Re: OT - Questions for surgery veterans

[Guest guest]

I've read chewing gum works well for waking up the bowels. What is the SCD alternative?I've never had surgery or anything, but when I got my barium swallow test done, they had me walk around, smell yummy food, and think about eating yummy food to get my bowels moving. Pour Dieu, pour terre,Alyssa 15UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)No meds =)

[Guest guest]

I've read chewing gum works well for waking up the bowels. What is the SCD alternative?I've never had surgery or anything, but when I got my barium swallow test done, they had me walk around, smell yummy food, and think about eating yummy food to get my bowels moving. Pour Dieu, pour terre,Alyssa 15UC April 2008, diagnosed Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)No meds =)

[Guest guest]

Hey Holly,

I am by no means a surgery veteran.

But I had an ileocolic resection back in May.

> Do they put the NG tube and urinary catheter in after they have put you under?

When did they take them out?

I was under when they put the catheter in. They took it out a couple of days

post surgery- they gave me the choice if I wanted to leave it in for another day

or take it out. I decided that I wanted to start moving around ASAP to get my

bowel to " wake-up " .

> How did you feel when you first woke up? Was there a lot of pain, or were you

sufficiently drugged up?

You mean post surgery post anesthesia?

> How was your pain managed? Was it effective?

Pain for the first 5 days was managed through an epidural catheter. Worked like

a charm for the pain. I hardly had to push the button. Then I developed an air

bubble in the catheter. Took the anesthesiologist team too long to get to me

(pain management don't deal with epidural catheters) anyway.. after that and a

couple of serious mess ups with pain management -it was hard for me to adjust

the next couple of weeks. I then started heavy duty acupuncture and it was

nothing short of a miracle for me!

> Did you have an epidural? Would you do it/not do it again?

Even with the air bubble.. I would do it again in heart beat. Made it much

easier for me. Needed much less pain meds, felt great considering I just had

close to 2 ft with 6 strictures and an odd mass removed.

The minute you feel like a bad headache that just won't go away, complain..

They can flush the line. Or anything odd really in head/back.

> How long did you have to stay in bed? Did you sleep a lot, or were you awake

most of the day?

I was out of it most of the time.

The adjustment to oral pain meds from the catheter was difficult. I would say

just make sure you stay on time with meds. I also opted out of taking percocet

since long term tylenol makes me sick and oxycodone does nothing for me. So

they gave me dilaudid and a pain patch- although this is a bit much I was just

in severe pain.

I was not healthy going into surgery.. About less than 2 weeks prior I had a

bowel obstruction so I was on steroids too, unfortunately!

Hinders the healing process- it majorly did for me, caused rapid tissue

hardening.

> When did you first eat/drink?

I have to think about this. LOL.

> When did you go back to eating normal food? How long should I avoid nut

butter?

I stayed with pureed food for a while as I was still terrified from the bowel

obstruction. Psychologically it took a toll especially since I was so friggen

medicated.

Avoid nut butter at least for 6 weeks IMO. But I am sure others would have a

different opinion.

I tired advanced foods once I was pain free. That was really a barometer for

me.

> Do they always put a drain in, or only in certain cases?

They prepared me for a drain but then didn't do it for me in the end.

> How many incisions did you have (for laproscopic surgery)? How big were the

incisions?

I have 3 small incisions and 1 incision over my navel that is about an inch and

a half. The one over my navel is not healing well- they call it an " angry scar "

which can be an indication as to how I am healing inside.

> I had my gallbladder removed laproscopically. How much worse is a resection?

I haven't had GB surgery but from what I was told- a resection is intense

comparing. Not to scare you. It's just like you don't know what hits you. But

it works out.. It really does. Much better off then dealing with periodic

obstructions.

Just take it easy and don't lift anything even if you think you can scrub the

bone broth pot.. LOL. Major mistake.

> Also, when I had my gallbladder out, they put a super annoying " airbag " type

device on my legs to prevent blood clots. Do they still do this?

Yes, gotta keep that blood flowing. Mucho Important!

> How will this affect bowel movements? Does the body adjust to not having the

ileocecal valve and go back to normal BMs?

This all really depends.

I found modifying my diet and using a lot of probiotics BM's are better.

Although they can still be watery/orange and burn at times. Since you have no

GB not sure how this will affect you. Have you ever tried Questran? They give

that a couple of weeks after recovery. You can have it compounded although the

regular version comes in packets so you don't have to whiff this stuff!

I had the ileocecal valve and the cecum removed. Not much of the small

intestine. I have Elaine and this diet to thank for that!!

Sometimes urgency is really there- even more so than CD urgency.

Post surgery I had weird sticky watery BM's stay in my butt (too much info I

know) so wipes really helped me. This took a while to adjust and when I started

eating protein it totally turned around.

They over loaded me with IV liquids in the hospital both bowel obstruction and

post surgery so I got Edema and then my blood work was a mess. This is not the

normal thing to happen.

