Takedown yesterday - ouch

I remember being in a lot of pain at the incision site, but no bowel pain. I couldn't have morphine (I literally go blind for a few days), and at that time, Demerol and such weren't given to kids, so I was in a bad spot where it was blindness or Tylenol that did nothing. They should have you on TPN for nutrition, but that does nothing for a hungry belly. (I spent six weeks once, after being hit by a car, NPO. When I finally got to eat again, everything was too spicy for my mouth, everything....)

You are at the end of the journey. Keep that in mind. No more surgery. This is the last big hurdle.

This was a very tough surgery for me. I had an ileus and was put on NPO more than once over my week in the hospital and had an unsuccessful attempt at the nose tube also. Along with that came vomiting and severe pain.

Try and walk as much as possible to wake up your bowels. I know it may be tough now due to the pain, but you want to avoid an ileus in any way possible. I would not push the foods also, but if you are in pain that should not be an issue. I could not even smell food when I had the ileus and if you are in that much pain, don't let them wait forever before doing a scan to see what is going on. I suffered for more than two days in a fetal position before they took me down for a scan to determine what was causing my severe pain.

They sutured my stoma closed and I remember it hurting a lot too but then after a few days it was much better pain wise.

Ditto on the walking. It helps a lot and it will help your bowels to wake up too.

Takedown was so much easier for me since I had complications with my first step. That first one was a nightmare. Hope your recovery is as uneventful as mine was.

walk walk walk.
Try your best to reduce taking pain drugs as they definitely impede getting your guts moving. Scream and cry and curse and do whatever you neeed to but you must walk and move around.

And don't think about food. Do not rush eating. You need your bowels to work well before you start eating.
I'm sure they are checking your bloodwork and nutritional status and they will put you on TPN if they need to. I've been weeks without food and tiny like you, and somehow I always make it through. Only had to be put on TPN once, and that was with a month long hospital stay.

After takedown, my stoma site was left open to heal by granulation method, and there was a stinging sensation localized to that area, but not too much other pain. I think it will get better but if you have an open wound it will be raw and stinging for a while. I think it took a few weeks to close up in my case.

Thanks for the responses...my incision is stitched up with steri strips covering them.. That is the most painful part.. I am not allowed to have any food or drink until I pass something..I do feel hungry so I hope something comes out soon. I am walking but prob should do more..I am also taking pain meds but will try to cut back, I feel my whole tummy filled with rumbles and gas it just doesn't want to come out..hopefully by this afternoon I'll earn an ice chip

Kjeane-what's an ileus? What do I need to look out for?

Ileus is a partial or complete non-mechanical blockage of the small and/or large intestine. Obstruction of the intestine due to its being paralyzed. The paralysis does not need to be complete to cause ileus, but the intestine must be so inactive that food cannot pass through it, which leads to blockage of the intestine. Ileus commonly follows some types of surgery. Sometimes after abdominal surgery things just shut down. This can even happen after things have started up. This is why they don't want you to have food until they're sure your new plumbing has kicked in. We call it 'fart watch.'

If you're having bowel sounds that's a good thing as bowel sounds aren't usually present with ileus. Ask your surgeon about chewing gum. Some people have said that helps to start things moving along. But moving as much as possible is the main gut motivator.

kathy

Hang in there I agree with the others, that walking helps so much! I know it's painful, but it will really help. Also, don't do what I did and eat too much when they do let you eat. The first time they said I could eat, I ate an entire bowl of cream of wheat! I was in so much pain afterwards...start slow Good Luck, and keep us posted on your recovery!

Hey there, hang in there. The 2nd surgery was harder for me than the first. My bowels woke up but then went back to sleep. I had to have the NG tube, then a pic line, then put on TPN.
However believe it or not it does get better. You hang in there and whatever you do no matter how hungry you are eat what you know won't upset your stomach. For some reason they seem to bring in spagetti or lasagna for people who just had colon surgery NOT a good idea!
You can send it back and ask for something more appropriate. I had too!
My stoma site was glued closed, but wasn't healing correctly so they had to re-open it and just leave it open.
Take care and know we are all here for you.

The hard part is over Randi, now things should only get better from here on out. I remember my j-pouch and takedown was tough, since they both happened in one surgery. I had a lot of pain coming from my behind for weeks. It takes months for the body to understand what happened. After a while your pouch will start acting just like it's own mini-colon. Just remember that the surgery is over, now it's time to recover then back to your normal life!

So here we go..the pain became unbearable that they did abdominal x rays and found an ileus leading to NG tube, picc line for TPN..the tube was so rough I couldn't speak for 2 days..they just took it out and now we need to see what develops and if all goes well we'll start liquids..just an update not sure if I'm making sense but hopefully you get the idea of how takedown is going

Randi,

So sorry..I can empathize totally. Take your food intake VERY slow...liquids, ice at first etc. Also if you are able to, WALK as much as possible. I know that sounds impossible now, but trust me it will help.

They never successfully got the nose tube in me after 2 tries and I told them 'I could vomit myself without their help' as I vomited very time they tried to insert it (the lovely banana spray they squirt in your throat with no warning helped bring everything up also). At that point I was so upset that I told them no more attempts and if I needed it the next day I wanted the surgeon to insert it. Incredibly, after vomiting that night, and the two days prior, everything must have finally cleared and after four days of total misery I managed to avoid a second nose tube attempt and I started to improve. I went home two days later. Best of luck. The worst is over I am sure!

Randi - I'm so sorry you had a bit of a setback. But I'd wager things will progress now and all of this will be a distant fading memory soon.

kjeane - I can't even imagine repeatedly vomiting after surgery. Ouch!

kathy

I had my j-pouch created and ileostomy taken down in one surgery, so when I woke up I was cut up pretty good. The NG tube was tried with me when I started to throw up after surgery, it also didn't work so I just threw up the old fashioned way. It last for a day or so then everything woke up and worked like a charm. I remember it being very hard for the first few days after surgery.

Take it super slow with liquids/foods the next few days. Everyone is spot on about the getting up and walking around. After both my surgeries I was walking laps around the ward in no time, didn't even need my push button pain killers, woke my guts up fater, and it kept my abdomen stretched out so the scar tissue didn't heal tightly.