mylighthouse

Hello, I made a post a few weeks ago about having nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and constipation. Had some feedback on it. Since then, I have been to the ER again with those symptoms and I've also followed up with my surgeon two times, the latest being yesterday. When I saw my surgeon yesterday, he said that my latest abdominal x-ray showed that I was still full of stool. He wanted me to go home and do an enema and drink a bottle of Magnesium Citrate (again) to cleanse me out. He told me we were going to try something new (I had been taking Miralax and Milk of Magnesia for constipation). The Miralax just wasn't doing anything for me and the MOM helps me go a little, but it still leaves me full of stool for the most part, as seen on previous x-rays. So today I will be starting a medication called Amitiza, which is for constipation and IBS. I am to take that for two weeks and then I have a follow up with my surgeon to see where we are. I have seen posts here concerning constipation after surgery, but I have been struggling with this issue for over 4 months, and now it is worse than ever. Has anyone had constipation that caused severe abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea besides me? How far post op were you and what did you do to get relief? Or, does anybody just have some suggestions for me in general? This problem is so debilitating that I have been in bed with a heating pad on my stomach for 3 weeks now. Thank you for your help/advice and input in advance.

My surgeon had me on a 2 week pre-op diet where I was able to continue eating food. I remember I could have very low carbs.... I would usually do a protein shake for breakfast and then I was allowed lean meat (I always did chicken) for lunch and dinner along with a small salad or non-starchy veggies. If I remember, the meat portion at lunch and dinner was about 3 oz. Then the day before surgery, I was on all clear liquids (no protein shakes). Everybody's plan is a little different, some require a 2-week all liquid pre op diet... others don't. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery.... wish you the best!

Agreed. My nutritionist said stay away from it as well. I use Unjury or Isopure.

I'm in Bryan/College Station Texas. Dr. Parrent did my surgery, he is awesome! Surgery date 11/14/16

You should be fine through the night. My husband was able to take a week off, but I really didn't need the help. I was very sore, but could still get up on my own to get to the bathroom and get back and forth to the kitchen, etc., with no help at all. You might be pretty sore the first few to several days. My worst day was day 4, but after that the pain started easing up. I have seen people on here say that they never really had much pain and some didn't even need pain meds. It varies from person to person. Good luck!

I agree, Milk of Magnesia is a real good choice and my surgeon said it was safe for me to take. He also said I could take Miralax. I didn't have my first BM until about 8 days post op and it is not uncommon to go more than 5 days post op without a BM, from what others have said.

I know it's hard, but be sure to get your protein in.... they say at least 60 grams, but I get 100 grams a day. The great part of the protein is that it will help fill you up if you are hungry. Since you can have the strained soups, one really good way to get a satisfying fullness is by adding some unflavored protein powder to a creamed, strained soup such as cream of celery soup. And of course you already know about the protein shakes... they are really important.

Hello I have bipolar disorder and take several meds for it... meds for the anxiety, depression, manic side and a mood stabilizer too. I am over 4 months post-op. I have only had a few changes made to my medication since I have lost quite a bit of weight. My psychiatrist went down on the dosages of all of my meds with the exception of my anti-depressant. I have felt great mentally for years (been on meds for over 10), and with the newest changes in the dosages of my meds I have not experienced any problems at all.

Most times it will take several days after the surgery before you are able to have a bowel movement, so don't be too concerned about that. I didn't have my first BM until over a week post op. I remember feeling like I really needed to go, but I couldn't (bad constipation). I checked with my surgeon and he said it was safe to take Miralax and/or Milk of Magnesia.... I did both because the Miralax alone didn't work for me. I think I finally had a BM on the 8th or 9th day post op. I hope you feel better.

Congratulations! I wish you the best... good luck! I wish you a speedy recovery as well.

I remember how excited I was the few days leading up to surgery, but especially the early morning of surgery.... I could hardly wait to start my new life! I remember not being scared at all and only a little bit nervous, but overwhelmed with excitement! My surgery was 11/14/16. Congratulations on your surgery and I wish you the best and a speedy recovery!

I personally didn't have any trouble adjusting to the change in diet. When I was on liquids, I did fine. Then after surgery through the liquid, pureed and soft food stages, it was really easy for me. I am now at over 4 months post op and I have no cravings and it's easy for me to eat healthy.... proteins first and then non starchy vegetables. The only problem I have been having the past few weeks is severe constipation, stomach pain and nausea. Due for another doctor's appointment on Tuesday for help with that. The only regret I have is that I didn't have this surgery sooner! Congratulations on your upcoming surgery and I wish you the best.

Congratulations... you look awesome!

I wish you the best and a speedy recovery! Congratulations on your surgery!

Hello Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I remember how excited I was before mine... I could hardly wait to start my "new" life! I wish you the best!

2 Week Pre-op: 12 lbs Month 1: 24 lbs Month 2: 8 lbs Month 3: 10 lbs Month 4: 7 lbs so far I am one week into month 4 post op.

Congratulations! You're doing awesome! Keep it up!

I'm 4 months post op. My favorite protein shake are the Premier protein shakes. They come ready-to-drink and one 11 ounce shake has 30 grams of protein in it. When I was at two weeks post op, I got most of my protein through the shakes and also by adding unflavored protein powder to broths, cream soups and yogurt. You can also add the unflavored protein powder to drinks such as Crystal Light, Powerade Zero, or, my favorite, decaf iced tea. Unflavored protein powder is great because you can do so many things with it.