> I've read chewing gum works well for waking up the bowels. What is the SCD

alternative?

Dunno the SCD alternative. But you want to get moving and walking.

> The prep day instructions say I can have cranberry juice and grape juice. Is

that right? I always thought you probably had to avoid red/purple type drinks

when doing a clean out for bowel surgery.

That seems odd to me.

I would not drink cranberry or grape juice. Maybe they meant white? Not sure.

I would say stick with broth and clear pear juice.

> I'm doing a Mirilax prep, and it says to mix with Gatorade. What is a good SCD

alternative?

I did it with water.

> Do you have any helpful suggestions for getting through all of this as

smoothly as possible?

It's hard to get out of bed. It's easier when you're in the hospital sicne

they have a nifty bed but once you get home it's a different story. I shoulda

listened to Marilyn! LOL.

Also, can you have help at home after surgery? Major plus.

Also, maybe some mind body techniques to deal with fear and anxiety.

Have SCD menus printed for your hospital stay (I am convinced I did so well

considering.. since I was on the diet) and hand them out if you get pestered.

I also brought liquid hand soup from home to use in the bathroom.

> That's all I can think of for now. Wish I had come up with my list of

questions BEFORE I saw the surgeon. Thank you for any info you can give!

Keep asking questions.

If I think of more stuff I will let you know.

Marilyn is way more thorough than me answering these questions.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hey Holly,

I am by no means a surgery veteran.

But I had an ileocolic resection back in May.

> Do they put the NG tube and urinary catheter in after they have put you under?

When did they take them out?

I was under when they put the catheter in. They took it out a couple of days

post surgery- they gave me the choice if I wanted to leave it in for another day

or take it out. I decided that I wanted to start moving around ASAP to get my

bowel to " wake-up " .

> How did you feel when you first woke up? Was there a lot of pain, or were you

sufficiently drugged up?

You mean post surgery post anesthesia?

> How was your pain managed? Was it effective?

Pain for the first 5 days was managed through an epidural catheter. Worked like

a charm for the pain. I hardly had to push the button. Then I developed an air

bubble in the catheter. Took the anesthesiologist team too long to get to me

(pain management don't deal with epidural catheters) anyway.. after that and a

couple of serious mess ups with pain management -it was hard for me to adjust

the next couple of weeks. I then started heavy duty acupuncture and it was

nothing short of a miracle for me!

> Did you have an epidural? Would you do it/not do it again?

Even with the air bubble.. I would do it again in heart beat. Made it much

easier for me. Needed much less pain meds, felt great considering I just had

close to 2 ft with 6 strictures and an odd mass removed.

The minute you feel like a bad headache that just won't go away, complain..

They can flush the line. Or anything odd really in head/back.

> How long did you have to stay in bed? Did you sleep a lot, or were you awake

most of the day?

I was out of it most of the time.

The adjustment to oral pain meds from the catheter was difficult. I would say

just make sure you stay on time with meds. I also opted out of taking percocet

since long term tylenol makes me sick and oxycodone does nothing for me. So

they gave me dilaudid and a pain patch- although this is a bit much I was just

in severe pain.

I was not healthy going into surgery.. About less than 2 weeks prior I had a

bowel obstruction so I was on steroids too, unfortunately!

Hinders the healing process- it majorly did for me, caused rapid tissue

hardening.

> When did you first eat/drink?

I have to think about this. LOL.

> When did you go back to eating normal food? How long should I avoid nut

butter?

I stayed with pureed food for a while as I was still terrified from the bowel

obstruction. Psychologically it took a toll especially since I was so friggen

medicated.

Avoid nut butter at least for 6 weeks IMO. But I am sure others would have a

different opinion.

I tired advanced foods once I was pain free. That was really a barometer for

me.

> Do they always put a drain in, or only in certain cases?

They prepared me for a drain but then didn't do it for me in the end.

> How many incisions did you have (for laproscopic surgery)? How big were the

incisions?

I have 3 small incisions and 1 incision over my navel that is about an inch and

a half. The one over my navel is not healing well- they call it an " angry scar "

which can be an indication as to how I am healing inside.

> I had my gallbladder removed laproscopically. How much worse is a resection?

I haven't had GB surgery but from what I was told- a resection is intense

comparing. Not to scare you. It's just like you don't know what hits you. But

it works out.. It really does. Much better off then dealing with periodic

obstructions.

Just take it easy and don't lift anything even if you think you can scrub the

bone broth pot.. LOL. Major mistake.

> Also, when I had my gallbladder out, they put a super annoying " airbag " type

device on my legs to prevent blood clots. Do they still do this?

Yes, gotta keep that blood flowing. Mucho Important!

> How will this affect bowel movements? Does the body adjust to not having the

ileocecal valve and go back to normal BMs?

This all really depends.

I found modifying my diet and using a lot of probiotics BM's are better.

