James Marusek

Blood in the stool means there is bleeding somewhere in your digestive tract. Bleeding that happens higher up in the digestive tract may make stool appear black and tarry. Bright red blood or maroon-colored stools usually indicate a problem in the lower part of the digestive tract such as hemorrhoids or diverticulitis.

I am 16 months post-op from RNY. I am addicted to eating. But after the operation I found that I was no longer hungry. And as a result I lost 110 pounds. Eating is now more like a chore. I am currently consuming a cup of food per meal and I cannot eat much more than that without getting sick. But my stomach warns me, so I just stop eating. Not everyone who undergoes RNY loses their hunger but many do.

I would recommend either the RNY gastric bypass or sleeve. One individual in our support group went through a revision from a lap band to a RNY. The band was wearing through his stomach. I have heard many other similar stories from individuals, so I would recommend something other than a lap band.

As I understand it, there are 3 stages to RNY gastric bypass surgery. In the first stage you lose a lot of weight quickly. In this stage your caloric intake is minimal, perhaps 700 calories per day. In the second stage, you bottom out in weight loss. For me that occurred at around the 7th month. I found that I could increase my caloric intake to the range of 1000-1500 calories per day without gaining weight. It was a happy time for me. But there is a third stage. It begins at about a year and a half. In the third stage, the stomach repairs itself and becomes efficient again. So instead of absorbing only 70% of the calories in foods, it is back to 100%. Thus in order to maintain the weight loss, one needs to stay on schedule, consume a cup of food per meal, and strictly avoid Snacks.

My insurance required a 6-month medically supervised weight loss program before they would approve the surgery. But even though they required this, they refused to pay for the doctor visits.

The length of time to surgery will vary greatly. Generally it depends upon the requirements of your insurance. Some insurances requires a 6 month mandatory medically supervised weight loss program. There are several steps prior to surgery. After the seminar, you will have a clearer idea of what is ahead. You will need to select the type of surgery. You may need to meet with a phycologist. Begin attending Bariatric Surgery support group meetings. Perhaps enter a weight loss program. After the insurance is approved, you will go through a pre-op testing to find out if there are any medical conditions that would interfere with the surgery. If anything is uncovered, you will need to go through a second round of testing with field specialist to better define the problems. Then there is a one day training programs that provides you the details about what to expect during and after surgery, provides menu requirements, etc. It can be a long journey but well worth it.

Right after surgery you are living off from stored fat cells, so food is not that important. So long as you get your Protein, fluids and Vitamins in, you are on track. When I started to transition back to foods, I found the process was painful. I didn't experience the level of dumping syndrome that you have experience, but never-the-less it wasn't pleasant. I would recommend that as you introduce foods back into your regime, that you focus on soft foods. I found that Soups and chili went down much easier that harder foods.

After I lost significant weight after surgery, my sleeping habits changed significantly. Before surgery I had a frequent urination problem which cause me to wake up every hour on the hour to use the restroom. A couple weeks after surgery that problem disappeared. I also had a problem with sleep apnea where my snoring kept my wife awake all night long. Now I sleep so quietly that my wife wakes up and stares intently at me to see if I am still breathing; my breathing is so quiet. I also had a problem where I could only sleep on my right side. Now I can sleep on my back and both right and left sides. I have found that sleeping with a pillow between my legs helps. When you loose significant weight, you become more bony. And bone against bone is irritating.

Good Luck! I will pray that all goes well.

One of the things I wanted to do was build an underground storm shelter. Tornados hit us 6 years ago and did quite a bit of damage. Anyways being overweight and 65 years old, this wasn't going to happen. Well after surgery, I lost 110 pounds and started my project. During the last couple weeks, I had to move 40,000 pounds of gravel by hand. I took the task in stride and accomplished it. Its good to have my stamina back.

I am 15 months post-op. I wrote a short article about it and put it on the internet. The article contains recipes. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Your taste buds may change after surgery, so be prepared to experiment until you find the right combination that works for you. After surgery getting in the liquid, Protein and Vitamin requirements will initially be much more important than food. You body will sustain itself by converting fat into energy. Good luck on your surgery and I pray everything goes well for you.

I used Muscle Milk Light powder. I never tried the premix. I always used a Ninja blender to mix it. One thing to note is that your taste buds will change after surgery. What may taste good pre-op may not taste good post-op. So be prepared to do some experimentation after surgery.

I am 15 months post-op. Generally when I eat out, I might have a taco at Taco Bell, cup of chili at Wendy's or Tortelloni al Forno (small plate menu) at Olive Garden. I generally stick to high Protein Soups and chili at home. I have included some recipes in the linked article. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Some individuals that undergo bariatric surgery develop a condition called Hypoglycemia - Low Blood Sugar. This happens weather they were diabetic to the surgery or not. This condition could explain some of the symptoms you are experiencing. The condition is generally controllable when you feel the symptoms are coming on. Some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia are: Shakiness, anxiety, nervousness Palpitations Sweating Pallor Nausea Headaches Confusion, lightheadedness or dizziness. Hypoglycemia is treated by restoring the blood glucose level to normal by the ingestion or administration of dextrose or carbohydrate foods. It is often self-diagnosed and self-medicated orally.

I told everyone even strangers. Most people were either supportive or curious.

I use a white glass cup with a vented plastic lid for cooking my chili and Soups in a microwave. It is not tupperware but may work similarly. Before I began using it, my microwave was constantly splattering when I cooked my meals. Now it keeps the microwave clean.

When consuming meats, I have found that I can tolerate them in Soups and chili. So that is primarily what I eat. Since I am 15 months post-op, my food volume means that I am consuming about 60 grams of Protein each day in my meals alone.

Good luck on your recovery. I experienced very little pain with the surgery and refused any pain medicine after I left recovery. I believe it was primarily because I held to a strict regiment of walking each day prior to and after surgery. It helps to loosen things up and make the soreness go away.

I am 15 months post-op from RNY. I did not experience the symptoms you described. Overall, I believe one never gets back to normal after the operation. But I did reach a "Happy State" at around 6 months after the surgery and have been in this state ever since.

I had good experience with the Ninja Blender. The type of blender I use has two 16 ounce Ninja cups. You put on the blender lid for blending and then switch over to the sippy cup lid for drinking. I use a baby bottle scrubber brush to clean out the cups after use.

After I graduated and began to work, I found that work provided me with many challenges and allowed me to become very skilled and specialized. It was my teacher. I became more marketable because of the skills that I learned on the job. An advanced degree does not necessarily correlate to a better job. We are still in a sort of recession. On the other hand, advanced education can be very fulfilling and provide structure and methodology in attacking problems and seeking solutions.

I had a RNY about 15 months ago. I felt like I lost a little strength for several months after surgery but I feel like I gained it back at this stage and then some. I do not lift weights but I do some physical work. In the last couple weeks I had to move 40,000 pounds of river gravel by hand. I used 5 gallon plastic buckets. Filled with gravel they weighed 70 pounds each. These I had to lift up to chest height in order to get them onto my utility vehicle. I am 65 years old and this is about my level of strength when I was around 35.

Just in case, you might locate the restroom in your doctors office prior to starting the syrup test.

That's a strange reaction. Is she afraid for your health? Has your obsession about the surgery driven her crazy? If that is the case, you might downplay any fears about the surgery. When I had the surgery, my wife stayed by my side the entire time I was in the hospital. It was good. It sure would be nice for your daughter to do the same thing for you.