: you didn't indicate you had gas or bloating in addition to your pain, and if you don't have those symptoms I don't think this is an obstruction. Besides, you said you are passing stool regularly - so probably not an obstruction
5. Normal, abdominal soreness: you could still simply be sore from the surgery. When they close up that stoma site, they pull that fascia pretty hard - enough to cause pain in the surrounding, connected tissues

Those are my thoughts.

Steve

Aashkab,
I've been to ERs in Houston three times. Once at St. Joe's and two times at Park Plaza, and I got in 5 minutes at St. Joe's because my doc called ahead. At Park Plaza I also got in quickly because I had an obstruction that took a week to resolve. Are you at the med center? Do you have a GI doc in Houston? They usually take an X-ray right away. Such gut pain should be looked at immediately, so you should go to an ER. Dr. Bailey is a GI surgeon at the med center. Dr. Appel, a general surgeon, did my j-pouch surgery at St. Lukes, but I go to Bailey for j-pouch questions, and Dr. Clemmons at Park Plaza more regularly for general GI questions. If you're near Park Plaza or the med center, go to an ER now. My thoughts will be with you. I hope all goes well.

P.S. If you're nearer to Dallas, Baylor Hospital has a great Colorectal Clinic.

Thank you for all the advice and I'll update.

-I have stopped the metamucil wafers and solid foods for now.
-I have been trying to drink a lot more liquids (although I sip something almost all DAY so water isn't an issue).
-I just tried using a heating pad a few times and it does help somewhat.
-When I sit down in a couch or chair, the pain is minimal to none.
-My frequency has still been the same, every couple of hours or so but I have noticed a lot less firm stool coming out. The gas still comes out in a decent amount. This could be to the fact that I am not really eating that much food as opposed to liquids.
-I have one laparo puncture site on my left side but it was over 3 months ago and I never had any problems, the puncture site was about the size of a dime.
-I don't have any fever.

I am thinking that this could be simply pain of stuff passing through but it is odd that it started several days ago and in the previous weeks I was fine. It could be a possible obstruction but I haven't felt nauseated or significantly bloated. The kink in my intestines is a definite possibility as well, especially since the only time I really have pain is when I stand up and have none when I sit down.

I guess the abscess thing is still possible. I will call my doctors at mayo clinic and see what they have to say and possibly go see a local GI. <sigh> Thank you very much for the help everyone.

And I think hopefully my last, most weirdest update...

My temperature did start to rise last night and when it hit 100.2 I called several doctors. They said not to come in unless it was 101.5 which actually means infection. They said it could be all the things you all suggested possibly. Anyways, my temperature rose steadily to 101.1 and I thought okay ER here I come real soon. Well I rested and watched TV and checked my temperature again in a few hours and it was 100.9. The pain on my left side had also lessened.

Steadily through the night my temperature kept falling eventually back to 98.8 this morning and the pain in my left side is virtually gone! I can stand up straight and walk decently fast.

What the heck was I going through? What clears itself like that? I know an obstruction passes on its own but I had no nausea, vomiting, or bloating. Can abscesses be fought off by the body on its own? Sigh, anyways finally some relief and I feel so good cause my body may have actually won a battle! Haha, thanks for all the tips and advice everyone.

Aashkab,

Yes, you can fight off any infection on your own, but it is not usual to fight an internal infection like that without help.

If you had a fever like that - even if it went down and the pain subsided - I would get at CT of it ordered. If you feel you need to get one right away, go to the ER. If not, you should get your doctor to order it outpatient for you as soon as possible.

Sounds more and more like an abcess to me. And it sounds like mine behaved:

1. Mine only hurt when I was laying down. Standing up I was fine
2. Mild to high fever. I went to the ER with a fever lower than 101.5 and they went ahead and took a look after getting back a CBC (blood count)
3. The pain and fever would come and go. It is common for the fever to subside in the morning before rising later in the day

I would definitely get it checked out soon. You don't want to become septic. I would go to the ER and tell them you are in serious pain and have been running a fever. They won't turn you away if you stay there.

I agree--fever from an abcess can spike briefly and then subside. I saw it happen several times in my son when his pouch was leaking.

My temp alway runs around 97 and when I had my abscess it only went up to 99.7. The told me my abscess was 6 cm!