When I first started this journey, I noticed that people spoke of the bowel/colon as if it is a separate being living within. Comments like 'waking up your bowel' after surgery, 'it doesn't like to be man handled' or 'it's been asleep for a long time' all conjured up images in my mind of a snake or a dragon living inside.
Post my own recent high anterior resection, I managed to 'wake my snake' quite quickly. In fact, I think the chewing gum tip had immediate effect along with the mint tea. I went home 2 days later all working in good order. Week one was a breeze (thankfully not literally) - I believed I'd dodged a bullet!
Week 2, ah here we go - took me a little while (couple of days) to work out what was going on, my snake was well & truly awake & not happy, maybe even protesting a little. I thought the Lower Anterior Syndrome (LARS) was only relevant to those who had a lower resection so missed reading some literature on it. There's sooo much to take in on this journey as it is. After reading another members post & LARS was mentioned along with a link to regaining bowel control guide I suddenly understood that my post op symptoms are similar to the syndrome & common post op. The advise in the booklet has been very useful. This forum really does normalise what at first seems unusual & difficult to talk about in other social circles.
This weeks recovery tasks have been to slowly introduce a couple of fibres & to keep a good diary of 'ins & outs' but most importantly, the guide gave me permission to control my snake and not let it control me!
I'm doing some pelvic floor exercises & practising 'the lift' going to 2nd floor (P. 24)
I know everyone is different & no one can say how long this will last but I'm keen to hear other members experiences.
Did your snake lure you into a false sense of security as mine did or did it need taming from the outset?
Bee x
