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Blockage question.

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(@john68)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2021
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Hi Folks, I hope this is not a silly question, some people seem to be plagued by blockages and some have no bother. can their be a reason or is it just luck.

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
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(@john68)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2021
Topic starter  

Ps and sorry for this double post! I know the obvious issues of not chewing and certain foods. meant to put this in the first post.

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
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Posted by: john68
 
can their be a reason or is it just luck.

There can be many reasons!

Obviously, the first place we tend to look is diet: are people preparing and consuming foods haphazardly and ending up with blockages or do they get blockages eating "safe" foods as well? 

Some people have a history of bowel obstructions, so they tend to have blockages without really doing anything to cause them.

Other people may have internal kinks in their intestine which make blockages more prone to happen.

Others may have inflammation in the gut that narrows the path for food to cross or have strictures that cause the same to happen.

There are so many reasons, which is why it's always best to start slow.

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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(@john68)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2021
Topic starter  

Hi Eric, very good points, in my years I have had slow output but its always moved. Medication as well could be a factor. Since my good lady had her transplant she has to take the anti rejection tabs and they can cause her all sorts of problems.

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
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(@michelle)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 15
 

Interesting question! I've been wondering this as I was confused as to why blockages would occur with an ostomy when things were ok when I had my large intestine, I never suffered with any blockages before and have luckily not had any bad blockages since surgery, but have had a few moments where food has been painful to pass and I've had to work to get it moving and pass through the stoma where it exits with a bang ?. Maybe this is what was happening when I had stomach pain before? Who knows!

I've just finished studying the digestive system (had to really detach my emotions lol) and it's fascinating. Going to do some further reading about bowel mechanisms and how blockages can occur.


   
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(@john68)
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Yep my experience has been the same as yours, Eric has raised a lot of other problems that could lend themselves to some one having problems. we all still have to be careful though

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
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Posted by: john68

Medication as well could be a factor. 

Yes, absolutely. Many of us get an ostomy because of a health problem, so we may be on meds that have an unfortunate side effect of causing constipation or slow moving bowels that can lead to a blockage.

 

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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Robert
(@njewell1)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 699
 

John like they say no such thing as a silly question . This is interesting I am going into my 16th month with Norman and haven't had any blockages (hope I didn't just jinx myself) Like you n Eric are saying there can be many reasons . Could another possible cause be that while eating we might not be taking in enough fluids to help wash it through ? And here is another silly question this will sound kinda dumb . But is the size of everybody's small intestine (if that's the only one you have left) all the same or can the size actually vary ? Making it easy for some people to pass food through and others not so easy .

Proctectomy , Ileostomy , Ulcerative Colitis


   
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(@john68)
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Posts: 2021
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Hi Robert, I always wondered and though it would raise it for both myself and more folk would be thinking and chatting about it. plus you have raised another thought. the size of the small intestine. The size of every one stoma is different right! but what about its inside where the output comes out of. Plus I know what ye mean about jinxing!! it like saying "I never have a leak" oh fudge my lap has just got wild warm" lol

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
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Robert
(@njewell1)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 699
 

Hi John I hope ye lap didn't really get warm ! Lol JK . But yes our stomas are all different and can change . So I just wondered are they all the same ? How bout the inside of it if the outside can be different and or change can the inside ? Like the ID n OD of a pipe .

Proctectomy , Ileostomy , Ulcerative Colitis


   
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(@zvitusk)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 396
 

Wow, what an excellent discussion!

Basically, either the intestines, for a variety of reasons, close up or a log jam of feces plugged the pipe or peristalsis stopped.  Either way,  you're blocked. 

Since we are dealing with a very difficult subject, experienced experts need to intercede.

When we first were married,  my wife got constipated  (blocked). She asked her mom who said prune juice,  grandma said buttermilk, doctor said Milk of magnesia,  Aunt  said a quart of milk.

As you can imagine,  she unblocked extremely. She called the doctor. 

When he stopped laughing,  he explained to my poor naive wife that all the remedies were meant to be taken separately . 

That's the story of one blocked intestine. 

I had a series of 5 blockages that hospitalized me. As a salesman , I had to attend trade shows and SELL!. Very stressful . After each show, i ended up in the hospital with a NG tube up my nose. It stopped happening when I up and quit that career. If you pardon the pun, it took GUTS.So my blockages were stress induced with a strong dose of Crohns .

 No laughing matter. 

 And that is only one type of blockage. So consulting with experts to identify the root cause of the blockage. Could be the head of cabbage. Could be your intestines are tied up in a knot. Could be a lot of things and / or combinations. Not for us peasants to decide.

BUT,  you know yourself enough, to know when you are talking to a "nincompoop ", who really doesn't have a clue to what's wrong with you but has to save face . Unfortunately,  he has power and needs to have his ego massaged. As I have said before,  I have fired doctors and nurses to Save myself.

