Hello, hoping can get some info from others who have had ileostomy reversals, feeling quite anxious......
Just had my reversal last week and out of the hospital yesterday. I had some issues with severe gas and vomiting, so was on a liquid diet for most of my time in there. I finally passed some gas and very loose stool, and they let me go yesterday after only having one very small regular meal there. I started to eat small amounts of food/meals yesterday. I went from watery urgency movements yesterday to almost constipated very slow small movements today, and both days there was blood involved. I am so scared when I see blood as that's what happened back in December when I discovered I had a cancerous polyp in my rectum. There was a small amount of blood in one of my first loose movements in the hospital, and my doctor said it's early and not concerned.......but it has continued, and I am scared! Can you please share your experiences as I am hoping I am worrying for nothing!!
Also last night, I stretched for something and had pain in my stitched ileostomy site. Now it's pinching occasionally today and feeling tight (which wasn't there before)....am so scared I may have given myself a hernia but hoping maybe just a pull and will be ok....there is no noticeable bulge. Anyone experience this?
Ps
So glad to find this site, been feeling quite alone in this ordeal....nice to see I'm not!
I think what you are experiencing is very normal, especially since your surgery was just last week. When I had a reversal in 2004, I felt sensitive with any pulling or tugging. I doubt if what you are describing is a hernia, but that's my non-professional opinion. Why don't you just call your doctor's office to report this concern? No need to remain anxious about something that may be nothing. And, ps, welcome here.
PB
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Hubz had a regular checkup with the oncologist on Friday (his numbers are improving), and as they were asking how he's feeling since surgery, they became curious about how he's doing so well with his ostomy, both physically and mentally. He credited doing research online, trying different things, and especially the support from this group. They were asking because they see so many patients struggling to adjust.
We described this group as folks with every kind of ostomy, some for days while others for decades, but all willing to share what's worked for them with the caveat that every individual is different.
We described the most valuable element as feeling like you're not alone in this. That really piqued their interest, and they wrote down the link. It seems they had a few people in mind that might benefit from the community and thanked us for telling them about it.
You know, we can't remember exactly who we learned about this group from, but we're grateful for it every day! Thank you all! 🌻
Welcome, young lady, and glad you had your reversal. You are still young and your body is strong, so hang in there and all will come out okay, I promise. Drink some Gatorade and make sure you stay hydrated. Don't bum yourself out with the cancer scare; you are now a known survivor, and besides, it won't come back that fast. Like Primeboy said, it's all natural, so take a deep breath and give yourself a treat or buy a new dress. Go celebrate and enjoy yourself. DO NOT LIFT ANYTHING HEAVY. Please let us know of your progress because we care about you, and others can later look at your experience and be assured. Take care and keep in touch.
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Thanks to both of you for answering my post and the welcome, much appreciated!
The pulling and tugging in stitched ileostomy site has since disappeared a couple of times where I am no longer feeling any sensation and I am thinking I have figured out what is happening. Once the gas bloating has calmed down, which it now has for the most part, you have more sensation and awareness of the area. I also think I was just experiencing the times when food was trying to get through that area and it was feeling extremely tight and full. Today has been much better.
I still am having the blood so if anyone else can share around that it would be appreciated. I do know that my bowels still had a little bit of the contrast dye left in it three weeks after the test (discovered via an x-ray) and it was starting to come out right before my reversal surgery last week and was one of the first things out after the reversal. Hoping just may have some irritation in there. I see my Dr in less than a week so will discuss then.
Thanks again to both of you for replying!
I was reversed on May 22nd. I think what you are experiencing is normal. I didn't see any blood but they did tell me I might.
The tightness and pulling sounds right too. I had that and still have a little. When doing yoga, I couldn't do any body front stretches (cobra, upward facing dog) as it pulled and was tight. But able to now. I massage the scar with scar cream, and that has helped with softening it up and loosening it up a bit.
Still having issues with not making it to the toilet, but all in all, things are going okay, but if this continues, I will opt to have a permanent ostomy when my year of trying this out is up.
Some days I have things firmed up and then other days not. Can't figure out what works and what doesn't sometimes.
Another thing I found helpful - calmoseptine is great for soreness of your bottom. I do great with that when I use it, but don't always remember or seem to be in a hurry to get out of the bathroom.
Good luck with your reversal. I hope all goes well for you. A few weeks from now this part will be passed, and you will be on to new adventures.
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I did do some research online and didn't see a lot of people with the blood issue, but I found one person whose doctor said their rectum was restretching. I went back to my doctor for staples to come out earlier this week, and he still wasn't that concerned. He said it's still early and I did have a resection of the rectum. It wasn't bleeding out, just on movements, so I was starting to relax a bit about it. But then I started a brand new issue... I have gone from one extreme to the other, i.e., constipation! My last bowel movement was last Monday morning! I spoke to my doctor's office Thursday, and again he wasn't concerned as long as I'm passing gas and not vomiting (gosh, I sure wish I could be as relaxed as him about things... lol). It's starting to really scare me as I get closer and closer to a week without. I called and spoke to an RN through a telehealth service we have, and she said I should see a doctor within 24 hours but assured me that with current symptoms, it should be okay. I may just need a laxative or whatever the doctor wants to do due to surgery (he didn't want me to take anything last Thursday). My biggest fear is that my resection will fail with all the pressure. My doctor said (before the constipation issue) that it still could happen after the operation. I think he said up to 5 weeks after, but it's rare. I must say, I thought this reversal would be much easier than the resection operation, but I was wrong! I guess they are both hard in their own different ways. I know that many suffer from diarrhea, and I did too for the first week and a half, so I feel bad complaining about constipation as it's so much better than diarrhea. But I am scared as I think my bowels just said, "To heck with that, we're just going to stop working now!"
Thanks for sharing the stoma site info! Mine has eased up too. I think at first when I ate and the food hit that area, it was also making it feel tight and pulling as it passed through.
Hope your diarrhea (sp?? I can never spell that word!) gets better, and I am sure it will. After reading many, many posts, it seems it can take a while for things to get better. My doctor said 3-6 months, and I have heard up to a year. Hang in there!
I was constipated one day. Drink hot cocoa and before I finished the mug, I was going.
I used to be constipated a lot before cancer. I wish I had those days back. Well maybe - they are both hard.
I would think that is a long time to be constipated - I have never not gone for that long.
I hope you go soon. Drink hot things, use a heating pad, or take a hot bath. It may help move things along.
Good luck. And, thank you.