Feeling like recovery will never end

[Leo_ness]

Hi Guys,

I just wanted to see if anyone has had major bloating and can’t seem to get by bowel movements normal as yet. I had my 3rd laparoscopy a week and a half ago. My bowel decided to have some sort of spam and freeze which caused excruciating pain and a week in hospital. They had to give me laxatives and an enema to clear me out and to get it working again. Worst experience ever. So I’ve been home 4 days and I am still very bloated causing pain under my rib cage, I can hardly sleep cause each position is so uncomfortable and I can’t seem to find any relief. My lower back hurts, I feel sick, when I do nod off my body jolts and I wake up or I wake up in a soaking sweat.

This has been the worst recovery I have had and it’s hard to remember I will feel better. All this is on top of the typical pain from the procedure itself.

Has anyone experienced this or any of these symptoms?

[hellybaybee]

Not experienced it but if your bowels aren't working properly after this length of time go back to a&e! Have you explained all your symptoms?

[Leo_ness in reply to hellybaybee]

Thanks but I do think it’s part of my healing process. I was filled with so many pain killers both in hospital and out. I’m trying to take as less as possible to help get me back to regularly.

[hellybaybee in reply to Leo_ness]

I think I recovered quite well... I had just under a month off work and didn't have your symptoms (other than the bloating that I still get 5 months on!) I think it can be normal to need up to 8weeks off work and as the air that they pump into you moves out of your body, you will get shoulder pain. I would just say keep an eye on the bowel movements. First couple of days I found a little difficult but it did get back to normal

[SEB88]

Hi, i am 4 days post 2nd lap. I have had my period arrive today, so on top of bruising, tube removal i have felt pants this morning. I took 2 tramadol and went back to bed.

You will feel better soon, i am taking laxido to keep my poo soft, but the gut spasms when i need to go can really hurt. I am feeling sick on and off and i cant make up my mind if i am hot or cold.x

[Leo_ness in reply to SEB88]

Yeah the gut spasms are horrible hey. I’m glad you mentioned that as when it happens it’s quite scary and painful. Our poor bodies.

[Starry]

Huge huge hugs. Yes I totally relate to this. I went through something very similar about a week after my bowel shave op. I was in hospital with viral meningitis already (that's another story) , my bowel was blocked and had to have glycerine and then an enema and even then manual assistance was needed for the impaction. I think only the lumbar punctures trumped it for the pain. I had severe bloating too which has only just gone down at 3 months.

I coped with lactulose, drinking lots of water and substantially upping the proportion of fibre content in my diet ( jackets with skins, lots of fresh veg, prunes, alpen in cereal) and dropping the proportion of white stodgy carb meals . I found pasta, chips, pastry were all particularly bad for BMs, getting wholemeal rice pasta etc ( try Tilda brown rice sachets stir fried) and decreasing the ratio of it as a component in a meal helped. I was able to come off lactulose after about 4 or 5 weeks.

The pain relief pills unfortunately aggravate the problem significantly which can be catch 22 especially opioids . I minimised mine quite quickly to one codeine at night and only paracetamol in the day and just got off them asap, easy to say I know. Beware ibuprofen, being given it in while in hospital with no protection ( eg lansaprazole ) has damaged my esophagus and I've developed sever reflux esophagitis.

I'm seeing a qualified nutritionist now and would heartily recommend one on how to eat for healing. Vitamin A and D are important I believe, so lots of red veg.

[3caramel7 in reply to Starry]

I hate lactulose! I call it warm vaseline!

[Starry in reply to 3caramel7]

Lol, not my favourite either but it was a life saver for a while. Movicol is the other one people often get on ok with I believe.

[Leo_ness in reply to Starry]

Omg, u poor thing. U definitely have had a horrible time with all this. So do you have endo on your bowel, is that the reason for the shave?

[Bella29]

Motionpotionuk.com

This company has a natural product that may help with these sorts of things. It has been set up by a nutritionist. My consultant wanted me to take lactulose but I'm planning on trying this stuff first!

[carrie75]

Hello, I'm so sorry to hear you have been through this. I had my 3rd op a week and a half ago, was only in hospital one night but when home had a terrible time actually going to the loo. I think the painkillers really affect things for sure.

Had my appendix and fallopian tube removed and some bowel unstuck (lots is still frozen): now whenever there seems to be trapped wind or I need the loo, I'm getting these excruciating pains on my right side and going to the loo is pretty painful. Was signed off just for 2 weeks but worried about these pains when I'm back at work as they take your breath away.

I remember after my first operation the nurse saying how sensitive the bowel is and it definitely doesn't like being touched or interfered with in any way - not that we can avoid this of course, but it might in part explain some of the post op problems we have as things start to settle and heal.

I'm trying to minimise codeine too, taking Lactulose and drinking plenty. I'm waking up early with these horrible pains, walking around to try and get things moving then go back to bed again. Waking up in a sweat I relate to also, it's rotten!

I hope your symptoms soon start to settle, take care X

[3caramel7 in reply to carrie75]

The nurse is definitely right there. When my cysts were removed, a nerve was damaged in my bowel and it never worked properly again.

[Leo_ness in reply to carrie75]

Thanks Carrie, I think I have learned whether it’s your 1st or 3rd lap, u really can’t judge the recovery period. From my last one I was like yeah 2weeks max recovery, told my work this. But no, my body is not agreeing with this time frame this time around. Plus I didn’t expect my overly to be stuck to my side wall this time either, just thought it would be a routine endo clear out.

I’m sorry to hear your going through this too. I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy.

My doctor that did the op. Told me this too, that the bowel does not like to be touched which is why it did this freeze on me. So yeah, this has definitely added to the recovery being a lot worse/linger than the others.

Yes, definitely stopped taking codine. I think that might have triggered the revisit back to hospital as that’s what the doctor gave me when I was released. So lesson learnt there.

Yeah I can totally relate to the getting up and walking around to try and get some relief. Its hard hey, you want to sleep but the pain keeps you awake and every position that you lie in feels like the most uncomfortable position ever.

And those sweats, it’s only at night. The only other time when I have experienced this is when I’m coming down with something like a cold. But I know that’s not the case here. Did u experience this before your op?

I hope we both start to feel better soon.

Take care.

[Starry]

It's a good point about exercise. Getting up and walking around is part of the bowel process apparently, my post op physio booklet also suggests that the exercise of lying down on your back with your feet at your bottom and swinging your knees gently each way in turn can help with wind too.

[Leo_ness in reply to Starry]

Thanks Starry, I will definitely try this.