Ulcerative Colitis
Relieving a Blockage
Updated February 5, 2022
in Ulcerative Colitis
Seeking advice beyond coffee, laxatives, prunes, or yoga to help get a blockage moving. Thanks.
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Care Partner of Adult
Follow up to my own post, hopefully serving as a public service announcement for those with a J pouch.
My son did not simply have an obstruction. His intestines are twisted both at the top and the bottom by his j-pouch. According to the surgeon who is operating on him in 15 minutes, this happens because the small intestine is floating around the abdomen without any type of frame, so to speak. The twisting is just something that could happen over time from all the movement, not to mention the 13 inches he has grown since his original surgery 10 years ago. They are going in laparoscopically to release pressure and hopefully induce unraveling. They're hoping not to find nephrology in his pouch, in which case, they will have to remove it and reconstruct it.
I will continue posting here with updates for those who might be interested.
Patient
Blockages are SO tricky to manage because sometimes they can get solved at home and other times they can't and there's no way to really know.
Last time I had a blockage I tried a few things at home before I went to the ER. Hot tea, heating pad and any version of muscle relaxer you may have access to. I gave those things a few hours to work before I gave in and went to the hospital.
Once I was there they did confirm an SBO and gave me the dreaded NG tube. I spent a lot of time talking to the surgeon about whether or not I could have tackled this at home and without the NG. He said for me specifically, sure, you can do this at home but you'll be in a load of pain and it will take much longer to sort out. The problem is without imaging you don't know how bad it is, or in the case of Wendy's son, if its something other than a SBO.
My plan for the future is to try to handle them at home first but after a few hours if there is no relief to head into the ER. I always want to try at home because well..the ER sucks. But I personally feel it's too risky to manage at home for more than a few hours. Also...the NG tube is optional at the hospital but really weigh the pros/cons of not having it. It's the literal worst but it does help things move a little faster.
Sending you and your boy tons of light and love.
Care Partner of Adult
Thank you so much. I think what we have learned from this is NOT to wait more than a day, like we did. He waited way too long to even tell me about his pain. The NG is one of those PTSD triggers for him, but I hear you. But if the NG could help him avoid surgery, I'm sure he'd take it.
Wendy please keep us posted - we are all pulling for you and your family!
Wendy please keep us posted - we are all pulling for you and your family!
Care Partner of Adult
So I realized I did not update as promised...
Surgery went okay, but they did have to open him up to unravel the mess and clear out a slew of adhesions. Sunday was a long and painful day but Monday was better with improved pain management. Today is even better, eating solid food, keeping it down, and pooping it out. Waiting to hear if they'll discharge him tonight, which is what the nurses are leading him to believe. I'm sticking around at least until Friday night to play mommy nurse, and then it falls on his dad.
I'm well aware that day 5 is crucial because if something will go wrong, it usually does so by day 5 (through our experiences, one of which involved abscess and emergency surgery), but I'm hoping for the best.