I was hoping to get some advice for my partner as she is going through a bowel blockage right now and is in hospital. Her stomach is still very bloated. From what I have read, bowel blockages seem quite dire for ladies with ovarian cancer and our doctor said that most surgeons will not operate on bowel blockages for ovarian cancer patients. I am hoping some of you have some hopeful stories to share about your experiences with bowel blockage? I am praying that this does not mean the end of the road for my partner, but from what I read it does not seem hopeful..
Thanks in advance.
-Steph
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Stuee01
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Hi Steph, this is horrible and distressing for you and your partner.
I haven’t had bowel blockage myself but I do know that there are women on here who have survived and some who have been operated on.
Bowel blockage can be an end stage symptom… clearly once cancer is out of control it will affect the gut but it can happen for many reasons is my understanding.
It would be worth speaking to the Ovacome helpline to find out more about when they will operate and why.
Hi Steph, I had a bowel blockage and was told it is very common and probably caused by scar tissue. I was in hospital for nearly a week and not allowed any food and very little drink. It did eventually unblock itself and then I was put on a very low fibre diet. They did say they would operate if it didn't unblock itself so I was very lucky.
This was quite a few years ago and four years after my surgery and chemo for Stage 3C. Apparently, it can happen again at any time. I've been lucky up to now and still stick to a low fibre diet.
There's a good booklet you can get from Ovacome either by post or online which gives suggestions of what food you can eat.
Wishing your partner all the best and you too. Zena xx
You both are in such a worrying position. Surgery may not help, but the prospects without are likely to be worse; particularly if further chemo isn't an option.
I would encourage you & your partner to talk with your CNS, oncologist and the general surgeon in detail. You need to decide together whether a possibly small chance of success in unblocking the bowel is balanced by the negative sides of surgery. If your partner has responded well to chemo before, then surgery may give the opportunity to have more chemo & keep things at bay. If chemo has been less effective, then surgery may not be helpful.
In the meantime a combination of the drugs dexamethasone, metoclopramide and morphine can help with the symptoms that bowel blockage causes.
mum had a bowel blockage, some months after OC surgery. It was probably scar tissue they said, and was successfully operated on. A year on she has not had any further problems, so there is hope.
I should have said that there are 2 main types of bowel blockage in this situation: one is adhesions (or scar tissue) where the outlook is very good, and the other is due to the OC itself (to which I referred above) xxx
A couple of more natural approaches, that should do no harm in case of no result, for me the best was fresh pineapple. I could feel new movement first time in over three weeks as the juice enzymes moved fastest. You may want to use only the juice (it is a very strong enzyme, so water should be sipped with every mouthful.). Later, maybe oat bran, it also forms a substance that helps restore the colon lining and contains beta glucan. Both have possible anticancer property.
Hi there. Ooo, that's really painful. I had a bowel blockage too, it was excruciating pain. I had before and after surgery in total nearly 12 days of blockage, I was rushed back into my local hospital. One of surgeons wanted to open me up, but very kind surgeon said no need, so I was admitted for 14days without food or drink ( NBM). I had a pic line stuck as well as fluids from my other arm, a tube stuck through my nose to drain from stomach. Eventually I was able to open bowels. Then, liquids foods, then soft pureed food, then after a week or so, back to normal( but not too hard food) with protein shake ( both hospital provided and my vegan protein shake) , made sure I got sufficient protein. Hope your partner 's bowel open soon. Sending you lots of love. Norie
Hi Steph, I’m sorry to hear your partner is having such a rough time, sending you both lots and lots of love.
My mum had a stent fitted in September for her blockage- It actually worked really well, unfortunately for my mum though due the her type of cancer, she developed further blockages past the stent within a few weeks (however I must stress here my mum had two cancers- ovarian and appendix, and it was the appendix that came back).
