My Liquid Diet(Constipation, Bowel Obstruction, and Linzess)

Constipation, Bowel Obstruction, and Linzess

This week has been a trying one for me. I had several appointments.

I am so glad the weather cooperated. I had no difficulty going to my appointments. The only problem, I had, I could not take my Linzess. It's been three days since I last had my bowel movement. I have been eating one meal a day, so as not to trigger the Obstruction in my gut, too.

I went to physical therapy for my back. I was dizzy because lack of eating. My therapist demonstrated to me the exercise to do to help manage the pain instead of me performing it. I feel she feared, I might faint during the session.

I take daily, senna tablets two or three a day to get bowel movements. Sometimes it does not work so I have to take Linzess. Linzess is very good for bowel movements but you cannot leave the house for appointments. It normally works after an hour of taking it. Linzess, will cause you to have severe diarrhea. You have to take an hour before you eat.

I am learning to adjust Linzess with my daily life. When my gut pain is a level 4 pain it is a sign to start taking Linzess to prevent full-blown stomach Obstruction. If I ignore the pain and don’t take Linzess right away, I end up in the hospital with a full obstruction.

If I take Linzess after I experience a level four pain in my gut. I sometimes get a ½ Obstructions. Do not ask me what that means, Only a doctor can explain that. It’s what my CT scan had diagnosed since my last hospitalization.

Taking Linzess has prevented the medical staff from having me use a tube down my throat for days and having to be admitted longer in the hospital. Before I took Linzess, I had to stay four days in the hospital.

Linzess can cause discomfort and bloating, I take gas relief and pepcid(famotidine) to relieve this discomfort.

Stomach Obstruction can cause vomiting when it gets severe. You can get dehydration, which is not good for your kidney especially if you have only one. In the Emergency room, they will put you on an Ivy after placing you on a contrast for the CT scan. If you drink the Contrast solution, it tastes, awful.

When you go testing for a CT scan outside of the hospital, some places give coconut-flavored Contrast solution but you will be drinking more of it than in the hospital. Holding all that liquid is not very pleasant.

Senna, stool softener, and Miralax do not always work so It's necessary/vital to use Linzess. Your gut can get immune to these medicines. It's vital to drink a lot of liquid.

I pushed myself to a point when I got home from my appointments, I was exhausted and could not do anything but lie in bed and let my body recoup. Sometimes it takes me more than two days to get my strength back.

Tomorrow, I have an in-person training for volunteer training(Cash/Vita). I won't be able to make it because I need to take Linzess medication to avoid being hospitalized this holiday season. The good news is that I can still train online but I learn extra stuff through in-person training.

I am trying out Ensure and see If it stops my dizziness when it's necessary to eat only one meal due to appointments.

I do go on a liquid diet to avoid taking Linzess. See the cover picture above. A liquid diet consists of jello, pudding, juices, tea, and chicken broth. I have to stay home because I will be urinating frequently.

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I do notice I urinate more if I eat sweet food. I try to control my sweet craving but it's hard at times. I do not drink alcohol or smoke. I have a feeling that my situation would be worse if I had those habits.

This is my lifestyle until I find a medication I can take regularly without it getting in the way of my goals and daily routine. When I have the energy, I take advantage of it and do a lot of productive things in one day. I am depleted the next day, It's hard to get out of bed because I feel so weak and dizzy. My mind is too tired to make decisions.

I am hoping these Ensures I bought yesterday will give me the energy I need. Ensure can be expensive; that's why, it's cheaper to go on a liquid diet once a week. This four-pack Ensure costs $12 plus(Max Protein). The Ensure 6pack costs $12.00.

I used to be a very active individual. Eating healthy is very important as well.

If anyone out there is going through what I am and has suggestions, I am welling to hear your accomplishment on Stomach obstructions.

Note: When The Stomach Obstruction has already occurred and you took Linzess, It takes Linzess, longer for it to take effect. It will prevent you from staying longer in the hospital. I know everybody is different so keep that in mind. This is my experience. I am not a doctor.

Constipation (Backup) is not as painful as Obstruction but very uncomfortable and it affects your daily activity. they will try to give you, Magnesium Citrate liquid. This solution makes you want to poop but if your stool is hard, your butt hole might bleed in the process. Your left head upper area will hurt from straining from pushing the stool out so hard.

They will try to convince you to have the Enema Administered. I have to look it up before I let anyone do any procedure on me. Thank God, I did not get this procedure done. It was not going to work, according to my intuition. My stool was hard as a ROCK, due to the painkillers for my back pain. Below is the YouTube Channel that demonstrates this procedure.

Enema Administration: Clinical Nursing Skills | ‪@LevelUpRN‬

Extra Note: If you have severe gut pain and vomiting, please go to the emergency. You do not want to be home past out. People have died of obstruction of the Stomach. Take care of yourself and listen to your body.