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Okay...so today I am 9 days post-op. I was on liquids 48 hours before my surgery and I am still on liquids. I am not really getting in a whole lot in terms of calories...but I feel like I am sipping all day. I have been taking my vitamins....now comes the gross part. I have noticed two issues and wondered if anyone else has this as well. I have noticed a rash under my chest and tummy. I have been taking anti-fungal for this assuming its a yeast rash since I had antibiotics during surgery and I am sure with low calories my immune system may be suppressed....but it seems to go away in one spot and reappear. Anyone else with this issue? Also - probably the grossest TMI - remember I warned you...so you can stop reading at anytime. Well - since you are still reading I guess you will be okay with it. I just realized this AM that I haven't had a #2 since before my surgery...when I started the liquids. I took MOM this morning with nothing. Funny thing is I don't feel bad or bloated or constipated. I just don't feel anything...is this normal since I have been on liquids.... Geez that is like 11 days....that has to be strange.

I'm not sure about that rash. Maybe you should have a doc look at it just to make sure? Only thing I have going on is itchy incisions and sometimes my port sticks out after I drink or eat. Like a big bump right above my largest incision. I've been told this will go away after I heal. Now I've never had a problem "going" and haven't had much of a problem since my surgery. HOWEVER, I'm not sure you should be expecting solids out if there's no solids coming in. Just my 2 cents and I'm curious to hear the input from others. Again, I've never had this problem but I've heard many people do. Not something I'm looking forward to, but want to be prepared just in case. dhales, I don't think you should be worried about TMI on here. I have a feeling this group is all about getting real with ourselves and sharing everything as we go. j~

Ok so I saw the other post on here asking about when to expect a BM. I have been having them and it's completely different than pre-op. I am assuming it's because I am on all liquids, but my BM is all liquid.....is this something that is normal for this stage....I had two today and one yesterday. Really made me nervous.

Okay, so is it just me that gets seriously constipated at least once a week?? Sorry if this is TMI, but its like I can feel all the 'stuff' backed up in my stomach/intensines...whatever organ that is. I think its maybe because I'm not drinking enough, but I'm getting as much as I can down. Any other remedies people know of? I've tried Colace and it doesn't do anything and Dulcolax....yeah...like pain much?? Won't be using that again. Does prune juice really work??

This may be too much information, but I've noticed that my BMs are considerably smellier than they were pre-surgery, not that it ever smelled like roses. Is this due to the surgery, or is it because of all the protein I'm taking in?

I agree with all of the posters above, but I know how GCake is feeling. I have days where I go over my calorie limit, mostly because I failed to plan the day well. Or even worse...I have planned the day GREAT packed the Breakfast and lunch and then rushed out the door and left the bag sitting on dam counter! So now I'm forced to substitute and make adjustments in what is already a crazy day for me. Occasionally, I will get very upset and angry at myself when I can't do it all!!! Really it's true, I know I need to give myself a break and take it in stride and eventually I do...but in that moment I want to kick my own ass. I have to tell you GCake that KFC makes me sick. Upset stomach, from both ends...(I know TMI) ever since I have been banded and it really doesn't matter what bite of the chicken I have. I think it's the grease, but even their potatoes don't love me so I just steer clear of the place now. Our PH in our bodies can be changed in so many ways by the foods we eat and the way our body breaks down food etc. Don't worry about how/why the tubing got that way now. It's nothing you did or didn't do right. It happened and thank goodness your Doc was on top of it and replaced it all for you and you are healing focus on that. Soon you will be back in the groove rocking your new band, feel free to come and vent any time. None of us are above a bite or two of something that we know is not the best for us.

Hi all, sorry but has anyone else noticed that the colour of their urine has changed colour since starting the pre op diet? Im two weeks into the diet (total four weeks to do) which includes three protein shakes and one meal a day but I have noticed that my urine is almost neon yellow! is this a side effect of the shakes or something? (and no, its definitely not an STI or other infection, i get tested regularly)