The stent did work though for the original blockage- she had this done under a local anaesthetic at Wythenshaw, Manchester and they can operate in some cases as others have advised. It does also depend on where the blockage is, my mums was a duodenum stenting procedure, apparently really common. I would ask them about the possibility of a stent / surgery, also never shy away from asking for a second opinion if you’re not sure or satisfied with what you are told. You have to try everything. Love and hugs to you, Laura xxx
Thanks for your response regarding the stent! I will definitely ask about this if the blockage still does not clear. Unfortunately my partner does have further growths in her peritoneum area so more chemo is needed for those areas.
I hope your mom is doing well now and sending lots of love your way as well!
Thank you everyone for your feedback and comments. At this point they are not sure if the blockage is due to cancer or to adhesions. She has only been on this journey for 2.5 years and has already gone through 2 rounds of chemo. There are multiple peritoneal deposits which are likely cancer, but for the obstruction, it is not clear. She told us that surgery right now would be risky as they don't know what they would find and that going for chemo (caelyx) would be the best option for now and then assess later on surgery. Good news is that my partner was able to pass gas...so according to the doc this is a positive sign.
oh Steph, that’s so tough for you both. Please have hope though because as the others have commented, bowel obstruction can be treated.
I’ve had one full bowel obstruction and one partial obstruction so I know from experience how distressing it is. It’s incredibly painful at times. Bowel obstruction is very common with OC because the bowel can be slowed down or narrowed because of adhesions or disease. Generally it’s important to rest the bowel and be guided by the medical team re whether to be nil by mouth or fluids only. If nil by mouth your partner would most likely be in hospital as she’d need fluids. A steroid such as Dexamethasone might be used to reduce the inflammation of the bowel, an anti sickness and an anti spasmodic medication given if needed. They may insert a naso-gastric tube which is a tube that goes up the nose and into the stomach. This will empty the contents of the stomach to stop accumulation whilst nothing can get through. These measures really do work but it takes time Steph.
Yes, bowel obstruction is serious and can occur at the end of life too, but it is so common in ladies who are not at that stage. Once treated it’s something to try to avoid if possible . I tend to have a low residue diet without loads of fibre and I drink at least 2 litres of water daily. I take laxatives every single day and I know I can’t ever miss them. It’s just something that I’ve adjusted to and haven’t had another obstruction since. Mine were 2 and 3 years ago because of disease narrowing the bowel, and I’m still really well and going strong. Don’t despair. Ask lots of questions and make sure you take care of yourself too. Much love to you both x
Thank you so so much for your kind words. Honestly I am in the hospital with my partner right now and you made me tear up. This is a very tough journey and hearing your positive comments is helping me so much right now in this moment. I was in a very dark place when they told me my partner had a bowel blockage that may or may not be due to disease progression. I was really thinking this is it. Thanks also for your advice on what you have been doing to prevent future blockages.
I had a bowel blockage right at the beginning of my cancer. I hadn’t even had my biopsy at that point, just a CT scan and high CA125.
I was given a gastro nasal tube and put on Dexamethasone for several days on a high dose. I was also fitted with a pic line through which I was given nutrients.
Originally, a Colo- rectal surgeon wanted to operate an try and unblock it but my gynae surgeon wanted to try the steroids first and then do a biopsy to confirm the cancer, rapidly followed by chemo.
It worked!
I’m hoping a combination of maybe some steroids and more chemo will help for you partner too. ( Although a liquid diet alone may do the trick if she has adhesions ).
Wishing you both all the very best and many more happy years together.
Hi Steph, l agree with all the previous replies, it's often a watch & wait position. I've had 2 bowel blocksges, 1st dealt in hospital by fasting, nasal tube to drain stomach & intravenous fluids. After 6 days given enema, it worked. Followed a careful low residue diet afterwards. 2nd blockage again caused by adhesions from previous cancer surgery, this time operated on. Then stoma for 2 years then reversal. l am NED & sort of leading a normal life so l do hope this gives your partner some reassurance. The NHS have really looked after me. My best wishes to you both.
Sorry for you and your partner going through this horrible experience. I had a bowel blockage less than a year following debaulking surgery and chemo. I was in agony and vomiting uo what they called coffee like granules. Rushed into hospital where they tried to get the bowel to free itself with nasal stomach drains but suddenly they whisked me into theatre for emergency surgery.
