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Blockage question.

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

Robert, the scaring is a factor.. The less tests like the scoping the better.. unless you HAVE to .... I don't know if they can stretch this or not.. But they want to stretch my throat because of my scarring from my trek.. This is a horrible excerise of many visits.. I will just live with it.. I fear  more scaring of this medical stretching of my throat.. :-O

Also, like as Eric says, for example, when you pucker up your lips to blow out, your lips go into a tiny formation.. so if there is a swelling at the site, I can understand that the "hole" would shrink during pushing, and then back to normal.. Last night I was wondering if one can get a hernia passing a huge egg roll +???? :-) I think that the beer helped with air/gas-between bites. :-)  I don't eat like this much--but when I really want this and ready for the outcome? And I am home? I will  go for it. IT was sooooooooooo good!!!!!!! Tom had to go to Mass. for these.. 

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


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

Z, John, Robert, etc.... stress got me to where I am today !!! U.C. and etc.. Slow process on me-but I am not with no colon.. I locked up my stress through life and it landed in the colon.. 

The old saying- "stress can kill you" is so true.. And it did!! but I am back.. Picked up Nellie on the way Tho..  :-( So anyone out there, early stages or not, TRY NOT to get up tight!! let things ride and learn your new normal.. We are family and it is wonderful to read and see what others have been through and I consider myself lucky in many forms.. ITs 39 degrees outside, so going to sit in the sun on the front porch and enjoy........ Yes, Robert, this is warm to me.. 

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


   
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kiya
 kiya
(@kiya)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 42
 

Hi everyone,

I was in hospital as an inpatient for a week over Christmas as my output had stopped and I was in extreme pain.  I went to the nearest hospital's A&E and I was admitted immediately.  I have a history of constipation along with various digestive system issues (including stomach and liver).  My stoma (ileostomy), when it was created in September last year, was about 34 mm in diameter but it had shrunken to about 18 mm in diameter (almost a half!).  It also looked very unhealthy.  For the first four days, I was only allowed to sip a very small amount of water but because I was receiving lots of IV fluids, I became like a balloon and guess what? - my stoma became larger and lively (bright red) again just like when it was first created four months ago!  It wasn't a blockage but the doctor suggested that I may have some narrowing in my small intestine.  I had a MRI small bowel study and I am waiting for my results.

Since I was discharged, the same thing has been happening.  If I try to eat, my output stops and I am in pain.  It's also strange that my bowel is usually full of water and air (gas) (i.e., practically diarrhoea) but the flow stops and things stay in my system, which is extremely painful.  I have asked various doctors what may be causing this but no doctor has been able to provide any reasonable explanation or suggestion for me.  I have done my own research and I am suspecting I may have SIBO-C (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth constipation type - caused by microorganisms (not bacteria) called 'archaea' that produce methane gas and feed on hydrogen gas produced by bacteria in the small intestine) or some kind of bile dysfunction (I learned that insufficient bile production can cause constipation) or something else.  Anyway I am hoping to find the root cause of my motility issue soon.

In response to Robert's question, I have a feeling that the length of our small intestines are about the same but larger people's small intestines tend to be larger in diameter and smaller people's small intestines tend to be smaller in diameter (I have read that Japanese people have longer large intestines than Western people as we (Japanese people) are traditionally plant eaters and fruits, vegetables and grains require longer hours for digestion and transit) but as Eric mentioned, it depends on many factors including the person's weight, hydration state and eating habit.  

 


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

Kiya, so happy to hear from you again!! I knew that you were having problems etc.. for months.. re: private mail--then nothing--So figured you went to Japan, or hospital.. Your an interesting subject indeed!! So sorry that your going through so much.. Are the Doctors keeping in touch with you?  I hope so--Please don't let yourself get into such a problem for so long again..  They took the "normal" away from us--So we are a "New Normal" with Doctors help. 

Your educating yourself in your area of problems are very interesting to me and yes US!! Along with prayer your way always. 

I also, will seek information of this.. Just food for thought.. Best wishes always, Marcie.

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


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

Hi! 

Along with all the other reasons,  don't forget about FISTULA,  I can't describe that horror. 

Hey , are we finished scaring each other. We have too many scars.


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

Hi! 

Along with all the other reasons,  don't forget about FISTULA,  I can't describe that horror. 

Hey , are we finished scaring each other. We have too many scars.


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

my z" scars, they don't go away do they?? And then they want to make more..  ?? fistula, I have not had that honor.. But form I read, god love you all that have had it..

