Just got takedown and confused

Oh yes...I looked 6 months pregnant when I left the hospital from takedown. If I remember correctly it only lasted a few days for me and then it when down to a more "puffy" state. In a couple of weeks time it was back to normal.

The first few weeks can be pretty tough but things should start calming down after that. Tell her not to get discouraged. You need lots of patience with this procedure. Best wishes to your daughter.

Thanks so much for confirming that. She is really beside herself. Add to that the nurse weighed her just before we left the hospital - talk about a kick in the butt!! Especially for a 20 year old. Hopefully we can get past these next few days and her tummy will deflate and she can feel a little better. Honestly I think she is doing well, but after losing her late teen years she is just looking for the bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Hi Bethie - I also had a pregnant looking tummy after takedown but it turned out I was developing a bowel obstruction. I wouldn't worry though as long as air and other stuff is coming through the pouch.

oh geez i hope that is not her problem - she is having air and movements through the pouch so I hope that's not it - that would push her over that deep dark edge of freakout if that happened now. Her doc did say that was normal - she just wanted to have those with jpouches confirm it

Bethie,

I had several obstructions after takedown and there is no mistaking that sensation. There is a knotted up feeling in the bowel and the pain pulsates every time your bowels engage in peristalsis. In other words, every minute or so, or however long the intervals between peristalsis occurs, there is a pulsating pain, that pain being caused by the contents not being able to pass the obstruction when thrust or propelled forward by the normal peristalsis of the bowels.

The pain of an obstruction gradually intensifies over time as the mass of the digested materials above the obstruction grows in size or volume. The longer the delay to get an NG tube in, the greater and greater the pain will get as the mass of substances which have no place to go but down increases.

I went through this unpleasant experience several times and there is no mistaking it when it occurs. If it happened to me right now I would know it and I would be on my way to the ER.

If daughter of Bethie is moving contents of her pouch out, it is likely not an obstruction.

Thanks so much for the help. Wendy's tummy already went down which made her very happy and honestly she is in a lot less pain that at first...she might dispute that...but she is asking to go shopping - lol. I have high hopes for this helpinng her get her life back - what all of you and she have gone through is just horrific and I think your all heroes for pushing on.

bethie-
sounds like your daughter is doing great. Take her shopping.. get her mind off things. Her belly will go down, for sure. Mine is hugely puffy for several weeks after each big surgery I've had. Tell her to not look at it right now!!!

Liz as soon as she feels better she will be shopping - lol - it went down a little already overnight - she is actually doing great although she would argue that point - she tends to be paranoid about everything. She gets the drain taken out on Tuesday - I figure things will do better after that. It's just a matter of adjustment. She was hoping to drive to school (7 hrs away) in two weeks, not sure if that will happen, but she is going back to college on the 31st for sure. I know it takes time, she is just anxious to be at a comfortable place.