Anybody have this??

okthen

Hi everyone!
Been having a whacky few days...have some questions.
Hubby ended up in ER last Friday night, horrible pain on his left side and no BM for 3 days.
Barium enema and CT scan showed no leakage and a lot of stool. (had been on colace and miralax for 3 days already)
ER Doc gave us the "magic potion"...warm prune juice...he drank it twice over about 2 hours the next night and WHAM! Worked wonders! ...I think that was the first time I've seen him smile in a week..lol Of course it 'worked and worked and worked' so the smile turned back into a grimace of sorts....Then BAM everything stopped again. He spent most of today with the grimace, finally went a little, I guess it will just be trial and elimination (haha) and hopefully we'll get it sorted out soon.

My first question is does this sound normal for 3 weeks post op for those of you that had rectal ca? He had part of the upper rectum and his sigmoid removed....he's getting to where he doesn't want to eat and that worries me....he's already lost 7lbs...

Next issue is he has 4 nickel sized lumps on his neck. They developed over the last 3 days. They are hard, under the skin vs like a pimple, do not itch or hurt...he does say his whole neck is sore. We had an Onc appt today and he said they were mosquito bites, but they most certainly aren't. He is on Cipro....but I've never heard of a reaction to an Antibiotic causing lumps like this, they are not welts, they are not a rash....just wondering if any of you all had this same reaction to an Antibiotic??

Good news from Onc...says possibly NO radiation. Clean margins and only 1 positive node...said colon ca would not get radiation and hubbys tumor was only 3cm down from colon...said radiation would give him 1-2% improved chance that it wouldn't return...that doesn't sound like much for the possible problems it could cause. (course if he has a recurrance we'll kick ourselves in the a**) Doc wouldn't discuss chemo with us today due to the fact that hubby needsmore healing time. So back we go in 4 weeks.

vhtqm1

Adhesions
watch out and be weary of Adhesions. an 'Adhesion' is when the healing from abdominal surgery of any kind causes a connection of tissue most of the time attaching itself to the abdominal wall. if per say the connection of the intestines instead of growing toward each other have also started growing toward abdominal wall. the other type of 'Adhesion' to look for is if your husband has any nodules and or tumors in his abdominal wall. then what can happen is the nodule/tumor can grow and connect itself to the intestines. now, if any of this happens then the digestive tract becomes compromised. where these connections take place can cause the diameter of the intestines shrink and hence you get a blockage. of course there could be many other reasons your husband is experiencing all he's going through and it can pertain to diet and just getting use to choosing different types of food but since you have another 4 weeks to heal maybe you can request a PET and CT scan so they can see if this is an issue. hope this helps.

ed

John23

Cipro -

Cipro had always been considered the "nuclear bomb" of antibiotics....
It had always been the last choice, after nothing else worked, because
for years there was nothing to use after cipro....

The side effects are numerous, and skin problems are #1.

See: Cipro Problems

My wife and I refuse cipro/cipro subs, and any of the "_micin's"

Some things just aren't worth the side effects.

Re:
"radiation would give him 1-2% improved chance that it wouldn't return...
that doesn't sound like much for the possible problems it could cause.
(course if he has a recurrance we'll kick ourselves in the a**) "

I wish people wouldn't fear "not doing", since some times it's better
to avoid what can damage you.

There are absolutely -no- guarantees that anything you do or don't
do will avoid a recurrence. Cancer is inside you because your immune
system didn't do what it usually does to remove it. The weaker the
immune system, the more likely a damaged cell will go unnoticed
by the immune system, and taking things that will weaken your system
if it isn't absolutely needed, is counterproductive to good health.

Along with that "1-2% improved chance", comes an additional
high possibility of second cancers, neurological problems, and
a compromised immune system that can leave you vulnerable
to countless diseases.

Re:
"We had an Onc appt today and he said they were mosquito bites, "

I hope you've considered the importance of getting other opinions,
and possibly changing physicians....


