UTI or Regular Healing Pain??

Hey mom2panda,

I'm 10 days out from my colectomy with end ileo and I am having some similar issues. I find that since the surgery I have trouble emptying my bladder completely and it can be a little painful trying to do so. I also find that I almost always have some output or gas from my stoma when I'm trying to urinate... go figure! I don't think it's a UTI though and my surgeons felt it was 'nerve stuff' from being opened up and would 'probably' resolve itself over the course of the next few weeks.

It does sound like your pain is more intense than what I'm experiencing though so I would definitely mention it to your doctor just in case it is a sign of infection.

you both should have a urine culture. It's no big deal. Any lab could do it. Never had a uti before surgery, but get them regularly now.

This isn't sounding like a UTI, a simple urinalysis could rule it out, and quicker than a urine culture. If the bacteria or cell count was too high, then a culture would be the next step.

It is pretty common to have odd pains following a big surgery like this. Lots of nerves getting cut and having to regrow. In the meantime, those signals can be jumbled up on the way to the brain. Especially when the discomfort is related to ostomy activity or other gut sensations, this seems more likely. The sharp pains could easily be from gas distension, that pass as the gas moves beyond a tight spot. When position affects the pain it is one indicator it is adhesions causing a nartow area. This is common near the ostomy. As things heal, swelling reduces, and the gut settles down, these senations should gradually resolve. But sometimes adhesions remain problematic, so it is good to monitor this.

But, if you develop associated symptoms, like fever, constant and/or severe pain, reduced ostomy output, concentrated, bloody or cloudy urine, vomiting, distended abdomen, then you really need to get yourself into the doctor or hospital.

Jan

Can I add something?
Whenever they did pouch surgery on me they catheterized me and I always had problems for a couple of weeks post op...occasional leaky bladder (would stand up and the urine would dribble out), mild bleeding occasionally, irritated urethera, mild bladder discomfort and lower back pain. Usually an increase in fluid intake + a glass or 2 or cranberry juice was enough to put pay to most of it. They always told me it came from the catheter irritating the area and that mild anti-inflamatories would help (took a couple of advils and it was enough).

Just my 2 cents
Sharon

Thanks all. I think it must have been one of those random pain things. Or, I could have been ovulating on top of everything else. I do get pain when I ovulate, but this seemed different.

Anyway, today = no pain. Weird. If it comes back, I'll go for the urine test. In the meantime, I'll get some cranberry juice or tablets.

Thanks again!