• From: Kalmar, Sweden
  • Registered: Sun, 20 May 2007
  • Posts: 1,951

Topic: After resection--Bowel movement question

Sorry for such a topic, but just wondering about the color of bm post resection. I am still having clay colored stools at times, and I have yet to regularly have the color of stools I had prior to cc and surgery. Is this normal? I am trying to work out what affects the color and if my period affects it at all, and I am not sure.

Is anyone else still having lighter colored stools? Given that this has been a problem since surgery and I have had 2 scans since then that have showed nothing, I am not sure if this is something I should worry about or not. I understand that the color will vary more as their is no gall bladder to regulate the bile, but should it get stay so light for so long?

Any ideas?
Kris

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

36 year old patient with buckets of hope
  • Peter
  • Peter
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  • From: Vermont
  • Registered: Thu, 02 Feb 2006
  • Posts: 235

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

Strikes me as unusual as I don't recall hearing this before.  It was not the case for me.
Did your resection include a Roux-en-Y to create  a new bile duct directly to the intestine.   A naive laymans view is that the color means that for some reason the bile is not getting to your intestine. 

You didn't mention what you're liver panel looks like but those numbers may provide a clue.   I've found a GI/liver specialist to be a big help,  with often different opinions from the Onc or surgeon, in some areas.

I think you're wise to be asking the question and would not let it drop.

-Peter

  • From: Kalmar, Sweden
  • Registered: Sun, 20 May 2007
  • Posts: 1,951

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

Thanks,  but not what I wanted to hear. I will have to find out how to speak with a liver specialist here in Sweden. It is all just too difficult, why is nothing ever simple!!!

Thanks, I do appreciate your help.

Kris

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

36 year old patient with buckets of hope

4 Reply by JeffG (edited by JeffG Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:19:24)

  • JeffG
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  • From: Kansas
  • Registered: Mon, 16 Oct 2006
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Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

Kris,  I agree with Peter about getting things checked out.  In most cases it means a lack of bile flow.  But it can also be other things related to diet.  You probally could go to your regular doctor and provide stool sample and see what results, but given your past history if it continues more than a few days then press on with the specialist.  Have you made any major diet changes since yoour resection especially anything with food coloring or food high in minerals such as aluminum? Or possibally taking any health supplements?
Jeff G.

Take it to the Limit,One More Time! (Eagles)

5 Reply by marions (edited by marions Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:54:16)

  • Registered: Fri, 12 May 2006
  • Posts: 8,165

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

Kris,
Being that

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED NOR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
  • From: Kalmar, Sweden
  • Registered: Sun, 20 May 2007
  • Posts: 1,951

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

I am contacting the surgeon in Scotland who removed the tumor. We have a good relationship and he is in contact with someone here in Sweden about me. I am also scheduled for some blood tests this week so I will ask my contact doctor (who is fabulous and very into getting things done for me) to schedule some stool samples. Hopefully it is nothing...as this light color stool comes regularly, I am praying it is related to my menstral cycle and the upset stomache that comes with it. Or something else not so bad....

It is just so frustrating. I want to go home so bad and I said I would go if my last scans came back clean, but then I decided not to instead I pushed it ahead because I got a little cocky about how well I felt and I *knew* that nothing was going to go wrong so I could postpone the trip so I could spend Christmas in the states with my family.  Ok, I will take a deep breath now and try not to worry until I find out something.

But really....no one else has irregular stool color?

Kris

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

36 year old patient with buckets of hope
  • evan14
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  • From: Wisconsin
  • Registered: Mon, 16 Jan 2006
  • Posts: 68

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

Dawn had this situation about 6 mos. after her resection. Some abdominal pain was involved as well.  There was never any determination of an exact cause. The thought at the time was that it was caused by scar tissue from the surgery blocking the reconstructed bile duct. New scans were done at that time

  • Registered: Sat, 13 May 2006
  • Posts: 188

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

I know my Mum had light coloured poo prior to her resection, along with the jaundice, which was all caused by the bile not flowing properly. I'm not sure afterwards, I think it all went back to normal. Sorry, doesn't seem very helpful.

  • Registered: Wed, 15 Aug 2007
  • Posts: 17

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

was wondering if you have had 2 things. recent blood work with alp (I thinks the wording for this is alkiline phosphatate) and when you had surgery what they call a roux-en-y? Why I ask my mother had her surgery just about a month ago and when we went back about a week ago for her first check up her blood work showed her alps were higher than before she went  to the hospital (at the hospital they were just about normal)  Went back to see the doc yesterday and he is pretty sure what is happening with her is that the small part of her intestine that they connected to her liver is not functioning right and bile is backing up into her liver causing a slight infection which causes the test to come back high again. So she's on antibodtics and setting up a test for upper gi. what next we don't know. He told us this happens in a very small amount of people. Oh I forgot she even had a ct scan which came back ok. They were shocked also she has some itching back but no yellowing some constapation and no fever no sickening feelings. Her last alps were 2100. Hope this helps

  • Registered: Tue, 04 Sep 2007
  • Posts: 17

Re: After resection--Bowel movement question

i thought i read somewhere that this can be can be a result of having part of the pancrease removed, hindering its ability to break down fat and that it can be remedied by taking enzimes. but maybe i'm wrong.