large bowel removed

[cinder51]

I've had all but a third of my large colon removed due to a pelvic exteneration and have nothing but misery for the past 6 years.I have at least 20 if not more bm's a day not matter what I eat.They say there is nothing they can do for me.I feel at my wits end and i am reduced to tears more times than not.I can't believe that with everything they can do in medicine today that there is no help.Can someone please help!

[rosey12]

There is help available to reduce your BMs. I had my entire colon except rectum removed last July. I was having bm like you described. The high fiber diet helps but also try metamucil a couple times a day. Also the doctors can put you on a pill called Atropine. These are small white pills you let desolve under your tongue. 1-2 four times a day. These will reduce your bm for sure. I'm to the point now where I don't take the pills much at all. The high fiber diet and metamucil seems to have cut down my bm's although they are still watery. I usually have 4-6 a day now and my problem is that I will have 2-3 after 10pm. I'm afraid to go to bed early thinking I'm going to have an accident. Still working to resolve this issue. Ask your doctor about the Atropine, it does help. Good luck.

[Morecambe]

I underwent a total colectomy about five years ago for torrential diverticular bleeding.  Indeed it is true that the frequency of #2 toilet visits increases (in my case ~10 per day and ~3-4 per night).  However, after a few months this gradually reduced to ~4 per day and ~0-1 per night.

I found that a high fibre diet helped.  Try the following:-

breakfast :- fresh fruit juice and home made muesli (soak organic oats + organic bran in milk, add grated apple and other fruit + lemon juice + nuts etc.  It looks like wet cement!!).  Also wholemeal bread/toast, tea/coffee etc

lunch:-  salads, yoghurt with organic bran mixed in to it, fresh fruit

dinner:-  meat/fish + fresh vegetables, maybe more home made muesli

also:-  drink freshly pulverised raw vegetables as a "smoothie" - same with fresh fruit etc

Never eat:-  junk food, white bread, cola, do enjoy the occasional helping of Swiss chocolate!!

All this might reduce the number of your BM's and also reduce the "liquidness" ro "muddy/sludgy".  

I liken the process to clearing up a liquid spillage on the kitchen floor by adding sawdust to "deliquify" the spillage and make it more manageable.

Good luck
regards
Morecambe