Ditch the fear, and the concern of "making a mistake"; live life now.

Best of health to you both.

John

okthen

John23 said:

Cipro -

Cipro had always been considered the "nuclear bomb" of antibiotics....
It had always been the last choice, after nothing else worked, because
for years there was nothing to use after cipro....

The side effects are numerous, and skin problems are #1.

See: Cipro Problems

My wife and I refuse cipro/cipro subs, and any of the "_micin's"

Some things just aren't worth the side effects.

Re:
"radiation would give him 1-2% improved chance that it wouldn't return...
that doesn't sound like much for the possible problems it could cause.
(course if he has a recurrance we'll kick ourselves in the a**) "

I wish people wouldn't fear "not doing", since some times it's better
to avoid what can damage you.

There are absolutely -no- guarantees that anything you do or don't
do will avoid a recurrence. Cancer is inside you because your immune
system didn't do what it usually does to remove it. The weaker the
immune system, the more likely a damaged cell will go unnoticed
by the immune system, and taking things that will weaken your system
if it isn't absolutely needed, is counterproductive to good health.

Along with that "1-2% improved chance", comes an additional
high possibility of second cancers, neurological problems, and
a compromised immune system that can leave you vulnerable
to countless diseases.

Re:
"We had an Onc appt today and he said they were mosquito bites, "

I hope you've considered the importance of getting other opinions,
and possibly changing physicians....


Ditch the fear, and the concern of "making a mistake"; live life now.

Best of health to you both.

John

Thanks for your responses!
Will look out for the adhesion issue.....CT scan in ER didn't show any problems with that so will keep our fingers crossed. X
Hi John, I always enjoy your info! Doc says it's shingles so we'll see. Onc didn't look at it close enough IMO before he decided bites, will be more persistent with questions in the future...other than this one thing we have really liked him. But your advice always reminds me that we are in charge of our own healthcare and don't be intimidated. Thanks again!

KathiM

The bowel HATES to be messed with....
I had 2 total and 7 partial obstructions before it quieted down...lol!

I learned to clear them myself after the first 2...

But listen to your doctors...and make sure he stays hydrated, if not eating!

I lost my entire rectum, and sigmoid colon. The sigmoid is the 'propulsion' unit, as it was explained to me, and so I needed to perfect the art of bearing down with my abdominal muscles. The indicator that my 'new' rectum (made from descending colon) was full was 3 (not kidding, I counted) pains in my abdomen, sort of like gas pains.

The trick is to sensitize to the body's responses, and then have PLENTY of patience! It took me a good year, year and a half, to achieve normal performances on the pot. But now, I'll put mine up against anyone's, including those that have a full set of intestines!!!

Hugs, Kathi

luv3jay

Hi! Yes it took my bowels a
Hi! Yes it took my bowels a little while to get back to normal after my LAR. I had about 50% of my rectum removed along with some colon. And I lost quite a bit of weight. Doc said that was due to the stomach being bruised during surgeries. I had the LAR about 8 weeks after liver resection. And eating was the last thing on my mind. But alas...I found every one of the pounds I lost within 6 months! :-)

Oh and oddly enough, I also developed small knots on the back of my neck. Right at the hairline. Two of them. Turned out to be nothing.

Sheri

okthen

luv3jay said:

Hi! Yes it took my bowels a
Hi! Yes it took my bowels a little while to get back to normal after my LAR. I had about 50% of my rectum removed along with some colon. And I lost quite a bit of weight. Doc said that was due to the stomach being bruised during surgeries. I had the LAR about 8 weeks after liver resection. And eating was the last thing on my mind. But alas...I found every one of the pounds I lost within 6 months! :-)

Oh and oddly enough, I also developed small knots on the back of my neck. Right at the hairline. Two of them. Turned out to be nothing.

