Surgical Cleanout

[Guest guest]

At 02:31 AM 9/28/2008, you wrote:

I couldn't stop shaking, vomited

so much, my whole body hurt and I felt so incredibly

cold.

I'd have to go look in the physical file cabinet for the exact name of

what I used for the clean-out before my surgery. I wasn't able to get any

of the pills or prescription meds.

A couple of things -- two days before the clean out, I shifted back to my

intro diet. The day before the clean out, I just drank homemade broth --

mostly bison and free range chicken. That way, there was a lot less in my

system to be gotten rid of.

When I had my emergency gall bladder surgery in 2001, I had a terrible

time afterwards keeping my electrolytes balanced, which resulted in

nausea and chills. In anticipation of a possible similar reaction to this

much more major abdominal surgery*, I purchased some E-Lyte**, which is a

balanced electrolyte fluid which is stated by the company on inquiry to

not contain SCD-illegals. I do not have a physical letter on their

letterhead confirming this, because by the time I thought of obtaining

the product, I had just about enough time to get it and test it to see if

I tolerated it before the surgery. I did tolerate it just fine, but I

would recommend to anyone else to " do as I say, not as I do "

and get a letter. (Making note to contact company for proper statement,

since E-lyte is so incredibly useful.) E-Lyte concentrate which appears

to be SCD legal and has potassium, magnesium, and a lower amount of

sodium than most sports drinks. (Not to mention lacking crappy

flavorings, sugar, and other junk).

I had never done a clean out before, my gut issues never having been

deemed bad enough to warrant a colonoscopy. I cannot begin to describe

how much psychological trauma was involved with having fought to

normalize my gut and my stool for seven years, and then voluntarily

swallow something which was intended to induce violent diarrhea.

Hades, I was shaking before I even started! (Caution: the rest of this

may be too graphic for most people!)

I mixed the junk up, omitting their flavor packet, which contained

illegals. I drank it down. Didn't taste too bad, but I was already

feeling nauseous because of the psychology of the whole thing.

Within 45 minutes, the squirts started. Shortly thereafter, I was

absolutely FREEZING to death, so I put a small heater-fan on a long cord

so I could move it back and forth between the bathroom and the bedroom. I

also had Harry bring the washable pee pads we use for the Dachshund Duo

when we travel and put one on the bed and the rest on the floor so that

if I dribbled or squirted running from bed to bathroom, it wouldn't

mess up the sheets or the carpet. There are disposables available at any

pet store. I couldn't stay on the toilet for hours because my back just

wouldn't tolerate it.

One thing which was very helpful to me was a shower bidet*** which I had

purchased several years before when all the soft-mushy pre-SCD stool was

so difficult to wipe off without abrading the sensitive tissue. During

the clean out, I would just spray wash the area, and then pat

dry.

In between sessions on the toilet, I was very nauseated and dizzy and was

using my cane to get back and forth (I normally don't need the cane in

the house; just on uneven ground), so I began sipping broth with E-lyte

added. This helped the nausea and shakes tremendously, as did lying

on the bed under the covers with about four blankets over me and the

heater fan blowing across me.

After 2-3 hours, apparently, the stuff was out of the system, and I was

able to sleep for a couple of hours, waking to sip warmed clear broth,

some diluted room temperature pear sauce, and diluted E-lyte.

After however many hours was specified on the box, I took the second

dose, but THIS time, I took the precaution of taking a chaser of very

warm electrolyte broth. This helped tremendously, and I made it through

the rest of the clean-out without much nausea. The chills and nausea were

apparently from my electrolyte balance being screwed up by the induced

diarrhea.

Apart from pre-op nerves, I was able to get a good night's sleep, and

walked through the morning's insanity: report to hospital at 7a for

" marking " for the panniculectomy, then going to my

acupuncturist's office for a two hour pre-op treatment to strengthen

heart, lungs, and body for the operation -- and to reduce pain issues

afterwards, then back to the hospital to be hooked up to an IV and all

the rest of the stuff they do.

I came through the surgery fine, as you know, and shocked the socks off

both my surgeons by having no post surgical nausea, no difficulty getting

out of bed the day after the surgery, no post-op infection, no

wound-separation, and complete healing. In fact, on my last visit to the

plastic surgeon, he had FOUR interns in the room to look at my incision

to see how an incision of this type was supposed to heal, not how it

" normally " does.

I would strongly recommend that you prepare enough broth and intro-type

foods for 5-7 days after your procedure. If you reacted so strongly

before, the chances are, your gut isn't going to be interested in much

more than that, and you may not have the energy to prepare anything for

several days.

However, on the plus side, remember that the last time you had a

colonoscopy, you weren't SCD, and you hadn't healed as much as you have

now. I know you're scared. I was -- and I would be. (One of the first

places cancer spreads from the uterus is apparently the colon, and the

papers I signed before the surgery gave my oncologist permission to

remove my gut if it was affected. So it's probable that I'll be doing the

colonoscopy waltz at some point in my recovery from this damned

disease.)

But SCD is a healing diet -- and you are so much more of a whole person

than you were just a year ago, Jodi.

A colonoscopy can't be described as fun. But I'm betting that this one,

however difficult, won't be quite as hard. After all, look how many

impossible things you have accomplished in this last year -- your trip to

Israel to see your grandmother, a trip to see your mom, and dozens of

other things you couldn't even imagine doing!

So yes -- let yourself be scared. But remember, courage isn't about never

being afraid. Courage is about being terrified -- and doing what you have

to do anyway!

—

Marilyn

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

*(total abdominal hysterectomy and a panniculectomy, resulting in a

24 " slash from past my hip crest, down to the pubic mound, and back

up over the opposite hip crest, including six weeks of delightful

36 " drainage tubes sticking out of the pubic mound, for anyone new

since April this year)

**

https://www.bodybio.com/storeproduct348.aspx

***

http://www.hygieneforhealth.com/