More post surgery questions - iliestomy

[Suebedoo]

Hi All- a couple of weeks ago, I posted on here for the first time on behalf of my husband. Everyone was very reassuring and helpful. It turned out that my husband still had a 'collection' in his lower bowel which had become infected and the hospital put him on a course of antibiotics. He is now eating and doesn't feel cold half as much, however, we have a couple of issues where we would appreciate your advice/comments. He has started excreting mucus and poo 'normally' which we understand is quite common post surgery but it is causing him some pain. Is the pain normal? Also, at times he is struggling to pee. Just by way of background - before his op, he was told that his bowel had stuck to other organs and that was probably why he was having trouble peeing. Once the catheter was out post op he has, up until now, been peeing normally. Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

[powderpuff]

The pain normally passes once the stump has evacuated the mucus, but the area could be sore for a few days following. Glycerin suppositories used to do the trick with me before my stump was removed and before that Fleet enemas which can cause bleeding/inflammation in some.

As tedious (and painful) as it is the best way to clear the build up is by sitting on the loo and keep gently pushing when the urges occur. Colourwise, the mucus can be like putty, cream, brown or bloody and is definitely better out!

[Suebedoo in reply to powderpuff]

Thank you powderpuff - it is not easy navigating our way through all the little things that keep coming up.

[OldTed60]

My second reply to you having only just joined this community. I haven’t had the residual discharge from bowel so far but my surgeon warned me it would be likely. I’m exactly 3 weeks post surgery but already had severe slow transit and prolapses, rectocele and cystocele - probably related to my underlying connective tissue disorder and also wear tear many years post 3 traumatic deliveries. So probably not useful to your husband but I too required catheterising post surgery. This caused me a lot of localised trauma and bleeding with massive black haematoma poking out of my urethra. Now things have reverted pretty much to where I was before surgery but that was already some unusual retention (for a woman especially - bladder incontinence far more common for us). I just can’t figure out how a loop colostomy operation caused this issue to worsen so badly in my urethra but maybe you’ve explained it by default as I suspect I have too scar tissue and vasculopathy affecting other organs and the stoma surgery might have added to the burden on my urethra. I’m peeing again now but it takes an age and I suspect I’m still not fully emptying despite multiple voiding.

What helps me is sitting astride toilet facing wall when emptying or changing my stoma bag and this seems to allow me to pee more fully by default. Again this may not be possible for your husband but thought it worth mentioning that for me the position is all important.

[Suebedoo]

My husband is now much better (four months - post op) and is not having any issues other than having the bag. He obviously has to watch what he eats but is eating a good and varied healthy diet now. The hospital is looking at reversing the ilieostomy but I think that may bring its own set of problems. I hope that your issues begin to ease as well.