Takedown Progress

Sounds like you are doing really well. I hope you have a great holiday season.

Great to hear! Keep up the positive attitude!

Rich

You sound like you're doing well. Keep up the positive attitude.
I'm going on 14 weeks right now. Had chile verde, carnitas, steak
ranchero and chicken enchiladas with our office christmas party
today....

And I'm still here to tell you about it...

One step forward, two steps back...

I am four days post-takedown. I keep seeing progress, and then going backwards... just with the process of waking up my bowels. Thought things were going well, got approved for solid foods, and then had what was probably the worst night of my life. On top of the vomiting, I have never felt so sick, ever. It's beyond nausea - I can't even explain what it feels like... just all bad, really, really BAD. They also gave me something to help push things down and out, so on top of that I've been having diarrhea of this clearish-greenish bile just spewing out of me... out of control, leaking all over myself and having to get up every couple minutes to hobble to the toilet. I can get to a semi-tolerable state if I'm laying down, but sitting or standing makes me feel like I want to die.

This morning things were somewhat more tolerable. I have spent most of the morning sleeping, and getting up to use the bathroom when I can. Back to nothing through the mouth... just sipping on a bit of water here and there. Was told I would be going home today, but that's obviously not happening. Now it's just a waiting game.

I'm so sorry things aren't going well. Maybe a little too much food? It's a lot of two steps forward, one step back. Hang in there...it will get better. Keep us updated.

I am sorry you are feeling so bad. That happened to me and had to have the ng tube. Hope you don't have to have it but if you do it will actually make you feel so much better to get that mess out of you. Praying you have a good night.

It's sounding like you had a postoperative ileus that resolved without insertion of the NG tube, which would explain the intense nausea and the excessive bile in the stool. When I had the ileus after step 1 it was the worst nausea I ever experienced in my life and after I was intubated with the NG tube I understood why. You don't really have any clue how much gastric/digestive juices your body produces until you see it being sucked out of you through a clear rubber hose. With an ileus that stuff is not going down like it should be, and you are getting sick from the buildup of those fluids pooling in your gut and roiling your gut. The diarrhea is likely due to the buildup of that stuff in your bowel possibly due to ileus that resolved. You should be feeling better once all that stuff runs through you.

Paralytic ileus reminds me of something out of Alien or the Exorcist green stuff!!. Undescribable nausea without being able to vomit and pain, so boated you can't even sit up or roll over then the violent explosion of bright green liquids from both ends......what a great relief though when it finally comes.

I had the same sickness two days after takedown. It was a terrible 24-36 hours until I felt better. Prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride, ebbs and tides. I am 10 weeks since takedown and back to full duty climbing telephone poles. I LOVE the control over my bowel movements!

Hang tight, you have a lot of people rootin' for you!

Thanks for the support, everyone. As simple as it is, knowing others have been through this and are now on the other side of it eating and living and working makes me feel a bit better. Other things that are helping at the moment: the heat-pack on my lower back, listening to some of my favorite soft music, the tootsie pop I'm sucking on. Even if I can't eat, the hard candy takes that awful taste taste of bile out of my mouth and isn't something that will make me sick. (I even brushed my teeth, and that taste in my mouth came right back.)

Just trying to take it easy and be patient. I think I may be through the worst of it, but still seem to be at a pretty crappy standstill for the last eighteen hours or so: stomach in super-tight knots, cramping, bloating, pain whenever I move. On top of it all, my birth control pills haven't been absorbing, so I've started my period, which just compounds things. But I've gotta turn a corner here soon. At some point I will be on the other side of this, and that thought keeps me going.

I am ever-so-slowly starting to feel a little better, though it may just be the pain meds I finally allowed them to give me. Still bloated/distended, but no longer spewing bile out my eyeballs. Going way less frequently now, and the last couple times have been a little less green fluid and a little more stool. Have also been able to get up and walk a couple laps, where before moving made me wish I was dead. I am able to rest comfortably in bed, and a few minutes ago heard my tummy gurgle and felt a twinge of hunger, so that's gotta be a good sign, right?

Moving into day five right now... Hoping for some progress, but as long as the hellish agony of that painful blockage/bile build-up doesn't return, I think I'll survive. Will keep you all posted.

I had a very similar situation too. Surgery went well and about 3 days later had ileus. Was so nauseous. I had such bad pain that my bones hurt. They put NG tube in which I hated every second. Once that came out my recovery was all uphill. Today I'm 6 months out from takedown and I feel very fortunate. I have my life back. Good luck

It seems like one positive bootstrap can draw is that she managed to avoid the dreaded NG tube, unlike the rest of us who had postoperative ileus. In that sense she has had a privileged recovery so far.