As I sit here this morning drinking my protein I thought I would review yesterday (Day 5) as I am surprised I made it through the day with out cheating. Things where going well drank my water had some protein went to work came home for lunch (I don't live far from work and it makes the liquid stage so much easier to come home) Well I had some broth and another protein. I was getting my water bottle ready and I heard my stomach. I think the whole block could here my stomach then oh my god (Sorry tmi coming) I had to run like I never ran before to the rest room. Finally thought I was feeling better and went to let my dog back in then once again the whole block heard my tummy roar. Back to the potty I go. Finally made it back to work but all I could think of was I want crackers. Someone give me crackers. The only person at work that knows what is going on is my boss I have not told anyone else because I've heard how they reacted to others getting the procedure. And if they talk like that to me, well lets just say I don't want to get fired by putting them in there place. I made it through the work day but was glad my office is close to the bathroom. When I got home I couldn't drink my last protein or my broth for dinner. I just didn't want to look at food (even liquid form). Has anyone else had this problem with their liquid diet. There are two factors I can think of. I know to much SF stuff can give you diarrhea. So it could be that. I am going to start alternating my crystal light drinks with a bottle of water hoping that will help. OR I have been trying new (sample) protein drinks. I try my best to find the whey isolate as I am lactose intolerant and all the research I've done says that is the easiest to digest for that reason. Well now I am on to Day 6, Hope today goes better. ~Kris

I have had the opposite AND there is a new sweet smell (sorry for the TMI). I am very sensitive to smells right now, so it could be nothing. I have no symptoms.

Monday, July 27, 2009 Getting Rid of the Crap Thought I'd give you a heads up on the topic today. In case you're squeamish. If you've ever been on the Atkins diet you know you lost weight but you probably also experienced constipation. You have to pick fibers that don't shoot up your blood sugar. I managed because I took ground flax seed and Psyllium Husk. I also found fish oil helped. Veggies and fruits are carbs and have to be limited on Atkins--especially fruit. I've never been that fond of salads and raw veggies, and fruit is limited because of its high sugar content. Not that fruit ever helped me with a lifelong constipation problem. I could eat a lb of grapes or cherries and see no impact. The food protocol for lap band is pretty close to the Atkins Diet. Protein first. Veggies and fruit in small quantities. Careful with the grains because they swell and stretch the stomach. Regular bread and rice can make you bp when they swell. Whole grains can be added cautiously to help control hunger after you've been on the band awhile and your stomach is healed. So enter my old enemy, constipation. Laxatives barely help. I've added fish oil back and just a little ground flax seed. I'm scared of the Psyllium Husk because I know it expands in water. I drink my V8 everyday as well as some diet V8 Splash to get my veggies. I do have some cooked broccoli and califlower and green beans. All fruit has to be peeled and raw veggies can hurt the stomach. I eat a lot of beans (not green ones), but all they do is make me fart. When I was a kid I was so constipated I only went 1x/wk after my big Sunday dinner. TMI, I know, but I gave you fair warning. Excercise is supposed to help but I'm walking and hour and fifteen minutes everyday. Big meals actually used to help me move it through but I can no longe eat big meals. I take a good multivitamin as well as calcium supplements and I get my dairy everyday, so I'm getting my nutrients. This whole subject gives new meaning to the phrase: this too shall pass. People do not like to be constipated. If you've ever dined in a nursing home you'll find prune juice to be a very popular item. I'd need to drink a quart. I'm finding it hard to come up with any kind of spiritual or tool for recovery meaning to apply to this topic. Constipation is just a fact of life that you have to experiment with until you get relief, whether you've had lap band or not. About the only metaphorical meaning I can come up with is that its important to get the crap in your life out of you. You need to do what it takes to get it moving on out or you'll end up with a sluggish brain and spirit and may actually end up with an impacted brain that's stuck on the same old ideas and ways of thinking and is not capable of changing for the better. Step 6 & 7 deal with becoming ready to have God remove all our defects of character and then humbly asking him to do so. Work the steps, pray, read your Bible, read spiritual books, talk to people who don't look like you or think like you, journal, take some risks, go on adventures, take care of yourself, peel away another layer and reveal yourself, have fun, and don't take yourself too seriously or waste time beating yourself or other people up. Love God above all and your neighbor as yourself.

Not TMI, good I... Accessibility, essential to any good maintenance man...or woman!

Greetings Everyone! Hope folks have been well. I have one of those 'delicate/TMI' type of questions, and who better to ask then you fine folks. I am almost 4 months post-op, (surgery on 01/27/14). I went in at 272lbs. As of this morning, I am 203.4 lbs, (ugh, I am sooo close to 'onederland' I can taste it, haha). Anyways, I have noticed over the last month or so, that my bowel movements are changing a bit. I have been having the "long thin ribbon-like" bms. I initially thought it was simply cause my new stomach was long and thin, but reading online that doesn't make as much sense as it first did to me. Since only my stomach was changed, wouldn't my normal bm size/shape remain? The thin ribbon like thing is a sign of a blockage/colon cancer, so obviously I'm cautious now. I wanted to see if anyone else post-vsg noticed a similar change to their bms. Look forward to hearing any replys, especially if your experiences match mine. :-)