Although they can still be watery/orange and burn at times. Since you have no

GB not sure how this will affect you. Have you ever tried Questran? They give

that a couple of weeks after recovery. You can have it compounded although the

regular version comes in packets so you don't have to whiff this stuff!

I had the ileocecal valve and the cecum removed. Not much of the small

intestine. I have Elaine and this diet to thank for that!!

Sometimes urgency is really there- even more so than CD urgency.

Post surgery I had weird sticky watery BM's stay in my butt (too much info I

know) so wipes really helped me. This took a while to adjust and when I started

eating protein it totally turned around.

They over loaded me with IV liquids in the hospital both bowel obstruction and

post surgery so I got Edema and then my blood work was a mess. This is not the

normal thing to happen.

> I've read chewing gum works well for waking up the bowels. What is the SCD

alternative?

Dunno the SCD alternative. But you want to get moving and walking.

> The prep day instructions say I can have cranberry juice and grape juice. Is

that right? I always thought you probably had to avoid red/purple type drinks

when doing a clean out for bowel surgery.

That seems odd to me.

I would not drink cranberry or grape juice. Maybe they meant white? Not sure.

I would say stick with broth and clear pear juice.

> I'm doing a Mirilax prep, and it says to mix with Gatorade. What is a good SCD

alternative?

I did it with water.

> Do you have any helpful suggestions for getting through all of this as

smoothly as possible?

It's hard to get out of bed. It's easier when you're in the hospital sicne

they have a nifty bed but once you get home it's a different story. I shoulda

listened to Marilyn! LOL.

Also, can you have help at home after surgery? Major plus.

Also, maybe some mind body techniques to deal with fear and anxiety.

Have SCD menus printed for your hospital stay (I am convinced I did so well

considering.. since I was on the diet) and hand them out if you get pestered.

I also brought liquid hand soup from home to use in the bathroom.

> That's all I can think of for now. Wish I had come up with my list of

questions BEFORE I saw the surgeon. Thank you for any info you can give!

Keep asking questions.

If I think of more stuff I will let you know.

Marilyn is way more thorough than me answering these questions.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

The only thing I remember from my colonoscopy is they told me I could have cranberry juice because it was naturally red and not a dye, like fruit juice.

