Sally Jane, I just read your post and felt I needed to reply.Is your bowel incontinence due to diarrhea, or do you have more normal stool, just don't have the control?I had been suffering from bowel incontinence for the last 7 years. It finally got to the point that I did not want to go anywhere or do anything and when I did, I took changes of clothes, diapers, towels, etc. It was awful. My stool would sometimes be mushy, with little form, other times hard--more like constipation, and only occassionally would it be more like diarrhea. But, the embarrassment!!! No control. Anyway, a year ago this month, I finally went to see my regular Doc and told him that this was not living, this was simply existing and I wasn't going to live like this anymore. (Thru the years, every time I would mention the incontinence to the G.P. and to a Gastro., they would say, "it's the colitis, that's what colitis does".) My Doc referred me to a Colon/Rectal Specialist/Surgeon. He found that: #l. A piece of intestine had fallen down and was resting on the pelvic floor---it was in a fan-shape pattern and would kink off sometimes, resulting in frequent, but small movements and then a "sudden" rush of a huge amount when I would move, or whatever and "unkink" it. And, it was full of diverticulosis. #2. I only had about a 1/2" of sphincter muscle that was good. The rest had been damaged due to bad episiotomies, fast childbirth, and damage from a hemmorrhoidectomy. #3. The Levator muscles were so weak, I basically didn't have any!After a number of test, etc. this is what was decided
hase #1 surgery involved removing the bad section of colon (Sigmoid Resection) and straightening the vagina and rectum again--the intestines had rested on these and they needed to be straightened and tacked back in place (vaginalpexy and rectopexy). After 3 months of healing, Phase #2 surgery was done which involved tightening the sphincter muscle and the levator muscles (Sphincteroplasty and a Levatorplasty). Granted, this was not easy surgery by any means, but the Surgeon was confident that it would give me back some semblance of a more "normal" life again. There is the possibility that I will need a permanent colostomy later on, but it's bought me hopefully about 6 to 10 "good years" before I have to deal with that.Recuperation has taken a whole year and the Sphinteropexy and Levatorpexy are not considered fully healed until May of this year, but, I am beginning to see the end! Stool is now "normal" and easy clean-up, and I have more control. I can now "hold" it a little and it gives me time to be able to get to a bathroom safely. That, in itself, is wonderful!! I hope I haven't offended anyone here by being so forthright, but I think it's important that others know that it's possible to gain back some control, depending on what the causes are. If anyone has any other questions about any of this, please feel free to e-mail me directly, or post to me on this Board. I've been around for a year on the Boards here, but I'm mostly at the Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue site because I suffer from those culprits also! And the interesting thing about that is that most of us with the Fibro have IBS, too!Take care.Hope this helps you. Remember, you are not alone.Karen------------------There is a silent strength within each soul, and that strength is multiplied for those who remember that they do not walk their path alone. Thomas J. Edwards
