Bowel preparation

Hi Ladies,
This might sound a really stupid question, but, when you go for your pre-op appointment how do they assess if you need a bowl prep before the OP? Was wondering if they just ask you questions about your bowl movements or of if they actually 'investigate' if you get my drift. Have had a doctor examine my back passage before many years ago and it is not pleasant. I have a lot of problems with bowl movements so am, even though I have not got a date yet, making sure I eat extra amounts of veg. and fruit to help. Any other advice ladies would be welcome. I know I should drink more water but can't manage more than a couple of big glasses a day.

This has been on my mind a bit and I know you won't all think I am stupid for asking, I hope.

Jan x

It is my understanding bowel prep is ordered by your doctor and will be on your hospital orders. My doctor did not require one; however, he heartily recommended it. He said it will help me feel better afterwards, possibly avoiding constipation. He said the bowel basically shuts down for a few days. During that time, if any stool are present, they become hard. It is then hard to have a BM and constipation can occur. I drank a 10 oz bottle of mag. citrate. It wasn't very good, but I drank it over ice, which wasn't terrible either. It took 2 hours to take effect, but then it worked for 7-8 hours. I just came home from the hospital today. I feel pretty good, though I haven't had a BM yet. I'm not worried about it though. Good luck to you.

If no bowel prep was ordered, it would be ok to do one?

I had preop this morning, and they said:

No bowel prep required for gyn surgeries anymore.
Nail polish ok as long as it's light.
I really should consider the epidural+general route to anesthesia and pain relief since it's less likely to cause dizziness, grogginess, depressed respiration, vomiting, and sluggish digestion than the morphine pump. I think I'm going to go with that approach.

I'm a little anxious because I never had an epidural. But I talked myself into it saying if I could stand 24 hours of unmedicated labor to deliver 9 and ten lb babies, a needle in the back should not bother me too much!

If your Dr says no bowel prep, then DO NOT do a bowel prep.

Your Dr has her/his reasons for placing the order. Taking a bowel prep when you are not required can lead to cancellation of your surgery. Can you imagine all that waiting to have to stress out over it all again?

Be happy that you don't have to do one (they're not very pleasent) and keep some stool softeners on hand for after surgery.

Good luck

Maybe this is an individual thing, depending on your doctor. Mine is insisting on a bowel prep; she insisted I have one before my last laparoscopy as well. Maybe because I have endo on my bowel, and she might need to take some off? Or maybe it's easier to move around in there when the bowel is empty. Anyway, I have to do it. Yuck. And she insists on GoLytely, which is nasty.

Leslie

I detect a trend in the messages... they point to certain topics


(1) Before the op - Bowels, cleaning out thereof, YES/NO (pick one)

(2) After the op - Bowels, movement thereof - will it happen, when will it happen, how will it feel

(3) Bladder - peeing thereof - the catheter (nuff said on that one), unable to pee, hurts to pee, nice to be able to pee

and my personal favourite :

(4) GAS ! - popping thereof - The dreaded gas which hurts and lurks in many dim and dark recesses until it works its way out.

Ladies ? What is going on here ? Why does having a hyst have to include all those unmentionable bodily functions ?? Is this some kind of sinister plot ??

I'm a bit shy about the gas thing.. I think I've almost convinced my DH that 'I don't, ever' - think my hyst is going to blow my cover .. waaah ...

And yes, it was my first-ever enema in my life. They gave me the bottle during my preop lab visit. I was so nervous about using it, as I was by myself. (Although I think my boyfriend was glad he had to work that night...)

It kind of shocked me that I had to do a bowel prep, but I was afraid to NOT do it, in case it would have caused a problem later. Boy, did it ever work. I will say, I had no trouble in that department after I was home -- don't know if it was the Fleet's or not.

I loved Tabbi's post -- it cracked me up! So true, all of these other issues to deal with, but I'm so glad I found this site. It's been such a huge help to hear from my HysterSisters about their experiences.

LOL about the gas thing. I have been married to my hubby for 32 years, and I had never passed gas in front of him...until I was lying there in that hospital bed after my surgery. I had no choice but to "let 'er rip!" in front of him. He got a big kick out of it. Gave us both a good laugh. But hey, you gotta do what ya gotta do! LOL!

About the bowel prep. In my case my Dr. explained to me that it was EXTREMELY important for my bowels to be empty, due to the nature of my surgery. I did not have a normal hysterectomy. Mine was radical, due to cancer of the cervix. This meant that he took a lot more tissue, lymph nodes, etc., than with a normal hysterectomy. He also said that if there happened to be an adhesion to the colon, it would be very important for the colon to be empty....just in case it was nicked and its contents spilled into the cavety. So, in my case, I was STRONGLY urged by my Dr. to follow his bowel prep instructions to the letter. This also included TWO days of clear liquid diet before the surgery and another 2 days afterward. I did as I was told, had no problems, and I'm doing fine now, a week post op.

Simple fact is that our recovery time temporarily gives us a glimpse into the future:

1.) We'll walk with a slow shuffle
2.) We'll find it impossible to stand up straight immediately after rising from a bed or chair
3.) We'll be totally focused on the frequency and quality of our bowel functions, and unashamed to discuss them with whomever will listen.

These three things completely describe my 87 year old grandmother. During my recovery time, I couldn't help seeing her in my bathroom mirror as I shuffled along in my cotton housedress. It also didn't help that right before surgery I had a haircut that just happens to let more of my grays show, and I was not bothering with makeup most days so I looked washed out.