Hi. I had my takedown 12/1/14. I am on day 4 recovery & still experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea, & vomitting. For the first 2 days I was allowed ice chops & I seemed to tolerate them pretty well but my surgeon took them away afraid they would contribute to nausea. Since then, the nausea has actually increased. Last night they did an X-ray to see if I have an ileus. Results are not in yet. My surgeon keeps telling me he thinks the gas will pass naturally out of my rectum. It's been 4 days & my abdominal distention remains the same-& all that has come out of my rectum is mucus. I do have a pain pump but I am using it very little. I am relying on IV Tylenol. Should I be feeling this sick 4 days post op? I don't know how my surgeon can think the gas will migrate out my rectum if it hasn't already- despite the fact that I have been walking 3 times a day, sitting up, etc. I am miserable....
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4 days in not enough time. It will get better gradually, that is for sure. Measure your condition at the end of the week and then again at the end of the next week and you will know that there is improvements. Measuring on daily basis won't help - rather discourage you. Keep your spirit high. I know times are tough but will be over soon. Gas is an issue that everyone has. Some more and some less. I am one of those who had serious issues with gas. My gas issue took months to clear, but for most it clears in a few weeks. Wish you all the best.
It will definitely take some time, but don't give up. I had my takedown in April of this year and really did not have much gas pain, but now it has decided to show up 8 months later. I know this is a very hard time for you. Some days are going to be better than others. It will get better.
Thanks for your replies. X-Ray showed an ileus. I had asked my surgeon THREE days ago to think about an NG tube but no; he was SO SURE I would pass the gas rectally. WRONG! So post op day 4 he decides I do need an NG tube afterall. It was torture getting it in. I coughed & gagged so much it compromised my incision. I could only tolerate it 3 hours (400 ml came out) then I pulled it out. After that I began coughing up blood. The surgeon said he thinks I might have gastritis & started me on a PPI. All this time he hasn't let me eat and I read some reputable medical articles eating may help prevent an ileus. So day 4 I am more hungry & in more pain, & I don't even know yet how my new pouch functions.....
I had an ileus 3-4 days post op my first surgery. Takedown I didn't, but there was indeed a learning curve for things to get moving out of me.
Maybe ask for some simethicone? It's what they give colicky babies. It can help some with gas pains.
Maybe ask for some simethicone? It's what they give colicky babies. It can help some with gas pains.
My ileus first surgery was awful (I have a HUGE scar 'cause things were done open (not laparoscopically) in 1991; my bloated stomach on that scar was terrible. You probably shouldn't have pulled out your NG. I had to have mine in about 4 days before things started moving well enough to deal without it.
We usually do "trickle feeds" in the ICU, meaning 10mls an hour, to help stimulate the gut prior to an ileus (hoping they don't get one), but you don't want to put a ton of food in a belly IN an ileus. You'll just puke.
We usually do "trickle feeds" in the ICU, meaning 10mls an hour, to help stimulate the gut prior to an ileus (hoping they don't get one), but you don't want to put a ton of food in a belly IN an ileus. You'll just puke.
MaryMomof 3,
How are you doing today? Is it calming down? Is it getting worse? Has the ileus resolved yet?
All of my original surgeries up until 2007 went well post op with no ileus (I had over a dozen)...my only problem was healing and dehyssing.
In 2007, 10 days post op and just as I was starting to feel better, I got a (what I thought) was an obstruction after eating a bagel. It may have been my 1st ileus, will never know.
24hrs of hell at home alone and terrified until my uncle drove me to ER....they thought that I was a beaten wife! All of the bruises from the heprin shots on my arms and me holding my gut and vomitting!
They grabbed me, put in an I.V and waited for it to pass. I was lucky that it did within 12hrs...no N.G. tube but no bagels since either. Had another one the next day. Stayed on fuids after that for a very long time and after every surgery.
Since then each surgery has brought me an ileus (is it a rule? once you get one they keep coming back???)
