Sorry to hear your struggles. Just take one day at a time. I've had two issues with obstructions. Luckily no surgery, but you sure get paranoid with what you eat. I know when I've been on low residue the gas seems to be less.

Good luck!

The bowel often shuts down after intestinal surgery - it's called a post-operative ileus. After my pouch surgery my bowels took 10 days to wake up. It will get better, but it can feel like forever.

Scott did they keep you off all food and drink until your pouch woke up?

I had an ileus after surgery, too. Third day post op (I had loop ileostomy and J pouch creation/1st surgery), they pulled my NGT and I just wasn't moving anything. Screamed in pain and moaned for one full night, til i got the NGT back, and the tube decompressed my stomach. About 2-3 days after that, things started moving. They WILL wake up; bowels hate to be touched and manipulated after surgery, and the not moving, or ileus, is common after. Hang in there!

Thank you. Almost went back to the hospital last night. I want my colorectal dr at lahey clinic. He is one of the best. Alas, this was an e,regency and this colorectal dr. Doesn't do j-pouches so doesn't seem familiar with pouch wake up post ob. He says since liquid stool came through,the pouch is open. I am waiting for the telltale sound air after emptying thee pouch. I feel so depleted, no strength. That have me eating and drinking but I am not sure i should. Do you think the pouch will wake up if I am eating and drinking?
Any comforting words will be apppreciatrd

I would stay away from solid food until you are passing gas.

Jan

I agree with Jan... I'd stay away from solids and just do liquids right now. My ileus was with my first step surgery and they did not let me eat until I was passing gas.

oh my.. I just hate it when those docs or residents tell you to eat when its just going to get you in trouble.

Definitely I would only do liquids until things were moving through better. Then slowly slowly up your diet to GI soft. Maybe for a day or two. For now you could do maybe glucerna drinks, creamy soups, things like that.

Also eat (or drink or slurp) very little bits at a time. Don't eat much at one sitting.

And walk walk walk.
good luck, you will get through this.

They tried to feed me a couple of times to help persuade the bowel to wake up. It didn't go well at all. Once things started moving normally I was very hungry.

You are all great. I don't have an appetite but was eating a few bites of mashed potato. Asked a lot more ion hospital when on narcotics but of course that slows things down. It has Ben ten days and I am miserable yyou have all comforted me in my dark hour. I feel so blocked

Hi Susan, I just read your post and realy feel for you! I had my takedown surgery on 8th July and was sent home two days later, feeling sore but good. Then followed the most agonising two days of pain I have experienced since first being diagnosed with UC in 2011.
I was recalled to hospital with severe abdominal spasms/cramps and was told I had an Ileus.
I was then not fed for 6 days - free fluids only and then fed intravoenously for 4 days to allow my bowel to rest completely. Started eating again - soup, fish and mash potato 4 days ago and, fingers crossed, things seem to be working better. The point of my post is this - don't give up! keep believing that in the end this will all be worth it and you will be able to live a life free of pain and UC controlling you!

Keep off of all solids until your gut green lights you and even then take it really slow...I was put on the new protocol post k pouch surgery...3 days I.V., 1 day clear fluids, 2 days full fluids and on the 7th day they fed me...I was thrilled, my pouch behaved, they discharged me...youppii! (it was Thursday)...the weekend went well, I ate reasonably (right!) and then on Mon, on the way back from my 1st post op appt I ate a bagel. 3hrs later I thought that a linebacker had tackled me. Couldn't swallow a pill...convulsive vomitting, even with ice chips...27hrs of hell until they drove me back to ER...God bless speed bumps. I had 2 ileus in the week...from now on, I know... do not feed the patient for a week...the old protocol or until your pass the risk stage...
First signs of ileu you stop eating and wait for it to pass...more than 24 hrs you head for the ER, IV fluids and wait it out.
It is hell and I hate it but that is life.
Hang in there and don't loose patients...keep walking, standing, moving and bouncing lightly up and down on your toes...
Heating pads, massage (if you have the massaging chair that is great)...
Sharon