post op colectomy querie

[hiberia]

Hi, I am a 54 year old Scot living in Shanghai, I recently had to have 90% of my colon removed in a Shanghai cancer hospital. The op was thorough and the scar is healing well. It took place two weeks ago and I am still in a bit of discomfort especially at night. The pain is not unbearable but stops me sleeping, is this just the normal recovery pain ie after cutting through my abdomen muscles etc?  

[mammo]

At this point your may still be sore but you shouldn't be having pain.  It's well worth talking to your surgeon about.  Is everything else okay, are your bowels moving okay, are you eating well, and are you running a fever?  Does it feel like the pain is caused by lying down?

[hiberia]

I suppose it is more soreness than acute pain, my bowels are moving a bout 8-12 times daily at present, I had a temp for a day and had bad diorhea but that appears to have settled down. My appetite is good though I am still not visibly putting weight on. I find that lying down helps but if I sat in same position for too long I get stiff and sore again. My wound is healing ok and I am trying to walk for thirty minutes+ a day.

I am not taking any pain releif as Chinese believe this hinders recovery though I do take a sleeping tablet to get a couple of hours rest at night.

I just wanted to know if this soreness and stiffness are the norm for a colectomy?

Thanks for taking time to answer.

[mammo]

Yes, but I do think you need to be moving around as much as possible, this also helps the body heal and aids with stiff feeling.  Keep yourself well hydrated as well.  Try over the counter medications for the diarrhea and fiber.  Both my sons had total colectomies at ages 12 & 16 and by two weeks were doing very well, but then youth does have it's advantages.  So, answering your question is difficult, as we all respond to pain differently. Except for heavy lifting, the more normal your life the better for healing.  Soreness just means you're still healing and stiffness is from not moving around enough.
But should this turn into pain, see your surgeon.

[hiberia]

Thank u for speaking from experience and I thank you for your honesty and advice. To see my surgeon is extremely difficult as the hospital in Shanghai is extremely busy and one has to wait up to 5 hours just for a five min chat. I guess I am guilty of lying about too much, though I tried to return to teaching after two weeks and had to return home somewhat weak and useless. Last question, I have been drinking lots of salt/soda fizzy lemonaide but two nights ago my temp rose to 70 and I got bad tummy cramps. I had really bad diorhea and still have, my local doc (not my surgeon) says it could be a bacterial infection and to take anti biotics ad tylenol. I do ant to get back to normal quickly as I have a wife and two young children (3 and 10) to support and out here, no work no pay. Just feel that I am not making much progress and its getting me down.

[mammo]

You will need to learn what types of foods 'trigger" your bowel movements to increase, especially right now.  Don't let this get you down, you had a very serious surgery!  Your fluids should mainly be water, orange juice, and Gatorade. You're losing a lot of electrolytes with the many BM's and this leads to dehydration (nausea, fatigue, weakness,etc) and these drinks replenish the electrolytes.  Also, with the diarrhea you've lost all your good intestinal bateria and destroyed them with the antibiotics, eat yogurt enriched with probiotics to replenish this. You can take any over the counter anti-diarrhea medications to help with the many BM's. When you return to work, sit as often as possible, and rest after getting home. Sip on Gatorade throughout the day to keep up your electrolytes.  There is one called G2 which has less sugar in it. If you can't find this, dilute the regular Gatroade with water.  My son says regular Gatorade is hard on his stomach and by diluting it, it is more easily digested. This was imperative for my boys as well.  You're doing fine, I know it's difficult in wanting to get back to normal quickly, but you can't over-do it.  I lost my eldest son at 31 to the hereditary colon cancer in our family, and then last year, we lost his son, our precious grandson at 18 to the same.  My children's father died at 32 to this.  I've seen a lot with colon surgeries.  My youngest son is 39, a marathoner, ultrathoner, mountain biker, competes in jujitsu and just hiked a trail in Reno.... 83 miles in 38 hours. I tell you this in hopes of lifting your spirits.  He says it's all about diet, knowing what you can and can't eat.  Don't let this get you down, you don't need to add depression to this.  I do wish you all the best and take care.

[hiberia]

dear mammo thank u for sharing whsat you have been through, i am afraid my problems are weak compared to all that you and ur family have had to carry over the years.

i went for a weight check up today and was alarmed to  find that even after three weeks on a high protein diet of meat. fish. eggs and milk as well as sports drinks and fruit. i have lost  .75 of a kilo from being 78 kilos two weeks ago i am now77.25, the doc says not to worry but i am worried. i went from 95 kilos to 87 in a month with cancer and now i find that i am still dropping in weight.

will this level out? i am worried that i wont be strong again and wont recover my weight.

am i being paranoid? how can i increase my weight?

yours respectfully

Charlie in Shanghai.

[mammo]

This will level out, you're still healing. Are you eating any carbs?  This helps with energy and weight.  It's normal to be worried after a surgery such as yours, but it does take some time to recover.  Go more by how you feel.  This was a big surgery, and at your age recovery takes more time.  So long as you feel good, I wouldn't worry.

[lmscurran]

Dont panic!! I had a hemicosectomy about 1 year ago - they removed about 7 inches of my colon due to an 8.5 cm tumor.  I was stage 2 with no lymph node or organ involvement.

I have only recently begun to have "regular" bowel movements if one ever gets them after colon surgery!

The pain in the abdomen is routine - you are still healing - I had pain around my incision for over 10 weeks after surgery.

Watch what you eat and drink - soda and carbonated beverages are not really very good.  From what you are saying, I think you are on track - it is a very long recovery.  Good luck and I wish you well.

Leslie

[elliemay1947]

Last year my daughter (39) had a hemicolectomy due to a large tumour (stage2 cancer) in her ascending colon. She has recovered well. However, she has adjusted her diet and finds that it is beneficial. I would also recommend that you obtain some Inulin Fibre and take it several times a day. In this country, it is is called BENEFIBRE, but you can also buy a generic product that does the same thing. Go to your local pharmacist and they will help you to get it. This will make the stools more formed by producing bulk. Also eating oatmeal porridge daily at breakfast is helpful. (I am a registered nurse) Try to avoid gassy vegetables. and also not too much fruit. Good luck to you.