Is Prolonged Recovery Normal After Major Surgery?

Hello everyone, quick backstory: I received an ileostomy in 2000 due to a tight pelvic floor. Since then, I've had five surgeries — starting with the initial ileostomy, then a complication with a full blockage that required reopening three days later. I later had an ileostomy revision (my original surgeon had placed the ostomy 90 degrees the wrong way, causing a 6-month partial obstruction that became necrotic, which Mayo Clinic corrected), adhesion removal, and another blockage.

My most recent surgery was on 6/27/25 at Mayo Clinic. They removed my colon, converted my loop to an end ileostomy, cut out multiple adhesions, and removed about 4 inches of non-functioning small bowel. The colon had four tangerine-sized mucus balls and no longer worked (it had no squeeze). Because of that, enemas weren't effective, and I was dealing with upstream issues. Before surgery, I was on a liquid diet for 6 months, down to 97 lbs (my healthy weight is around 117–120), and I was on intermittent leave from work for a year — miserable.

A week after surgery, I spiked a fever and developed sepsis, so I received 13 bags of IV antibiotics, was re-hospitalized for a week, and had 1.5 liters drained from my abdomen. Thankfully, the fluid culture showed no infection after 3 days.

Now, 10 weeks later, I had to return to work full time. The abdominal wall pain has been unbearable — to the point that I'm still prescribed oxycodone. I understand the risks (I'm a licensed alcohol and drug counselor), but it's the only way I can get through the days. Is this normal at 10 weeks? I feel like I'm losing my mind because my last four recoveries were nothing like this. The pain is so intense it sometimes takes my breath away, and I can't breathe deeply; it's debilitating, and even with meds, it has still been challenging. My provider is aware, and I soften.

The good news: output is great, I'm “all fixed,” and I can finally eat again — I've already gained 10 pounds! My colon was 6.5 feet long and very redundant, so I'm grateful to have that resolved.

I'm just wondering if this kind of prolonged recovery is normal, or if anyone else's recovery took much longer than the average 6 weeks. Sorry for the long message — it's just been stressful, and I really appreciate everyone here for sharing. 😊

Ten weeks... and still in intense pain seems extreme... do you have a fever?

Get another opinion... it is very hard to live a normal life if your pain level is really high.

Hope you find a solution.

I'm sorry you are struggling. I don't think that much pain is normal. I had a more intense surgery and also got septic and was re-hospitalized. I was sick as hell 10 weeks after my surgery but not in nearly as much pain. I was getting by with acetaminophen about 2 weeks after surgery.

I agree with seeking another opinion. Yes, this was Mayo Clinic, but no one's perfect.

They said that because I'm so underweight and have a surgery every year, that's why the increased pain. One surgery yearly is a lot, I suppose, for the abdomen to be cut into. They and another hospital don't think anything serious, just that I maybe went to work too early and strained the wall, as for 8 weeks I wasn't very mobile. Then back at work and walking 4-5 miles, yeah, I don't know, but the weight may be playing a big factor. It's just new to me to experience this bad of pain, but past surgeries were all adhesion removal, straightforward surgeries, etc. Thanks, yeah, it's baffling.

Wow, you have been to hell and back! It does sound like you are heading in the right direction, though. I relate to much of what you went through. I had four surgeries in a little over two years: the original colostomy due to a perforated colon. The second surgery was to remove most of my sigmoid colon, thinking that was the part that wasn't functioning. The third surgery was to give me an ileostomy when they realized my entire colon wasn't working. The fourth surgery was to remove my colon and close up the old colostomy site. I don't know why, but the final one was the one that really kicked my butt. It took longer, and I remember being unbelievably weak and lacking energy. My pain level was manageable, though, and I was off the opioids before I even left the hospital. Your situation sounds a lot more complicated, though, so perhaps the pain is understandable. By the way, I worked as an A&D counselor for several years back in the day.

Terry

Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister

Whoa, yeah, you have been through it as well, and here we are 😊. Yeah, I also have a huge hematoma that was 4 inches wide, 2 inches tall, and kept popping, and now it's an inch tall and rock hard but radiates and hurts, etc. Just overkill, and Mayo mentioned something about central sensitization, which is a possible chronic pain disorder where the nervous system, due to so much trauma, amplifies pain signals, so who knows. Yeah, it's a bummer. When pain is not controlled and I breathe in, I get stabbing pain in my abdomen and shallow breaths, then when I address the pain, it's gone. I've never experienced this before. I did get a lung CT and an abdominal CT, so they feel it's just really delayed healing, I guess. And I just returned to work this week, so I really aggravated it, I think.

No fever and did imaging, etc.

Damn dude, that's a story. I'm going to say 6 weeks isn't a long time to be fully recovered. But if you have that much pain, yeah, get more heads on the job.

Yeah I’ve gotten a few opinions and all new imaging they all just say the same thing that I had far too many surgeries in 5 year time frame was 24 pounds underweight and I’m tiny 5 foot 4 98 pounds they hardly had room to work to get colon out and it was stuck to spleen took 1.5 hours to break free from spleen 😬 I was malnourished prior to surgery as just on oral liquid diet for almost 6 months as any solids would cause blockages so just extremely delayed healing and it was a big surgery biggest of the 5 in 5 years. I had colon removed, adhesions cut out, part of small bowel resection, and loop Ileostomy changed to end and huge hematoma which was 3 inches wide 2 inches tall and is now 1 inch tall and painful at times and hardened lump. And then was hospitalized due to fever a week anfter surgery and 1.5 liters of fluid in abdomen removed and drain tube placed so just overkill. It’s slowly getting better but very slow and the more active I am the more the pain increases because my recovery while home for 8 weeks I didn’t move much I did light walking then returned to work full force walking 4 miles daily and as week goes on and abdominal wall gets stretched it gets more painful toward end of day. It’s just exhausting and baffling that at 10 weeks it’s still very painful though my GI doc said she expects 12-16 weeks given my history for pain to substantially reduce. I’m grateful and blessed though as they did fix me and I’m able to eat and already weigh 110 😊 and so amazing to be able to eat solids.