I'm so glad I learned what I did about my IBS before going into surgery last week. For those who may not know, I had a hysterectomy - there's a long story there, but that's not at all the point of my post here.
My point is this - I'm so glad I learned what I have from Heather's book and you all here. Surgery is full of surprises! First of all, to do the laparascopic exploratory part of the surgery, they had to pump my abdomen full of GAS. That's been fun to get rid of, ick. Thank God for fennel tea and Phazyme. Also, they came in first thing the morning after surgery with Senokot for me to take. I said no! I said if they'd just leave me alone I promised I'd get myself going without cramping up on Senokot. They left me alone and let me do it myself. The next morning at home I had a BM, after my aloe vera juice, oatmeal w/ ground flax seed and raisins, and some hot herbal teas (none laxative, just calming and got things going). Also had to get up and get moving a little first. Oh, I was also dreadfully sick from the anesthesea and the morphine they gave me post-op. Kept me throwing up and nauseous for a good 12 hours following surgery. I told them I had to have some saltines or something solid on my stomach before I'd feel any better, they refused, said I could not have solid food until my bowels starting moving (i.e. passing gas! they asked me constantly whether or not I was passing gas!) I convinced them that my bowels would not move, and I would not stop feel nauseous, until things began to regulate, which meant allowing me a few saltines in my stomach. They gave me one pack, later Eric went down and smuggled me another pack, and brought me some ginger tea - within a couple hours I was feeling much better.
I'm just overall so glad that I came out of it all without the use of laxatives, without the dreadful constipation everyone told me I'd have (part of that is because I refused the strong pain meds, don't really need them and would rather hurt some that get so constipated and nauseous). Information is SO empowering!
Hope to be back regularly soon, still recovering at home and times up at the PC are brief. 
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Take care,
Michelle
...the greatest of these is LOVE. (I Cor 13)
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IBS and surgery
