Post-op Small Bowel Obstructions

punch_vj

Hello friends,

I am writing in despair over my sister's surgery which was on july 8th, all was good with procedure. Then approx 1.5-2 wks later she began to vomit hard, too much to manage with OTC/home. We went to emerg room no definitive findings then, PS ~ 1 week and one fired GI doc, and we find out it is an SOB. Due to her recent & C-sections for difficult failed and one successful pregnancy, they aren't liking her for lysis to remove any adhension. We are med tX present w NG tube, fluids, and suppositories. I am so heart broken/emotional drained scared/tired. I her chief care giver, and my beloved has been through so much these last six months. She was diagnosed in Nov '06, and until this year had been NED once, and "maintained" status until an exacerbation on her ovary discovered in May 2009.

They are (slightly) proposing some "odd" TX if block takes too long/won't clear. Any experiences like our? or advice????


Thank you.

Sundanceh

V -
I'm at a loss on this
V -

I'm at a loss on this one...I would just say stay somewhere at a major hospital, because at least she will have access to care there if something develops - better there than at home at least for now.

Perhaps them clearing the blockage will alleviate the problem and she can begin to recover.

I wish I could you something more definite - but I could tell that you were hurting so bad, that I needed to at least reach out to you and say I'm sorry she is going through this and am glad you have her to a hospital. You've done the right thing there.

Stay supportive and let the doctors do what they need to do. I will definitely be praying for a good outcome of you. You are a nice person and a terrific caregiver and I hope for only good things for you and your sister.

I will be thinking about the both of you and praying for the best.

-Craig

Shayenne

Sundanceh said:

V -
I'm at a loss on this
V -

I'm at a loss on this one...I would just say stay somewhere at a major hospital, because at least she will have access to care there if something develops - better there than at home at least for now.

Perhaps them clearing the blockage will alleviate the problem and she can begin to recover.

I wish I could you something more definite - but I could tell that you were hurting so bad, that I needed to at least reach out to you and say I'm sorry she is going through this and am glad you have her to a hospital. You've done the right thing there.

Stay supportive and let the doctors do what they need to do. I will definitely be praying for a good outcome of you. You are a nice person and a terrific caregiver and I hope for only good things for you and your sister.

I will be thinking about the both of you and praying for the best.

-Craig

Hi punch....
This sounds like what I was just in the hospital for..a partial blockage in the small intestines. It's like a little band was wrapped around the intestine, causing me to vomit everytime I ate something, had major pains all around the abdomen area, I swear it felt like I was in labor, and having contractions, they put a NG tube on me (yes this sucks, but it did prevent the vomiting while the IV and TPN nutrients were going through me as food, what they did was try to "rest" the bowels, which is why they wouldn't give me anything to eat, I pretty much didn't eat for 2 weeks in the hospital, I had gotten a couple infections also, which surprisingly, my body fought off itself, but after the 2nd week of waiting to see if I was going to pass any stools, and nothing came, they had to do the surgery, since sometimes it resolves itself, but mine didn't, it needed help, and the surgery was success, I was able to eat liquids the next day, they took the ng tube out to see if I could hold down the food, which I was able too, it just took awhile, it was really painful, and hopefully after awhile, your sister will feel better as well, keep her in that hospital as long as it takes, it's a waiting game with the blockages to see if she'll need surgery or not, but she'll get out of it, I was very weak, lost alot of weight again, I'm down to 111, and really need to gain weight again.

I hope she feels better shortly! it can take awhile for the recuperation period also..I only been out of the hospital 2 weeks from the surgery, and still feel sluggish, but getting to feel better as each day goes by, make sure she stays well hydrated!

Hugsss~
Donna

trish07

Will be O.K....
I know how drained you must feel. Have been through the same with my husband on a few different occasions. I always thought the Drs. should address it ratically...I was always sure that they needed to perform some drastic measure immediately. But,each time the bowel worked its way back to normal function. It seems that the bowel [ due to being weakened from surgery ] sometimes can get twisted, much like a garden hose. I hope this is the case for your sister and that she will get through this soon.
take care, Trish

KathiM

Yup....I had 9 altogether....
The first was 3 months post resection/J-pouch procedure...right under my belly button...figured it was about where the new 'turn' in my colon was to start into the J-pouch. I, too, didn't know what it was, I had just had lumpectomy surgery for second (breast)cancer...after 4 days of NPO, IV feedings, back to surgery I went for 3 inches of small bowel removal.

