new here, stent info needed

ksuzanne
ksuzanne Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hi, my mom had a stent inserted in the small colon area last week after a bowel obstruction was found .Has anybody had experience with this? She's been told that evrything is working properly after an admission to the hosp via the er last weekend. She was given pain medication,made sure she could keep food down, was able to pass gas etc and then released her. She said she is not having pain but She is still afraid to eat anything even though they said she could eat a #2 soft-mechanical diet. Is there somewhere we can get information on this, do we need a dietician and if we do how do we get one. She's also had her third chemo treatment (taxol every week now) She's very anxious and feels the doctors have not given her enough information on how the stent is supposed to work. Any comments, info, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am at a loss as to how to help her.

Comments

  • floridajo
    floridajo Member Posts: 480
    #2
    ksuzanne,
    Sorry I have no info on a stent. maybe you can go to a colon cancer board and ask this question. Other than googling this stent I can't offer any help...sorry..I'll keep your Mom in prayer...Joanne
  • curlee8661
    curlee8661 Member Posts: 56
    #3
    Hi,

    I'm sorry that your mom is going through all this. I didn't have any bowel involvement other than constipation, but I remember how anxiety producing the lack of information can be. It's unfortunate that many doctors don't take the time to explain things unless we insist and drag it out of them. Fortunatelly, we have the internet to fill this gap. You can search for whatever topic you're interested in knowing more about. Regarding medical issues, try to rely on medical (cancer society, major hospitals, etc.) or government (".gov") sites, as these tend to be much more accurate, and save you from reading all the misinformation that's out there.

    Since I have no personal knowledge about this topic, I did a search on "stent bowel obstruction" to learn more. From what I've read, there's not much to tell about the stent part, but it might help you and your mom to better understand bowel ubstruction. You can start with the sites below, or do your own search. One of these sites even gives you a list of things your mom can do to help relieve an obstruction. Regaining a bit of control, and having a better understanding of what is going on in her body should help your mom feel better and have less anxiety. I hope your mom feels better soon!

    (((Hugs to you both))) ~Marianna~

    http://imsdd.meb.uni-bonn.de/cancernet/503510.html


    http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/netscape/help/default.asp?page=14335
  • mopar
    mopar Member Posts: 1,972 Member
    #4
    So sorry your mom is gong through this, AND you. Bowel obstructions are always a concern with chemo, because of the constipation it causes. While my husband did not have cancer, he did have a bowel obstruction and was very, very sick in the hospital. But, he did not require a stint, so I don't have information in that area. I just wanted you to know I will pray for your Mom's recovery, both the cancer and the obstruction issues. I believe following the particular diet they suggested will be extremely helpful, as well as drinking lots of fluids. And it looks as though Marianna gave you some very useful references.

    So, let us know how things are going. In the meantime, I'm sending lots of HUGS your way.

    Monika
  • ksuzanne
    ksuzanne Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Thanks everyone for the info and your kindness. I went to the web sites and copied the pages. I will also try the colon group. I would have thought before she was released from the hosp a dietitian should have advised her more specifically on what she could safely eat. as for the doctors the instructions they gave were pretty clear and she should have no problem on a very soft diet with the stent in place, at least for the time being. They also said she needs to control her pain when necessary which she chooses not to do. Not enough info and unmanaged pain seem to cause a lot of additional anxiety. I'll give you an update on how she does. Thanks again, you are all so helpful.
    ksuzanne

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