Sheri

Thank you ladies! I
Thank you ladies! I appreciate you sharing your experiences!
Every little bit of info helps him to feel better. We are in tornado warnings right now and he said he's NOT running to the neighbors basement no matter what, he hurts too bad to move. )0:
Follow up with family Doc today, still convinced it's shingles,,,weird thing is they don't hurt...hmmmm
I always knew he was unique. (o;

Have a great evening everyone!!

Lori-S

Okthen
Did they send you home with a list of foods?

At 3 weeks he should probably still be just introducing certain foods into his diet. It takes a while for everything to settle down. I'm not sure what he is eating now but, maybe if you try to go back, diet wise, to what he was eating when he was in the hospital or when he first came home. Try that for a while see if it helps and then go slow with introducing more foods.

At 3 weeks I certainly wasn't eating what I ate before. Ican tell you I got sick of cream of wheat, rice, mashed potatoes, apple sauce and that sort of stuff. I found that in the early weeks/months that if I started to feel a bit full or like things were starting to back up a glass of apple juice worked for me. Seems that you know that prune juice works for him so he should feel better knowing that he can always try some food and go to the prune juice if he feels things aren't moving.

Make sure also that he stay hydrated because it goes a long way to helping with elimnation with the type of surgery he had. He still has most of the portion that pulls the water out so he needs to have water in there so that the remaining colon can work its magic.

Good luck to you both!

okthen

Lori-S said:

Okthen
Did they send you home with a list of foods?

At 3 weeks he should probably still be just introducing certain foods into his diet. It takes a while for everything to settle down. I'm not sure what he is eating now but, maybe if you try to go back, diet wise, to what he was eating when he was in the hospital or when he first came home. Try that for a while see if it helps and then go slow with introducing more foods.

At 3 weeks I certainly wasn't eating what I ate before. Ican tell you I got sick of cream of wheat, rice, mashed potatoes, apple sauce and that sort of stuff. I found that in the early weeks/months that if I started to feel a bit full or like things were starting to back up a glass of apple juice worked for me. Seems that you know that prune juice works for him so he should feel better knowing that he can always try some food and go to the prune juice if he feels things aren't moving.

Make sure also that he stay hydrated because it goes a long way to helping with elimnation with the type of surgery he had. He still has most of the portion that pulls the water out so he needs to have water in there so that the remaining colon can work its magic.

Good luck to you both!

Nope....Regular diet
We asked and asked and were told Regular diet....whatever he ate before he could eat again. I thought "not" and he stayed on soft for about a week longer. My mom gave him some ensure, he thinks that is what caused the constipation, so he is staying away from it. Not constipated any more but feels all the time that he has to go. From what I've read here, that sounded normal.

Try to push water at him, but he hates it so, no, he is not drinking enough. He does drink apple juice.

His birthday is Sunday, I was really hoping he would be up and around a little better so we could do something to lift his spirits...not looking to good at the moment. )o:

Thank you Lori for your input!

Lori-S

okthen said:

Nope....Regular diet
We asked and asked and were told Regular diet....whatever he ate before he could eat again. I thought "not" and he stayed on soft for about a week longer. My mom gave him some ensure, he thinks that is what caused the constipation, so he is staying away from it. Not constipated any more but feels all the time that he has to go. From what I've read here, that sounded normal.

Try to push water at him, but he hates it so, no, he is not drinking enough. He does drink apple juice.

His birthday is Sunday, I was really hoping he would be up and around a little better so we could do something to lift his spirits...not looking to good at the moment. )o:

Thank you Lori for your input!

Low Residue/Low Fiber Diet
Take a look at the Mayo Clinic low fiber low residue diet for after surgery. It has some really good tips. Remember he doesn't have to just drink water to keep hydrated. And since he has lost weight he's lucky that he doesn't have to worry about the sugar content in juices. Here is the link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-residue-diet/MY00745

It will give you an idea about what to give him, how much and how often. Maybe if you just tell him that you guys are starting from scratch it will help his mental attitude towards food and he won't be so opposed to eating. I had a terrible attitude about eating too since I was so sick before surgery and unable to eat due to a total obstruction. I developed a real adversion to food too so I can sympathize with him on that.

