Weird crazy question

[jillian357]

Morning Everyone!

Gosh, it seems like it's been forever since I have posted.....I certainly hope everyone is doing well!

I have the craziest question to ask, and I don't know who else to ask....so here goes:

Saturday night I believe I swallowed 2 plastic earplugs. Crazy, right? See, I sleep with earplugs because my husband snores. I remember standing in the kitchen swallowing them, thinking they were pills. No doubt that I was sleepwalking, because I would have never done this if I were awake. When I woke up yesterday morning I told my husband about the "dream" of swallowing them, and we searched the house high and low -- no earplugs.

So I am anxious.....yesterday afternoon I had a huge colitis episode and it's still here today. I'm worried that the earplugs won't be passed and cause a blockage somewhere. But -- if that were the case, I wouldn't be able to poop at all, right? Right now I am experiencing cramping and diarrhea, and I don't know what to make of it.

Have I lost my mind?

Thanks!
~Jill

[Zizzle]

IMHO, if the earplugs were narrow enough to fit in your ear canal, you should have no trouble passing them. If you're concerned, I suppose you should "dig around" in the toilet until you find them to ease your mind. Intestinal blockages can cause D because the fecal matter has to liquefy to get past the blockage. Children with long-term constipation sometimes get this, but again, I think it's highly unlikely that ear plugs would block anything. Maybe your body has simply recognized the "foreign object" and is doing it's part to get rid of it? Good luck!!

[tex]

Hi Jill,

Hmmmmm. This is an interesting dilemma. Let's try to assess the situation. since they were plastic, I assume they were soft plastic, and not hard or sharp-cornered, (if they are not soft, there could be a perforation risk). Since you said "2 plastic earplugs", I assume they are separate, and not connected by a fiber or plastic cord. If they're connected, it could be more difficult for them to work their way through the GI tract. You would notice if they were stuck in your espophagus, obviously, since the upper third of it is quite sensitive, and the lower two thirds is somewhat sensitive to stuck objects. Therefore, the plugs probably at least entered the stomach.

It's generally true that anything that reaches the stomach, has at least a 90% chance of passing entirely through and out of the system. The critical points are the pyloric valve, (the valve between the stomach and the small intestine), the duodenal sweep, and the cecum, (the valve between the small intestine and the colon). Objects larger than about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, can have trouble passing through the pyloric valve, and objects longer than about two and a half inches can have problems passing through the duodenal sweep, the section of the small intestine closest to the stomach. This section of the duodenum sort of sweeps around the lower portion of the stomach and completely around the head of the pancreas, (sort of forming the letter 'C'). This curvature creates somewhat of an obstacle course that make the passage of long or pointed objects troublesome.

In general, if you don't feel them blocking your esophagus, they successfully passed into your stomach. If they should cause a blockage, you would probably have a vomiting problem. A blockage at the pyloric valve, or in the first half of the duodenal sweep, would cause vomit that was clear of bile. Obstructions that occur beyond the second portion of the duodenal sweep and at the ileocecal valve will produce what's known as bilious emesis, (vomit that contains bile), because they occur beyond the sphincter of Oddi. I would think that they probably have a very high probability of successfully passing through.

I'm not sure why you have D, though, unless it is stress-induced, because blockage-induced D usually takes a few days to develop. IOW, I doubt that the D you are having now is due to a blockage. You should pass them today, but sometimes it can take a while for things like that to work their way through.

So how are you doing otherwise? Are you still running and competing in races? Please keep us posted.

Love,
Tex

[jillian357]

Hiya Tex!

Gosh, it's good to hear from you! Thanks for all the helpful info, it's put my mind at ease.
I just got back from a round of x-rays, after calling my doc. Nothing is showing up, not yet anyway. The fact that they are rubbery-plastic would make it challenging to see them anyway. The little suckers were not connected by a cord.

So, that being said, I'm certain the d was due to stress.....I feel better now, not quite so anxious.

Life is good! I'm working full time and going to school part time -- I'm studying to be a certified personal trainer, and loving it! Only trouble is I have zero free time......but it's worth it.

I've run 3 full marathons and 4 half marathons......and here I was not too long ago worrying about being in a race and having an accident! I've taken all the wonderful info gained here and incorporated it into my life.

I'm going to have a hysterectomy in January due to some nasty uterine fibroids. Not really looking forward to it, and I am having some concerns about antibiotics as well as my diet when I am in the hospital (2-3 days). But, hopefully all will go well, and my husband has offered to bring me some of my GF food once I am able to eat, so I'm optimistic about it.

How about YOU? How have you been?

Thanks again for all the info.......crazy, swallowing earplugs at my age!!!!!

Much love,
Jill

[tex]

Jill,

Wow! You definitely haven't let MC slow you down. Good for you - that's awesome.

I can remember when you were mighty sick, but even then, you refused to let MC keep you from training and successfully competing. You're quite an inspiration.

I'm sure that the procedure in January will go well. Hospitals seem to be a bit better prepared to handle special diet needs these days, than they were a few years ago. I had surgery last February, which required a 7-day hospital stay, but they sent a nutritionist to my room to work out my menu. The first day following surgery, of course, I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything, and the second day I was allowed liquids only, which was a bit tricky, since the only options they had were low-fat milk, or fruit juices, but I managed to survive on apple juice, and one of the nurses was kind enough to sneak me a can of Sprite. After that, since I couldn't tolerate things such as cream of wheat and oatmeal, and none of their soup was GF, the doctor decided to allow me to eat solid food, and so I had a few real food choices from then on, (mostly chicken, fish, and rice). The biggest problem seemed to be that when you tell them you have to avoid gluten, they immediately think "salads", and salads are not suitable for someone with MC, nor for someone who has just had abdominal surgery, for that matter. I tried some salad, but it didn't digest very well. Other than that, I've been pretty much doing OK, lately - can't complain.

Being able to have someone bring you some of your own food, should really facilitate your recovery. I wasn't able to do that, because my surgery caught me by surprise, but since you will be able to prepare for your hospital stay, ahead of time, that should be a big help.

You're most welcome, of course. Please keep us updated - you're an inspiration to all of us, and especially newbies who are wondering if they will ever be able to safely leave the house, again, (let alone run a marathon).

Love,
Tex

[jillian357]

Hi Tex,

Thanks for your encouraging kind words! MC does slow me down sometimes, but I refuse to let it stop me. Some may think I am stubborn or stupid, (LOL!) but I'll just keep on truckin' as best as I can.

You've put my mind at ease about the hysterectomy as well; at this point, I'll be glad to put it behind me and get back to living.

I really do need to hang around and post here more often.....I miss everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving all! Enjoy some tasty gluten free goodies!!

Much love,
Jill