Hello my friends,
Has anyone had their entire large colon removed? and does anyone think having the entire large colon removed as opposed to only a partial resection make a difference in how a person may feel?
Hello my friends,
Has anyone had their entire large colon removed? and does anyone think having the entire large colon removed as opposed to only a partial resection make a difference in how a person may feel?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Hello ,
Your body will start to adjust. I found the first 2 years to be hell. I also found working out helps bill hormones in people with out colons .
But yes I can for sure see a difference in energy . I do not think it is consistent . Based on factors like how well we are absorbing when we eat . Variables change for us . I notice my energy follows along closely with up and down days !
Kim K
aka Betty Cracker
Betty Cracker posted:Hello ,
Your body will start to adjust. I found the first 2 years to be hell. I also found working out helps bill hormones in people with out colons .
But yes I can for sure see a difference in energy . I do not think it is consistent . Based on factors like how well we are absorbing when we eat . Variables change for us . I notice my energy follows along closely with up and down days !
Kim K
aka Betty Cracker
Hi Betty Cracker!! :-)
I am in my 30th year of my original surgery. How does one get full absorption from the small intestine. Doctors don't know what to do to bring energy levels up. I have diaherea 90 % of the time and many movements during the day. Any ideas are welcome!!
Hello ,
I am not a doctor but I have access to a lot of people that know much more then I since I became a spoke model for Kimberly Clark Inc. Here is a link . I raise awareness , well at least that is my passion from personal experience . Since becoming ill with FAP and having my colon removed I have reinvented myself yet again .
I can ask have you tried lomotil 2.5 mg up to 8 pills a day? Have you looked at herbal meds ? Things like Oats ? Fiber ? Have you started any type excerise program for hormone release ? What have you tried ? It is all trail and error ! Something will work even if it's believing in God or Jesus but there are things that will work !
Please let get a conversation going on what does work ! We need more involved in this ! I am reaching out to others now !
Thank you
Kim K
Hello.
I have mentioned this before. In another post.
My colon is gone. Permanent ileo now.
Energy. I had none from the start.
Three years no energy. Noticeably more after my removal but I had it prior due to the UC.
I finally had blood tests done. Everything tested. I have always had high iron levels all my life so I thought it may be something else. Nope. It was my iron. It was low. That surprised even me. A few days into taking an iron supplement I noticed a difference. And definitely notice a difference now that the levels are up to normal. Iron is very important as is other vitamins and they being low can cause fatigue. I am living proof of it.
It's just a place to start. Before you try weeks and weeks of different foods and bowel slowers. I have liquid out put constantly. I empty at least 8-10 times a day. Maybe more. I don't count.
Good luck on your journey to health!
Richard.
Dehydration is the 1st and most obvious go-to choice in the beginning...I start by increasing my fluid intake and concentrating on water, natural homemade lemonade with honey and a few grains of salt (sort of kicks up those electrolytes and the glucose level at the same time), I drink a few glasses throughout the day...usually it helps within hours (also gets rid of the headaches and leg cramps if the problem is dehydration)...next I check my output. How runny is it, how is it? How much fluid am I losing? Also my urinary output...light or dark...that tells me a lot.
If it isn't dehydration (or some meds that I am taking or a possible depression which is exhausting!) then I hit the blood work to check on all of my levels...B12 and iron are the 1st ones as well as thyroid and glucose.
I also check my activity level...the less I do the more tired I am. The more I do the more energy I have...it just is. Sit inside on my sofa all day and I will eat the whole fridge and feel exhausted...work out or go out for a walk and my mood picks up, I hurt less all over and have tons of energy.
Other questions like how is your sleep cycle? Do you have sleep apnea (snoring and stopping to breathe while sleeping)?
Are you running a low-grade fever? Do you ache all over? Could be an underlying infection.
Tons of possibilities...you need to rule them out 1 at a time...and then move on to the next option.
I lost my colon at age 18...and I have had periods of very high and very low energy throughout my life...but I have been more active than most healthy people that I know...that being said, the disease slows me down somewhat but not always.
Good luck trying to find out the cause and let us know how you are doing.
Sharon
Thanks everyone, I think I need to start taking my iron again. I had cut back as my doctor suggested not to take it for much longer. I will start it up again. Thank you to everyone who responded. I had always thought not having the large colon at all affected absorption of nutrients.
After 7-8 years of having pouch and never taking any meds, I started taking a lot of metamucil and immodium to help thicken my stool after sphincters were damaged (continence is better with thicker stools).
A nice side benefit was that I think it helped me absorb more water (obviously, stools became thicker) and feel less dehydrated, and more energy! May be worth a try?
Not sure why, but I have tried these items and I find it gives me almost a constipated feeling.....
Hi. I went for my annual physical 2 months post takedown and my dr put me on vitamin B12 as he found it to be low which is a direct result from not having a colon.
thanks for sharing
Actually, B12 is absorbed in the terminal ileum, not the colon. So, unless you had some of your ileum removed, or have pouchitis, you should be able to absorb it. Plus, if you are older (50s, 60s or more), you can tend to be deficient, even with a colon.
Jan