2yr post op digestive trouble

[Ikarus]

2 yrs post TAH BSO due to 22cm ovarian cyst. I have had what I assumed to be 'swelly belly' quite a lot since, especially after physical effort. In the last few months my digestive system has been troubling me. Apologies in advance. Bowel movements have changed in regularity and nature, I feel hugely bloated and heavy, lost appetite and I am feeling quite solid down my left side. I am eating healthily though not through hunger. I am in contact with my GP and have had a gastroscopy which looks clear. I am reaching out to see if any of you ladies have had a similar experience and if/ how you were able to resolve it.

[meggiemog]

Hi Ikarus,I have major digestive problems similar to yourself. The first point of call is your GP as none of us are qualified and you need to rule out the nasties! . Have they checked you for gluten and lactose intolerance? I have given up gluten - and found I feel a bit better. I don't bloat so much now. I am 4 years (at least) post full hysterectomy. The other thing that you have to take into consideration is internal damage from the hysterectomy which can also lead to bowel disfunction. There's a lot of factors that need to be checked into.

[Ikarus in reply to meggiemog]

Thanks for taking the time Meggie. I have had blood and stool samples taken. It does seem a bit of a challenge to convince the medical profession to consider the effects of the hysterectomy and consequential menopause. Gastro ordered the gastroscopy and bounced straight to my GP who is baffled and now referring to a colleague. Still investigation to come but I will report back. In the mean time I am playing with diet changes which I am monitoring in a diary.

[meggiemog in reply to Ikarus]

Hi Ikarus, I did a low FODMAP diet - used for IBS - it was 10 months of pretty much hell - but I found I had real issues with gluten, highly processed foods, MSG and I keep lactose levels down by using lactose free milk most of the time. I did this through my GP and community dietitian during lockdown, I kept a diary - so I could see what issues I had - but it's not IBS - in fact I still don't know what is causing it! It sounds like you have a good GP checking into everything. Just stick with it and hopefully you will find out what is going on. Keep me posted!

[meggiemog in reply to Ikarus]

Should have added did they do a colonoscopy as well as the gastroscopy? Best being checked both ways!

[Ikarus in reply to meggiemog]

Eagerly anticipating the colonoscopy 😳 I have screenshots of the CT scan done when I had my cyst diagnosed. I'm seeing more of my insides than I ever thought possible.

[meggiemog]

Hahaha! The worst part is actually the 'prep' they give you to clean you out. I know what you mean about seeing more of your insides though! In all honesty when I had my hysterectomy I had a massive external fibroid pressing on my spine - so I asked them if they could take a snapshot of what they took out , as I wanted to know what was making me feel so bad. It was the size of a coconut! Although I would advice having a sedative when having a colonoscopy as after having a hysterectomy it can be really uncomfortable - especially if you have adhesions - and that can seriously affect bowel function too.

[Ikarus in reply to meggiemog]

Thanks. X

[Ikarus in reply to meggiemog]

Update time. Re referral brought an initial NHS wait of 33 weeks which would have put my appointment after Easter. I requested a letter from my GP to speed it up but meantime my sister paid for a private consult. As it turned out I had both in a couple of days of each other. CT scan and colonoscopy done on NHS. I see what you mean about the pre colonoscopy prep. I have a rug that will never be the same but at least the carpet survived. Enough said. 😟 I have trialled wheat free they suggested but found no real difference. Was due for a face to face with the specialist today but because of a secretarial mess up I was demoted to another phone call. Really not ideal and now I feel that a lot was unsaid which I would have wanted to say face to face. He did say that the gut can take up to 3 years to recover from the kind of surgery I had. Again, I dont know if the fact of a 9" mass in there had a additional effect and of it did is it just something I have to live with until it recovers. I do have diverticular disease but that is apparently very common. The best I got was that there is nothing sinister going on . All he suggested was a high fibre diet but not too high. I don't even know what that means. All in all I feel a bit deflated (emotionally that is. I can only dream of feeling physically deflated). I think my next step is to find a dietician and get professional advice. Planning to make an appointment for the new year and determined to over indulge at Christmas come what may. I will post again when I have seen somebody in the mean time happy Christmas and healthy new year. ❤

[meggiemog in reply to Ikarus]

Hi,Diverticular disease in itself can be very painful - not something I have had, but have a couple of friends who do. A good dietitian is a good step forward, you need to find out what's good for you and causes the least pain and discomfort. I totally understand your distress at the phone appointment, I have had this happen myself. You forget to ask things and they can talk over you when you do try to question anything. It's not the best. I do hope you get to talk to someone soon and stay well. Have a good Christmas!