Prepping the Day Before for the Day After

[KathyF]

It seems it takes about 6 hours for food to travel through your stomach and small intestine. The rest of the time it is in the colon. You just need the small intestine to be clear as that is the only part being operated on.

I had to do a bowel prep before my surgery.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

This is what Im worried about. I thought i understood constipation and baby elephants but since I've been on iron, D3 and folate....omg. just OMFG! lol. I may need a looooot of gummy bears lol j/k I will take a stool softener daily until op, starting tomorrow. This isn't normal constipation, I actually woke up with twinges this morning...but I will spare you the details lol. Iron SUCKKKKKSSSS!!!!!

If I were in your shoes, and getting into that kind of condition, I'd definitely want to do a cleanout.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Can someone help set the record straight for me? I don't understand, if the intestines are being sliced and diced, why some surgeons don't want them completely cleared out with a bowel prep? It was horrible, but it my head it needed to be done since partially digested food spilling into the abdomen would be undesirable. Or is that just my over active imagination?

Your intestines are NEVER empty of every possible bit of stuff. Just doesn't happen. Fasting for 12-ish hours clears the small intestine of food for the most part, but it's surgical technique that keeps stuff from spilling into the abdominal cavity. And there would be stuff to spill even if you hadn't eaten for days. Digestive juices and such, KWIM?

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but they're not touching your large intestines, which is where the poo would be by operation time. It would have already worked its way through the small intestines... (unless I'm wrong!)

There is NEVER any poo in the small intestine. Unless you're really sick.

 

[brooklyngirl]

Ahh, ok, got it better now. I really envisioned then making snips and half digested nastiness spilling out, lol

 

[Taterweight]

I just had to eat light the day before (I stuck to soups with a tiny bit of bread). He had me set to go with a sparkling vintage of cherry mag citrate then called me Sunday afternoon and said if I was eating light not to worry about the bowel prep. So in the end, I didn't have to do anything either.

 

[kirstabelle]

I had no prep and ate up to midnight.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

If I were in your shoes, and getting into that kind of condition, I'd definitely want to do a cleanout.

Yeah I'm stopping the vits now....this just ain't right what is happening to my arse. Never seen anything like it of any sort! And if I was way low, my surgical team would have put my op on hold.....so Im probably good to go. I just hope my arse isn't like this pre op. man.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

well if all ya all lived then I shall live too