Any nurse or other health professions out there?

I have colon related question. Need help

Stick around for a while, we have several knowledgable members in the health field who will be happy to answer your questions.

Maybe if I give some details, I'll get some responses.

Next week I'll be going into the hospital for a total colectomy. They will connect my small intestines to my rectum. Does anyone know if enemas would be dangerous with this new plumbing configuration? I was hoping for the reponses from any nurses in the audience. Especially those that may have had patients with a similar experience

I'm not knowledgable about medical, but would like to wish you good tidings and a quick recovery. 😘

Thanks, very much. I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, but I'm out of alternatives. I'll be in touch

I hope you get well soon and have a speedy recovery!

I'd ask Switchable Susie or a doctor about this-I don't typically see a problem with it but you may have to alterate what you can do and how high since there is less "plumbing" to work with now.And don't do them until you have been healed and your digestive system is running "normally" for your type of surgery as you won't know how you're going to digest food and how fast.Ask the surgeon doing this since they know the usual routine of what is going to happen after surgery.I'm thinking the nerve ending will be affected and you won't experience the same sensations as before so keep this in mind too.Good luck and hope you get some good advice here!

[quote author=WaterPrince link=topic=26155.msg249271#msg249271 date=1255220565]

Next week I'll be going into the hospital for a total colectomy. They will connect my small intestines to my rectum. Does anyone know if enemas would be dangerous with this new plumbing configuration? I was hoping for the reponses from any nurses in the audience. Especially those that may have had patients with a similar experience

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My dear, your enema days are coming to not an end, but to a very great decrease. You might not even like the sensation of small intestine enemas. You will have to re-learn the pressure sensations because you will be more sensitive and not to overfill yourself to cause reflux into your stomach.

It is not a good idea to give regular enemas to your small intestine. That is where all your nutrients and many drugs are absorbed. You will have to be very in tine with your electrolytes and what you eat because you could easily end up with nutritional deficiency disorders. You would also have to use MUCH cleaner enema equipment because the small intestine does not have the bacteria that the large intestine contains, although your small intestine will undergo a shift in bacterial flora after the surgery.

To add to Susie's post:

You will have a fresh reconnection to your rectum; don't stress it with anything other than stool for a year. With a total colectomy and a continent pouch, you'll probably have very soft or watery stools as well.

As to distending the small intestine. It isn't designed for pressures as the colon is. Very little pressure will distend this part of the gut and will HURT.

I'm afraid your enema days are over.

Why not discuss with your surgeon? It sounds like you need a thorough review in how this surgery will effect your daily life.

Suzie

I was afraid you were going to say my enema days are over. I guess if that's the way it has to be.....

With no Colonic inertia and an extra 4ft of colon ( total of close to 8ft if I do my math right), I hat to say goodby to this part of my erotic life. I suppose the fantasy can live on .............

Don't know what else to do. We've exhausted every other medical, dietary and supplemental option. Thank you for the information.

I guess I look forward to the healing, but will miss the eroticism.

I think that your physician should prepare you for the dynamics of the outcome of your surgical procedure. You will have a colostomy after the surgery, if you are having the colon removed as well as the rectum. then you will have a portion of the colon brought to the outer aspect of your abdomen, we=here the bowel will empty into a bag, called a colostomy. You will eliminate fecal matter through the colostomy, and will probably irrigate it to help eliminate the bowel material. Your surgeon should explain it to you, because i was not on the after care side of surgery, I was a surgical nurse for 20 years, and have done these procedures. I will say this, you can and hopefully will, lead a normal life after your surgery, as no doctor would perform a colectomy unless it was absolutely the only alternative to saving your life. good luck to you, i cannot know if you have a cancer, of crohns disease, or what your situation is, but, I can tell you, as a Cancer survivor for 17 years now, there is life after this kind of trauma, you may even require counselling to help you cope with your surgery and image change because of it..

[quote author=mimi link=topic=26155.msg250612#msg250612 date=1255814932]

I think that your physician should prepare you for the dynamics of the outcome of your surgical procedure. You will have a colostomy after the surgery, if you are having the colon removed as well as the rectum. then you will have a portion of the colon brought to the outer aspect of your abdomen, we=here the bowel will empty into a bag, called a colostomy. You will eliminate fecal matter through the colostomy, and will probably irrigate it to help eliminate the bowel material. Your surgeon should explain it to you, because i was not on the after care side of surgery, I was a surgical nurse for 20 years, and have done these procedures. I will say this, you can and hopefully will, lead a normal life after your surgery, as no doctor would perform a colectomy unless it was absolutely the only alternative to saving your life. good luck to you, i cannot know if you have a cancer, of crohns disease, or what your situation is, but, I can tell you, as a Cancer survivor for 17 years now, there is life after this kind of trauma, you may even require counselling to help you cope with your surgery and image change because of it..

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WaterPrince said what his problem was and what they intend to do in the surgery. The large intestine will be removed and the small intestine connected to the rectum, which means no colostomy. He will probably good anal control unless the nerves are severed in the surgery and not need to do any small bowel irrigation for continence.