Guest guest Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Jodi, I'm glad the comments helped. You have my sympathy at having to do multiple clean outs. Relieving the one for my surgery was... an experience. I know what you mean about SCD giving you your life back. Me too. — Marilyn New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001 Darn Good SCD Cook No Human Children Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 2008 Report Share Posted November 25, 2008 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. I believe I ended up with the usual Fleet's. 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 most folks who have read the archives 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, you have had two years of SCD. 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 because of it. A colonoscopy can't be described as fun. But I'm betting that this one, however difficult, won't be beyond your ability to cope. 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/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 2008 Report Share Posted November 25, 2008 great advice here! i am going to try to gain at least a pound or two before I start all this. After it, I'm going onto like 6 meals a day to gain weight. and heavy cream yogurt three times a day! all intro foods, but lots and lots...Subject: Surgical CleanoutTo: BTVC-SCD Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 4:41 PM 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. I believe I ended up with the usual Fleet's. 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 most folks who have read the archives 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, you have had two years of SCD. 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 because of it. A colonoscopy can't be described as fun. But I'm betting that this one, however difficult, won't be beyond your ability to cope. 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.hygienef orhealth. com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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