Constipated

I was the same. I took the sachets, more and more until eventually there was a massive eruption. I was in hospital for a week so it happened on my last full day on the ward. Walking was a real problem for me because I'd had some post operative problems but when the urge came I shuffled along to the toilet like I was on skates. Amazing! Anyway, I was told to go back to just one or two sachets until things settled down properly. I'm still taking one a day. Hope that helps. Mags

P.S. It's six weeks since my op and I'm glad because I laughed out loud at your post and it would have hurt if it had been a few days after! I feel loads better now so you can look forward to better days before long.

Thanks Mags,

Feel 100% better. I would say I would be dancing but my scars are to painfull

I also had my kidney removed at the Royal Free and I also felt that the staff were fantastic, kind, professional and caring.

Constipation was a problem that I suspect that many / most similar patients know about but there is relatively little straightforwards talk about it, perhaps because of embarrassment. It needs to be talked about more because it has a significant impact on recovery.

Nobody spoke to me about constipation at any time, I would have liked to be warned before the operation. I was asked daily if I had had a bowel movement but nobody seemed bothered as long as I was passing wind. I was in the hospital for six days because of surgical complications but I only managed to go on the last day, not long before I went home.

As long as the doctors were happy then I was happy even though I was increasingly uncomfortable, this was a mistake and I should have spoken-up earlier. I also felt each day that I was getting closer to the big event and I made sure I drank lots of water which I felt would help.

When the time came, I was afraid to push for fear of causing damage so I just let things take their course. It took a while and was quite painful. This is why I suggest getting things sorted sooner rather than later.

With the great benefit of hindsight I should have asked for laxatives early in this process. The irony was that without asking I was issued with a large boxful when I was discharged, although the problem was already resolving itself by then. I didn't need them and didn't take them. After the first time, things because more normal quite quickly.

I was fortunate that I had very little pain from the surgery and only took paracetamol to keep it under control which worked well. I was a little surprised that my discharge package from the pharmacy also contained dihydrocodeine tablets, which I had not been taking in the hospital. I didn't take these at all because I felt that my pain was sufficiently well managed without them and I was also concerned that they might be a trigger for further constipation.

I enjoyed the humourous tone of other messages in this thread. There's much to laugh about regarding the hospital experience and although this wasn't the cause of much laughter for me at the time, I'm less up tight about it now - so to speak!

I had my kidney removed in 1995 and on the fifth day, I was offered a suppository which I gratefully accepted. I had another operation two years ago and was told that they don’t do that now. 

Wish I had been offered that last week but like the fox glacier mints you used to get before take off it looksnlike a thing of the past. Made me look at my tooth brush differently.

Only joking

Have you got a small cushion to hold against your side it really helps if you support the operation site with a cushion for coughing, sneezing, and going to the bathroom, hope you feel more comfortable soon.

Hi Nige,

This is exactly what happened to my husband last week after his kidney removal surgery.

He was given 2 enemas in hospital on day 3 and still no bowel movement.

He then was discharged on day 4 even though still no bowel movement. Given laxative sachets called Laxido to take 2 once a day, by night time on day 4 he was crying in agony and I had to take him to A&E on advice of NHS24. trying to get him into car was horrendous as the pain from surgery made it really hard to bend to get onto seat of car.

They advised that he should of been told he was allowed to take 8 sachets a day to get a bowel movement, they did a scan and could see his number 2s were backed up all the way to his intestines (fecal impaction) and he was sent home again after 9 hrs with still no bowel movement as no beds available to keep him in. Lots of covid cases.

That day we proceeded to take the 8 sachets within 6hr period as advised by staff and instructions on box of the sachets if extremely constipated. still no joy he was now throwing up and in a lot of pain and we were so worried about his remaining good kidney’s function as well as his bowel not working.

At 8pm that night I rang 999 as the pain was too much, an ambulance was sent and he was taken back to hospital. The paramedics said he should never of been released till the bowels had worked.

He was finally given a bed on a ward around 3am and pain relief and told to try and rest. At 11am they performed another enema as by this stage they were worried his wounds might rupture. The enema this time finally worked and he was sat on a commode for 2hrs that’s how much had to come out of his body.

He finally was released from hospital again the following day totally exhausted and a wee bit traumatised. They have stopped the tablets he was on oxycodone ( longtec + shortec) and he’s now only allowed to take paracetamol for the pain and 2 sachets of Laxido if he needs help with bowel movement as they believe these tablets caused the fecal compaction.

Hes absolutely done in, I hope no one else has to go through this. I genuinely believe this has put back his recovery.

Anyway hope you are well and safe and cancer free x