Kyla, Did they check for c-diff???? too???? Keep yourself hydrated Kyla !!! Even if it is 4 good sips of juice..  Just water, can get those salts swimming right through you-- you need the salts.. Maybe you will be like me and go to infusions for I.V. fluids-weekly-It helps me a lot-  Don't like going there, but it keeps me well, and my hydration on an even level.. If your stoma really went down in size as it was, -that is total sereve dehydration!! Personally, I don't thik u got enough fluids at that one time there.. You may need more on a weekly basis.. IF your stoma reacted in such, that is your honest message = E.R.  You have a long road ahead of you my dear, But hydration is the biggest help you can do for yourself right now. Best, M.

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


   
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kiya
 kiya
(@kiya)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 42
 

The word 'fistula' looked familiar but I didn't know what it was precisely, so I looked up.  Yes, it sounds horrifying ...  Thank you for this information.

I understand that there are many complications and conditions that can occur after a surgery (or without any surgery).  I hate to be in pain.  I wish there were ways to avoid any of all these.

Marcie, thank you very much for your advice.  I know how important hydration is.  When I was receiving IV fluids, although I wasn't receiving any calories or nutrition, my stoma became resurrected.  Since I came home, if things are moving, I have a very high output and I can't catch up with my drinking but you are right, I will be making more efforts.  I don't know whether I can have regular IV fluids under the NHS in England, but if I could, that would be excellent.  Thank you.

 

 


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

Kiya,  we have very good advice about dehydration. 

Drink V8 or equivalent. Lots of it. It is full of whatever you need,  vitamins and minerals and liquid and soft fiber. 

TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT. 


   
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Barbara
(@msbjlee)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 452
 

I'm not sure about any of you, but I don't think an immersion blender would fit in through Stella. And it just seems an awfully awfully over-the-top way a blockage.

Severe rheumatoid arthritis, spondoloarthropy, polymyalgia rhumatica, type 1 diabetic, IBS and finally, emergency diverticulitis surgery, colon removed Stella born Jan. 27, 2017. 6 bouts of c-diff, failed fecal transplant. Complete colonectomy and ileostomy July 30, 2018. ENOUGH!!


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

Hi Kiya

Sorry to hear you were and still are having so many problems . Sounds like you are educating yourself very well . I think maybe Marcie has a good idea with hydration n salts etc. since when you where getting the IV fluids your stoma came back to the way it should have been . Also Z (Mr. T) (JK  Z)  has a good idea with the V8 for an easy way to get things you need back into your body .

And thank you for the info about the small intestine I think you are right larger people and smaller people could possibly have different sizes of our intestines making the inside larger or smaller . I think our bones are kinda the same some people have bigger ones than others although I think the difference could merely be in MM but there could be a difference . So I think even a tiny bit of difference in our intestine could actually make a difference . But also like Eric said it could be a kink or what we eat , scarring , inflammation or body weight or hydration . Hard to narrow down .

Hope you are get feeling better real soon Kiya

Proctectomy , Ileostomy , Ulcerative Colitis


   
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kiya
 kiya
(@kiya)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 42
 

Thank you very much everyone for your kind and helpful advice as well as encouragement.  I am feeling much positive about myself and my conditions.

When I don't have blockage-like symptoms, I have a very high output - almost all liquid and something like 2 litres a day.  My doctor told me that drinking pure water can make my dehydration worse and that I should be having liquids specifically formulated for the purpose of treating rehydration.  Such liquids should contain salt (sodium) and sugar (glucose) in the right proportion (one suggested formula is a half level teaspoon of salt and six level teaspoons of sugar (ideally glucose powder) in one litre of clean water).  It's also important to make certain that you have good and balanced levels of electrolytes.  I would like to try V8 and do research on similar products.  Zvitusk, thank you for your suggestion.

Barbara, is this ('an immersion blender') just a joke? - although I feel that something similar (but safe) for the purpose of resolving a blockage should become available in the near future so that some of us ostomates including myself should not feel frightened and nervous constantly about any possible future occurrences.  When I was in hospital as an inpatient in December, the doctor told me to insert a glycerin suppository into my stoma to make its entrance hole larger.  Glycerin suppositories in the UK look almost enormous to me (those I have seen in Japan are much smaller, possibly half size) and I was too scared to use one, so I refused.  

  


   
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Barbara
(@msbjlee)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 452
 

Twas only joking about the immersion blender.

Severe rheumatoid arthritis, spondoloarthropy, polymyalgia rhumatica, type 1 diabetic, IBS and finally, emergency diverticulitis surgery, colon removed Stella born Jan. 27, 2017. 6 bouts of c-diff, failed fecal transplant. Complete colonectomy and ileostomy July 30, 2018. ENOUGH!!


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1450
 

John68...Hi there...Linda here...may I ask what kind of a transplant your Lady had?  I have never heard of so many transplants in one site .  Zvitusk has had them as well.  I find it so amazing that they can even be done and I have always wondered how I would feel or what I would think if I ever had to have a heart transplant.  I  am rather attached to my heart and can hardly think about loosing it!  I think transplant patients are incredibly brave and strong people.  I will certainly understand if you do not want to say what her surgery was.

