Partial Blockage- a little graphic, any thoughts?

Bellen

Liver mets

I wonder John if you have a scarred area which creates a stricture as I do - mine is in the small intestine. When I get a partial blockage, I get super painful spasms for about 7 hrs, not vomiting usually - wipes me out, then major abd discomfort for few days, then few days things running through me - takes about 5 days to feel a bit better.  Lately, when I feel the first sharp pain that I associate with theses spasms, I have been taking an Ibuprofen 400mg.  No dr has directed me (as I have had no luck really finding a dr/spec who can help me with this), but my thinking after dealing with this for about 6 years now, is that the strictured area may be inflamed, and maybe an anti-inflammatory, like ibuprofen might help to reduce the area that is inflamed and narrowed - may calm it. This is just my thinking - I have had about 8 truly, awful blockages - but all the other times I have used ibuprofen also, at first sign of "that pain spasm" and think it may help, so it may not progress as badLy.  Also thought exercise, movement helped, but found the opposite to help - lay flat, quiet, calm.  The best to you - blockages are awful.  If the pain is constant, you need to get to the hospital, as a total blockage is very dangerous. 

JanJan63

John23 said:

A quick note, JanJan..

A quick note, JanJan..

I just spent the last 3 days (Aug 23~26) suffering from a blockage. Total at first, with all the pain you know well..... And finally clearing to what is now a very partial blockage.

Scary to consider it might be another adhesion, since any more loss of intestine will put me on TPN.

Warm clear liquids, massage, and limited walking helps clear things....sometimes....

Just to let you know, none of us are exempt from adhesions after intensive abdominal surgery. Sooner or later, it usually happens.

Be well, willya'?

John

 

John, I'm sorry I missed this

John, I'm sorry I missed this earlier. I hope you're feeling better! Yeah, this situation sucks, doesn't it. I'm having a very hard day with the ct coming up tomorrow. It'll probably be fine but I'm scared. We have some other stuff going on in our lives right now and they're stressing me, too. Life is hard enough without this cancer crap.

John23

Bellen...

Bellen...

Re: "scarred area which creates a stricture "

They call that condition an "adhesion". Once your body begins to heal the bruises they can "heal together", or "adhere" together. That's what an adhesion is.

-IF- you are prone to adhesions there isn't much of anything you can do to eliminate it. The callous grows around the organ (intestine, usually) and it will restrict the passage of food product, eventually closing off the passageway entirely, or nearly entirely. The blockage causes gas from the decomposing food to be restricted to the the immediate area, causing pAiN.

The ER will stuff an "NG" tube (those of us with experience call it a "NFG" tube); it goes into your nose and down the back of your throat and into your stomach. It will relieve the immediate pain, and perhaps prevent the intestine from rupturing, but it is not for long-term use. If they would pour some Bacardi into it, it would be better.

The greatest thing about an adhesion, is that any surgery to remove the adhesion usually causes more adhesions.......and/or hernias. A "good" colorectal surgeon may know about the products available to lessen the occurrences of adhesions, but not many do.

Cancer; the gift that keeps on giving.

Taking a painkiller (I use hydrocodone 10/135 - It's an opium derivative; works and is highly addictive) to quell the pain, but it's only a temporary fix. The withdrawal symptoms are whatever made you take it to begin with (only worse), hence the "addiction".

So there you have it! Black and white and red, purple and blue. OUCH.

Visit the UOAA website. You'll find a ton of information there!

Above all,

Be Well!

John