Apparently it took the surgeon hours to untangle my bowel from the scar tissue but he managed it thankfully. I was in ICU for a week wasn’t allowed to eat for several days had central tube fitted which got infected and I then got infection. It was an horrendous time just as lockdown hit so I wasn’t allowed any visitors and was in hospital for more than 3 weeks. Lost nearly 2 stone.
2 years on I’m fine. I watch my diet as others have said and have to take 2 docusate twice daily to try and ensure the bowel keeps moving as it can happen again at any time. I have recurrence and spread of the cancer but am living a good life as well as I can.
So just to give you hope that things can appear dire but it’s amazing what the surgeons can do
Stay strong and hopeful for your partner. Fingers crossed for her and that she is home again with you before too long
Thanks for the encouragement, I really appreciate it. Definitely hearing about your journey through this as well as the other ladies has given me some hope And yes, fingers crossed that my partner will be able to get through this soon.
I really do wish your partner well during this difficult episode, and hope all will soon settle down. I don't have any experience of bowel blockage but just know that the rollercoaster journey we as patients are on is hard, but so is it for our loved ones. My husband is finding it difficult. Helping us practically, emotionally and supporting our children can take its toll. We all crave the normality we used to have don't we. I feel for him and have to remind myself that we could be around for many years yet so we must try and find the positives, make nice plans and be encouraged the doctors have our best interests at heart and will deal with our setbacks with the best possible treatments. It's good to offload our concerns and hear from others who have been there. Wishing you both well and sending love. Sue xx
Thanks for your kind words. You have really hit the nail on the head with respect craving our past normality. But I have accepted that this rollercoaster may be our new normal. My reactions now are so different than it was when my partner was diagnosed in 2020. It is exactly as you have said in your comments - take the positives where we can and trust in the doctors. I realize I cannot sustain the level of anxiety that I was holding onto in 2020. I just need to let things be as well.
Thanks for checking in. I was actually about to update everyone. My partner has been on an IV liquid diet for the last 4 days. So this blockage is/was lasting about 2 weeks, which seems quite long to me. BUT thankfully she had a bowel movement THIS morning just before we were about to see the doctor. First bowel movement in 2 weeks time. Although she still has some tumors in her peritoneum, which she is getting Caelyx for, at least the bowel obstruction seems to have resolved. It's amazing how we can be grateful for such small things on this journey. Myself and the doctor were just happy to hear she had a bowel movement.
I'm really thankful for everyone who supported me here emotionally through this. I cannot even begin to express my gratitude because even though I have friends in 'real life' who try to support us, it just is not the same. Because I know you ladies have or are going through the same struggles and that depth of understanding is something I definitely do not take for granted.
Steph bless your heart and soul for being so supportive of your partner. I have a wonderful husband who OMG wants to be involved ie EVERYTHING! 😁. It is wonderful but sometimes ya need the space! Now when I mean Everything he checks on bowel movements how much water I am drinking and he is like a hawk watching and making sure I eat! He is my heart and soul and wouldn’t have it any other way!
As for your partners bowel movement may they continue painlessly. I too have had to manage them at times and do so with Mira lax twice a day and the ducolax gel tabs twice a day if needed. The cancer has blocked one of my kidney tubes in bladder so I have a neuphrostomy bag I Hate it! But I guess all could be worse much worse. They gave me 3 to 6 months but went to a specialized cancer hospital that suggested Kytruda Avastin and cytophosphamide pill 50 mg. I have had 4 lines of chemo in less than 3 years. Seems to be working after one session my Ca 125 went from199 (highest it’s ever been) to 99 WOW! Even the doctors are amazed so we will see what happens after this next session. Very easy to do no nausea no feeling sick for a week it is great. I hope the calyx is working and shrinking the tumors she has.
Hugs all around hang in there! We are all here for you.
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And yes, fingers crossed that my partner will be able to get through this soon. 
small bowel blockage
Bowel and ovarian patient
Whatever next? A bit of a break I hope.
Bowel blockage 6 months post chemo