Great, sounds like you are getting over the ileus now. I know it is awful, but for me definately worth every second to get where I am now, which is a far better place.
I also found the first few weeks after take-down a bit of a knock back in that you are back to frequent liquid stools again. My surgeon said to me when I went for my two week check up "I promise you this will be the worse you will feel and in four weeks time it will all start getting much better". Amazingly, he was spot on to the exact date. So just have faith that things will improve. Take care. Caroline

That was sort of a mean trick... Making you think all was going well and celebrating your wonderfully positive attitude. But think of it like birthin' babies - those contractions can be pretty 'uncomfortable' but the end result is a brand new little cherub and the contraction discomfort is almost completely forgotten. You're just birthin' some new plumbing here instead. But you'll be playing with that new addition very soon!

kathy

Top of day six. Still no change. (Although it sort of feels like it's right around the corner; hopefully my gut will finally re-boot and wake up today!?) *Sigh* But for now still just waiting and walking, waiting and walking, waiting and walking...

i just know its gonna happen soon boots. we're all rootin for ya. tell your small intestines to get big intentions i need to practice what i preach but lets inspire each other...

Sorry you're having such a tough time of it, bootstrap. I'm keeping my fingers crossed your post-op ileus resolves itself soon. Good luck!

....aaand we have lift off!! Yeah, my butt has basically been a faucet since around midnight. I barely get settled back in bed before I have to go again. I try to hold it for a while, but then I just get up and go because if I relax my muscles down there I will leak on myself since it's still straight liquid. Maybe I should just set up camp on the toilet for a while, LOL.

No gas yet, but things are finally woken up and pushing through, and the bloating is down. Woo-hoo!

Yet another step back. Was feeling great this afternoon, but by evening suddenly was super sick and spewing green bile out both ends again. 1.5 liters of vomit and a bunch from the behind, too. NG tube was discussed. Since I'm more or less resting comfortably now that it's all out of me, we're going to wait and see where things go from here, and if I start getting worse again, we'll go ahead with it. Surgeon will visit in the morning and decide if she wants to do some sort of scan to try and figure out the root of the problem.

Sorry it is taking so long for you to heal. I think the scan may be a good idea. They did one on me and not saying that you will have anything wrong but they did find I had some leaks I guess where I was reconnected and had to put a couple of drains in. I was in alot of pain though you don't sound like you are. Sounds like You just have that nasty vomit monster visiting you. I know the NG tube is NOT the most comfortable thing to have but it does suck every last bit of bile out of you, mine was in for 24 hours and it was amazing how much stuff came out. Will be praying for your recovery real soon!

Hey Bootstrap,

Not heard from you for a couple of days, was wondering how you were. I hope you are out of the hospital and feeling much better.

Unfortunately no, I am not out of the hospital yet.

I am back at square one. Finally got the NG tube. One of the must painful/unpleasant things I've ever experienced, getting it in. Now I can barely tolerate it if I have enough drugs: ativan and dilaudid. The pain in my throat is awful, especially when I swallow or talk. And I can feel the tube moving all the way town in my stomach - just not a good sensation AT ALL. It's making me miserable.

On the upside, it's doing what it's supposed to be doing: sucking all the digestive juices, acids, and biles, out of my stomach to give my GI tract a break.

I also got the CT scan done - it shows pretty much what I thought: swollen, overly-filled areas of intestine up high, including my stomach. Then a "transition period" which would be the blockage/ileus, and below that everything is appropriately sized, proportioned, and located.

My surgeon will be by at some point today - hopefully she will be able to identify what the blockage is all about. Also got a picc line inserted last night so that they can start giving me some IV nutrition since I've gone about twelve days with no food.

A lot of postsurgical swelling sometimes happens. They need to bring that swelling down because the resulting blockage of those fluids is what was giving you the intense nausea.

The swelling will come down and you will lose that NG tube. I know it sucks but we all went through it, me with an ileus, intense nausea etc. You at least will learn how much digestive juices are produced by your body. It's amazing, isn't it? We produce that stuff like cows produce milk.

Hang in there bootstrap, it will get better. You are at the low point now, the high points will be down the road.

Oh I'm so, so sorry! Hopefully this will do the trick and you'll be home to celebrate the season. And you can use the ileus card to be fed and fanned for a good long while. [Well, when the feeding actually begins, this is.]

I hope you haven't totally lost your wonderfully positive attitude. I can certainly understand if you'd like to give it a kick in its non-functioning butt right now though.

I'm sending healing thoughts and vibes your way.

kathy

Hey Bootstrap, sorry there are more complications, it is a real bummer. Hang in there and have faith in your surgeon there will be a solution.

I know how absolutely awful you must be felling and hope it clears or is sorted soon and you can get home for Christmas.

Take care Caroline

I am so sorry you are still going through all this. Your story is very similar to mine. NG tube, pic line and tpn for nutrition. The pic line is nice for getting bloodwork done too, you won't be a human pin cushion anymore I was in the hospital after takedown for exactly two weeks. I know the ng tube is awful but hopefully you won't have it long. It is such a relief when it comes out but your throat will be a little sore. Also while you have it spray that numbing Chrloraseptic spray in your throat constantly that will help you with the swallowing. May not make it perfect but will help somewhat!! Prayers coming your way for a "break out" from the hospital soon!!