Terry

Re: OT - Questions for surgery veterans

Hey Holly,I am by no means a surgery veteran.But I had an ileocolic resection back in May.> Do they put the NG tube and urinary catheter in after they have put you under? When did they take them out?I was under when they put the catheter in. They took it out a couple of days post surgery- they gave me the choice if I wanted to leave it in for another day or take it out. I decided that I wanted to start moving around ASAP to get my bowel to "wake-up".> How did you feel when you first woke up? Was there a lot of pain, or were you sufficiently drugged up?You mean post surgery post anesthesia?> How was your pain managed? Was it effective?Pain for the first 5 days was managed through an epidural catheter. Worked like a charm for the pain. I hardly had to push the button. Then I developed an air bubble in the catheter. Took the anesthesiologist team too long to get to me (pain management don't deal with epidural catheters) anyway.. after that and a couple of serious mess ups with pain management -it was hard for me to adjust the next couple of weeks. I then started heavy duty acupuncture and it was nothing short of a miracle for me!> Did you have an epidural? Would you do it/not do it again?Even with the air bubble.. I would do it again in heart beat. Made it much easier for me. Needed much less pain meds, felt great considering I just had close to 2 ft with 6 strictures and an odd mass removed.The minute you feel like a bad headache that just won't go away, complain.. They can flush the line. Or anything odd really in head/back.> How long did you have to stay in bed? Did you sleep a lot, or were you awake most of the day?I was out of it most of the time.The adjustment to oral pain meds from the catheter was difficult. I would say just make sure you stay on time with meds. I also opted out of taking percocet since long term tylenol makes me sick and oxycodone does nothing for me. So they gave me dilaudid and a pain patch- although this is a bit much I was just in severe pain. I was not healthy going into surgery.. About less than 2 weeks prior I had a bowel obstruction so I was on steroids too, unfortunately!Hinders the healing process- it majorly did for me, caused rapid tissue hardening.> When did you first eat/drink?I have to think about this. LOL.> When did you go back to eating normal food? How long should I avoid nut butter?I stayed with pureed food for a while as I was still terrified from the bowel obstruction. Psychologically it took a toll especially since I was so friggen medicated.Avoid nut butter at least for 6 weeks IMO. But I am sure others would have a different opinion. I tired advanced foods once I was pain free. That was really a barometer for me.> Do they always put a drain in, or only in certain cases?They prepared me for a drain but then didn't do it for me in the end. > How many incisions did you have (for laproscopic surgery)? How big were the incisions?I have 3 small incisions and 1 incision over my navel that is about an inch and a half. The one over my navel is not healing well- they call it an "angry scar" which can be an indication as to how I am healing inside. > I had my gallbladder removed laproscopically. How much worse is a resection?I haven't had GB surgery but from what I was told- a resection is intense comparing. Not to scare you. It's just like you don't know what hits you. But it works out.. It really does. Much better off then dealing with periodic obstructions.Just take it easy and don't lift anything even if you think you can scrub the bone broth pot.. LOL. Major mistake.> Also, when I had my gallbladder out, they put a super annoying "airbag" type device on my legs to prevent blood clots. Do they still do this?Yes, gotta keep that blood flowing. Mucho Important!> How will this affect bowel movements? Does the body adjust to not having the ileocecal valve and go back to normal BMs?This all really depends.I found modifying my diet and using a lot of probiotics BM's are better. Although they can still be watery/orange and burn at times. Since you have no GB not sure how this will affect you. Have you ever tried Questran? They give that a couple of weeks after recovery. You can have it compounded although the regular version comes in packets so you don't have to whiff this stuff!I had the ileocecal valve and the cecum removed. Not much of the small intestine. I have Elaine and this diet to thank for that!! Sometimes urgency is really there- even more so than CD urgency.Post surgery I had weird sticky watery BM's stay in my butt (too much info I know) so wipes really helped me. This took a while to adjust and when I started eating protein it totally turned around.They over loaded me with IV liquids in the hospital both bowel obstruction and post surgery so I got Edema and then my blood work was a mess. This is not the normal thing to happen.> I've read chewing gum works well for waking up the bowels. What is the SCD alternative?Dunno the SCD alternative. But you want to get moving and walking.> The prep day instructions say I can have cranberry juice and grape juice. Is that right? I always thought you probably had to avoid red/purple type drinks when doing a clean out for bowel surgery.That seems odd to me.I would not drink cranberry or grape juice. Maybe they meant white? Not sure. I would say stick with broth and clear pear juice.> I'm doing a Mirilax prep, and it says to mix with Gatorade. What is a good SCD alternative?I did it with water.> Do you have any helpful suggestions for getting through all of this as smoothly as possible? It's hard to get out of bed. It's easier when you're in the hospital sicne they have a nifty bed but once you get home it's a different story. I shoulda listened to Marilyn! LOL.Also, can you have help at home after surgery? Major plus.Also, maybe some mind body techniques to deal with fear and anxiety.Have SCD menus printed for your hospital stay (I am convinced I did so well considering.. since I was on the diet) and hand them out if you get pestered.I also brought liquid hand soup from home to use in the bathroom.> That's all I can think of for now. Wish I had come up with my list of questions BEFORE I saw the surgeon. Thank you for any info you can give!Keep asking questions.If I think of more stuff I will let you know.Marilyn is way more thorough than me answering these questions.Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Terry,

They told me pre surgery and pre colonoscopy prep no cranberry juice, or dark

type of juice.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Terry,

They told me pre surgery and pre colonoscopy prep no cranberry juice, or dark

type of juice.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

I agree-- I didn't dare have the cranberry juice...but that's what they told me, weird, isn't it?

Terry

Re: OT - Questions for surgery veterans

Hi Terry,They told me pre surgery and pre colonoscopy prep no cranberry juice, or dark type of juice.Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly,

It has been 12 years since my laparoscopic terminal ileum resection, so my

recollection might not be 100%.

spookyhurst wrote:

>

>

> My big day is September 22 (unless my surgeon's wife goes into labor

> around then). I'll be getting my ileocecal valve (with a little extra on

> each side) removed laproscopically. I have lots of questions for those

> of you who have been through this:

>

> Do they put the NG tube and urinary catheter in after they have put you

> under? When did they take them out?

No NG tube. At least it wasn't there when I woke up. Catheter put in when I was

out, and removed a day or 2 after the surgery.

>

> How did you feel when you first woke up? Was there a lot of pain, or

> were you sufficiently drugged up?

There was more pain than I expected. But they had some difficulty removing the

bad section and had to make a bigger incision to get it out.

>

> How was your pain managed? Was it effective?

After the first few hours that I was awake, pain management kept up. I don't

remember the details, but I didn't have one of those gadgets that allows you to

administer pain medicine. I had to ask a nurse.

>

> Did you have an epidural? Would you do it/not do it again?

No. I have had for kidney stone surgery and it worked well. With the epidural

you all of a sudden wake up and are alert, but with paralyzed legs. It seemed to

take about an hour for my legs to come out of it.

The non-epidural general is different. I slowly gained consciousness and was

groggy during the process.

> How long did you have to stay in bed? Did you sleep a lot, or were you

> awake most of the day?

I was in the hospital 2 or 3 days after the surgery. They had me up and walking

the day after surgery.

>

> When did you first eat/drink?

I think the day after surgery.

>

> When did you go back to eating normal food? How long should I avoid nut

> butter?

I was back to normal SCD foods as soon as I got home.

