First BM post op???

First of all I wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement and support over the last week...well over the last year really. :)  It helps so much to know that I am not alone in this and that others who have gone through this before me can impart their wisdom when I have doubts or questions :)  I would love to thank each one of you personally but I really don't think I can sit at this computer much longer. ;)

My question of the day is this...how long after surgery did it take to have a BM?  I haven't gone since last friday and I am starting to get concerned.  Mind you, at this point I don't even know how I would "take care of things afterwards" because it hurts so much to stretch.  I should double up on the codeine that day because it's not going to be pretty! lol

I am day 5 post op and I have to admit, I knew there would be pain but I wasn't prepared for this!  I am trying to get through it but some days I feel like it's getting the better of me.  My bathroom is not on the main floor so I have to navigate the stairs each time.  It's a 15 minute ordeal to go pee! LOL  Oh well, baby steps right.  I'm getting there. :)

Thanks again everyone, I am truly grateful for your support. :)

Trudy

Think of it this way - how much of what you have eaten is solid enough to actually create poop?

Each centre is different in what they suggest to "assist" in the movement of .. well yanno.

Humber when I went through the program suggested Mom on the hour every hour til "movement" came. Mom = milk of magnesia

I had a hard time having a BM in the beginning. I was told to take Milk of Magnesia to get things moving. If you are taking narcotic pain meds they will make you constipated too. You may want to start taking Lax A Day or Restoralax daily to get things moving.

Linda

i needed to take some milk of magnesia in order to manage that first poop. Don't forget that codeine makes you constipated, too. So get off of that as soon as you  can.

My surgeon doesn't require a bowel prep cleanser...so I didn't have to take a laxative before surgery.  I had a first bowel mov't within 24 hrs ( and it had a bit of blood in it which had me screaming demented for the nurse who told me NORMAL as didn't get a laxative before surgery so I had food in my tract (Optifast!!!!) and the blood was the result of surgery on my rerouted intestines (RnY and the stoma higher up), and colon passing presurgery food through. Then I didn't have a bowel mov't for days.....and had to take Dulcolax suppositories to "attack plug" from "other end" as my pouchie was all new and tender and needed to heal before subjected to liquid laxatives....suppositories do work! Get over the "ick" part and use them  and you will be successful in 20 minutes...maybe repeat if first time no success...

Pooping is indeed a pretty major issue for us.
I was lucky, in that I went after 5 days, and uneventfully (although that has certainly changed now that I'm 2 months out!)

At the time, people reported they had waited 10 days for a BM, and another woman said it was almost 3 weeks.

I put Benefiber in everything, I am using stool softeners AND I have resorted to suppositories several times.

Drinking and walking are major parts of this - if you can manage the requisite 2 litres, do - there has to be enough water in yoru body to keep the stool soft. And walking keeps the belly innards moving too.

Good luck. Once the first BMis out of the way, you start to feel normal again.

Hmmm, wishing for a little constipation here.  Since surgery May 28th, I have had constant diarrhea.  Sometimes too afraid to leave the house to go to far.   Actually, I wait until I think the diarrhea is over before I go out for my 2 km walk.  There aren't enough bathrooms around if I ever need to find one quick. 

Ditto what everyone else is saying regarding the codeine, it will keep you bunged up.  Lots more fluids and benefibre!  Relax, you will eventually go.

I resorted to MOM a week after surgery...dose every hour until bm....From then until now, I rely on a daily good probiotic [healthy gut] and liquid  omega 3 fatty acids....Highly recommend the probiotic from a health food store, the gal there had actually been versed in rny surgery and knew the benefits of same....

 Hi there ~ or me it was 11 days, the most painful 11 days of my life, surgery no pain, walking no pain. But when your not eating much (as I went through Guelph and their program is a little more strict than others) fiber you must add benefiber to everything if you want this to move...
Good luck 

Thanks everyone!  I am happy to report that things started moving today.  It's crazy how we are so consumed with daily stresses, then one day I am afraid of pooping! LOL  Perspective is a great thing. :)  I will start the benefibre and get some MOM to keep handy just in case.  Thanks for the great advice.  

I am in bed for a while today because I am just not feeling right.  I think the bowels moving is causing some discomfort.  

Hope the sun starts to shine soon! :)