Guys - Tomorrow will be the start of my 4th day post surgery. Stitches for two tag removals and a stapled hem.
I have taken colace twice a day, Metamucil every day, two doses of milk of magnesia.. with not much of anything. This morning I called the office and per my surgeons nurses recommendation, I took a capful of Miralax. Finally something... but a miserable something.
The problem is ... the stool is there in my rectum but it will not exit. It "prairie dogs" at the opening and just sits stuck. I have passed out almost 3 times today because of the feeling and the pain.
I am so shamed to admit this, but I have spent three hours total in the shower today... it's the only relief I get from the pain and my attempts at keeping the incisions clean... but I literally have been "digging" small pieces of fecal matter out of myself... with a gloved finger... a little at a time.... then jumping in and out of the shower... ready to faint from the pain and irritation.. all day long. I know .. disgusting and horrible.
There has to be something to help. There has to be a better way.
I'm laying in bed now dreading awaking tomorrow if my day will consist of this same activity.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
💗💗
Drink a bottle of magnesium citrate, you should have done this on day 1 of surgery, Do not push!!!!
I feel your pain. I had surgery 5 weeks ago and you are right in the middle of the worst of it. That’s the bad news. Good news is that this pain is going to gradually get much better over the next 2 weeks. My best advice for your first week is to utilize heat as well as your max dose from your doctor on pain meds. I remmond something like oxycodone so that you can take Tylenol and ib proffin along side it. The opiates are very necessary for those first 2 weeks as they “take you out of it” mentally, but the OTC stuff really only started to touch it.
Heat is the real ticket though. I laid on an electric hot pad for the first 2 weeks and when I wasn’t on that I was in a hot sitz bath in a full sized tub.
If you don’t have a sitz bath attachment, you should buy one (on amazon or have someone get it for you at a drug store). Fill it with hot water and do your thing. It is infinitely more comfortable that going without it, albeit a bit messier.
Thats sort of my general advice but as to your specific situation / question:
It’s normal to not poop for a few days after surgery. Your muscles down there are all tightened up, traumatized and swollen, so it’s going to feel hard to push out. That’s why it’s so important at this stage to keep your stool soft. Always listen to your doctors and I think mill of magnesia at this point is a good idea. Just keep taking it and something will happen. You need to try not to push for risk of popping stitches prematurely. If you have a tub, get over the grossness and fill that sucker with hot water and go for it in there. It will help with pain. Figure out a combination of stool softeners / food to eat beyond that will work for you as well. Everyone is different, for me with the opiates slowing things down, I took 3 coalesce and a dose of mirilax daily to make it soft.
If you are impacted, you’ll have a lot of fluid coming out behind it but you will feel immediate release once you pass it. If you’re still having a tough time in a day or two, it could be time to go deliver that baby at the hospital (bad joke for going to the urgent care or seeing your dr). But seriously (I did it again there) don’t be afraid to call your doctors, nurses or go to an urgent care or emergency room. This is a very nasty surgery but you’re almost over the worst of it in a week or so.
Welcome to the worlds worst club
Laxative will help, you should have got some from the hospital after surgery, It will feel like you are trying to pass a telegraph pole but in majority of time is just a small bit as everything is so tight. Keep hydrated, I had to offer help at times by gently squeezing my anus muscles to help it along the way.
Call your local pharmacy as you may have faecal impaction where stool is stuck.
They can give you a strong laxative so that it all comes out. Or you can buy Movicol which is good. But call your pharmacy and they will suggest a strong one for you which will clear you out.
Hope you feel better, try not to remove the stool yourself as your wounds are still fresh. The laxatives will definitely help.
Ask your doctor if you can have an enema.
I have a good answer for you :
Use sitz bath right after every bowl movement . It will help with the folllowing:
1. Keep the area clean
2. Soothe the pain
But make sure the water is as hot as you can tolerate without getting burned .
I used sitz bath for 2 months and it did help !
Good luck !
Thanks guys for your responses and advice!
I took an extra colace and also put a heaping scoop of coconut oil in a cup of coffee today and have been consuming more water. I still haven't passed a full and complete bowel movement - the fecal matter seems to be traveling down in chunks.... but it has been softer and easier to expel than it was yesterday and the day before. So maybe some progress? Many people have told me MCT oil has a laxative effect but all I have right now is coconut oil
I have been in and out of the shower at least six times today with very small excretions of fecal matter at a time
Will this get better? Tomorrow will be the start of day 6
Lord help us!
Milk of magnesia will produce a movement and help soften up what you’ve got in there. Once you get relief, mirilax for me was essential to moving things post op while on the opiates
It will get better. 2 weeks will be a big turning point for you and you’ll start to feel some improvement starting week 1 most likely
If you are still having trouble try prune juice. That usually solves the problem.