<p>He’s going to be in the same city for at least four years, so I’m hopeful he’ll have someone who follows him that entire time. As you know, people this age move a lot, so he hasn’t had the same physicians.</p>
<p>VeryHappy,</p>
<p>I lost your number…call me! Or email me…</p>
<p>Good news: The nasogastric tube has been removed. He must be sooooooo much more comfortable. He’s hopeful he will be released today.</p>
<p>Edited to add: Apparently things are – ummmm – moving again.</p>
<p>For those of you who have had (or know someone who has had) this problem numerous times and then had surgery: Did the surgery solve the problem and prevent it from recurring? Or was the surgery intended as a one-time fix?</p>
<p>The surgeon who’s caring for my son suggested there might be a surgical solution, but I don’t want to get my hopes up. Surgeons like to cut. “When the only tool you have is a hammer, you view every problem as a nail.”</p>
<p>Very Happy, I’m so glad to hear the good news. A wonderful New Year’s gift – L’Shana Tovah! </p>
<p>In my case, I had to have emergency surgery the very first time it happened in 2004 (because there were multiple adhesions in the area of the old intestinal surgeries 20 years earlier, and they had to pull everything apart in multiple places – my small intestine actually tore open in one place while they were doing that, and they had to sew it up, but I would have died without the surgery, so there wasn’t much choice). When I asked if there was anything to be done to prevent a recurrence, the surgeon said that he had wrapped some kind of mesh around some of the length of my small intestine (I don’t have a large intestine) in the hope of preventing the same thing from happening in the future, but there were no guarantees. It’s happened three times since then (although not since mid-2010, knock on wood), with no particular trigger each time. So, unfortunately, I always am sort of mentally prepared for the possibility that it could happen again at any time.</p>
<p>Thanks, Donna.</p>
<p>They’ve started him on clear liquids will probably release him tomorrow.</p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
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<p>VH, the person I know with a similar issue (no way to know if the problems are the same) is MUCH older than your son. Her first “issue” was about 15 years ago. That one did NOT require surgery. The second issue was about 10 years ago, and she did have surgery…not sure what they did. This summer was her third time around. The gastro guy did NOT want to do surgery…but he did set a day limit to make the decision. Things “moved along” in the right time frame.</p>
<p>VH, the person I know had surgery after two bowel obstruction episodes within about 6 months of each other, both requiring multiple days of hospitalization with NG tube insertions. In each case he was facing surgery but the obstruction would clear after about 2-3 days with the NG tube in place. His obstruction was in the same spot and related to a scar tissue from a previous emergency abdominal surgery causing the intestines to get snagged on scar tissue in a specific area. It was pretty clear in the x-ray (or scan). He chose to be proactive and scheduled surgery before he had a third episode. His surgery was to clean up the scar tissue in the problem area.</p>
<p>He has had no episodes since the surgery and that was about 5 years ago, but he was warned by doctors it could happen again because he has a lot of other scar tissue from the original emergency surgery that could cause similar problems.</p>
<p>Greta, thanks. Son had serious abdominal surgery 14 years ago due to a ruptured appendix. Since then, lots of painful episodes from adhesions, and 20 months ago and now, a real obstruction. The NG tube has resolved the issue both times, but if surgery would reduce the incidence of recurrence, that would be more than welcome. Frankly, the surgery wouldn’t be any worse in terms of recovery than the four or so days with the NG tube. I don’t know, however, if improvement from the surgery can be guaranteed.</p>
<p>He might be better off waiting a few decades (he’s only 27) until they perfect the technique. Of course, who knows what he’ll encounter in the meantime. :(</p>
<p>Once this episode is behind him, I’ll encourage him to have serious conversations with several GI folks.</p>
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<p>This sounds more like diverticulosis/diverticulitis rather than IBD. Are you sure?</p>
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<p>Ok…more info here. My friend also has scar tissue from some precious issues. I think having a serious talk with the gastro guys once your son is on the mend from this issue would be a good idea. At the very least, he wants to know how they will monitor his situation, and warning signs he should look for.</p>
<p>He already knows the “warning signs” and was much more on top of it this time than the first. (The first time he probably waited 36 or 48 hours too long.) The doc has said that there’s nothing that he did to bring this on, and nothing he can do to prevent it. Not diet, not activity, not exercise. How helpless does that make someone feel?!</p>
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<p>Being in a similar situation, the answer is “very.” I often feel as if I have the Sword of Damocles hanging over me. So I very much empathize with your son. </p>
<p>I think that people referring to diet may be confusing the kind of obstruction inside the intestines that results from food blockage (or, with something like Crohn’s Disease, from the inflammatory process of the disease itself), with the kind of external obstruction from scar tissue, adhesions, etc., that causes parts of the intestine to get stuck to each other, causing a constriction. I don’t think diet has anything to do with the latter kind.</p>
<p>^ This. Unfortunately, it’s just always going to be a possibility. The problem is on the “outside” of the tube, not the inside. Hugs to you and your son.</p>
<p>VH - I’m glad your son is on the road to recovery. God Bless.</p>
<p>Go and be with him for few days.<br>
My D. is very close, just 2 hours away. I work full time and did not have any vacation days left. I still arrange last year to be with her for couple days. She was in and out emergency few times, was afraid to drive. Her condition was not near as serious. Her comments: Mom, I do not think I would have got better without you. I do not think I did anything special, I just had my body in her place, apparently it helped. My “kid” is also older, she is in Grad. School. She had friends taking care of her before I came. She needed her mommy though.<br>
Unless your “kid” objects (it is different with boys), I would go there, it will help him, I agree “he needs a hug”, the best medicine.</p>
<p>He’s now been discharged from the hospital. But I should have gone. Last Friday night, I should have gotten on the first plane out. :(</p>
<p>VeryHappy, you’re a great mom. The way these medical things evolve is so hard to predict. Hugs.</p>