I am 3 weeks post op today and while I was in the shower this morning I had no problem washing my back side as I once did 3 weeks ago. I have never shared this with any other soul and I must say I feel wonderful. Even though I dnt see any loss I feel a little different. Sorry if this was to much info I needed to share

Had my surgery on 9/1/15. --Arrived at hospital at 9AM --Registration done and arm band applied by 9:15AM --Off to Lab for pregnancy urine test by 9:40AM --Back to lobby waiting for nurse --Pre Op nurse came for me about 9:50AM --Changed into hospital gown --Vitals and medical history taken --OR nurse came with same questions --Surgeon came in to explain what I should expect --Anesthesiologist came in to take medical history --OR anesthesiology nurse came with more questions --NP from surgeon office came in to discuss post op diet and medication --Wheeled to OR by 1PM --I do not remember anything after that --Woke up in room nauseated as hell. --Started sipping Water from the medicine caps but I just kept throwing up --Walked around the floor 2 times --Discharged at 11PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 2 ===== --Stayed in bed nauseated and in pain --Got my nausea medication and felt much better --Difficult to keep stuff down Day 3 ===== --Feeling better --Sipping water --Having popsicle --TMI (Passing gas) --Belching so much. --Sat up and did this Day 4 - Day 7 ========== --It has been hard to get the 60g of Protein but I am getting in at least 30g --Walking around comfortably but there is that gravity pull on the incisions that kind of hurts --I have been having plenty of sugar free popsicles --Stopped taking pain meds already --Occasionally taking the anti nausea and vomit med...as needed --Enjoying shower, the glue on the incision is still on. Day 8 ==== --(TMI) finally had bowel movement, was about to start taking milk of magnesium! --Down 10lb since surgery day --Planning on thickening my fluids (soups) a bit from today --Definitely worth all the pain that seemed like would never end. Hang in there, I can definitely say it gets better everyday.

Hey everyone Sorry it's a tmi post but I'm 3 weeks post sleeve surgery and I've been having loud gurgling noises in my upper chest on the left side and loose bowel motions ? None can tell me what it is and I'm Worrying ! I thought it was lactose intolerance but I've been off dairy for a weeks now and I still have it ? Is this normal ? I'm taking a probiotic and some Reflux meds ? Just don't now what to do about it as it happens with a variety of food etc baked beans, ricotta bake, tuna, cordial ? I have no idea why and I am due to return to work in a week and don't want to have to run to the bathroom all the time ! Thanks

May be to much TMI.. I had my period right before surgery it stopped the day before. I then had my period this month and it ended around 12/10.. Then I started spotting today. Is this common. I have lost 40 lbs or so... Not sure if that is causing it. Anyone else?

Okay, so I'm sure this is TMI. I'm almost a year out, and recently, like in the last month, I've started having some stomach issues. First, I can't poop. I started using Benefibre because I thought that I wasnt' getting enough Fiber or maybe it was the Iron pills. That stuff just makes me bloated and gassy. So, I stopped taking the iron pills. Still can't poop. So, now it's like I can't go unless I take a laxative. I don't know why. Just all of a sudden I can't go to the bathroom. My other problem is I think I've developed a hernia. I blame crunches! I notice when I clinch my stomach, it feels like something in my navel moves up into my stomach. I don't see a buldge or feel one, but I swear I can feel something that feels like it's poking through something. It doesn't really hurt, but it's uncomfortable. The other thing is, I now eat LESS than I did a month ago. Maybe it's from being bloated. But, after 2 or bites of whatever I'm eating I'm full. Not only that. Whenever I drink something, too, it's like it just sits in my stomach, and it takes a long time to drain. In fact, my stomach is back to making those gurggling noises it used it when I first got sleeved. None of this is painful, but it's just drastically different. I haven't done anything differently, so I don't know why these things have changed. I guess when I go at the end of the month I'll find out.

