He moves around with his colon outside
Sep 06, 2012
After undergoing surgery over developing intestinal obstruction, Salahan Mususwa believes his life will never be the same again.
After undergoing surgery over developing intestinal obstruction, Salahan Mususwa believes his life will never be the same again. Stella Naigino writes about his fate
Mususwa spent four days without passing stool and urine. “During that time, I was in pain but I did not know what was causing it. At first, I thought I was having a normal stomach ache so I did not worry about it. However, I started worrying when the stomach pain got worse. I rushed to hospital to seek medical attention. To my surprise, I was told that I had an intestinal obstruction that required surgery,” Mususwa narrates.
He was operated on and his large intestine was put outside. He was told that it had to stay outside for six months because his whole system had been corrupted and that the colon had to be allowed to heal before it could be returned to its normal position.
Challenges
“It is now 10 months since the first operation but I have not gone back to hospital because I have failed to raise funds for the second operation,” Mususwa laments. As a result, he moves around with his colon outside. His stool passes through the colon, which would not be such a big problem if it was not passing stool all the time. “I have to carry a polythene bag all the time for this purpose,” he says.
Living in this condition has not been easy for Mususwa. His colon emits a bad smell and many people avoid him because they cannot stand the stench. To make matters worse, he does not bathe because he was warned that the colon is not supposed to get in contact with water. Although he uses a wet cloth to clean his body, he still has an undesirable smell as a result of going without a proper bath for months.
Fortunately, his wife Sarah Mususwa has stood by him during this time.
Mususwa has also faced feeding challenges since the operation. “My appetite went down because if I eat a lot, the stool from the colon disturbs me and leaves me with a bad smell that I also can’t stand. The doctors also warned me against eating solid foods, so I have to feel only liquid foods until the colon heals,” he says.
He did not have funds but used the little capital that his wife had raised from selling charcoal to get the operation started.
As the head of the family, Mususwa’s biggest challenge is looking for food to support his family. “What can I do with my colon outside the body?” he asks sadly. Out of desperation, he now sits on the streets of Mayuge district begging for help.
His wife is also disabled so she cannot do anything. Her charcoal business collapsed because she used all the capital to clear her husband’s hospital bills.
Ask the expert
Dr. Steven Mukasa,
Neurosurgeon,
St. Vincent Hospital, Nsambya
How do I know I have intestinal obstruction?
Intestinal obstruction comes with a lot of pain. Some people take more than four days without passing stool. It also comes with stomach distention, where the stomach swells. Some people vomit because the food is not digested. The stomach also ‘bubbles’ a lot coupled with having bad breath.
How can I avoid it?
Eating hard foods and not taking in a lot of fluid is one major cause of intestinal obstruction. So avoid eating hard foods like rice, cassava, posho and millet. When you eat them, don’t do so repeatedly. Always supplement your food with juice and fruits. Foods like sweet bananas, mangoes, water melon, oranges, pumpkin and juice prepare the stomach to receive food. They also prepare the stomach for proper digestion.
Does intestinal obstruction always require surgery?
Surgery is done in most cases. However, surgery also depends on how serious the problem is. Sometimes the affected person is operated on and the colon is cut. In cases like Mususwa’s, the colon is put outside to allow it to heal before they put it back in the stomach.
What is intestinal obstruction
According to Doctor Steven Mukasa, intestinal obstruction is the partial blockage of the bowel resulting into failure of intestinal content to pass through.“Intestines move like a clock. Once they are rotating and they get blocked, they twist and the contents become stagnant yet the stomach continues pumping food leading to intestinal obstruction,” Mukasa reveals.
Causes
It can be caused by mechanical conditions, for instance being kicked in the stomach or when you get knocked by a car. They can also be caused by eating the wrong foods, bacterial infections and food poisoning. Some intestinal obstructions are a result of taking drugs like marijuana, which corrupt the stomach.
Peptic ulcers also cause intestinal obstruction. Mukasa says most people starve themselves for long and eat when they are very hungry. However, this endangers the stomach since the intestines are not able to digest immediately.
“When stomach contents get food after starving for a long time, the food stays in the stomach leading to gastric erosion hence gastric ulcers,” Mukasa notes.
He advises that regardless of how hungry you are, take soft foods or start with a soft drink to dilute the acid in the stomach and prepare the enzymes for their work.
“It’s better to first cool down the hunger before you embark on serious eating because eating instantly is not good for your health,” notes Mukasa.