Search the Community

I am a month out of vsg and am dealing with very hard, dry bm. Any advice?

Hey there, i know how you feel. I havent even had my surgery yet but suffers from severe constipation. My gastrologist had to put me on Linzess for constipation. But if i dont get my water in, i get severely constipated. You literally can feel the stool inside your stomach. But when trying to pass it, sometimes the stool is so hard that it makes me bleed. So through this process, i started taking Probiotics and it helps so much. I realize this maybe TMI, but its part of life. Happy passing Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

Have you spoken to your surgeon or NUT about eating veggies if they are steamed and EXTREMELY soft? I was eating veggies at 3 weeks post-op, but I made sure that they were super-soft. A few bites and full. I did stay away from extremely fibrous veggies like celery or asparagus, but broccoli and carrots were fine as long as I only ate the florets and again, made sure they were super soft. If you do get clearance for some veggies, as with any food, take a bite and wait a few minutes to see how your sleeve accepts it before taking more. I also obsessed over the scale in the beginning, and I've quickly come to the realization that our weight changes throughout the day by a few ounces to even a pound or two. For instance I learned quickly that you weight about a pound or so more after a shower, even after you dry off because your skin retains some of the moisture..lol...I always freaked out about that. The best thing to do for me was to weigh in once a week, and try to do it at the exact same time of day. I chose to do it right when I wake up (after using the restroom...lol...tmi I know but that liquid can actually be enough to impact the scale). This allowed me to not be so obsessive throughout the day. Since starting this, and making the decision to make my diet consist of whole foods, the only thing I count anymore is Protein, as I feel as though everything else is coming from healthy sources of food. I workout 5 times a week also, and that has helped me tremendously as well. It keeps my mind busy and helps me stay positive knowing I'm doing the right things to succeed so that, at the end of the week when I weigh, even if it's not as much loss as I want to see, I know I'm making the right choices it motivates me to continue on that path. Try some new things. Take it slow. Whenever you have questions, speak with your surgeon/NUT. They are there to help you. Don't wait for things to get "back to normal". Create your own normal. Do that and you'll find YOUR OWN path to success!! Best of luck!

Hi. I'm 3 days past surgery. This may be TMI: Anyone else have trouble passing gas? I feel like my muscles below automatically tense up when it starts to come out so it never does. I need to get rid of it but I can't stop my muscles from tightening up. No matter how much i concentrate on relaxing my muscles, ive only let a couple of small ones out today (this is the first day ive had the urge to pass it. And yes im walking and moving around but now I'm getting some gas pains. Any suggestions? ~~ LadyDarkness415 ~~

Am I suppose to have diarrhea and nausea every day. Is this normal? How long will this last? I'm 4 weeks post op and very miserable. I feel so sickly all the time. Sent from my SCH-I605 using the BariatricPal App

Luckily I'm not back on medication yet. It took about 6mos. This is tmi...but there were months when my partner and I were having crazy amounts of bedroom fun (even before and on ovulation day) and my period came as scheduled. I gave up...I started to think my lady parts weren't working!!!...lol. Then out of nowhere I was pregnant about the 6th month. I just say give it some more time. I know that can be frustrating to hear. But at least a solid 6-12 months. As that's how long it usually takes some couples. Have fun in the process!!!...lol. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

I'm 4 days post op and things are feeling....tight. Is that normal? I think I'd be doing much better if I could get the staples out right now instead of next Wednesday. I'm also having trouble drinking broth and I'm tired of Water. I did drink about 3/4 of a premier shake today and that ran straight through me (sorry for tmi). Feeling a little frustrated tbh.. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi All, I am sorry for this gross post but need some opinions and rather not ask people I know in real life I am 3.5 weeks sleeved and am suffering from constipation the last few days. Yesterday I went to the bathroom (just a tiny bit) and the rest is just stuck. I really feel like there is this one really hard piece of poop that is stuck there and won't come out. If I could just get passed that one piece everything else will start moving. I've been drinking a lot Water and yesterday ate sweet potatoes and bananas (still on puréed). I haven't gone to any stool softener yet because 1 I think I only need help with that one piece that's almost out. So not sure that it will help? 2. Scared it will cause stomach cramping or dehydration. Any suggestions on what can help? My butt really hurts because it's literally trying to come out but can't. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So I am a little more than 2 weeks post op on pureed food phase and today I just don't feel good. I had my drain removed a week postop and I've been feeling pain on that side. If I sit too long it hurts, and it's uncomfortable. Yesterday I tried pureed chicken again, and my pouch was not happy. I am not throwing up, but just gagging over the toilet while nothing comes out (TMI). I was nauseous again this morning and now a little better. I have been sipping on some crystal light. I just feel right now so horrible. I am overwhelmed with emotions, and with this pain on my side and I feel like it's neverending. Please pass some words of encouragement, thank you.

