Another bowel obstruction! Advice?

So sorry this is happening to you akteacher,
Bowel obstructions are very common with us since people have been playing with our guts and things get twisted up in there plus there is the thickening/ narrowing/ scar tissue etc...so unfortunately they are very common.
Severe pain, nausea, high fever, no output etc are excellent indications of an obstruction (also apendicitis but that is another story)...and they should not be ignored...guts can go nacrotic if they are not irrigated properly so we don't fool around with this stuff. I know that it is a pain but better to go back to ER than risk worse later.
That said, if your intake/out put are normal and you can keep food down without feeling severe cramping labour-type pains then you may not have one.
Try lots of hot fluids (broth, tea, warm lemonaide is great, soups etc), a heating pad, warm baths and walking around a lot...if it is only a mild obstruction then try to massage/walk it out as much as possible. My worst one was resolved on a wild run to ER were my best friend took all of the speed bumps at 50mph (there were over 30 of them, I counted) and it 'shook' out the obstruction.
If none of this helps then yes...Get to ER or at least call your surgeon back fast.
Sharon

I had five obstructions before we realized they were caused by a Z shaped splice in my gut from the first J-pouch surgery. I had two redo's before I had to give it up and go to the perm ostomy.
Now, two years ago I had the final surgery and never felt better.
My advice would be try to figure out if certain foods plug you or is yours also a surgical shortfall. In the meantime, stick with a liquid diet and close to a hospital.
Dave

I would also make sure that you are drinking enough fluids. I dealt with mine 7 weeks ago, and no mother-in-law has one too. Keep a food diary of what seems to make it harder to go and then avoid them. If it is scar tissue, it can be removed. If you begin to get sick or things not moving at all, then you should go to the ER. Hope you feel better.

It always took a few days after the obstruction passed to be pain free. I did have surgery for adhesion removal 2 years ago. It got to the point that I could not eat. Although I am so much better now from time to tie I still get them but only once now in2 years did I have to go to the hospital. Before I would be in in every few weeks. I suffered for 10 years.

Grape juice has been really helpful for me. What have you been eating? Whenever I've obstructed and gone to the hospital, it's usually 2 days of bowel rest before food is introduced. And then after that it's easy foods for a few days.
There can be residual pain after an obstruction,maybe that is what you are feeling.

I did go back to the ER and had repeat CT done. The dr. Sent the images to someone via computer and they came back with a report of the contrast being seen in the vaginal canal, which means a possible fistula. I had a fistula repair in 2006 and cannot believe there could be another one! I am seeing a gastro specialist this Thursday for his opinion. My question is does this have to be surgically repaired? Can it be fixed with meds? If surgery is required does that mean another ileo? Is it possible to be repaired w/o an ileo? how many times can a pouch be repaired before they just give up on it? I am scared of the outcome this time. I have had so many abdominal surgeries i've been told that going through my abdomen is like going through concrete b/c of all the scar tissue. This is really scary right now. I also had to stay in LA instead of going back to the village I live in in AK b/c of lack of medical. My husband had to go back to start teaching so I'm here w/ my mother & sister but it's just not the same as having him here to help me deal with all this unknown! Any ideas on what I might be looking at happening now? Thanks!

Hi akteacher. I kept having the issue and it turned out it was scarring causing the intestine to close up from where I had the loop iliostomy. The doc cut out 5 inches from there and sewed me back up and no problems since then (Feb. 2010). 3 step July 2006, Oct 2006, March 2007.

Hi Dave Tex. Thanks for responding. When you had the surgery did you have to go back to an ileo while you recovered? I am hoping, if surgery is needed, to have the surgery & be done so that I can return to AK to be with my husband & return to teaching!