dVH/RALH Day 11 post hysterectomy - severe rectal pain cramps ? Food Related ?

G'day

I had really bad rectal pain more like cramping at night on Day 11 and then a less severe one the night after together with bladder spasm. It was the most pain I had post hysterectomy. The pain eventually went away after 30 mins.

That night Was our daughters birthday, we went to a Japanese restaurant and I had dishes with onions/garlic and had sushi/sashimi. This is my first meal with a bit more oil and spice. I have been eating very bland food. I am wondering whether my pain was caused by eating the food at the restaurant or whether I walked or sat for too long. I didn't have any diarrhea or stomach upset and no one went to the dinner got sick after. I would appreciate any thought or advice to avoid another rectal pain episode. Perhaps this is a normal healing process? That means there may be more to come? I still have small amount of brown/salmon pink colour spotting. My surgeon did tell me that he repaired my bowel because it was adhered to the uterus.

Thank you for your support.

Our bowels can be wonky for quite a while after surgery. Even if you're making a bowel movement every day, you can still have symptoms of constipation. At 17 days I felt like somebody was hitting me with a pickax from the inside, and I could feel my insides churning and tumbling as if rocks were moving (I call it my "rock mining episode"). I had to actively manage my digestion and diet for about 7 weeks before things started acting normal again, and even then it was a new normal without my fibroid-laden uterus. I found that on days when I didn't have enough water... I could be rewarded with digestive difficulties the next day.

It very well could have been the spices, salt or any gas producing foods which were in the dinner like broccoli. The same hormone-like chemicals (prostaglandins) which caused our old menstrual cramps also contribute to digestive cramps, and those prostaglandins are released by our cells at locations of inflammation - whether surgical or digestive. It explains why we cramp easily in our early post-op weeks.

Foods good for the digestive system are those high in fiber & magnesium, often the same foods. Whole grains, fiber cereals, fruits - dried, fresh, or frozen in smoothies - nuts, seeds, avocados, bananas, dark leafy greens, prune juice and enough water to swamp a canoe.

On the spotting, you may experience spotting for several weeks, and it might change during the healing process, especially as your stitches start to dissolve. If you're soaking a pad in an hour, that'd be an emergency, but for spotting just monitor for any changes that don't seem right. You can read more about Spotting vs. Bleeding After Hysterectomy here.

Rest well!

I think the onions and garlic were the main culprits; they're high in poorly digested carbohydrates, which end up being fermented by bacteria in the colon, producing more gas. Other foods in this category include broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, legumes, cucumbers, melons, pears, and artificial sweeteners. Supplementing your diet with magnesium can help to relax the smooth muscles in your intestinal tract, relieving the cramping; food sources include leafy greens, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate. Two more ways to encourage smooth passage include drinking enough water so that your urine is clear or pale yellow, and sitting on the toilet with your knees drawn into your chest, and your feet elevated on a low stool; this properly aligns the rectum, so the poop can pass through more smoothly. Here's hoping you'll be back to 💩 soon!

Thank you so much for your advice, Cussette and Tiger_eye,

Your advice makes perfect sense to me!

I will try to avoid the gas producing food. I have been back to a diet with no onion, spices etc and more fruit like plums and nectarines and on a 1/2 teaspoons of Normacol a day. I feel a lot better with my BM.

Thank you agiain for supporting me in this bumpy ride