Bowel Back-up

[ann]

Hello all, my initial story is in the incomplet sci.. under my husband is incomplete. My question to this section is my husband due from colon cancer has a colostomy bag for the time being until he completely heal, but is it normal due to the spinal injury to get backed up with your bowels, and what causes it? He's been in pain since yesterday he was doing really good until this.

[wheels5894]

Ann, I take it you mean constipated and ther answer is YES! For many of us it is a major problem and one that usually is solved by working out a bowel programme of various drugs or laxatives and often suppositories to empty. Full details are on this page http://www.spinal-injury.net/bowel-management-sci.htm. Other things to be done are to eat lots of fibre, I go with a large bowl of All Bran in the morning, and lots and lots and lots of drink (non-alcoholic, sorry).

The movement of our walking about and the movements of the abdominal muscles are all effective in helping the bowels to move the contents along and keeping things 'going'. Paralysis ends walking and for some the abdominal muscles too. Naturally the bowels slow down or nearly stop.

Anyway, have a read through the link where you should have all the information you need.

[ann]

thanks wheels I will read through it.. it's so knew to my husband because before all this he can eat and go right the bathroom never ever had a problem   

[Apparelyzed]

Hi,

I'm a c5/6, and so far, in 16 years I've never been "bunged up".

I put my luck down to eating lots of vegetables, at least 5-6 portions a day, eating brown bread, and drinking lots of fluids.

The only undesirible side affect is you can't hold your farts in!

But I'd rather have that than get "bunged up"!

Simon

p.s. if I do think my bowels may be slowing down, I always eat a good curry, that soon gets things moving again!

[Gary Anderson]

 Would not want to be in vicinity of the "farting department" after a curry.

We have a basement in the hospital here and by golly, on a Friday afternoon it is not the normal smell of the hospital that freaks you out!!  

Joking apart, with the correct amendments to diet, even for the able bodied, getting "bunged up" should not be a problem.

[Jilly]

Poo! Ya pack of smelly buggers!!! 

What about when being bunged up is the side effect of drugs??

At the hospital where I work we give the oldies some sort of natural stuff, its a combination of figs and prunes! At first we gave them a tablespoon of the stuff mixed up with their porridge in the morning....but very very quickly reviewed the amout taken to about a teaspoon!  It worked TOO well! Lol! 

I will see if I can get the name of it...it might help some of you lot. Its good stuff!

[ann]

Good Morning all, well it's me again haven't been on the site in a while, preparing for my husband to come home hopefully april 28  I feel i'm ready for him but then it's mix emotions, which i'm sure is understandable, more so nervousness. He's keeping the colostomy bag, he feels it's easier for him for when he's out, also he's been having problems with the bladder as far as now urinating when sitting in his wheel chair, is that normal? As long as he lays he's fine but when sitting in the chair for a period of time he don't release so that is now the concern of the dr's in why he's not releasing normally, do anyone have any information on that for me why that is? but other then that he's been doing good, he's got good words from all his therapist, dr's and everyone that works with him so that's good. just to come home and now adjust to the home setting that you once knew but now in a different way :0

[cate]

Hi Ann
Sure you must be looking forward to your husband coming home soon.   Sure your will feel a bit aprehensive, but you will both manage, and find your own routines.  So best of luck
Cate