Sticture after resection

elijah
elijah Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer July of 2002. I'm 35 years old. I had a simoid resection and have had problems with it ever since. The radiation caused the colon to shrink up in one area. I have had the stricture dilated 3 times but it just goes back like it was. This makes it extremely difficult to go to the bathroom. I wind up going about 10 times a day. My surgeon keeps telling me it will get better but I'm seriously starting to doubt that. Has anyone else had an experience like this?

Comments

  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #2
    Hang in there, soldier!

    I had a hemicolectomy done in 2001 - they took my ascending and transverse out and just left me with some of my descending. Not sure if that's what happened with you or not, but my OncDoc explained it this way when I found myself going non-stop:

    The ascending colon is the part that removes water from the - shall we say - colon contents and recycles it back into the body. Since that has been removed, the section that is left has to "learn" how to do that job. It will over time. It took me over a year for it to "learn" how to remove water (still doesn't do that great a job). Figures I'd be blessed with an "educationally challenged" colon. Anyway, the rub is, it really does get better - it just takes time. Just be sure to drink lots of water since you colon hasn't yet fully learned it's new job skill.

    Hope this helps.

    Be well.

    - SpongeBob
  • donpitt
    donpitt Member Posts: 6
    #3
    Had a similiar type of problem. Was getting blockages and closes ups about 3 months after surgery. Key thing for me was eating smaller meals and getting more exercise. Also, you need to drink more liquids if possible and try to get on a fiber intake.

    For me I truly believe was to get the body moving and establish a regular exercise program. I am finally going regularly, but now it takes me about 3 times before the bile feels empty.

    Keep working on it and see how some of this goes that I recommended above.

    Seriously after I started exercises things started to work regularly for me. Now not the same but close.

    Blessings to you.

    Don Lewis
    Pittsburgh
  • livin
    livin Member Posts: 318 Member
    #4
    Hi solider I had the same problem. Stage 3 had chemo and radiation 2 years ago. This summer I started having trouble going to the bath room, I thought it was constipation. Well things got worse servere pain when I had a BM pains just as bad a passing a kidney stone. I was in pain from June 17 th 2003 until the end of August when they found out what was wrong. I ended up with Pneumonia and lost 30 pounds as a result of this. I have since had my intestine dialated 2 times and will go back in March 2004 for number 3 times, my stools are still small and painful to go but no where as painful as before. This was the worst pain I have ever had in my life. I guess becaused I suffered so long. Each time we have the intestine dialated there is a possiblity of perforation and a colostomy bag. This is what the doctor told me. All so I have to take metamucil or citracil(sp) at bed time for life. So you are not alone. I couldn't believe this could happened 2 years after radiation but it did.

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