Hi. Are you walking yet? That will help. The drugs slow things down. Keep walking and your bowels will wake up.
Pre coat your butt for when you start going to the bathroom.
Good healing!

Walking and limiting intake of painkillers are the only things you can do to prevent a postsurgical ileus from happening. It may be that it will happen if you do those things - or not. Hopefully not. One way or the other motility will resume. It usually takes 24-48 hours and if you go past 72 an ileus could be happening. But you are not even at the 48 hour mark yet so this post is way premature. I went way past 96 with my ileus.

The 1st symptom of a postsurgical ileus will be nausea and it will become intense. It was the worst nausea I have ever had in my life. The intensity is such that I cannot describe it. The NG Tube will relieve that nausea.

CTBarister is correct. My bowels did not wake up, no gas, and I did end up with a very swollen belly. I ended up with the NG tube because I threw up the minute anything went Dow... A sip of water. After my takedown I was on the NG tube for about 18 days, the worst! No food/liquid intake and left the hospital at about day 22... Went home and ended up back in the hospital a week later throwing up, swollen, very dehydrated etc... For another 20 days.

I walked my little but off post takedown because I didn't want all of that happening, but sometimes it just happens. I even went cold turkey off pain meds post takedown, advice by my surgeon, to keep from it happening, BUT again it just happens.

Be patient, things will come together and soon you will be posting about how you wish the bowls would slow down LOL. Best of Luck, keep us posted.

Heidi

I would ask your nurse about chewing gum. It promotes intestinal activity.

UCW!! Glad to hear everything went OK even if bowels are still sleeping. Walk, walk, walk. 48 hours is totally within the normal range. You would be getting really nauseous, particularly if you're drinking liquids, if your ileus was going into full swing.

Take this as you will (but I know you tried Chinese medicine for UC so maybe it isn't so crazy), but my Tui-na massage therapist tells me that stress and adrenaline can slow down the gut or stop it completely. Apparently massage therapists love it if they hear someone's belly gurgling during a massage because sounds of digestion mean you're suuuper relaxed. In my post-colectomy experience this has definitely been true. So take it easy and be nice to yourself :-D You're almost there!

quote:

You would be getting really nauseous, particularly if you're drinking liquids, if your ileus was going into full swing.

I had IV fluids the entire time and had the worst nausea in history - what causes it is that the gastric juices your body produces have no place to go but up. What cannot go down eventually must come up. Anyone who has had the NG tube gets a firsthand, front row biology lesson in the unbelievable copious amount of gastric juices your body produces - even when you have not had a thing to drink. Gallons and gallons of it. Green bile stuff, really gross to look at coming up through the tube.

Happy Friday, dude. Let us know how you are doing when you get a chance!

Yes, I have also been wondering what is going on???????? You posted and then disappeared on us???????

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your inputs. I sort of posted and disappesred because I had two really horrible days. It seems that I have a partial obstruction because while I am able to have bowel movements not everything is moving downstream. I had really horrible nausea yesterday and vomited 4-5 times. They finally put a NG tube which took out a whole lot of liquid but I was still nauseous. I am feeling a bit better today, the nausea has subsided but I still occassionally have vomiting reflexes with nothing coming out. I feel that just might be due to having the NG tube down my throat. The doctor says that having bowel movements is a good stuff but other than that I have to be patient and wait for the obstruction to resolve. Is there anything I can do to speed up the resolution of the obstruction?

Sorry you had to get the NG tube but it will really help you out. If they haven't already given you some as a nurse for some Chloraseptic throat spray that will help ease the discomfort each time you swallow. Good luck and keep us posted.

The NG tube is still there and it seems it won't be coming out anytime soon. They did give me the spray which makes swallowing a little easier.

I had mine a couple of days. Here's hoping yours is out sooner than later.

Oh, UC Warrior, you have my empathy. I went through the same thing, along with some other complications, after my takedown last March. I truly hope things turn around for you soon. You will get through it, as rough as it seems right now. Hang in there ~

And as far as helping the obstruction, you have likely been urged to walk as much as possible, which I know is more difficult with the NG tube.

Also, my nausea persisted with tube as well, and eventually they put in a PICC line and added TPN, which helped me a lot.

Laurie

quote:

Is there anything I can do to speed up the resolution of the obstruction?

Walking, but if the obstruction is due to post surgical swelling or adhesions, there is nothing that will help it resolve except the passage of time. I had multiple obstructions, both partial and full, after takedown. My surgeon told me that he has never seen anyone swell like I did. I think the swelling is due to a hyperactive immune system, same thing that caused the UC and the pouchitis.

The nausea took a while to go down in your case probably due to the fluid buildup and the gradual suctioning off of fluid. That fluid could not go down so it had to be suctioned up. As it was emptied your nausea slowly abated. In my case the relief from the nausea was a bit quicker. I thought that my NG tube had a vacuum type suction as the fluid was coming out pretty quick, not like vacuum cleaner quick but at a good pace.

Regarding the dry heaves/gag reflex, other than the spray they can put in your throat, you need to try and relax and pretend the NG tube is not there, as difficult as that may seem. I think part of it is mental, just like a component of pain tolerance is mental. I know it is hard but you gotta hang in there. I can tell you it will get better for you. They have to leave the NG tube in because it will relieve the nausea and vomiting so long as that obstruction exists. It may take a few days to resolve.

I actually forgot I had the picc line and tpn also, after the NG tube was removed. SEE there ya go one year from now this will all be a blurry memory!

Holly - can't wait for this to turn into a blurry memory.

For the time being, the NG tube stays. I am still outputting more than 650 ML of liquid in 24 hrs. It will be another day of just waiting for things to get better.

hang in there! I KNOW every minute the the NG tube seems like 100! We are all praying that thing comes out soon.

The tube was taken out today afternoon. What a relief!! I haven't been given any food by mouth yet it's still a bit uncertain if the blockage has totally resolved. But, it's a small step in the right direction.

Thank you for all your support everyone. It means a lot and made me get through these very difficult four days. I'll keep you updated with my recovery.

Onward and upward! Keep us posted

I am finally home!!! Thanks for all the support over the past few days. You guys are great!!

Now it's time to train this baby pouch

Congratulations! I'm glad you are finally home!

Congrats on getting home. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

About 6 weeks after my takedown surgery I suffered a bowel obstruction and had a 3rd surgery for adhesions. After so much anesthesia and pain meds in a short amount of time it took forever for my bowels to get going again. I was on TPN to try and slow down the weight loss. I was off food for so long it took a long time for me to get to where I even cared about eating again! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!