An example was when an intern tried to give me Colace. This was , to me, a poison. After the third attempt,  I ordered him off of my case. I screamed bloody murder. He got fired!.Yeah! 

Just an example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left 


   
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(@john68)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2021
Topic starter  

Mrs Zvitusk really pressed the button with all of those, when I have a lot of veg or see my output thicking I take prune juice but as yer wife knows only a little. through time for each person you will figure out how much. any yep stress really mucks up yer system for sure

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
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(@zvitusk)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 396
 

The immersion blender is an awesome tool to prevent  blockages .


   
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Marcie
(@shulmjs)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1510
 

Maybe we should try a vet ????????? Simple remedies.. 

2014 - 3 strangulations of colon, Ulcerative colitis, removal of colon, illiostomcy named woooh Nellie..


   
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FelicityG
(@felicityg)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 257
 

I know my one blockage with Oscar was by being greedy. Ate too much of a good thing too fast and too careless. I had been active in the sun and had not drank enough with it too. Olive Garden Salad. I joke about how I became a salad shooter.

I know with Crohns we can develop spots where we've scarred up and it makes a narrowing of the intestine. That's why I don't have a butthole any longer. I had a stricture maybe 4 inches in and another not much further in.

Crohn's Colitis, Ilieostomy, Proctocolectomy November 2017


   
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Robert
(@njewell1)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 699
 

Hi All

Sorry but I have to ask this question again . Is the size of every bodies small intestine the same or can they differ ?

I asking this question again because could it be a reason for blockage for some and not for others ? I am asking again also because Linda mentioned going in On Feb 2nd to see if her guts are shrinking again . We all know how our stoma can change especially after surgery . So is it possible that they could be different sizes to begin with ? If anybody could enlighten me I would appreciate it .

Proctectomy , Ileostomy , Ulcerative Colitis


   
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Marcie
(@shulmjs)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1510
 

THE small intestine is a good 20 feet long. one inch in diamerter. They loop at times or permently I have  good loops.. :-)  Felicity has an answer up there also-didn't know that either..

Linda, hope your doing O.K. now--??? A gut shrinkage?  Again??????  The two of you!! what is a gut shrinkage? U had this before? Interested......... sending well wishes.. Marcie..

2014 - 3 strangulations of colon, Ulcerative colitis, removal of colon, illiostomcy named woooh Nellie..


   
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Robert
(@njewell1)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 699
 

Marcie I know its about 20 feet long . But what my question is . How about the actual inside and outside of the small intestine because after surgery they can shrink on the outside or change shapes .  So my question is can they have a different size opening (or hole) inside where output actually passes threw ? Like the inside of a pipe . I just wonder if that could be why some people have a problem with blockage and some don't ? Besides having a kink or eating something that didn't digest properly .

Proctectomy , Ileostomy , Ulcerative Colitis


   
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Marcie
(@shulmjs)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1510
 

 THINK it depends on aging. I have passed nuts and you can pass corn.. So you and I have a larger opening.. But when things get stuck and time to pass through-along with eating to much at one time..I (which I did today- 6 huge chicken wings & thighs and a extra large egg roll ) I get pain and it is a real hello!! ( I am in waiting :-( ) Also, as stated, some of us have LOOPS-  I have 2 of them that the Dr. could not scope through, either through Stoma or down through my mouth-- Got stuck both ways--So I got the loop d- loops. :-) lucky me.. As we don't have the large colon, everything re-assembles themselves..  I googled this and not much said of what u are really asking.. Think of it--20 feet or more wrapped up in a small space.. The hole of holes? as the above, sure wern't born as big as we r now r we? Our mouths are larger now than at birth-- etc... Hey, at least we still have the hole.. :-) A pipe? a metal pipe? they don't expand-- A plastic pipe will shrink due to heat and wear.. We are different.. I guess pipes get clogged up too.. right?  So what do we do with that? Rush fluids through them Drain-O....... A plastic pipe would melt with Drain-O.. but we have to use fluids much fluids.. to push through a possible blockage.. I know Robert, your proberly, thunking your head with your fists.. ----- I am going to have a beer....... :-) 

2014 - 3 strangulations of colon, Ulcerative colitis, removal of colon, illiostomcy named woooh Nellie..


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
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Posted by: Robert

Marcie I know its about 20 feet long . But what my question is . How about the actual inside and outside of the small intestine because after surgery they can shrink on the outside or change shapes .  So my question is can they have a different size opening (or hole) inside where output actually passes threw ? Like the inside of a pipe . I just wonder if that could be why some people have a problem with blockage and some don't ? Besides having a kink or eating something that didn't digest properly .

Yes, if swollen (for whatever reason), the opening will be narrower.

This could be influenced by body weight, hydration status, how the actual opening was made, where on the small bowel the opening was formed (ileostomies are done at the ileum, which has a smaller diameter than a jejunostomy). 

As I mentioned before, there could be other internal differences (i.e. kinks, scarring, inflammation, etc.) that might increase the risk of blockages for one person over another. 

 

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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