Congradulate her for me and I hope she feels very well since her surgery.

Linda

Linda


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

Please,  please,  please never insert an immersion blender into your body orifices. It is strictly for blending soups that have large pieces of fruits or vegetables into small pieces that would fit in your intestinal tract AND make it out of your stoma.

You use blenders to blend .

It's good to make smoothies , too.

 


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1450
 

Robert...okay I have had fun reading all that has been written here...we are a funny people, anything from salad shooters to immersion blenders and warnings not  to use them...If I may throw my two cents in here...I think the intestine is a  lot like any muscle.  It can shrink or increase in size depending on what is going thru it.  It is supposed to work in a push out manner...by squeezing...like when mother nature gives our retum an urge to push so does the intestinal tract.  When it reaches capacity it becomes blocked especially so if things are too solid.  Here is where the prune juice comes in and the immersion blender...and V8 Juice which I really love,  avoid the immersion blender.  OKay everybody...lets answer Roberts Question here...lets all tell each other the size of our stoma hole.  Sort of a... I'll show you mine if you show me yours kind of thing.

When I have to cut the hole in my bag I need to cut it just under the 1" or 25mm size.  I have learned the importance of measuring your hole every couple of changes and did it every time I changed it for a while as it did go through periods of change for some time.  I also have to cut  the right side of it a little straight or it will not secure well to my tummy as that side is straight.   Also...My actual hole in my tummy is a little bigger then my actual piece of intestine hanging out my gut.  It gets smaller as it reaches the intestine hanging out.  Okay...your turn everyone.   This could be helpful and answer a lot of questions so when you do change over you bag,  pay close attention to the size of your stoma and your hole in your belly and your bag.  

I hope you get your answer Robert and that this answers a lot of very good questions for everyone.  I love that we can joke about this.

Marcie,  I have had a few good days and am enjoying the reprieve.  My gut does shrink here and there for some odd reason and it seems to stay that way.  I have had bad blockages all my life,  but it really does not surprise me as there is a variety of gut problems in my extended family, and cousins right down and dirty as chrohns and ulcerative colitis.  None of it is fun.  I do get severe pain that puts me in the back of an ambulance  and in the hospital for however long it take so clear up more often then I would like.  Not that I like,  because who does?  The hospital is only a place to get pain control to me and defintely not a place to rest or sleep as we are always asking what these meds are to make sure we get our usual routine without interruption of meds. so things for us stay as normal as possible.  We can count on loosing sleep rathr getting enough!  This is a whole other topic...Eric are you reading...what do you advise when we have to have a hospital stay and they do not give us all the meds. we are on at home?  I know that I tend to block the doctor admitting me and tell him what I expect when it comes to my meds. which have stabillized things for me to a better degree. 

So, lets hear it for our guts.  How BIG is your stoma and its hole?

Linda

Linda


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

Sounds like fun.is this besides giving our stomas names.?

Let's see. I  haven't measured my stoma since going to Moldable wafers. Even now that I use the Mio 2 piece , the hole is precut larger than needed. I use a Brava ring to fit it snug. Lasts 6 - 7 days. So , brava rings are skinny 22mm.   Wafer has a 25mm hole. 

Stoma is named "NED".  

 


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1450
 

Thank you Zvitusk...yes this is the right idea.  I hope it will answer Roberts question.

My stoma is Rose...Rose...meet Ned!  Our other personality!!!  I never thought of it like this before but it really is right?

Linda

Linda


   
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(@sami10)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 4
 

This conversation has been very interesting. I have wondered what would cause a blockage and how to deal if it does happen. I drink large glasses of apple juice daily to keep my output more liquid. Not sure if this is a good thing to do or not but I hate drinking water so am lucky to get a bottle or 2 down a day but can consume lots of the apple juice. 


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

Good Morning Everybody

Linda I like you explanation of how our intestine works and yes that does make sense . The push out manner makes sense ! And yes something to solid might get stuck so what are we supposed to do chew chew chew  . :-) Linda I see you like drinking the prune juice and Sami you like the apple juice and Z like s the V-8 . I myself drink about 6 oz. of grape juice or cran-grape juice before going to bed and that works for me no matter what I eat . I do drink 2-4 bottles of water a day and I have been known to have a couple beers . :-) . I cut my barrier at 1" and although I haven't re measured since after surgery the 1" works good for me .

My stoma's name is Norman so some times he can be storming Norman when he is acting up Haha !  Norman meet Rose Norman and NED have already meet Lol .

Proctectomy , Ileostomy , Ulcerative Colitis


   
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