Hi bootstrap.

Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time of it. Are they
still giving you those Heparin shots every 8 hours on top of
all you're going through too?

Thanks for the kind words and support everyone. I am still pretty miserable, but at least I know I'm through the worst of it. It can only go up from here, right?

Back when I was walking 2-4 miles a day, I talked them into discontinuing the heparin. (Woot-woot!) Unfortunately with this NG tube in me (which did NOT get rid of the nausea, like everyone told me it would!), walking is the last thing on my mind, and I haven't been up and about so much: only about two or three times a day, and only one or two laps at a time. Instead, I'm more just trying to sleep off as much of the misery as I can. I hope that doesn't present a problem. But at least when this NG comes out (which I think will soon - it better be because I can't tolerate it much longer) I will be walking miles upon miles again. At least maybe I can work on doing leg stretches and toe-circles in bed to get some circulation flowing.

Hang in there, Bootstrap. I can only imagine how miserable you must be feeling but better days lie ahead. So, stay positive and remember that a lot of us praying and rooting for you to recover soon.

Take care!!!

I'm so sorry to hear of your trials, especially with the NG tube. But as others have said, it will come out. One trick I tried to help get things moving was to chew gum. Supposedly the chewing can help stimulate your innards back into action. Plus it may help soothe your throat a little.

Hopefully getting food into your system will help as well. I remember it took about 24 hours before the picc line began to kick in for me and I started feeling a lot better.

A word of caution about using the picc line to receive pain medication: A couple of times I was given morphine via the so-called IV push through the picc line. I thought I was going to have a heart attack each time. Very uncomfortable. One nurse did it to me the second time despite my request for a slow drip. He said I was being silly and did it anyway (fricking sadist). I had to have a lab tech stay with me because I was afraid I would pass out.

Positive vibes being sent your way.

quote:

Unfortunately with this NG tube in me (which did NOT get rid of the nausea, like everyone told me it would!)

If that is the case then the pain meds could be causing the nausea and I would cut back on them. The pain meds (mainly morphine) were the cause of my ileus in my opinion, coupled with insufficient walking. I did have a pump which is supposed to regulate how much you can take, but I think I took too much. But I personally never get nausea from pain meds. Others have reported nausea from the pain med you are taking, Dilaudid, which has nausea as a documented side effect:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydromorphone

If you aren't on pain meds and the NG tube is in, you otherwise should not be having any nausea.

They said, "Just be patient, and it will happen; should be only a few days." I was patient and oh-so-positive.

They said, "Walk around as much as you can, and it will happen! Shouldn't take longer than a couple more days." I walked two to four miles worth of laps every day during my first week at the hospital.

Finally they said, "Put this NG tube in, and it will surely help get things going." I let them put the NG tube up my nose and down my throat, and died a little inside.

Now it's day eleven since surgery, and day three on the NG tube.

Still nothing.

This tube HURTS. Everyone keeps telling me it can't last much longer, but it KEEPS LASTING LONGER.

I've PAID MY DUES, and I'm ready to be DONE.

So sorry you have to deal with the NG tube. I had it for 48 hours after developing an ileus 3 days after takedown. I know it hurts and is uncomfortable. Once you get it out that will be your "lift Off" it will only get better. It was the magical turning point for me. Are they giving you any idea of when they can remove it? Good luck

I just can't understand why my heaviest duty healing/ng-out/no-nausea vibes are not working. I'll up the vibe sending which will hopefully wake those damn guts before day's end.

Again, I'm so sorry that you're not doing the gymnastics that you expected to be doing.

And yeah, it WILL resolve.

kathy

Bootstrap-

I'm sorry you're having to go through so much garbage on the way to getting your pouch to work. The only advice I can offer is to be patient--easier said than done, I know--and do everything you can to be as comfortable as possible. My thoughts are with you.

I'm so very sorry to hear this isn't going as smoothly as you and we had all hoped for. There was a point after my jpouch creation where I laid in bed sobbing, and told my husband how I just couldn't do one more second of this. At the time there was nothing my husband could say or do to bring me comfort. Just know I've been there, and my thoughts and prayers are with you as you go through these trials.

I can have all kinds of patience for all kinds of things; it's just this damned NG tube I can't stand any longer. Well, and the initial ileus blockage a week ago was pretty much a total nightmare as well.

On the upside, I just pooped my pants while I was napping. (High doses of dilaudid and a hot pack on the tummy while sleeping... was bound to make a mess). So thanks, Kathy, it looks like it may have been right after you posted that, LOL. This whole time we've been waiting for things to go down and not up, and in the last few hours I've had nothing out my NG tube and three bowel movements, so hopefully this is the corner? I've learned not to get my hopes up too soon, though. Will wait until the doc says it's time to pull the tube before I start doing a little jig. Keep up the prayers and vibes, peeps. We're not quite out of the woods yet.

SO sorry you are going through this! What a nightmare... Hoping things start looking up for you real soon.