Thanks everyone. Today hasn't been all that great. I was supposed to have a barium swallow study done this morning. I spent the majority of the night in the bathroom dealing with the effects of Milk Of Magnesia....not fun. Anyway, I was incredibly weak and sick this morning. My nurse gave me zofran IV and sent me off for my test. I knew I was in trouble when I was shaking in the wheelchair being wheeled to radiology. I kept feeling like I was going to pass out. So they get me in the Rad. dept, get everything all ready for the test...tell me to come stand on this little platform thing...Still telling them I feel very weak. They hurried up and lowered the thing over my chest and then I started feeling like I couldn't breathe, heart racing, scared to death because I felt like I was going to yak and faint all at the same time. At this point I hadn't even had the lovely stuff to drink. I felt the thing I was standing on start to go back. When the doc heard me he immediately started adjusting the table so that I was laying down..but it freaked me out!!! I just KNEW I was going down. They got in me in a laying position and I started feeling a bit better, though crazy nauseous. They decided to send me back to my room and I don't remember the rest. I woke up back in my bed and feeling extremely drained. I really don't know what happened.....I do know my body was exhausted from the Milk of Mag...literally on the toliet every few minutes for HOURS yesterday...and since I've already shared TMI.....PERIOD FROM HELL. They are going to repeat the test tomorrow. I hope it goes well. Tonight I felt ok enough to get a shower and go for a short walk down the hall and back. I'm ready to go home and passing this test will get me out of here.

@@elladvyne it took me at least 5 days until I sorted out all the goings on and recognized the feeling of hunger and sated it with Jello. For me, hunger could certainly be in there but as its own entity I didn't find it quite so fierce. This may be a little TMI but my rumblings and gas finally found an exit out the back...once that happened it took another day or two to some normalcy as I know it. I also discovered that 'dumping' can happen in the clear liquid stage. I was guilty of sipping this super yummy broth I made too quickly and I think that was a part of it too. I'm on pureed food now and I understand a little better about how long to take to eat something and feeling full. This is an interesting journey to be sure.

I haven't seen a whole lot on this topic so I thought I'd chime in... I was lactose intolerant before the surgery and I was told that wouldn't change after the surgery. The liquid stage was fine, my protein powder was lactose free and if I wanted milk, Lactaid to the rescue. But, during the Mushy stage I made some mistakes. I thought since I was eating such extremely small quantities of dairy, I would be ok. The biggest food suggestions from my NUT at this stage were cottage cheese and yogurt. Big Mistake...Big Gas...Big Diarrhea...Big TMI, sorry! It was tough to get variety and PROTEIN in without cheese and yogurt. I SOOO DID NOT want to go back to drinking so many protein shakes at this point but it was inevitable. I was weak and dizzy and probably verging on dehydration. July 4th I move on to soft foods...and just in time...I figure I can eat more meat now and get that protein in without suffering dairy. (Oh, and couldn't take lactase pills just before meals because they took up too much room in my stomach and then I couldn't eat anyway.) So, I wanted to share my short list of non-dairy protein food choices for the mushy stage...and if anyone has add'l ideas please let us know. Thanks! -pureed chicken breast, tuna, deviled ham (watch out for fat content) -scrambled eggs -refried beans, lentils, split pea soup -hummus -tofu (I couldn't bring myself to try it) -soy yogurt (I couldn't find one low in sugar, maybe you'll have better luck) -avocado (not much protein but tasty and good for moistening meat and adding calories)

I had to stop taking my birth control pills a week before surgery (doctor's orders) so of course I was expecting to start anytime. I wasen't bleeding or anything when I went into surgery however, but when i woke up the nurse had stuck a rag between my legs because apparently I started while I was on the table. (Embaressing!) After a few hours it stoped thou... odd. -Oh, and sorry for the TMI ! :wink2:

I got one right after surgery from all the antibiotics. I called my PCP and he called in a script for diflucan. I also take "pearl" acidophlus ( a probiotic) and they have a special formula for "female health" u can get them from wal-mart or any pharmacy or health store. Just a warning to be careful if u r having sex...you can pass it to your male partner. how's that for TMI!

Well, I guess that's just an assumption on my part. I have read of many who were taken off meds before surgery and then never had to take them again. I have a feeling that with the weight loss and eating so much less food, my sugars will go back to normal pretty quickly. But, as I said, that's just an assumption (and a hope)! Also, I was wondering if anyone takes or has taken Metformin ER. I had to take it because the other tore my stomach up but I am wondering if it is not being absorbed as well because (sorry, tmi) sometimes the whole pill comes back out in the end. Does anyone know about this? Thanks.

Me too SunsetSue, I was sleeved on 12/13. scale had me +4 pounds from the morning of surgery. I was just curious, I didn't let it bother me as I feel overinflated like the Goodyear blimp. I feel like a deflating balloon today ..all the GAS! (Hope that's not too much TMI) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Totally not TMI. Not having that issue anymore is such a relief!!