Bowel surgery for Cronh's, any experience

[Rib]

if your belly is abit bloated looking its most likely down to the surgery, Ive had numerous ops and now I have a very small pot belly, not fat, im generally 'slim' but not skinny, but do find my belly sticks out abit despite having most of it removed!

if you do start doing weights, do it gradually, dont want to pull a hernia or anything.

I dont have any tingling around my scar at all and dont remember it but may have done in the past.

[Rick_1138]

I had the ileum, some small bowel and about 1/4 of the colon removed, it was a straight stitch together job.

Seems to have worked fine, just a bit of a pest I seem to have regressed to bout 10 years ago, i.e. no pain but nervous traveller.

[jbudgie]

Yes, I get stinging around the scar now and again,but I know it will improve over time after having had two ops.

Know what you mean about the urgency feeling as well, this will improve also--give at least a year or more.

After my first op it was still improving after 4 years, seriously.

[richtea78]

I was going to say, after 5 years I still get it occasionally.

Don't worry about the scar stretching, mine did!

[honest_delboy]

I can sort of remember getting the urgency after the op, but it was more a feeling of bloating as opposed to feeling like you have the Empire State building banging on the door.

Scar still itches, twinges, changes shape etc even after 3 years. The stomach wall is quite a mobile area. Did they let the wound heal from inside->out ? Be careful lifting weights, very easy to pull a hernia after the op apparently.

Hows your diet? any fizzy drinks in there? lactose, fibre etc

[Rick_1138]

Had to laugh at the 'Empire state banging on the door"

Yeah regarding exercise its more cross trainer and arm weights and some chest\arm barbell use, I am leaving deadlifts and pulling\leg stuff as that will be dangerous. However its less than 20kg I will be using its more just for weight cardio and such, not to get muscle mass.

Diet wise its been pretty normal, I am trying to cut out fizzy pop, crisps, and ready meal stuff, bar now and then.

I am back on normal cereal at breakfast, an actimel, then for snacks is Dr Karg's crackers, and lunch its miso soup, pitta bread with ham and cheese, and those sundried crisp things from walkers.

Evening meal is usually scratch made meals we cook so very little in the way of ready made food bar pastas and the like.

So I am not that bad, bar the odd icicle or biscuit with tea\coffee.

I will take it easy as I know its only been 5 months since the op so I should expect It to get better as they say I don't have cronhs effectively now and should se a massive improvement, which I do, I just would rather the urgency died down enough I can get a handle on it

[richtea78]

Your situation may be different to mine so my comments might be useless but the consultant told me that the urgency wouldnt go completely. For me they removed quite a bit of the small bowel I think and its that which absorbs water I think they said. Anyway they definitly said the bit that absorbed water was reduced.

[Rick_1138]

Hi Richtea.

Its the large bowel that absorbs water (it is it's only function). The small bowel takes in nutrients etc, and the large removes excess water, so they are happy that I don't have more diarreah issues since they removed some of the large bowel.

[honest_delboy]

Could it be the scarring from healed ulcers making things 'feel' funny ?

I'm in a slightly different boat as I've had the whole lot removed but changes I had to make were no lactose, no fizzy drinks (very hard) and having to wear loser trousers, Anything cutting into my waist, even the tightish elastic waistband of boxer shorts would send me heading towards the little room. Its tough as the fashion nowadays seems to be the stuffed sausage look.

[Rick_1138]

Yeah I understand the tight trouser thing, sometimes even loosinging the top button and holding it up with the belt is enough to calm me down.

However I have a wedding with my Girlfriends old Uni mates this weekend in Godalming, I am in Aberdeen, so the train down and the back and forth arrangement of a church then to fancy hotel then back to where we are staying is making me very nervous and I found my suit still fits fine but the trousers are a touch snug so wary of it being uncomfortable, but I don't have time to get a new suit\want to spend £100+ on a new suit just for the one day.

Sure it will be fine but its a faff and she is getting shouty as she is nervous too...ah well, at least booked holiday spain yesterday

[Rick_1138]

Hi folks,

I have been getting an odd thing recently, where I am feeling a bit queasy, usually after eating, mainly around the area just below my ribcage.

Is this something anyone else has experienced after bowel surgery further down the road after the event?

Its not painful as such, just feel bit odd and unwell.

Just incase its something unrelated to the surgery.

Cheers

[Rib]

might be abit of a crohns flare? I am feeling like that this very second after lunch mines been playing up recently

[Rick_1138]

Idid think that but didn't think I was supposed to get it now as they removed the offending item, however I have dry skin patches on my thighs and funny feeling in my mouth like its sensitive which I used to get with Cronhs so its maybe a flare up but as I don't have the inflamed internals and the runs I just think I am clearly dying hehe.

[TVR Sagaris]

I still get very nervy if I have any minor aches/far-from-perfect poos. If it continues, does your gastro team offer a nurse who will consult over the phone? (Used to have that when I was a kid and it was extremely useful.)

Otherwise, do you have a check-up with the consultant soon?

[richtea78]

Rick_1138 said:

Idid think that but didn't think I was supposed to get it now as they removed the offending item, however I have dry skin patches on my thighs and funny feeling in my mouth like its sensitive which I used to get with Cronhs so its maybe a flare up but as I don't have the inflamed internals and the runs I just think I am clearly dying hehe.

That's it I'm afraid. Please see your doc to arrange to be put down

Crohns can affect any part of the digestive system as I'm sure your aware. It sounds like it might have flared up in a different spot now? Worth asking the Nurse

[honest_delboy]

Are you taking loperamide? i get the queasy feeling if i drink a large cup of coffee/tea. my peristalsis is slowed down so much i can't digest stuff normally, i need to graze food and sip small amounts of fluid.

[Rick_1138]

Seems to have gone away now, maybe just a bit squiffy tummy and maybe eaten too much that day?

Christ nows I got my appetite back, now sitting at 71KG, and non too happy about it, so getting a cross trainer and basic weights as aware I cant do too much as risk of hernia, but hate being 'fat' GF says I am being daft but always hated having the pot belly.

I don't eat that much so bit pissed I am gradually getting bigger, need to get on the liquid cabbage diet...that'll thin me out.....

[Rick_1138]

Hi again,

Looking for any experience from the folks that had similar op to me.

basically last day or so I have had a very tender\pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen.

Its basically like the whole lower belly has cramp or a bit like when you swallowed too much pool water when you were little and got stomach ache.

It went away last night with some ibuprofen but its coming back.

Its a dull stinging pain and is bloody annoying.

I am just a bit worried and I would call the docs but my new surgery takes AGES to get appointments and tbh I am not that sure they care.

I had bloods done 2 weeks ago which showed an drop in platelet levels but another test the other day says they are back to normal.

I just wondered if tenderness and maybe gas pain 6 months after an op is sort of normal.

Any thoughts would be great

[jbudgie]

In my experience this is normalish. I think each op and each person is different.

Used to get those cramp type pains about 2 or 3 times per week after my second op (dont remember it so much from the first op) up to about 9 months after op.

[TVR Sagaris]

I would see someone if it lasts - no point suffering.