> I have recently undergone a Right Hemicolectomy (part of the bowel and
> colon cut out) to relieve he pains of Crohns disease, the operation went
> well . . . until i developed an infection adhesions and a twisted
> bowel. I had to have a laperotomy (sorry about spelling). Now 6 weeks
> after the operation I want to get on with my life (I'm only 17!) but i'm
> having continous pain. The doctors say its an adhesion but only a small
> one. I'm fully functional going to the toilet, it's just the pain. He
> put me on buscopan to relieve the spasms but they don't seem to have
> worked. The pain sems to build up and then make lots of gurgling noises
> then the pain goes.
Mark,
It sounds like your doctor might be right -- that an adhesion is partially blocking the large or small bowel somewhere. When feces get to the that point, they cause cramping and pain until they get through the narrowed area. This is guess on my part, but it seems similar to the kind of thing that has happened to me.
I've had quite a bit of abdominal surgery -- including a right and transverse colectomy. I recently had a laparotomy for a bowel obstruction which resulted in an infection . . . so I am facing some of the same issues.
I'm not 17 -- old ladies like me expect aches and pains, but you deserve better. I will tell you that as a teenager, I had terrible cramping pain. Stress made it much worse. Tests and band performances left me doubled over.
At the point my surgeon has suggested both a low residue diet and anti-inflammatory drugs. I'm taking ibuprofen (Advil) three times a day, pain or not, to reduce inflammation and speed the healing of my bowel. I also am pretty careful about what I eat and chew well.
Anything that can't be chewed easily, has skins or lots of fiber is a no-no for me. I got into real trouble after eating celery and grapes. Meat that isn't mushed up is hard for me, as well.
You might want to talk to your doctor about a referral to a nutritionist who could help you with eating, although if you've been struggling with Crohn's disease, you may already have a diet that you follow.
The problem with adhesions and surgery for adhesions is that surgery can cause additional scarring. (An adhesion is just a piece of scar tissue that connects the surfaces of interior organs to each other.)
This is a toughie -- but there are ways to manage it. At your age, there may also be some non-drug ways to ease pain that would be more successful and leave you free to live a full life.
Love and luck,
-- Kate MurphyKate Murphy katemm@mindspring.com