>

> Do they always put a drain in, or only in certain cases?

I think a drain is usual.

>

> How many incisions did you have (for laproscopic surgery)? How big were

> the incisions?

3. 2 were small. As stated above, the one to remove the diseased section had to

be made bigger because the diseased section was as hard as a rock.

>

> I had my gallbladder removed laproscopically. How much worse is a resection?

Nothing to compare with.

>

> Also, when I had my gallbladder out, they put a super annoying " airbag "

> type device on my legs to prevent blood clots. Do they still do this?

I have a history of blood clots in my right leg. So they definitely used the leg

squeezers. Blood clots can be pretty annoying too.

>

> How will this affect bowel movements? Does the body adjust to not having

> the ileocecal valve and go back to normal BMs?

There are a couple of likely consequences:

1) you may lose the portion of the ileum that absorbs B12. If so you will need

to have regular B12 shots for the rest of your life. If you start them right

away, you can probably get by with one shot a month. If, like me, you let your

body's reserves of B12 hit empty, you lose the ability to store B12 and will

need shots more often than the usual 1 per month.

2) Bile acids might not be properly recycled and will pass into the large

intestine where they act as a laxative, and kill off some good bacteria. If this

happens to you, you can take Cholestyramine (Questran) to bind the bile to make

it inert before it passes into the colon.

My ileum was removed back in 1967, long before laparoscopic procedures were

available. So I have many years of experience without one. Other than the 2

things mentioned, it hasn't been a big deal.

>

> I've read chewing gum works well for waking up the bowels. What is the

> SCD alternative?

My bowels got going again with no special help.

>

> The prep day instructions say I can have cranberry juice and grape

> juice. Is that right? I always thought you probably had to avoid

> red/purple type drinks when doing a clean out for bowel surgery.

>

> I'm doing a Mirilax prep, and it says to mix with Gatorade. What is a

> good SCD alternative?

I don't remember the details of the prep I used, but it didn't involve Gatorade.

>

> Do you have any helpful suggestions for getting through all of this as

> smoothly as possible?

Keep a positive attitude. You'll be recovered and doing well before you know it.

It took me a couple of months to recover in 1967, and about a week in 1997.

>

> That's all I can think of for now. Wish I had come up with my list of

> questions BEFORE I saw the surgeon. Thank you for any info you can give!

>

> Holly

> Crohn's

> SCD 12/01/08

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature

database 4398 (20090905) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly,

It has been 12 years since my laparoscopic terminal ileum resection, so my

recollection might not be 100%.

spookyhurst wrote:

>

>

> My big day is September 22 (unless my surgeon's wife goes into labor

> around then). I'll be getting my ileocecal valve (with a little extra on

> each side) removed laproscopically. I have lots of questions for those

> of you who have been through this:

>

> Do they put the NG tube and urinary catheter in after they have put you

> under? When did they take them out?

No NG tube. At least it wasn't there when I woke up. Catheter put in when I was

out, and removed a day or 2 after the surgery.

>

> How did you feel when you first woke up? Was there a lot of pain, or

> were you sufficiently drugged up?

There was more pain than I expected. But they had some difficulty removing the

bad section and had to make a bigger incision to get it out.

>

> How was your pain managed? Was it effective?

After the first few hours that I was awake, pain management kept up. I don't

remember the details, but I didn't have one of those gadgets that allows you to

administer pain medicine. I had to ask a nurse.

>

> Did you have an epidural? Would you do it/not do it again?

No. I have had for kidney stone surgery and it worked well. With the epidural

you all of a sudden wake up and are alert, but with paralyzed legs. It seemed to

take about an hour for my legs to come out of it.

The non-epidural general is different. I slowly gained consciousness and was

groggy during the process.

> How long did you have to stay in bed? Did you sleep a lot, or were you

> awake most of the day?

I was in the hospital 2 or 3 days after the surgery. They had me up and walking

the day after surgery.

>

> When did you first eat/drink?

I think the day after surgery.

>

> When did you go back to eating normal food? How long should I avoid nut

> butter?

I was back to normal SCD foods as soon as I got home.

>

> Do they always put a drain in, or only in certain cases?

I think a drain is usual.

>

> How many incisions did you have (for laproscopic surgery)? How big were

> the incisions?

3. 2 were small. As stated above, the one to remove the diseased section had to

be made bigger because the diseased section was as hard as a rock.

>

> I had my gallbladder removed laproscopically. How much worse is a resection?

Nothing to compare with.

>

> Also, when I had my gallbladder out, they put a super annoying " airbag "

> type device on my legs to prevent blood clots. Do they still do this?

I have a history of blood clots in my right leg. So they definitely used the leg

squeezers. Blood clots can be pretty annoying too.

>

> How will this affect bowel movements? Does the body adjust to not having

> the ileocecal valve and go back to normal BMs?