You need to make good food choices. McDonald's is not a good food choice. Chicken nuggets are terrible for you. Good proteins first and then non-starchy veggies. Things like REAL chicken, fish, etc and none of it breaded or fried. String cheese, cottage cheese, low carb low sugar yogurt, eggs. If you are hungry for a snack you can even indulge in a little bit of hummus or roasted almonds... yum. Or do a google search for chicken crust pizza and make yourself a delicious, healthy, low carb, protein packed pizza. You have to change the way you are eating, the sleeve is only a tool. How we use it is up to us. Also, remember, if you are getting hungry often.... carbs bring on hunger. Protein helps fill you up. Try to keep that protein between 90-100 grams a day and keep those carbs under 40 grams a day. If you aren't already using it, use myfitnesspal to keep track of your carbs, protein and calories.

@OutsideMatchInsideThank you, I will go for it! I found out very quickly that 50 carbs a day was not helping me at all, even though my nutritionist told me to get that much a day.

When I was at 3 months post op, my nutritionist said I should be at around 800 calories a day. I am now at 4 months and get in close to 800 calories a day along with around 40 grams carbs or less and 100 grams of protein a day. I have really found that since I lowered my carbs from the suggested 50 carbs a day (by my NUT), and the fact that I've upped my protein every day from 70 to 100 grams a day now, that the weight is dropping more quickly. I have tracked calories, carbs and protein since the very beginning using myfitnesspal. It has been a great tool. For me, tracking everything really helps me a lot.

Since you are working out so much, you need to go up on your protein intake to close to 100 grams a day. That should help you drop the weight as well as being SURE to get over your 64 ounces of liquids a day.... you need to increase there too. Also, don't know if you are tracking carbs or not, but myfitnesspal is a wonderful tool for tracking carbs, calories, protein, etc. It could be that your carb intake is too high and that can always contribute to why you aren't losing. In addition, if you are exercising a lot, you may need to increase your caloric intake. You may actually be not eating enough.

I found out about the Real Good Pizza Co. a few weeks ago and thought I would try it, when someone on BP told me that there were recipes out there that were delicious and easy for the same type of pizza.... the parm cheese and chicken crust. So instead of spending the money on Real Good, I followed a link that someone left here for the pizza and I made my own crust with my own toppings. I have to tell you, it turned out amazing! The chicken/parm crust was awesome! If you went to know how to make it, I've posted the recipe below. Love the fact that the carbs are almost nothing and the protein is high in this recipe. Ingredients One pound ground (raw) chicken breast - or 3 small boneless breasts, pulsed in food processor ½ cup grated Parmesan 1 cup freshly shredded part skim mozzarella - one cup shredded cheese is 4 ounces by weight ½ teaspoon garlic powder Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Dried oregano ½ cup prepared pasta sauce Crushed red pepper flakes 4 or 5 basil leaves, rolled and sliced Toppings - lets not go crazy with fat - I used Molinari very lean pepperoni in paper thin slices Instructions Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper or foil sprayed with non stick vegetable cooking spray. In a medium bowl combine the ground chicken with ¼ cup parmesan, ¼ cup mozzarella, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon oregano. Mound the chicken mixture onto the parchment and pat into flat rectangle or disc. Cover with plastic wrap and evenly press or roll the chicken into a 7x10" rectangle or round. I use a rolling pin to get it very thin. Remove the plastic wrap and roast until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Tip: make sure your crust is on the crispy side to keep it from having a rubbery texture. Smear crust with sauce, scatter with ¼ cup Parmesan, ¾ cup mozzarella, layer with toppings and season with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon oregano. Pop back into hot oven and cook until melted and bubbly 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter with chopped basil.

Hi I am at exactly 4 months. Since the two week pre-op, I have lost 55 pounds, but since the day of surgery, I have lost 43 pounds... so I am right there with you. I have had a few "stalls" along the way where I go a week or even two weeks in a row without losing anything. Since I lowered my carb intake to under 40 grams per day and pushed my protein to 90-100 grams per day, I am starting to drop weight again. Like you, I need to increase the amount of exercise I get... I just can't right now. I know it's going slow, but I am confident that I will continue to lose weight as long as I stick to the plan, which is what I intend to do. Try not to compare your weight loss to other's.... you're doing great!

Hello I am exactly 4 months post op and about 2 weeks ago I started having some nausea and occasional vomiting after meals, as well as severe constipation. I also cannot eat as much at mealtime as I have been eating the past month or so prior to 2 weeks ago. The nausea comes after eating Breakfast, lunch and dinner.... but it does not come after eating a light snack such as several almonds or a little bit of hummus. If I eat about 2 ounces of Protein and a few bites of vegetables for lunch or dinner, then I always get the nausea and I sometimes vomit. I am only eating to the point where I start to feel full, I don't eat beyond when I start to get that sensation. The severe constipation has also seemed to come along about 2 weeks ago. Since surgery, I have been on the constipated side, but in the last 2 weeks it has only gotten worse. I went to the ER this past Thursday in the wee hours of the morning with severe abdominal and back pain. They ran lots of tests, did scans/ultrasound, etc and found that I was slightly dehydrated and that the pain was caused by constipation. The ER doctor prescribed for me some "Go Lightly"... it is spelled different than that, but that is how you pronounce it. I have been drinking it 2 times a day as prescribed, yet I have only gone once since Thursday, and that was this morning. Tomorrow I will be calling my surgeon and hopefully will get an appointment for this week. In the meantime, I would like to know if anyone else has struggled with an onset of nausea/vomiting or constipation several weeks after their surgery. What did you do to help the problem? Also, I had been taking Miralax and Milk of Magnesia before my trip to the ER this past week, but that wasn't even working anymore. Thanks for your help/advice in advance.