upcoming op, chronic constipation

Hi Ladies, this is my very first post here.
I am 29. My surgery is scheduled for june 4th, just a little over a month away from my 30th birthday.
I am really concerned about my first BM after the surgery. Having a BM is really difficult (sometimes painful) for me now. I have been constipated for about 18 years (yes, really). Any advice?

I spent a large part of my life with constipation, so I know how you feel.
But (apart from some days post-op.), I am never constipated now. I go 365 days a year, as regular as clockwork, straight after breakfast!

So - how did I change that? Very easy - just drank a lot more (not necessarily plain water) and included more fruit, vegetables and fibre in my diet.
Having plenty of water/herbal teas/whatever is the no. 1 thing. Start now if you don't already. I drink the equivalent of 8 large coffee mugs (NOT 8 cups of coffee!) a day.
For breakfast I suggest adding some flaxseed or linseeds to your cereal. These will go right through you! Or baker's bran.
In my country it is known to everyone that kiwifruit (you call them kiwis, I think, but we use that term for our native bird, or ourselves!) are brilliant for constipation. We grow them and export them and eat them in large quantities. I have 1-2 a day, all year round.
But eating a lot of fruit and vegetables in general should help. Don't eat a lot of meat or junk food.
Prunes are good too of course.
Post-op. constipation is common for many if not most of us. There are numerous threads on here that will help you with that, but if you can improve your bowel habits beforehand, you will be less worried.
Good luck!

What has worked well for me is a glass of Metamucil daily and 3 stool softeners (one at breakfast, one at lunch, and one a dinner). I still have to drink a cup of coffee in the morning to get things moving, but without the Metamucil and stool softeners I know post surgery that my BMs would have been a nightmare. I also recommend eating a bran muffin or 2 a day. They really help. I use the All Bran recipe that you can find on their website.

If you're really worried, talk to your doctor about a Fleet's enema. If your doctor says it's safe for you to do an enema after surgery, then you can keep one on hand just in case things get really stopped up.

Good luck.

thanks ladies
I don't eat junk food, and generally have a really good diet. I feel like it is partly problem with the actual muscles and 'stuff'...I try to drink several glasses of water a day. I took Senna for a few days, but it didn't help/ I think I might try that again for a week, see if that helps. I think stool softeners would be a good idea too.

Hi Elizabeth
I also have problems...my GI has put me on Mirolax/Restorlax. I live in Canada but I think the names are the same in the US. I have found drinking lots of water and these have helped alot. I have a colon stricture....so I have really suffered from problems in the past. Good luck

Senna just made me nauseous, not poop. I took colace for a week post-op, it seemed to help a lot. It took 5 days to finally go because the bowel prep really cleans you out. I was terrified of the first time since I had rectocele repair but it was so much easier than pre-surgery movements.

I'd been bound up since childhood and thought a weekly BM was normal. Now I go daily with no more assistance from medicines. Life is good!

Ive also had this prob for many, many years..tried lots and lots of diff things to help me out, not too much worked good until couple years ago i was tuned into Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with the "mother" in it...I would put some of this mixed with Olive oil as a salad dressing,,i would also add some herbs like cayene, basil, cumin, tumeric etc...after the first day trying this wow i couldnt believe how this was flushing my system out, so i would make this as a salad dressing daily and yep had success every morning....caution tho upon trying anything new is to talk with your doc as all our medical hysteries are different and if were on any kind of other medication or herbs were using due to anything else were going through its always very wise to check with doc before trying anything new...yes i also have a mix of flax meal, plain greek yogurt, blueberries, ses seeds, cinnamon, wheat germ and when i can afford it Almond Milk....these are my little mixes to help me out...i havent had the apple cider vinegar since my surgery as i wanted to wait awhile dont know how my tummy will react to vinegar after surgery, so its been 2mths now so i may get back to that dressing again soon...during beginning of post op up to now ime still taking stool softners to help me out..Peace be with you

Thanks, I am in canada too. I am going to see if I can get in to see him soon to talk a few things over.

also just wanted to add for you to know that after you have your surgery it may take from 3-5 days to have a bm, so try not to be worried if your not having bm beginnng of post op okay, its normal..I was concerned cuz didnt have bm post op until about 3-4 day i think it was, but then if finally happened, whew what a time that was, so just some more info for you to know its very normal after post op to have sluggish bowels....

Thats good to know...my surgery is on the 15th. I have been worrying about that, along with all the other issues this surgery makes you think about.
Thanks