I haven’t been able to eat for almost 2 months now, my stomach is bloated even when I drink water. My stoma bag is also empty most of the time which is not a good sign, there’s no stool and gas. My doctor put me on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) which is a method of feeding that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. It’s an intravenous or IV nutrition feeding.
Due to an infection, my operation to remove the Bowel obstruction has been postponed to Mar 14, to allow me to complete a course of antibiotics. I went for an MRI last week and found that one part of my intestines is inflated to almost 6cm and may burst anytime. I was shocked as I have delayed the operation hoping that it will clear by itself as it had in the past. It was a bad decision with much regret. You need to go to the hospital for treatment for bowel obstruction immediately as it is life threatening.
During the period of waiting, I did fleeting of my stoma. I didn’t know that I can fleet from the surface of the stoma. Some stuck waste came out but it stopped after a while and the intestines became stuck again. I did 3 rounds of fleeting, and felt comfortable after each round.
I also have a suction pump through the nasogastric tube (NG tube) to suck out the liquid that is building up in my stomach. I either vomit all the time or have a pump suck out the liquid from my stomach. It’s more comfortable with the suction pump as it runs in intervals, the bloatedness in my stomach has subsided.
What is bowel obstruction?
A bowel obstruction is a serious problem that happens when something blocks your bowels, either your large or small intestine. It’s also known as an intestinal obstruction.
If your digestive system comes to a grinding halt, you can’t have a bowel movement or pass gas. You might also notice stomach pain and a swollen belly. A common type of blockage is called fecal impaction. This is when a large, hard mass of poop gets stuck in your digestive tract and can’t get pushed out the usual way.
What are the signs of bowel obstruction?
Signs of an intestinal blockage will depend on how severe the obstruction is. But it almost always comes with belly pain, usually around your belly button, and cramping. Other signs include:
- Constipation
- Inability to pass gas
- Lack of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- A hard, swollen belly
- Diarrhoea (with a partial blockage)
Written by Joan Heng, OAS member, Mar 7 2022.
As I am writing this, I’m still waiting for my operation to treat my bowel obstruction.
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