Struggling with bowels 3 months post op

I had bowel problems after surgery was told to take  laxatives. However I didn’t really want to do that, so for breakfast I have fruit with yoghurt and flaxseed and hey presto it works plus drink lots of water. Hope this helps. You can put flaxseed on omelettes too and salad. I used two tablespoons a day

Hi. It might be worth getting a full blood test from your doctor just in case you’re low in anything? A right hemicolectomy can also cause something called bile acid malabsorption - see page 6 of this booklet. 

bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/.../RegainingBowelControl_BowelCancerUK.pdf

3 months is still quite early days and you may well find that your bowels will settle down although maybe not the normal that you were pre-cancer.

Hope the PET scan comes through soon and please keep us posted 

Take care

Karen x

Hi, I had a right heli colectomy 10 years ago. I found I had less control of my bowels after the op for up to a year. I remember no matter where I was I had to run and find a loo while out shopping with my daughter. One time I  dropped my granddaughter off at school and had to ask if I could use their toilet same thing happened at the doctors. 

Eventual I came hood with my bowels. It may just take a minute to settle down however, it might be a different bowel after your surgery, ️

Thank you Karen, your words of wisdom are always so re-assuring and thanks for the link! I had never heard of bile acid malabsorption. I can deal with anything, I am just a person who needs to understand the situation and cancer sure is the eternal waiting game in limbo xxx.

Thank you Cath, that is very re-assuring and helpful

Hi Hubble. I have a similar story with t3n0m0 and am 54 although I am only 5 weeks post op and am just starting to build up exercise. I have strange ‘sugar lows’ too  and have an odd shaking feeling and dizziness/ vertigo on awakening but put this down to my diet at present as still on low residue but adding a new food to it every couple of days. What is your diet like? Could this have any links to your symptoms? My bowels seem to be settled most of the time with the beige food but adding foods does tend to change this, could this be the case with you too? I was told 6 months to a year to get back to ‘normal’. Hope this helps and you get some answers back soon. 

Thank you so much  Atticus for your reply. It is very comforting to hear that you were told 6-12 months to get back to normal. My consultant said you'll be back on your feet in 3-6 weeks so I have felt a huge failure. I was given no dietary advice except to gain weight. Gosh, I'm sounding negative about my team, they have actually been fantastic.

Regarding my diet, I eat very healthy so I slowly just got back to eating my usual diet which is pretty high fibre. In the last 3 days I started trying to eat a low FODMAP diet (usually for IBS) and it has definitely helped. So I am wondering if my bowels are just sulking and need a break. I too feel that these 'sugar lows' are related to digestion so hope they will also pass. Interestingly also have woozy/dizzy spells.

Thank you for your kindness and  for sharing your story. It's a huge help. Good luck in your journey Atticus!

I was given a ‘back on your feet’ timescale of 4-6 weeks for op recovery too but 6-12 months for everything to settle into a new normal.I was also told to be prepared that things may never be the same as they were. It sounds like you are on it now with what works for you best, it’s all trial and error. I am fed up of jacket potatoes with cheese and no skin but will persevere.Be kind to yourself.