The other 8, I cleared myself, because now I knew what I was dealing with....At the first sign of familiar pain, I took a Vicodin, started chugging water, and walking around the house ALOT. Just like what they had done in the hospital for me. Also, when a pain wave hit, I would bear down like I needed to pooh....If one incident lasted more that 4 hours (they didn't), my surgeon told me 'get thee to a hospital'.

I'm sorry your sister has this....the good news is that as time passed for me (after a year) all was gone...it seemed that when I lifted something wrong, that I headed into one....

Hugs to you both. I know watching this stuff can be very scary...you are a wonderful sister!!!

Hugs, Kathi

punch_vj

trish07 said:

Will be O.K....
I know how drained you must feel. Have been through the same with my husband on a few different occasions. I always thought the Drs. should address it ratically...I was always sure that they needed to perform some drastic measure immediately. But,each time the bowel worked its way back to normal function. It seems that the bowel [ due to being weakened from surgery ] sometimes can get twisted, much like a garden hose. I hope this is the case for your sister and that she will get through this soon.
take care, Trish

Dear Trish and KathIM
If you would please, How long did it take? My sis has an NG tube that been in place since Tues last week ( 8/4/2009). And it sure is heartbreaking to watch. Did your husband stay in the hospital, or go home/rehab etc./

I'm very sad, scared and heartbroken. Any further care seems to rest on this SOB issue.

punch_vj

Shayenne said:

Hi punch....
This sounds like what I was just in the hospital for..a partial blockage in the small intestines. It's like a little band was wrapped around the intestine, causing me to vomit everytime I ate something, had major pains all around the abdomen area, I swear it felt like I was in labor, and having contractions, they put a NG tube on me (yes this sucks, but it did prevent the vomiting while the IV and TPN nutrients were going through me as food, what they did was try to "rest" the bowels, which is why they wouldn't give me anything to eat, I pretty much didn't eat for 2 weeks in the hospital, I had gotten a couple infections also, which surprisingly, my body fought off itself, but after the 2nd week of waiting to see if I was going to pass any stools, and nothing came, they had to do the surgery, since sometimes it resolves itself, but mine didn't, it needed help, and the surgery was success, I was able to eat liquids the next day, they took the ng tube out to see if I could hold down the food, which I was able too, it just took awhile, it was really painful, and hopefully after awhile, your sister will feel better as well, keep her in that hospital as long as it takes, it's a waiting game with the blockages to see if she'll need surgery or not, but she'll get out of it, I was very weak, lost alot of weight again, I'm down to 111, and really need to gain weight again.

I hope she feels better shortly! it can take awhile for the recuperation period also..I only been out of the hospital 2 weeks from the surgery, and still feel sluggish, but getting to feel better as each day goes by, make sure she stays well hydrated!

Hugsss~
Donna

To "Sunny" and Shayenne~ Hugs
And thanks for your loving support, and prayers. Scared/sad and We NEED THEM !

KathiM

punch_vj said:

Dear Trish and KathIM
If you would please, How long did it take? My sis has an NG tube that been in place since Tues last week ( 8/4/2009). And it sure is heartbreaking to watch. Did your husband stay in the hospital, or go home/rehab etc./

I'm very sad, scared and heartbroken. Any further care seems to rest on this SOB issue.

It's truly just another bump in the road....
I stayed in the hospital, the first time, till after the surgery. I was admitted on Thursday, and an NG tube placed in the ER....Sunday was my surgery. I had been having symptoms since the Tuesday before I was admitted, but just didn't think it was anything other than a bad case of the stomach flu.

As I said in my earlier post, the other ones cleared on their own. Please don't be too frightened, as Trish and others have said, it is just another part of this whole fight. It is VERY painful, and the NG tube is uncomfortable, to say the least. But as long as it's been identified by a doctor, it truly is a wait-and-see sort of thing. I'm so sorry you have to witness it...at the end, I remember getting pissed at the whole thing...

There is this spray called Hurricane spray that can deaden the back of your sister's throat. It was a Godsend for me!!!!!

BIG hugs to you both.

Kathi