2 Months Post-Colostomy Reversal - Dealing with Setbacks and Pain

Hi everyone, I just hit the 2-month mark. Sorry I haven't been as actively posting as I have been, but I'm a little on the gloomy side. I had a small bowel blockage last week and was in the hospital for four days. Thank God it passed and I did not need surgery. I feel like all was going good and I was doing well, and being in the hospital with the dreaded NG tube brought me down like a ton of bricks. I'm really scared to eat anything outside of my “safe” foods now, and today I started having rectal pain when before the blockage it was diminishing. I start work on Monday, and the pain is making me nervous, but I'm really trying not to think about it. Other than the rectal pain, which feels a little like shocks when I sit, it's not constant pain. Hopefully, this will pass and it's just that I had so many surgeries back to back, pain will come and go until all is completely settled. I will keep everyone posted. I'm sure I'll be better in the morning 🙂

G-Day

MoeMoe, sorry to hear things are not so good. What was it that caused the blockage?

When you have the feeling you want to go, is it like normal to go or is it painful? When I had my J-Pouch, the feeling to go was very painful, like contraction pains. Will be thinking of you. Regards, IGGIE

Hi MoeMoe,

Thanks for the update. Sorry you're suffering. Seems our intestinal system is very complex. When mine was working normally, I never gave it a second thought. But now with a colostomy, I'm aware of it all the time.

You've had such a hard time, so many surgeries and hospital stays. I'm praying you get some relief. Faith brought me through some very tough times when I've been hospitalized and wasn't sure I would survive.

I've mentioned this many times, my favorite: Psalm 18:6, 16. Always cheers me up and gives me confidence.

In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears.

He reached down from on high

and took hold of me;

He drew me out of deep waters.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that, MoeMoe. I am glad you did not need surgery. What caused it, do they know? I thought foods were pretty much all safe after reversal, or was this caused by diverticulitis or a stricture? I hear you on that NG tube - awful. I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers! Hang in there, friend.

Hi Iggie, thx!! The docs can't really tell me. The hernia specialist said it could be scar tissue, but the colorectal surgeon said it was too early for scar tissue. Then the PC said since I had a hysterectomy and appendectomy in my earlier years, it could be scar tissue, but my guess is that spinach was the culprit. I tried a new food, spinach, since the doc said I could go back to my vegetarian diet. When I get the urge to “go,” it doesn't hurt, but it's not like my normal. I usually get this weird feeling in my gut… I can't describe it, maybe between a cramp and a trapped gas feeling. I “go,” and it all goes away, the weird feeling thing. Hope with time it will start to go back to normal.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Thanks, BeachBoy! I have always been a strong woman of faith. I used to say my faith could move two mountains. When I got my Stomie, I quickly realized that my faith couldn't even move a grain of salt. I have been rebuilding my faith because, like you, it has gotten me through a great number of difficult times. Thanks for that scripture; it's a great one!

Thanks, Dexie! Doctors couldn't really tell if it was scar tissue or not, and me too! I thought I was safe because of the reversal, but I guess not. The thing is, when I got my stoma, they also had to remove a piece of my small bowel because it became damaged when it got sucked into the large intestine where the perforation was. My suspicion is the “new” food I introduced, spinach, was the culprit. Since spinach doesn't fully digest, it was too soon to eat it, I didn't chew it well enough, or maybe a combo of undigested food plus scar tissue. Who knows, but I won't eat that again. They didn't say it was diverticulitis; hopefully, that never comes back. But the hernia specialist said it was nothing I did and things just happen, and I should not be afraid of eating anything because it's out of my control. I might avoid leafy greens for a long while until I feel all has really, really settled. How are you doing/feeling? Are you pretty much back to normal?

You know, since I have had the Hartmans, and since I had the reversal, I am super sensitive to any pain or any uncomfortable feeling in my digestive areas. What I mean is, after all the shit we have been through, maybe I overthink things. Wishing you all the best. Take care.

Wow, so frustrating, but I am glad to hear you are back on track! Yes, it could be due to that missing piece of small bowel, who knows. Maybe you can blend up all your fruits and veggies in smoothies for a while!

As for me, I'm doing great. Every once in a while, I get a pain and realize, oh, it's just gas - it hits differently now, if that makes any sense. Or it is my new hernia causing a weird sensation - I'm seeing the surgeon in June about the hernia. But overall, my digestion and bowel movements have been spot on. I have had a couple of flares of hemorrhoids, like when I first started eating more fiber and also after my colonoscopy, because my bottom is still in shock LOL. They quickly went away though.

I know I am incredibly lucky, and I am thankful every day to be where I am right now. Yes, it was unfortunate this surgical mishap happened to me, but I am also very lucky that my cancer was caught so early that I didn't need chemo, etc., and that I was able to be reversed. So far, so good 🤞❤️‍🩹🌈. Thanks for asking and continued prayers for your healing!

Hi Moemoe

Unfortunately, they misinformed you regarding being too soon to get scar tissue. It's definitely not too soon. Scar tissue starts forming from when you were sewn/stitched or clipped. I hope you continue to have a better recovery. XX 🙏

Thanks, everyone! I'm sure all of this will pass and better days will come 🙂 Take care and Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there!!

I know you wrote this for someone else, but I just came across it. I want to thank you for it. Things since my Crohn's disease diagnosis 2 years ago have been something of a roller coaster nightmare. I've had four abscesses that required surgical treatment, been in and out of ERs and hospitals and the GI doc office, and then, the Entyvio infusions I underwent for almost a year turned out to be useless, so my Crohn's progressed to the point where I had to have bowel and fistula surgery that left me with an ileostomy. That's where I am now, recovering from surgery, having all sorts of issues with my stoma skin and not acclimating too well to the bag situation, and worried about things like insurance and going back to work in a little over a week. I'm praying and hoping every day that the doctor's assumption that the stoma can be reversed will actually happen, because I really am having trouble living with it. It's just been one thing after another, so much pain and missing out on so many things. All of this has interrupted and changed my life so drastically, and I have to be reminded that NOTHING catches God off guard and that He already has a plan for me. I will write this verse down, so the next time I'm in the hospital, I can refer to it. I have severe anxiety, and without my family (especially my daughter, who helps me SO much) and without my faith, I could not have survived any of this. Thank you.

Hi Autiej,

Sorry to read about your struggles. I pray you recover and "get your life back." Faith carried me through very dark, tough times.

I spent many days in the hospital dealing with insurance, company and state disability, updating my bosses, filling out forms, and making sure anyone that touched me was "in network!" Many doctors would stop by to discuss my case. I would stop them and ask, "Are you in my medical insurance network?" Of course, they didn't know. So off they went to find out. The whole time, I was getting weaker, sicker, losing weight, fighting intense pain. And in the end, I recovered. God did reach down and drew me from troubled waters.