When I felt ready and my system seemed ok with the diet, I slowly added more fiber (really wanted whole grain breads again) and fresh vegetables (have them well cooked at first). When you add foods only add one new food at a time especially if they might be gassy or constipating types of foods and give the system time to see how it is received. If there are problems with a particular food then leave it out and maybe try it again at a later time maybe in a smaller amount with foods that are already well received.

I absolutely still can't eat any kind of beans. I found that out first with baked beans at a BBQ. And no matter how I've done it or what kind of beans I just can't seem to eat them without seriously painful cramps and gas. It's so funny because I always had a stomach of steel and could always eat anything without any problems before. I also had some problems with milk/diary at first but I backed off and slowly added small amounts until now I can drink 4 oz without any problems. I've heard other people say that some foods that didn't give them problems before do after their surgery. I'm so glad that I was able to work milk back in because I just wanted to cry a the thought of never having ice cream again.

Just have him be patient with the process and tell him that if there's something he really likes that seems to go through too easily or causes any problems that he can always try it again a little later after things readjust. Check out the link and maybe it will help. I hope so.

KathiM

okthen said:

Nope....Regular diet
We asked and asked and were told Regular diet....whatever he ate before he could eat again. I thought "not" and he stayed on soft for about a week longer. My mom gave him some ensure, he thinks that is what caused the constipation, so he is staying away from it. Not constipated any more but feels all the time that he has to go. From what I've read here, that sounded normal.

Try to push water at him, but he hates it so, no, he is not drinking enough. He does drink apple juice.

His birthday is Sunday, I was really hoping he would be up and around a little better so we could do something to lift his spirits...not looking to good at the moment. )o:

Thank you Lori for your input!

Try 'sports' water....
Propel was my fav....I hated water, also!

Tell him we all went through this time when it seemed hopeless...but with patience and time, it DOES get better!!!!

lol....I now, once again, have to watch what I eat so I don't gain weight...and with all of the lucious Dutch goodies around me (and our leaving in less than a week to go to America), it's hard to say 'No, Thank you'....

Hugs, Kathi

Nana b

KathiM said:

Try 'sports' water....
Propel was my fav....I hated water, also!

Tell him we all went through this time when it seemed hopeless...but with patience and time, it DOES get better!!!!

lol....I now, once again, have to watch what I eat so I don't gain weight...and with all of the lucious Dutch goodies around me (and our leaving in less than a week to go to America), it's hard to say 'No, Thank you'....

Hugs, Kathi

Neck lumps
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003098.htm

Neck lump

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003098.htm

A neck lump is any lump, bump, or swelling in the neck.
Considerations
Considerations

There are many causes of lumps in the neck. The most frequently seen lumps or swellings are enlarged lymph nodesenlarged lymph nodes. These can be caused by bacterial or viral infections, cancer (malignancymalignancy), or other rare causes.

Enlargement of the salivary glands under the jaw may be caused by infection or cancer. Lumps in the muscles of the neck -- almost always in the front of the neck -- are caused by injury or torticollistorticollis. Lumps in the skin or just below the skin are often caused by cystscysts, including sebaceous cystssebaceous cysts.

The thyroid gland may also produce a lump, multiple lumps, or swelling in the neck as a result of thyroid diseasethyroid disease or cancer. Most cancers of the thyroid gland are extremely slow-growing and often curable by surgery, even if they have been present for several years.

All neck lumps in children and adults should be checked immediately. In children, most neck lumps are caused by treatable infections. However, treatment should start quickly to prevent complications or the spread of infection.

As adults age, the likelihood of the lump being a cancer increases, particularly for people who smoke or drink significant amounts of alcohol. Fortunately, most lumps in adults are not cancers.

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I had shingles and they hurt like hell and look like little blisters.....
Vicodin caused me great pain, i.e., constipation