Ileostomy and lifting

reckte

Is there a weight limit on how much you should lift with an ileostomy bag? What are possible effects are there if you have done too much for one day? My husband was busy around the house and is having some cramping near the bag. No nausea. Still having output in his bag. Had some warm tea, hot shower on his back, and a pain pill. Getting better but not great yet. Any ideas?

Thank you.

kristasplace

Hello!
Five pounds is the maximum. Don't worry, i over-did it a few times and it got sore and painful at the stoma, but it didn't herniate. I think he would be in severe pain if it did herniate, but i'm not sure. If the pain doesn't subside, or gets worse within the next day or so, i would have it checked out.

Good luck!
Krista

Lori-S

Hi!
One thing I would suggest is for him is to wear some support if he is going to be doing things around the house that might require some lifting or bending. Hopefully they sent him home with a support band. I had a 10lb for 2 weeks restriction with my open surgery (which I more than abided by) but, the possibility of a hernia was not really discussed. It is not unusual for patients to experience hernias after abdominal surgery. Remember that abdominal surgery affects the muscles and even if you were in great shape before, the muscles will be compromised. This is even truer if the surgery was an open one as opposed to a laparoscopic surgery. Even a small hernia can cause kinks and wreak havoc. It is a good sign that he still has output. If he does herniate, it might not be visually evident until the hernia gets larger and more noticeable. My hernia did not bother me at first but, got progressively painful as it got worse. A CT scan would show if there is a smaller hernia.

Maybe he is just experiencing some muscle aches. He did have a serious surgery. Have him take it easy and wear some support if needed. He now has an idea of what he can tolerate so, be respectful of the limitations. Good luck and I hope he feels better soon.