Hello, I'm not sure what "dumping" is but after reading this forum and what everyone has described I am suffering from the aftermath of it right now. Last night I pureed some shredded chicken which I have been eating for the past few days, but last night I added some fat free sour cream just to change it up a bit. BIG MISTAKE!!!!! Not even 10 mins later I was balled up in fetal position sweating, then about 5 mins later I was in the bathroom with it (TMI) coming out of both ends. This morning I'm still sick and feel queasy, so today I will just have my Greek yogurt and add my unflavored Protein to it. I never want to eat sour cream EVER AGAIN!!! This is really an unpleasant feeling.

Thanks for all the advice. I talked to my coffee lady today and we're going to do 1 small coffee each day for a few days, then half-caff for a few days and then all decaf after that. I wish I wouldn't have even tried that this weekend, oh well live and learn. I really hope to stay off of it for good this time. This is probably TMI but my doc has been telling me for years that quitting caffeine would reduce the cysts in my breast tissue that cause me pain around that time of the month so might as well. After caffeine it's on to sugar, which I don't think will be quite as bad.

I had to quit cold turkey 18 years ago! I was using a inhaler every cig I smoked! Yeah not good, now I still use inhalers 2 a day 2 puffs in am then pm. I also went into COPD and I'm on O2 at night and during day when needed. I'm not telling you this to get you to lose the cigarettes, it took me so long probably couple years to get really out of the habit of what to do with my hands! I would get in car light up, phone light up, had to have one sitting on the pot, yeah tmi. Now when I go past the smoke I get sick from the smell. Sometimes my lungs will get choked up from it, yep second hand smoke is horrid now. Good luck on quitting I have a lot of respect for you for your effort to stop.

Well it does ease up I think I'm usually the opposite I know tmi. Probably the drugs I'm on has done that to me. But really some people have said when your eating solids it returns to normal, some say drinking shakes have them still checking. In the meantime RUN don't walk when u get the urge

There is a huge difference in what doctors recommend. My surgeon was a top European specialist who trains many American docs. Did y'all realize there are many US docs who fly to Europe for bypass procedure training? He also spends one week per month in the Middle East, doing surgeries for the wealthy there. He commented to me that all his Middle Eastern patients want the sleeve and he tries to talk them out of it for a number of reasons (I wasn't paying a lot of attention to them because I never considered the sleeve). In my case, and there are multiple general ways of performing RNY surgery, I essentially have a sleeve but the bulk of my stomach is sutured closed and food passes through a small sleeve. You say you love the simplicity of the sleeve but in most cases the RNY is more simple. As for your question about why someone would have this reversed, there are multiple reasons. My neighbor had been obese for years and after a broken bone and hospitalization suddenly developed malabsorbtion syndrome in which food just passed through him without being absorbed. In short order he became scarily malnourished and emaciated. I have known folks with cancer who have also gone through serious weight loss, and a couple of people I know were told by their docs at the time of diagnosis to gain weight and stop trying to take it off. These were people who were already obese. I have the RNY, my stomach is just smaller than it was before, and my doc said drinking is fine. Only 6 weeks out and I've been indulging in a couple of drinks per week for 3 weeks now. It is inaccurate to generalize that RNY patients can't drink. Yes, I have a lot of dumping 6 weeks out, but I think my situation is unique. First, since I am a 'low BMI' patient, my surgeon removed almost no intestine, less than 2 inches. There is likely no correlation between the amount of intestine removed and dumping in my case. For years I had bad stomach pain, at times so awful that I was incapacitated. After 3 years of trying to find a solution I found an expert who solved my problem. In short, the source of my pain was that my intestines are sluggish and don't work well, and my stomach was contracting harder and harder to push food through, I suspect that my frequent dumping is caused by my stomach still contracting super hard - it's been doing that for years so I doubt it will change very quickly. Also (apologies if this is TMI), for years I had pellet BMs and frequent constipation, and suddenly post surgery my BMs are soft and normal. I am so happy about that and about not having to daily think about pills or supplements. There is no single 'best surgery' or guaranteed avoidance of particular issues which should make the selection of surgery simple or generic. Do good research of RECENT studies. Look for a doc who does a LOT of GBs and listen to his/her advice. I didn't generalize, I simply reported what my surgeon told us. I did leave out one other issue with RNY (as reported by my surgeon) and that's "dead stomach syndrome". Once the top of the stomach I'd severed from the esophagus, it is no longer possible to view it by placing a camera tube down the throat. Apparently, this can lead to issues.

