Re: Short Bowel
From: Janice Simpson (sybylsmom@msn.com)
Wed Aug 7 07:05:46 2002
Hi Tracy,
I didn't get your e-mail sorry but here goes. I have had short bowel since 96. I have tried all the meds the Dr's put me on and I can't really remember the names of them but none of them work. The only thing that has helped me at all has been paregoric (an opium product). I take this only when I knew I would not have access to a bathroom. If I know I am going on a trip (1 hour or more) a few days before I just have liquids. Due to the adhesion I can't eat anything with any substance so I normally eat mushy type foods anyway. This way my bowel is pretty empty and I take the paregoric the night before. This slows down the intestine a bit (not much) but enough to have a little control of when you have to go to the bathroom> I know where every bathroom is in every store and at many times have needed to use them. So in a nutshell I have to plan everything I do. It's funny I was talking to Nancy and Millie last night and told them that I was ecstatic with my new meds and not just because of the pain control. One side effect of Percocet and Trazadone is constipation. Well guess what! For the first time in 6 years I am having normal BM's, I am not constipated but now have more control of the need to go. I am like a kid at Christmas. I live near Boston and the 18 of August we are going to Nova Scotia to celebrate our 30th anniversary with a couple of friends that understand my adhesions and the short bowel syndrome. I was really scared to go on the trip because of the adhesions and short bowel but now I feel at least the short bowel will not cause me as much trouble as before. I had bought a box of depends to wear and I was mortified and cried and cried because I could not believe that I was going to wear them but with not knowing where the bathrooms would be on the trip I didn't want to take the chance(you know how panicky we get when we get the urge and we have to go NOW!!! This has been such a blessing and I plan to enjoy the side effects for as long
as I need the meds. What my Dr. said was when I have the emergency surgery in 96 when the ob-gyn screwed up a d&c and then did a lap she cut up my intestes and I had 18 inches removed (that's not much) but the part they had to remove takes the water out of your stool. He said each part of your intestines has a job and the part of my intestine they removed just left too much of the water in my stool and there you go diarrhea 24/7. It has been so frustrating and demeaning. I have had to cancel many things in the past 6 years and now I feel like I can try stuff as long as the adhesions behave. E-mail me back and tell me about your problems with short bowel and maybe we can work something out to help you. There are alot of trick I use. Like fasting and then the morning of going somewhere I would get up about 4 hours before and have a small bowl of cereal and sort of push out anything else that was there and be empty for the trip. by a trip I mean only about an hour but due to the traffic around here I was terrified to get caught in a traffic jam (no where to go). I don't know why but this helped somewhat. I am so sorry you have this condition because it is so frustrating and it really restricts what you can do. Mail me back and we'll talk
Your friend,
Jan
>----- Original Message -----
From: tracigenz@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 7:25 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
Subject: Short Bowel
Hi ye all. I have had short bowel since 8/00 and would like to talk to
someone that also has it. Janice Simpson, I hope you would respond to
this. Helen Dyna told me about you. I sent an email to you and did not
hear from you. Hope to hear from you soon.