Here in France some surgeons put the NG tube in automatically in O.R. (at least you don't suffer the hell of feeling them put it in) and leave it in for 1 week of torture (fine, no ileus or at least I didn't notice any) but the N.G. here sounds like an old fashioned vaccum cleaner in your face and head for a week. I cried the whole time.
The blood that you are getting could be from the N.G. tube and the irritation that it caused going in or rubbing inside...it does happen. It is really a question of a choice between 2 evils, vomitting or relief and N.G....but honestly, in spite of the fact that I hate the N.G. tubes with a passion when you have an obstruction or ileus you need it...your body is creating gastric juices and you need to keep things calm in there...until it wakes up...
I have never found a solution to them but walking around helps to a certain degree.
I get regular obstrucions and walking, stretching a bit, bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet etc seems to help a tiny bit...
All my prayers that this horror passes quickly and that you can get back to the job of healing.
Sharon
How are you doing today? Is it calming down? Is it getting worse? Has the ileus resolved yet?
All of my original surgeries up until 2007 went well post op with no ileus (I had over a dozen)...my only problem was healing and dehyssing.
In 2007, 10 days post op and just as I was starting to feel better, I got a (what I thought) was an obstruction after eating a bagel. It may have been my 1st ileus, will never know.
24hrs of hell at home alone and terrified until my uncle drove me to ER....they thought that I was a beaten wife! All of the bruises from the heprin shots on my arms and me holding my gut and vomitting!
They grabbed me, put in an I.V and waited for it to pass. I was lucky that it did within 12hrs...no N.G. tube but no bagels since either. Had another one the next day. Stayed on fuids after that for a very long time and after every surgery.
Since then each surgery has brought me an ileus (is it a rule? once you get one they keep coming back???)
Here in France some surgeons put the NG tube in automatically in O.R. (at least you don't suffer the hell of feeling them put it in) and leave it in for 1 week of torture (fine, no ileus or at least I didn't notice any) but the N.G. here sounds like an old fashioned vaccum cleaner in your face and head for a week. I cried the whole time.
The blood that you are getting could be from the N.G. tube and the irritation that it caused going in or rubbing inside...it does happen. It is really a question of a choice between 2 evils, vomitting or relief and N.G....but honestly, in spite of the fact that I hate the N.G. tubes with a passion when you have an obstruction or ileus you need it...your body is creating gastric juices and you need to keep things calm in there...until it wakes up...
I have never found a solution to them but walking around helps to a certain degree.
I get regular obstrucions and walking, stretching a bit, bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet etc seems to help a tiny bit...
All my prayers that this horror passes quickly and that you can get back to the job of healing.
Sharon
MaryMomof3
I hope things are starting to improve for you -- because I can literally feel your pain. I had ileus after my takedown (and two surgeries following that as well). Besides the ghastly NG tube, which they had to put in post-op, they also started me a few days later on TPN (total parietal nutrition), which they feed you through a PICC line. Though it was more than a week after surgery, it seemed to help me turn the corner. I had not eaten anything for almost 10 days by the time they did that. You could ask about that.
Also, something that helped me during the two surgeries after that (a related hernia repair and an unrelated hysterectomy) was the medicine Reglan, which helped move things a bit. But not sure if it's an ordinary treatment for ileus.
Let us know how you are feeling, and I will try to help any way I can.
Take care, Laurie
I hope things are starting to improve for you -- because I can literally feel your pain. I had ileus after my takedown (and two surgeries following that as well). Besides the ghastly NG tube, which they had to put in post-op, they also started me a few days later on TPN (total parietal nutrition), which they feed you through a PICC line. Though it was more than a week after surgery, it seemed to help me turn the corner. I had not eaten anything for almost 10 days by the time they did that. You could ask about that.
Also, something that helped me during the two surgeries after that (a related hernia repair and an unrelated hysterectomy) was the medicine Reglan, which helped move things a bit. But not sure if it's an ordinary treatment for ileus.
Let us know how you are feeling, and I will try to help any way I can.
Take care, Laurie