@@Candygyrl Hahahahahahahaha! No, it doesn't sound bad at all. TMI, but even when I'm in the mood, I have a hard time climaxing. It really starts to piss me off lol. It sucks because I'm only 30, I'm supposed to be in my prime or whatever they say. However, my PCP said if it didn't improve, he would prescribe something for me. I was offered hormones by my OB to help with the pre-menopausal symptoms, but I refuse to take them. My body has been through enough. I want to do this as naturally as possible. The good news is my one remaining ovary (which I'm praying to God does NOT need to be removed because it would kick me into full menopause) is still functioning and working, so that's awesome. I honestly feel bad for my fiancé because he doesn't understand how you can't have a libido, and it's so hard to try and even explain it to him. Then again, his is always through the roof; he's always for whatever, whenever lol. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App @@WLSResources/ClothingExch My anxiety wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I cried before going back to the holding area, but once they gave me anti-anxiety meds, I was feeling great, and I barely even remember anything after being brought into the OR. I gotta admit, the first 24 hrs were pretty brutal. The vomiting/nausea was awful, and they tried 4 different meds for it. The day after, it was a lot better, and now I just have awful acid reflux which I'm on meds for, and I know it's normal to suffer from it. So, would I do the surgery all over again? ABSOLUTELY! I'm not even a week out, and I already feel a huge difference. I guess there's other things my fiancé and I can do lol. But seriously, I'm definitely not feeling up to it just yet. Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App Don't worry........you will most likely be tapping into a whole new level of animalistic urges as the weight falls off. Your fiancé may wake up think his member was used as a scratching post by the neighborhood cats. Rest up and recover. It'll be Game On soon enough. @@Dub I sure hope so! Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

I need some help everyone. I had my daughters two years ago and ever since then I have had the Mirena. I have not had a period in a year and a half. I am 12 days post op and I have a period. I read through my stuff from the doctor and don't see it mentioned anywhere. Anyone experience this before? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

