Some days I feel great, and some days I feel horrible

• By MarkNelson
• Reply 3437966
• October 7, 2012 at 7:20 am
• Report post

I have woken up with cramps. For me, it just means I have to start moving. Like walking or something. I will walk circles in my house. I just have to get my system working. I don't use prunes much anymore, but I have raisins around. They get me going.

• By alan41241
• Reply 3438037
• October 7, 2012 at 8:17 am
• Report post

James, it's only been a month since your surgery. It takes much longer than that before you begin to feel normal again. Give your body permission to heal at its own pace. There are good days and bad days for all of us at some point. My surgeon told me it would take six months to a year to feel really good again. My surgery was in March so I am now at seven months post-op. I have no pain, not even any discomfort, never have a blockage, rarely a leak. Take your time and healing will happen.
Blessings,
Alan

• By chris082
• Reply 3438341
• October 7, 2012 at 10:44 am
• Report post

Hang in there. It has only been since July 19th since I had my colostomy. Mine is very low, rigth above the rectum. My stool is usually very sticky paste like. It helps if I drink alot of water. I took Mirilax everyday but recently have not had to use it much. I also take cloace and use gas ex for the gas pain. I no longer have pain, No more that normal cramps I would have before I had this issues from my disease. It hasn't even been quite 3 months yet and I feel so much better. Give yourself time to heal physically and emotionally!

• By lilymyiley
• Reply 3439031
• October 7, 2012 at 4:00 pm
• Report post

Warning to all those out there with ileostomies. Don't eat prunes or dried fruit. They will cause a blockage.
Jimmy, allow your body to heal at its own pace. You are still a fresh post-op patient and it will take time for body your body and mind to heal. Perhaps you need to take a pain med. when you first wake up and then give it half an hour to work before you get out of bed to greet the day? If you can lay on your left side this may help with gas moving around. I don't know exactly what kind of surgery you had so laying on the left might not be such a great thing.
A heating pad at the bedside might also help. Turn it on when you first wake and keep it there for a little while to encourage blood flow to your intestines an help them wake up to move the gas along.
Please be gentle with yourself and don't push too hard.

• By cookie9113
• Reply 3449978
• October 11, 2012 at 11:47 am
• Report post

Jonny,

When I first had my surgery, I was hurting too, and was put on pain meds. Healing is a slow process, but it will happen for you too as time passes. Make sure you drink a lot of water. Talk to your doctor too. In no time, you'll be posting about how much better you are doing. Just don't get discouraged and have a positive attitude.

cookie9113

• By Kailua86 (Inactive)
• Reply 3452051
• October 12, 2012 at 7:20 am
• Report post

Jonny,
I healed up pretty quickly on the outside but on the inside my guts were confused and I had the worse cramps in the world. Coffee was my solution. For me, coffee cleans out all the pipes.

It took me about 4-6 months to get a routine down and its all based around my 3 cups of coffee. I drink them in the morning and I take care of business. Then I am done for the day unless I have another cup of coffee in the afternoon/evening.

Its been 16 months since my surgery and I still get surprised with small issues only known to me. I go to the restroom and take care of the problem. You will too and things will work out just fine.

Kailua

• By Mare5785
• Reply 3452300
• October 12, 2012 at 9:05 am
• Report post

Hi Jimmy!!s

A month out from surgery is still fairly new... Give yourself a break!!! Abdominal surgery is by far, tougher on a person than open heart.... While they are in there... 99 % of the time.. they have taken out nearly everything within yourabdoman and laid it upon your belly or in a stainless steel pan beside you.. to check to make sure they see everything that may be causing you a problem. My exrays showed that some of my organs were not in their right place... After my first surgery.. they were all back where they were supposed to be and I was a text book case... Only because my surgeon had arranged them as such! My radiologist remarked on it.. it was rather funny... We had a good chuckle.
I miss my "old" radiologist..who is now retired.. even though I told him he never could!! My surgeon who performed my first 3 surgeries was like family to us and I was always greeted by him with a hug and a kiss.. has passed many years ago to colon cancer.. the same disease he saved 1,000's of people lives from!! He was known nationally for his expertise, skills and personality and had flown world round to perform surgery on people! I miss him the most.. He was my biggest advocate! At 18 years old.. off my father's medical insurance.. working part time without insurance... he personally took it upon himself to stop the harrassment calls from the hospital looking or "full" payment on the surgery/stay (which was over three weeks long, due to peritonitis)... He called and told us that the bill was "paid in full" by some fund that he knew of.... To this day.. I still wonder.. did he pay this bill out of his own pocket?? I'll never know... but I do know.. he zero balanced his own bill from his office! I'm not sure that many of these medical professional still exists today.... Sad..because he was a true testiment to why people used to pursue a career in medicine.. It was ALL about helping people .........

anyway.. back to the original post... Jimmy... eveerything inside is swollen...is healing..and will take time... Along with that.. the muscles which were cut during the surgery are also trying to heal... Our abdominal muscles become very weak and could be a part of your discomfort. As everyone says... getting up and moving will make a huge difference... even though it doesn't feel that way while we are doing it!!

My thoughts and prayers are with you for each day becoming a bit easier.. a bit healthier..a bit brighter!!! Nap when you feel like it... give your body the chance to heal... It will not let you down!!

Mare