I am 3 weeks post the 2nd step of the 3 stage surgery i.e my J pouch is connected to rectum but take down not done yet. Since 1 week I feel a strong pressure in my anus and bum especially while standing and walking. Also there is mucous discharge 6-7 times a day. I have heard that discharge is normal but the pressure/ pain is what bothers me. The pain Is neither excruciating nor neglectable. Is this normal or could it be cuffitis?
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Hello, Sneha. I had the same symptoms *after* my takedown. Very intense feeling of twisting pressure, almost like a golf ball was trying to come out! It felt like urgency, but it wasn't that. I think it was just the inflammation, soreness and healing of tissue and all the trauma of surgery to the nerves, muscles, etc. Sometimes the pressure felt like 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, coming in waves and lasting a minute or so. Then it got better and the symptoms stopped. Now almost 1-1/2 yrs later there isn't any pressure at all, except the slight pressure to indicate it's time to use the bathroom. Before my takedown, during the 3 months when I still had my ileostomy, there was some discharge. I had a loop ileostomy, so sometimes a bit of food would slip past the ostomy and make its way down to be discharged like a bowel movement. My surgeon was not concerned about that. If you have no other symptoms (frequency, urgency, leakage, bleeding, cramps) it probably is not cuffitis or pouchitis. You are very early days, so give it more time. Do you have a follow up soon with your surgeon?
Thank you Winterberry.. but I was feeling the anal pressure *before* my takedown. So I visited my surgeon and he said that the rectum could still be inflamed from colitis. So I used Mesalamine suppositories and I feel better with it! The mucous discharge has also reduced. It is scary to know that the anal pressure will increase after takedown though. But Glad to know that you are much better now.
Hi, Sneha. That is great you are getting results from the suppositories. After takedown you might not feel anal pressure at all, or it might be mild, but if it happens you won't be afraid because you'll know that it's part of the healing process. For me, the first months brought something new every single week. I would deal with one thing and something new would present itself, and on and on. But soon everything healed or settled down. I knew I was okay when I could leave the house for hours without issues. Good luck to you!
Thanks for the consoling and encouraging words Winterberry. I am hoping for the best!