There is a huge difference in what doctors recommend. My surgeon was a top European specialist who trains many American docs. Did y'all realize there are many US docs who fly to Europe for bypass procedure training? He also spends one week per month in the Middle East, doing surgeries for the wealthy there. He commented to me that all his Middle Eastern patients want the sleeve and he tries to talk them out of it for a number of reasons (I wasn't paying a lot of attention to them because I never considered the sleeve). In my case, and there are multiple general ways of performing RNY surgery, I essentially have a sleeve but the bulk of my stomach is sutured closed and food passes through a small sleeve. You say you love the simplicity of the sleeve but in most cases the RNY is more simple. As for your question about why someone would have this reversed, there are multiple reasons. My neighbor had been obese for years and after a broken bone and hospitalization suddenly developed malabsorbtion syndrome in which food just passed through him without being absorbed. In short order he became scarily malnourished and emaciated. I have known folks with cancer who have also gone through serious weight loss, and a couple of people I know were told by their docs at the time of diagnosis to gain weight and stop trying to take it off. These were people who were already obese. I have the RNY, my stomach is just smaller than it was before, and my doc said drinking is fine. Only 6 weeks out and I've been indulging in a couple of drinks per week for 3 weeks now. It is inaccurate to generalize that RNY patients can't drink. Yes, I have a lot of dumping 6 weeks out, but I think my situation is unique. First, since I am a 'low BMI' patient, my surgeon removed almost no intestine, less than 2 inches. There is likely no correlation between the amount of intestine removed and dumping in my case. For years I had bad stomach pain, at times so awful that I was incapacitated. After 3 years of trying to find a solution I found an expert who solved my problem. In short, the source of my pain was that my intestines are sluggish and don't work well, and my stomach was contracting harder and harder to push food through, I suspect that my frequent dumping is caused by my stomach still contracting super hard - it's been doing that for years so I doubt it will change very quickly. Also (apologies if this is TMI), for years I had pellet BMs and frequent constipation, and suddenly post surgery my BMs are soft and normal. I am so happy about that and about not having to daily think about pills or supplements. There is no single 'best surgery' or guaranteed avoidance of particular issues which should make the selection of surgery simple or generic. Do good research of RECENT studies. Look for a doc who does a LOT of GBs and listen to his/her advice.

Sorry to those who have had complications - thinking of you all. What a horrible experience it must be! I am 3 weeks post op and yes, the first week was tough and I had horrible gastro (TMI) but it's all calming down now and I hope that my future is bright.

Checking in again... Day 4, and I'm still having what feels like very intense hunger, though I'm told it is probably acid. I hope it subsides soon, because the point of doing this sleeve was to NOT feel like I'm starving. I'm keeping a journal of everything I'm eating/drinking per my surgeon's request. I'm mostly having 12 oz daily of Isopure zero carb vanilla in 3 oz increments every 3 hours. I had sf chocolate pudding today as well. I called the surgeon to complain about the hunger like acid pains, and let them know Tums didn't help. They put me on Nexium, with instructions to call back if it doesn't go away. Probably TMI so skip if you're grossed out by bm talk! I had my first bm since before surgery and it was a very small amount of diarrhea. I'm wondering if that's because I'm not on any solids. I thought I researched the heck out of this before, but now I feel like I may have been under prepared. Hoping that next week is better. How are my fellow July 25th sleevers? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

The TMI stuff is what we need to know and don't know who to ask... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Ok, here's a tmi question. Anyone have a bowel movement yet? Sent from my VS990 using the BariatricPal App

This thread is cracking me up! We need to share the TMI stuff. This is such a great supportive group!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

All these posts have been so helpful, I'm a lil over 2 weeks post op and have been experiencing hunger pangs/cravings too! I've added some soft/puréed foods but my stomach doesn't seem to like them to much as it's causing some runny stools, sorry for the TMI, did anyone else experience this once adding soft foods? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

. Mine just eased today... I had a bowel movement and wow! Game changer. I feel somewhat normal! I'm only a day ahead of you...maybe tomorrow:). I admit that I 'cheated'- I had a regular cup of coffee.. 1 Splenda and a splash of skim milk... 30 minutes later and I was good to go. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App That's good news! Thank you for sharing. I am scared to have a bowel movement....was in painful? Sorry if thats TMI.. Summer Gonzalez bypass: 7/26/16

Im in a good mood mentally. Super excited to take these baby steps. I feel so swollen tho all in my belly. Finally passing gas today. Tmi...sorry. Getting liquids in is so tough. And now im gonna miss my ivs. I didnt worry as much in the hospital cuz we were getting hydrated but now....stresses me out. Zero hunger pains. Love that and food doesnt bother me either. My hubby cooked breakfast tacos this morning and the smell gagged me. Lol. Hope that stays that way. That would be awesome if food repels me lol. Just takin it easy. Want tonstay ahead ofnthe pain. I would say the pain is about a 5 moving ariund but just sitting still or laying in bed is a zero. I feel so grateful and excited! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App