In that message I posted the following (snipped version):
"For about two years now I have been experiencing excruciating rectal pain high up in my rectum. The pain is also felt behind my abdominal incision and when I sit down it feels like something is being pushed up into my lower pelvic region and makes both the abdominal and rectal pain worse.
Sitting is unbearable and the episodes last about 3 – 4 days. They then disappear and return a few months later. It feels like I’m constipated but I’m not, my stools are soft and the pain is even unbearable when passing gas."
Since posting this message I had a spell at the ER with pain so bad I could barely walk, stand or sit. As I have recurring kidney stones I was given an IVP but the results were negative.
I was sent home with "You have IBS" ringing in my ears and to see my family doctor. I did this and was referred to a GI. This resulted in my having a colonoscopy.
It was my first and last! I was sedated and given painkillers via IV, I wasn't nervous and quite relaxed. The doctor didn't get too far though because adhesions stopped him! No sooner had the tube been inserted I screamed out in pain and hung onto the bed railing for dear life. The doctor ordered the nurse to increase the sedation and painkiller while trying to push the tubing further into my colon. Nothing worked! I was shouting at the doctor to stop but he ignored me telling me I was a "naughty girl" for frightening the other patients in the waiting area. Huh! I turned over, looked him straight in the face and sceamed "TOUGH!"
The nurse (God bless her) insisted he stop the procedure because it was obvious I was in a lot of pain. So he yanked the tube out of me (literally) and ordered a barium enema instead, to be done that day so I wouldn't have to go through the preparations again. How considerate. :-}
To cut a long story short the results were adhesions in my lower bowel where the rectum and colon/bowel merge (is that correct?) and a redundant bowel. He sent me home with instructions to make sure I have a bowel movement EVERY day! He said that if I haven't had a bowel movement by the evening then I'm to force myself to have one by drinking prune juice, using Milk of Magnesia or a laxative. It didn't matter which I used as long as I had a bowel movement each day.
He says my rectal pain comes from the adhesions and the upper right-sided pain is from the redundant bowel and that's all he said. Then he dismissed me saying if I run into any further problems to have my family doctor refer me back to him.
Now I'm curious as to what a redundant bowel actually is. It was explained to me that the horizontal portions of my colon are fine but the vertical portions loop over and there's more there than there should be. Interesting. ;-)
I'd appreciate it if someone could advise me on what to expect from a redundant bowel? Should I be avoiding certain foods/medications and if this can lead to other complications what symptoms should I be aware of?
Thanks for listening.
Take care
Jayne Ontario, Canada