Post op recovery

Hi and welcome to the group. Sorry to hear your dad is in some discomfort following his RC. I did not have RC, so not much help, but I am sure others will experience of this will be along to offer some advice. Best wishes.

Hi Elbanyo,Welcome to the group.Recovery time varies but it’s still early days for your dad.My bowels stopped working completely a few days after the surgery and it took 6 months to get them working better.Chewing gum helps to stimulate the bowel and prune juice can be helpful for constipation.I found a hot water bottle helped and some people use wheat bags.I only took paracetamol but found the pain reduced over time.Constipation will add to the pain so whatever your dad can try to help with the bowels should lessen the pain.Does your dad have a specialist nurse ? It’s a big surgery so it’s going to take time to recover.I felt better after 3 mths and much better after 8 months.Hopefully your dad will start feeling more comfortable over the next few weeks.If he is worried about pain then it would be best to speak to a nurse or doctor and see what they suggest.Best wishes Jane

I would have thought the pain should have eased by now, although twinges & aches can continue for months. Walking & keeping moving gently will certainly help with bowels & perhaps with pain too. Several short walks rather than fewer long ones, just pottering at home too. Using cushions or pillows may help him find a more comfortable sitting position. Also drinking plenty of water and small meals little & often. Anything he fancies is OK but concentrate on protein & carbs for energy & healing. Hope he starts to feel better soon. 

There is a catch 22 - many painkillers tend to cause constipation so another possible question for the pharmacist/Dr./nurse is whether there is an alternative pain relief that would be better in this respect.

Denby

The opioid painkillers are so constipating.I didn’t get on with Morphine at all even with anti sickness pills.I refused it once I came out of intensive care and managed  with regular paracetamol.I think I have a fairly high pain threshold though.Jane x

Yep, he’s aware of painkillers causing constipation so that’s why he’s been sticking to paracetamol only. Thanks for reply. Lisa

Thanks Jane. This is all good info. He’s using a hot water bottle and microwaveable heat bag thing. It will be 8 weeks on Tuesday since his op. He’s doing  2x 20-25 min walks per day . It’s just he was doing probably 2 x 30-35 mins about 2 weeks ago but I think he was maybe overdoing it and it’s caused a slight set back. He doesn’t seem to have a specialist nurse? I think he just wants reassurance that this is normal and that he will feel better again. 

Hi,It’s really easy to overdo it.I would feel sick if I did too much.I couldn’t walk far at the beginning.My mum was in a care home then a few minutes walk away and it took 3 attempts to walk there and back.I built up the distance but have slipped back a bit lately.Does your dad have a stoma ? He should start feeling stronger soon but it’s hard to say how long it might take to feel fully recovered.I was back to gardening and caring for my mum full time after 8 months.There is plenty of support and advice here so I hope you find this group helpful.Jane 

Thanks Jane. Yes he has a stoma. I’ve told him he’s doing great, it was a big op - bladder removal but also one kidney as it had large cyst so I think he’s doing amazing. He’s just a bit disappointed he’s not being able to do more as he was very active prior to his diagnosis. This is all good info and I’ve passed it all on to him. Thanks again, Lisa

I think we all underestimate how slow recovery can be. Also, it’s frustrating when you start to feel a little better but have so little stamina, so it’s easy to overdo things & suffer for it afterwards. At 8 weeks I would only have one significant activity in a day eg go out for coffee. Took me 3 months before starting a phased return to work & a good 8 months before I shed end of the day fatigue. He will get there, but it is slow going.