What Is Normal After Surgery and Coping with a Colostomy?

Hello. I woke up from an emergency abdominal surgery on August 28th with a colostomy. Ten days prior, I underwent a rotator cuff repair after overexerting myself on my circus daughter's trapeze. The pain medication prescribed by my shoulder surgeon caused opioid-induced bowel obstruction, and the damage was done. I've been back in the hospital with an infection since being discharged. I'm very motivated to get on with my life; however, I don't know what is normal, usual, or common. Is pain okay? Am I hurting myself? Should I push through? I have an appointment with the ostomy department later this week, so I hope they can answer some questions. But I'm also working with only one functioning arm due to the shoulder surgery, so things are complicated for me. I hope this forum can help answer some of my questions.

I'm sorry I don't have an authorized answer, but wow....you've been through it. Praying for your godspeed healing. My urostomy was received 2.5 months ago, and I am just getting to feel good....still really gassy at times and painful BMs, but easing.

Take it slow, I stayed in the hospital for a month after the surgery. Then back home for more recovery. Even when I started going back to college I was still in pain, weak muscles, itching, and pain from the scars.

Gradually, you will find yourself doing more and more stuff until everything goes back to normal again. I hope you have someone helping you to change the bags until your arm gets better too.

Think of a slug/snail and take life as they do for the first 2 months: slow and steady! That's not to say you can't go for short walks and increase the distance if you're feeling well enough; just don't overdo anything. Even after a few months, you will probably have days for some time to come; just listen to your body when it says rest.

No, pain is not okay!  It is indicative of something being wrong.  Hopefully you can take something other than what they gave you that caused the bowel obstruction.  Ideally, following surgery, the expected pain and discomfiture should be gradually fading away little by little.  

My Ostomy Journey: Kimberly | Hollister

Andrine. So sorry my son had a golf cart wreck about a year ago, and he had to have surgery two different times on it, and he is still battling with it. But God has brought him so far; I think he only missed a couple of days from each surgery. I will be praying for you; with God, all things are possible…🙏

As Henry said, pain is not okay. Do not push through it. Mild discomfort or soreness is one thing, but pain is the body's way of saying "stop."

Ask your doctor about getting some physical therapy. Let an expert guide you through the first steps. They can get you on a good path and help you regain what you've lost.

Thanks, all. I went to my ostomy clinic today, and they did all the clinical stuff, but were not particularly helpful with questions about "usual pain," stinging and burning and tingling, pain with walking, support groups, alternative treatments, and bodywork like massage and acupuncture, visceral massage, and nerve mobilization, nor with things like undergarments for ostomy pouches, or belts and bandeaus. Most things they deferred to the surgeon (with whom I don't have an appointment until next week). They noted that I still have a redness and hardened area that was under the adhesive part of the ostomy bag and sent a note to the surgeon, but I had a hard time finding a way to contact them by phone. Eventually, I was able to get someone on the phone by the end of the day, but no answers about whether I should come in. I'm still on oral antibiotics, but I'm afraid they are not reaching the infection at the same level as the IV meds were. I hate to go back to the ER, but I have so few options here. Tonight, as my Tylenol wears off, I'm finding myself with a small temp increase to 99°F (which is high for me as I run low). I took some more Tylenol for pain just now, and I'll try to get some sleep, but if I'm still hot in the morning, I guess I go in and get checked out. :(

Definitely go in if your temperature is still increased this morning. Your antibiotic isn't doing the job, and you may need a different antibiotic. As a general rule, IV antibiotics are better, but sometimes it's just the wrong oral antibiotic.

Also, be careful not to exceed the maximum dose of Tylenol. If you are able to take ibuprofen (Motrin), try alternating them every 4 hours. For example: take Tylenol, then 4 hours later take Motrin, then after 4 more hours take Tylenol again. This keeps you under the maximum dose for both while avoiding that wearing-off effect that can tempt you to exceed the maximum dose.

With abdominal surgery, there can still be pain after 2 weeks. Pain meds slow the healing process. If you begin to have chills, you should immediately go to the ER. Managing an ostomy can be challenging with one hand. You may want to consider trying the Stomagenie — you can get free samples.

https://stomagienics.com/

Wow, this looks like a game changer. I'm so glad I saw your comment... I'm 3 months into a partial colectomy with an ileostomy. My stoma freaks me out; my daughter is my willing changer-outer person, lol. She's good!

On a side note, is this a catch-22 thing, pain control and healing? I've also read that unmanaged pain can slow down healing by triggering a stress response that releases hormones which hinder the recovery process. That can lead to reduced mobility, poor sleep, and slower tissue repair, which can negatively impact quality of life. Conversely, managing pain effectively through methods like proper analgesia can promote mobility, prevent the negative effects of chronic stress, and help the body heal more effectively....😵‍💫