I ended up being rushed to the ER by ambulance due to sever pain CT scan was done and they found small pockets of blockage in my intestines and diagnosed me with illeus including inflammation in my intestines. I haven’t had a BM since the day before surgery. ER docs felt I needed to be admitted for pain control and further testing on the blockage, but my surgeon said no. I came home pain is still there, but developed bladder spasms this past Saturday and those contractions are worser than all my pain combined. I see my doctor tomorrow to discuss with him my options and what’s next. From day to day I’m struggling getting in liquids and my purées. Anyone have all these excess complications???

Yes. I had a partial ileus. I still have some small issues. I just make sure to keep things moving in there. And if I know they aren't then I go to pure liquids until they are. I can tell from the gurgling when I'm having "issues."

So so so painful! Sorry you are dealing with this. For some of us, it takes a while for our intestines to re-awaken after surgery. Sorry for the bladder spasms. Are you allowed to take pyridium? Can't think of the OTC one. It makes your pee orange.

If you can't keep stuff down or pain worsens, go back to ER. Keep doing it til you get action and are sure you don't have a full blockage!

Sorry for the complications! (How many days total since a bowel movement?) Get Well soon ?

@FluffyChix it’s a relief to know I’m not the only one who experienced illeus I was beginning to wonder if the pain was all in my head. It is brutal!!! The ER prescribed polyethylene glycol and that’s what I’ve been taking as a laxative. I never heard of pyridium I’ll check with my doc on that. To scared to try anything that I’ll make things worse. @GreenTealael it’s been 12 days since my last bowel movement and my stomach is hard as a rock. I’ll definitely stay on top of this I need pain relief and for things to function properly.

Does your doc know it's been 12 days? I'd guess you are major constipated, the question is what to do about it!!!

Yes he knows I spoke with his nurse this morning. He’s still saying use Miralax ??‍♀️??‍♀️

3 minutes ago, MsBrown76 said:

@FluffyChix it’s a relief to know I’m not the only one who experienced illeus I was beginning to wonder if the pain was all in my head. It is brutal!!! The ER prescribed polyethylene glycol and that’s what I’ve been taking as a laxative. I never heard of pyridium I’ll check with my doc on that. To scared to try anything that I’ll make things worse. @GreenTealael it’s been 12 days since my last bowel movement and my stomach is hard as a rock. I’ll definitely stay on top of this I need pain relief and for things to function properly.

12 days? That's a long time for a train don't come...

Yes it is!!!

Dayum! Did they say they saw a crapton of stool in your images?

Nope no at all. Here’s the impression from the CT:


1.Noting some decompressed loops of small bowel and gaseous distention of the adjacent nondependent small bowel,
postoperative ileus is favored over partial small bowel
obstruction. Follow-up is suggested.
2. Gastric bypass changes and a small amount of free fluid in the pelvis without evidence for free air.
3. Small dependent right pleural effusion.

Additional notes:


Gastric bypass changes are noted. Several loops of small bowel appear decompressed in the mid to left hemiabdomen.
There are additional gas-filled loops of mildly edematous small bowel left hemiabdomen. Moderate amount retained fecal material is noted through the colon. There is a small amount
of free fluid in the pelvis. No free air is demonstrated.

13 minutes ago, MsBrown76 said:

Moderate amount retained fecal material is noted through the colon.

You have poo and water and gas mixed up in there cuz of a partial "asleep" part in your colon that acts as a partial obstruction. The question is why some of your bowel is decompressed. And what's the most gentle way to try to get things moving.

And you have fluid around your lung. So make sure you are deep breathing and moving!!! And doing your spirometer.

Dunno. But some one with medical training will hopefully be in to help you make sense of that. ((hugs)) And bless your heart. I know it's uncomfy / painful as hell!!

Pyridium = AZO, the OTC med for bladder spasms. If it works for the smooth muscle of the bladder, maybe it would help the intestines as well. ??????

It is not the perfect solution but in the 80s the treatment was 5 table spoons of light mineral oil until you pooped mineral oil. It makes a oil water slide for the stool so has to keep moving downward. I would never suggest this but not a bad CT resort so just need to move things and wake up those bowel sounds usually takes about 5 hours but no cramping like laxatives.It's hard to do Mirlax because you have to use it with a lot of fluid. . AZO you can get anyplace for the .Bladder spasms. But everything turns orange. AZO is a smooth muscle relaxation so with a pleural effusion you need to do some deep breathing, first 5 deep breaths on the last one hold it to count of 5. Then let out the breath in short dramatic blows, like your blowsing out birthday candles 1 at a time. This will expand lungs and drag up ) the fluid. Good luck

Mineral oil can be mighty effective, but the very real risk is aspiration, which is disastrous. If someone were to vomit and inhale some of it, or choke and inhale some of it, the lung situation is very serious.

@FluffyChix my thought too why the decompression??? Thankfully it’s a small amount of fluid I’m hoping all that has cleared.

@AZhiker great information but I’ll pass on anything that’ll possibly make me aspirate. That’s part of the reason I needed to have the surgery the GERD caused a lot of aspirating in my sleep quite often any given week.

@always I’m definitely familiar with mineral oil my mom tried to give it to me as a kid or castor oil but it never made it down before I’d spit it back up. I am definitely doing the spirometer more often.