Coping with Soreness After Rectal Removal Surgery

Hi everyone, has anyone any ideas how to cope with the bad soreness after rectal removal please? I had my large intestine removed three years ago, leaving my rectal stump. But for over a year have had blisters and bleeding. I finally had my rectum removed last monday, to which they found had completely broken down due to the Crohn's, and found a mass behind it. I came out last Friday full of stitches, and the district nurse has been putting dressings on. I am raw and sp sore I can hardly sit down, even on a special cushion. It is dry and clean, but I can't have a bath or get it wet yet. Has anyonehad this surgery please, and if so can you give anyadvice as to how to cope apart from painkillers?

Thank You

My experience - no. It took a full year before I could sit comfortably and all the goop stopped leaking from my behind and for it to close up. Actually, it took 1 year and 3 months. They gave me numbing stuff to put on it and some kind of styrofoam stuff that had medicine in it to help heal it.  But for the most part, I didn't sit too much.  I found one chair that I could sit in for about an hour at a time. I attached a hand-held spray nozzle to my shower to clean it with when I was told I could start washing back there. That was all I used. I didn't take any pain pills, they made me sick to my stomach. All I can say is, stay off it as much as you can until it starts feeling tolerable. Don't try to wash it with a washcloth or anything. The less it's messed with, the better for pain and healing, in my opinion. Oh, and if no one told you this, do not use a donut to sit on.  It only makes the pain worse.

Don't get too discouraged by my answer though.  Others on here have had their backside heal within a month or two. I am sure others will add their info about what helped them.  

Hope it goes away soon!

Hi Rhian,

I read your post, as well as Zywie's reply, and there really are no quick fixes.   Everyone is different, and everyone heals at their own pace.  I had my "final" ( removal of the rectum) surgery more than 45 years ago, when I was only 19.   I had lived with the diseased rectum for 4 years, after having the ileostomy.   Because it never healed ( Ulcerative colitis) continued bleeding and caused a lot of pain, I fought with my parents and doctors to finally have it out.  They were resistant, because "some day", they thought I could be "hooked up" again.   No Way!   From what I remember, it took about a year for it to heal completely.  I was idfferent than most.....sitting on it felt better than not....I liked the pressure.  Follow the doctor's instructions, and use common sense about keeping the area clean without using too many additional products.  Zywie has some good advice, using a hand held shower device.  Depending on the nerve damage....even when it's healed, you may feel some phantom pain ( like you have to "go", but that disapates with time.   Life without the rectum, has been far better than life with the diseased one, so try to be patient and give yourself the time you need to heal.

Marsha