There are a couple of likely consequences:

1) you may lose the portion of the ileum that absorbs B12. If so you will need

to have regular B12 shots for the rest of your life. If you start them right

away, you can probably get by with one shot a month. If, like me, you let your

body's reserves of B12 hit empty, you lose the ability to store B12 and will

need shots more often than the usual 1 per month.

2) Bile acids might not be properly recycled and will pass into the large

intestine where they act as a laxative, and kill off some good bacteria. If this

happens to you, you can take Cholestyramine (Questran) to bind the bile to make

it inert before it passes into the colon.

My ileum was removed back in 1967, long before laparoscopic procedures were

available. So I have many years of experience without one. Other than the 2

things mentioned, it hasn't been a big deal.

>

> I've read chewing gum works well for waking up the bowels. What is the

> SCD alternative?

My bowels got going again with no special help.

>

> The prep day instructions say I can have cranberry juice and grape

> juice. Is that right? I always thought you probably had to avoid

> red/purple type drinks when doing a clean out for bowel surgery.

>

> I'm doing a Mirilax prep, and it says to mix with Gatorade. What is a

> good SCD alternative?

I don't remember the details of the prep I used, but it didn't involve Gatorade.

>

> Do you have any helpful suggestions for getting through all of this as

> smoothly as possible?

Keep a positive attitude. You'll be recovered and doing well before you know it.

It took me a couple of months to recover in 1967, and about a week in 1997.

>

> That's all I can think of for now. Wish I had come up with my list of

> questions BEFORE I saw the surgeon. Thank you for any info you can give!

>

> Holly

> Crohn's

> SCD 12/01/08

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature

database 4398 (20090905) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

[Guest guest]

Hey Tom,

When did you start dealing with scar tissue issues from the resection?

Also, do you find certain foods trigger you in a bad way all these years post

surgery?

Did you deal with incisional hernia at all?

Thanks!

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hey Tom,

When did you start dealing with scar tissue issues from the resection?

Also, do you find certain foods trigger you in a bad way all these years post

surgery?

Did you deal with incisional hernia at all?

Thanks!

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hey Tom,

When did you start dealing with scar tissue issues from the resection?

Also, do you find certain foods trigger you in a bad way all these years post

surgery?

Did you deal with incisional hernia at all?

Thanks!

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Jodi,

My 1997 laporoscopic incisions healed promptly with no problems. My 1967

resection had a long incision and the top of it near my belly button had a

problem healing but no lasting effects from it.

Non-SCD foods can sometimes be a problem, but I doubt that it's anything out of

the ordinary for anyone that has been on the SCD for a long time. I pretty much

follow the SCD but the advantage after all these years is that I don't need to

obsess over ingredients in the way that is necessary in early years.

Otherwise, no real food issues.

Tom

jodah235 wrote:

>

>

> Hey Tom,

>

> When did you start dealing with scar tissue issues from the resection?

>

> Also, do you find certain foods trigger you in a bad way all these years

> post surgery?

>

> Did you deal with incisional hernia at all?

>

> Thanks!

> Jodi

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature

database 4399 (20090905) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

[Guest guest]

Jodi,

My 1997 laporoscopic incisions healed promptly with no problems. My 1967

resection had a long incision and the top of it near my belly button had a

problem healing but no lasting effects from it.

Non-SCD foods can sometimes be a problem, but I doubt that it's anything out of

the ordinary for anyone that has been on the SCD for a long time. I pretty much

follow the SCD but the advantage after all these years is that I don't need to

obsess over ingredients in the way that is necessary in early years.

Otherwise, no real food issues.

Tom

jodah235 wrote:

>

>

> Hey Tom,

>

> When did you start dealing with scar tissue issues from the resection?

>

> Also, do you find certain foods trigger you in a bad way all these years

> post surgery?

>

> Did you deal with incisional hernia at all?

>

> Thanks!

> Jodi

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature

database 4399 (20090905) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences! It's quite helpful to hear what

others have been through. I do have one more question for you guys. I take

Effexor for depression/anxiety, and if I miss a pill, it really makes me feel

wonky (withdrawal symptoms, I guess). Do they let you take any pills with just a

tiny sip of water while waiting for your bowels to wake up?

Jody, I never had any problems after gallbladder removal, so I never had to take

Questran. Pre-SCD, I always had constipation problems. That's much better now,

but I still have to take extra magnesium everyday.

I live with my parents, so I don't have to worry about doing too much when I get

home. I've already started cooking some stuff to put in the freezer though, so

that my mom doesn't have to be overwhelmed with cooking my foods. I hate to

shove the responsibility of taking care of my bird on her, on top of everything

else she already does. I wonder if I could devise a way to pull the trays out of

her cage for cleaning that wouldn't put a strain on my gut?

When I had my gallbladder out, I sort of devised a way to roll out of my bed to

make it easier to get up. Maybe that technique will come back to me!

