I haven't had a bowel movement in 35 hours. I have been eating a soft low residue diet and I don't have a lot of pain. Just general discomfort. I'm one week post takedown. And even when I was having bowel movements, I wasn't having very many of them, just a few a day. Think this is something to be concerned about? I feel pressure, like I need to go but no matter how long I sit nothing comes out. I've tried pushing a bit and sitting at different angles on the toilet, but nothing works.
After my pouch-o-gram the surgeon said I had some "narrowing at the connection site" could that be causing this?

Yes it could be that. Get a call into your surgeon ASAP.

ya..35 hrs and 1 week post...Not a good thing. You need to go and get seen. In the mean time stick to liquids...
Julie

Your doc described a stricture-the narrowing. I am "blessed" with one of those-my doc did not have much room to spare when he created my jpouch. So there may have been a kink.

But please call your doc. That situation is not good.

Update, yesterday afternoon I had a couple tiny bowel movements (like a tablespoon). SO I thought that was a sign things were moving. I held off calling the dr. Then I went another 14 hrs with no BM so I called. He said to take 4 Tbs of Milk Of Mag and call him back in 6 hrs. So far it has been 4 hours. And I've had to go to the bathroom, but still very small amounts and it just dribbles out. Any thoughts? I was so prepared for lots of diarrhea post take down, this has been the complete opposite.

Well, this just doesn't seem right. But the fact that you're not experiencing pain is baffling. If this were a blockage I'd think you'd be in a great deal of pain. Are you eating? Or have you basically stopped because you're not sure what's going on?

I think you might have to plant yourself on your surgeon's doorstep just to make sure that everything is fine. Maybe everything is just fine but I'm sure you know from reading about post surgery, that what you're experiencing just doesn't seem the norm. That certainly doesn't mean it's not the norm for you though!

Good luck with getting this all figured out.

kathy

Thanks for the feedback Kathy. I've been trying to eat. Today's its been difficult to. I have no appetite and I feel really full. I do have some pain now, but I think it is just cramping from the milk of mag. 1 1/2 hrs till I get to call with my report. This can't be normal.

My guess would be things are blocked up (perhaps at that stricture). I think you should get seen asap. The best outcomes I've ever heard of with a j-pouch still have to go at least 2 times in 24 hours, 6-7 times is much more the norm. What you've got going on is not good.

The farther along in the GI tract an obstruction is, the longer it takes to cause symptoms. If it is near your stomach, you are vomiting within hours. Near the anus, and it could take days for serious symptoms to develop. If you are distended, feeling full and lost your appetite, you will soon need to be seen by your doctor if the dam does not break in short order.

Jan

Another update for you. Yesterday evening i starting to have more BMs with much more substance to them and I started vomiting. I called my surgeons on-call number and my surgeon called me back. He thought since I was now having bowel movements that the blockage was starting to pass. He gave me the option of being admitted to the hospital or riding it out at home. So I decided to ride it out at home, I had no food or drink for the rest of the night and the vomiting stopped.
Fast forward to this morning, I still have had no food or drink, and I'm a bit nervous to. I'm scared of vomiting again.

Hey Steph...it's been long enough...get to the doctor... Better err on the side of safety!!!

I agree! Sounds like you need to get to the dr. Please keep us updated!

Just wondering, but who is your doc?

SarahH~ Dr Donald Kim out of the Ferguson Clinic.

The vomiting stopped last night and I've been having very small bms today. So the docs thought is to try this again, with very cautious eating. Hopefully as I start eating more the BMs will increase too. IF not, then we are to look into seeing what is the cause and if dilating if necessary.

As an aside, my numbers of bms post td might be a few less each day than before my colectomy.

Moral to the story is that I am still full of #$%#$^#$^.

Steph, keep hydrated.