I am about 2.5 weeks out from my take down surgery and I started feeling nauseous today and noticed my output is less (but still happening). I also thew up twice so far. I have no pain or hard spots on my stomach. Could this be a partial blockage? I would really love to avoid going back to the hospital if I can. Any advice?
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I'd be surprised if you had a blockage without any pain, but perhaps others may have heard of this. Nausea alone could be from medication (have you added/changed any?), or perhaps gastritis.
Could be the beginning of an obstruction, but too soon to tell. Since your take down was just a short time ago, it makes sense to be on the alert. I definitely would back off on solid foods until this sorts out. No need to go to the ER or call your doctor right away, unless your symptoms escalate. Could just be something you ate did not agree with you, or you picked up a minor virus.
Jan 
I would worry about obstruction as well given that you are only a few weeks out from surgery. But Jan is absolutely right, this could also be a gastrointestinal virus. There is some overlap in the symptoms and it's not always easy to tell the difference right away.
But, if you develop cramping that comes in waves or you happen to go more than 8 hours without a BM, this is almost certainly an obstruction and it would be best to call your surgeon or head to the ER.
How long does a virus like that usually last?
A gastrointestinal virus usually lasts 1 to 3 days but can be up to a week. I have noticed that since having my colon removed, it takes longer for my system to "normalize" again after having such an illness, so sometimes I might feel off for about 1-2 weeks. Given that you are still very close out from your surgery, though, I would keep a closer eye on things. Going to the hospital sucks (believe me, I've ridden out partial obstructions at home because I loathe the ER so much) but if you're not seeing an improvement within 24 hours, or if you stop passing stool and/or develop the wave-like cramping that I described earlier, it's time to head to the hospital.
PS - I have had a number of partial obstructions, and sometimes yes, at the beginning I don't always know if it's a virus or a blockage. But almost invariably for me, the telltale sign of obstruction is always the wave-like cramping. If I'm dealing with a virus, I never have cramping of that nature. I may have mild, generalized abdominal discomfort but it's nothing like the type of cramping I have with an obstruction.