I have some mp3's that are supposed to help you relax, and even have one with

subliminal messages for having a successful surgery. I need to dig them out and

see if they would help with anxiety. Right now I'm okay, but once the date draws

near, I might become a nervous wreck.

Tom, I hope my experience goes as well as yours! It sounds like you healed

ideally. I'm hoping that since my surgery is " elective, " that I'll have an

easier time than someone who has an emergency resection. If I can escape the NG

tube, I'll be pretty happy! I've only had them try to insert one once, and it

was a disaster. They gave up, but my thoat really was sore and croaky for

awhile.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly,

> Thank you all for sharing your experiences! It's quite helpful to hear what

others have been through. I do have one more question for you guys. I take

Effexor for depression/anxiety, and if I miss a pill, it really makes me feel

wonky (withdrawal symptoms, I guess). Do they let you take any pills with just a

tiny sip of water while waiting for your bowels to wake up?

I don't know what they do in this circumstance.

I didn't have any necessary pills to take and I had my Thyroid meds compounded

in liquid so when I was able to drink by the third day (my brother told me I

drank on the 3rd day and fourth day I ate my food from home) I just took my

Thyroid meds.

> Jody, I never had any problems after gallbladder removal, so I never had to

take Questran. Pre-SCD, I always had constipation problems. That's much better

now, but I still have to take extra magnesium everyday.

Questran can back a person up but they did not give this to me immediately they

waited at least 3 or 4 weeks.

It's a bit skewed for some post surgery since pain meds contain opiates and that

is constipating. So like it's this double edged sword in the sense the patient

needs pain relief but the pain relief causes constipation which keep the bowels

like " asleep " but it worked out fine for me. I used some extra magnesium and a

bit of Elaine's prune protocol (caused some fermentation for me) and I was ok.

> I live with my parents, so I don't have to worry about doing too much when I

get home. I've already started cooking some stuff to put in the freezer though,

so that my mom doesn't have to be overwhelmed with cooking my foods. I hate to

shove the responsibility of taking care of my bird on her, on top of everything

else she already does. I wonder if I could devise a way to pull the trays out of

her cage for cleaning that wouldn't put a strain on my gut?

If the tray isn't too heavy and doesn't make you push yourself.

You want to push yourself to move like walking, breathing etc but not stress

yourself.

Your body will let you know if it is too much!! Trust me, the first couple of

weeks you will be in like slow motion trying to do normal'ish stuff and your

body will be like " ehh I don't think so "

You'll be fine though.. seriously. Just maybe for a couple of weeks your mom

will do it.

Don't fear this part too much. Just use common sense (more common sense than I

did LOL)

> When I had my gallbladder out, I sort of devised a way to roll out of my bed

to make it easier to get up. Maybe that technique will come back to me!

It sure will!

That roll out technique didn't cut the mustard for me about 6 weeks post

surgery. I needed to get a " couch Cain " to hoist myself out of bed. Maybe Tom

didn't have to do this?

I just really am not in shape- my body is like blubber.

> I have some mp3's that are supposed to help you relax, and even have one with

subliminal messages for having a successful surgery. I need to dig them out and

see if they would help with anxiety. Right now I'm okay, but once the date draws

near, I might become a nervous wreck.

This is totally understandable. Just pace yourself.

Listen to music you like.. It's hard really being prepared for such a thing. I

sure wasn't. But it works out and it is so well worth it not dealing with

periodic bowel obstructions be it ER type ones or ones I can ride out at home

doing short term SOS prednisone.

I found that post surgery- really practicing portion control helps not irritate

my insides.

You'll get the swing of it.. You've got a good head on your shoulders and a

super healthy attitude.

Just ask for help when you need it.. this is not the time to be cavalier.

> Tom, I hope my experience goes as well as yours! It sounds like you healed

ideally. I'm hoping that since my surgery is " elective, " that I'll have an

easier time than someone who has an emergency resection. If I can escape the NG

tube, I'll be pretty happy! I've only had them try to insert one once, and it

was a disaster. They gave up, but my thoat really was sore and croaky for

awhile.

Holly, I didn't have an NG tube waking up. Dunno what they did during surgery

so.. not sure.

I think you will do really well and you will heal- this diet really helps with

that!

My experience over all was a positive one and I am thankful I had a competent

team of doc and that I was on this diet to propel my healing. I don't know

where I would of been without this diet.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Tom,

Like what kind of non SCD foods?

You can email me off list jodah235@...

Have you had to look at carb restriction at all?

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Thanks a lot for your advice Jodi! It sure helps :-). I'm feeling more or less

prepared. Man, and it's only 2 weeks away now!

The constipating pain meds concerns me some, since I've always leaned towards C.

I'll just be sure to up my magnesium supplement. The last time I was on pain

meds was a couple of years ago. I was taking 1/2 an oxycodone (I was trying to

ration those babies out in case my doc wouldn't re-prescribe)3 times a day. I

think I did that for about 3 or 4 months. I don't recall having any major C

problems, but I wasn't taking the full prescribed dose either. Pain meds make me

itch though, which kind of drives me a little crazy.

