Post Ileostomy Bowel issues

Hi,Sorry you are having bowel problems.It’s still very early in your recovery but things should improve.I only had constipation but others here had diarrhoea and may be able to advise on how long things took to settle.I had Ileus post op and it took 6 months for the bowels to get back into some sort of routine.I stuck to the low fibre diet sheet for the first few weeks and introduced my usual diet gradually.It was trial and error into what would cause stomach pain.I lost weight at home too right at the beginning but snacking helped to improve the appetite and get the weight back on.How are you feeling in general ? I found the first 8 weeks the toughest post op.Best wishes Jane 

At 3 weeks there's still a lot of healing going on inside, so if you can, concentrate on protein & carbs. I used to try and have something at least every 2 hours, even if just a spoonful or two of custard, or half a biscuit. I carried around a bag with some snacks in so I could just have a bite (literally just one bite/mouthful) anytime I fancied. Then main meals were quite light as I couldn't manage to eat a lot at once. Adding a bit of Complan to drinks helped add bulk too. You may need months to get back to former weight, I was told to keep snacking even at 4 months post op. 

After initial 'bullets' my bowels tended to be loose and urgent. Did eventually settle to a new normal. As you say, need to counter with fluid intake - keep sipping rather than try to have a long drink at intervals. There can be permanent changes to bowel habits - mine certainly are a bit sensitive long term & I'm especially careful what I eat at restaurants etc. Hope you start to feel better soon.

Hi ShoelessJoe,

Just to add variety - I never had a low-residue diet sheet though was given some disgusting yoghurt drinks before the operation. Refused them afterwards. Did have Ileus in the ICU and then several days until the dam broke and I produced so much it blocked the ward toilet. In hospital I ate whatever sounded least unpalatable, as I needed to get some strength back. Once I left hospital I just ate whatever was available though focussed on water intake and fruit and veg as I'd had constipation in the past and during chemo. I was back to normal ie sometimes hard and sometimes loose motions depending on what I ate after several months. Walking helps too - always has for me. And nowadays - over 2 years post op I have the opposite problem - i should lose a stone but am enjoying food too much to care. 

All the best,

Latestart 

Ileus is the gut's normal reaction the being handled. It's like 'stunned'.

Day 1 post op I was chewing gum like had been recommended, but after the enema they gave me immediately prior to the op, it was likely to take a couple of days for anything to make it's way through anyway.

Post op Day 24 now, and I am slowly introducing more fibre. Eating wholemeal not white bread, wheat biscuits and museli for breakfast today, lunch was soup, dinner chicken and rice with a few sautéd vegetables in it and natural yoghurt.

Tried cheese on toast with baked beans last night. No explosions today so far. Still taking Paracetamol which helps with abdominal discomfort of wound sites.

Amazing how thick the scar tissue is below the skin. Surprised me. Some may still be inflammatory response, but even so ...

Going to try and keep most of the weight off. Type II, so the lighter the better.

I have a mass on an adrenal gland which we're hoping is benign, though it may be getting bigger.

Something to keep the Doctors interested in. Benign is most common, but as it wasn't very active on my Pet/CT scan it is unlikely to be a Phaeochromacytoma.

If it keeps getting bigger I'm curious at what point they may consider operating?

The risk of it being a metastasis is low afaik, but I should get to hear the results of the histology from the bladder, prostate and lymph nodes they removed at the 4 week post op appointment.

Hoping my good fortune continues. Was lucky to have had this picked up when I did. Although grade 3, looks like we caught it just before it started invading the muscle wall of bladder.

It sounds like you are doing well with your diet.One of my robotic scars is thick but the abdominal one has almost faded and that’s 10cm long.Best wishes for your results and I hope the mass is benign.Jane

Give it time, guts are stroppy little buggers, its early days.