I'm glad to here you didn't have an NG tube either! Gives me hope that I won't

have one of those uncomfortable things in me.

Okay, I though of another question ;-). I assume they put you on antibiotics

after surgery? Is it (hopefully) a short course?

Thanks again!

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly..

> Thanks a lot for your advice Jodi! It sure helps :-). I'm feeling more or less

prepared. Man, and it's only 2 weeks away now!

Just keep good, positive thoughts (don't deny the bad ones but don't let 'em

take over) and you are all set..

> The constipating pain meds concerns me some, since I've always leaned towards

C. I'll just be sure to up my magnesium supplement. The last time I was on pain

meds was a couple of years ago. I was taking 1/2 an oxycodone (I was trying to

ration those babies out in case my doc wouldn't re-prescribe)3 times a day. I

think I did that for about 3 or 4 months. I don't recall having any major C

problems, but I wasn't taking the full prescribed dose either. Pain meds make me

itch though, which kind of drives me a little crazy.

Yeah.. I know about the itching although this last time it didn't do that for

me, which makes me happy.

I just pre-empted and used magnesium and the prune protocol and I am happy I did

that.

> I'm glad to here you didn't have an NG tube either! Gives me hope that I won't

have one of those uncomfortable things in me.

Let us know about this and what they do for you.

Update us when you are up to it!

> Okay, I though of another question ;-). I assume they put you on antibiotics

after surgery? Is it (hopefully) a short course?

They only gave me a short burst of antibiotics IV right before surgery after I

was already asleep so it'll be in my system while they operate.

I don't really remember anything except for the fact that that it took 4

anesthesiologists to get a line in me (took over an hour). That was really the

most nerve racking part of the whole experience pre-surgery (besides the atomic

butterflies in my belly and psyche LOL)

You're gonna be just fine.

My mom got me a pair of crocs for my hospital stay!

They were easy to slide on- My feet swell from IV's so it was super comfortable.

Think about easy to get on slippers for your stay, bringing wipes, good non

drying liquid hand soap..

Also, you can ask for one of those plastic chairs to be put in your shower so

you can sit while you shower (that first shower post surgery was divine!!) Some

hospitals will even put a mini fridge in your room if you request it. Pretty

sweet.

They put a DVD player in my room so I watched old Northern Exposure and some

other comedies.. My brother being a Yoga teacher didn't allow any

suspense/drama or violence. the laughter really helped although deep laughing

hurts like heck.

Sending many vibes your way..

Jodi

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly..

> Thanks a lot for your advice Jodi! It sure helps :-). I'm feeling more or less

prepared. Man, and it's only 2 weeks away now!

Just keep good, positive thoughts (don't deny the bad ones but don't let 'em

take over) and you are all set..

> The constipating pain meds concerns me some, since I've always leaned towards

C. I'll just be sure to up my magnesium supplement. The last time I was on pain

meds was a couple of years ago. I was taking 1/2 an oxycodone (I was trying to

ration those babies out in case my doc wouldn't re-prescribe)3 times a day. I

think I did that for about 3 or 4 months. I don't recall having any major C

problems, but I wasn't taking the full prescribed dose either. Pain meds make me

itch though, which kind of drives me a little crazy.

Yeah.. I know about the itching although this last time it didn't do that for

me, which makes me happy.

I just pre-empted and used magnesium and the prune protocol and I am happy I did

that.

> I'm glad to here you didn't have an NG tube either! Gives me hope that I won't

have one of those uncomfortable things in me.

Let us know about this and what they do for you.

Update us when you are up to it!

> Okay, I though of another question ;-). I assume they put you on antibiotics

after surgery? Is it (hopefully) a short course?

They only gave me a short burst of antibiotics IV right before surgery after I

was already asleep so it'll be in my system while they operate.

I don't really remember anything except for the fact that that it took 4

anesthesiologists to get a line in me (took over an hour). That was really the

most nerve racking part of the whole experience pre-surgery (besides the atomic

butterflies in my belly and psyche LOL)

You're gonna be just fine.

My mom got me a pair of crocs for my hospital stay!

They were easy to slide on- My feet swell from IV's so it was super comfortable.

Think about easy to get on slippers for your stay, bringing wipes, good non

drying liquid hand soap..

Also, you can ask for one of those plastic chairs to be put in your shower so

you can sit while you shower (that first shower post surgery was divine!!) Some

hospitals will even put a mini fridge in your room if you request it. Pretty

sweet.

They put a DVD player in my room so I watched old Northern Exposure and some

other comedies.. My brother being a Yoga teacher didn't allow any

suspense/drama or violence. the laughter really helped although deep laughing

hurts like heck.

Sending many vibes your way..

Jodi