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hi! just had my RnY on the 20th. I'm walking a lot, taking a lot of fluids. Have been discharged today morning. Only problem i got is that this afternoon, I had my first significant bowel movement. It was all black in color. I had felt like pooping yesterday but it was mostly gas with a little bit of the black stuff(very little to be precise) I've been reading around on the internet about this, some people say that its common for 2-3 bowel movements, some say that its not and i should have it checked. and should i count the first little poop with mostly gas as a bowel movement? Sorry for TMI.

Welcome to bandland! I wasn't hungry for more than a week following surgery so I can't help you there except to recommend Isopure which is a great source of Protein - 40 grams per 20 oz bottle - and it's clear so it won't interfere with your Clear liquids program. I recommend the blue Isopure as the one that tastes the best. Well, tastes the least like a Protein Drink anyway! I understand that the protein will help you feel fuller or at least less hungry for a longer period of time than broth and other clear liquids alone. I will also recommend Benefiber mixed into broth or Isopure. Most people go through a period of the runs - not to put it too delicately! - followed by a period of constipation. In my experience, Fiber helps with both phases. The pain in the left side of your neck is probably from gas. Either that or referred pain from your esophogus (sp?). I got the best gas pain relief by standing next to my bed, bending forward from the waist and putting my forearms on the bed with my forehead resting between. You can bend your knees to make it a little more comfortable. It looks a little crazy but it really helped with gas pains for me - they went away after only a couple of days, for which I was very grateful. I think the fiber, passing gas, and moving the bowels did a lot to help with recovery from the gas pain. I know, TMI! But if it will help even one person . . . Good luck to you and please stay in touch with us at LBT.

Hey Guys, I am 1 week post op as of today. I was sleeved 6/14. Did any of you have problems with you body processing your protein? I have tried it with 1% milk, 1% lactaid, and water. With in 10 min I break out into a cold sweat and then have to rush to the bathroom with diarrhea. Tmi, I know. But I have to figure this out because I met with my doc today and he told me to try with Lactaid, which I did when I got home and same thing happened. Please let me know. Thanks! Frank Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

I've lost a good bit by now (84lbs with 39 to go) my belly button isn't getting any air and it's gross and smelly and wet. Sooo gross. I've tried lotrimin spray and alcohol to clean it but it's still gross. Any advise on how to deal with this? Also when do you start thinking about plastic surgery. Again I still have a ways to go but I'm already seeing belly button issues and thinking I need to wrap my head around another surgery. And also what's the chance I get my insurance company to pay for it? Band to sleeve revision surgery 1/16/17 HW: 283 CW: 199 GW: 160

Thanks yall. Yes I've been constipated a lot. I have my 2 week appointment tomorrow so hopefully I'll get all my questions answered. Tmi but did anyone have any really sticky bms? I've had that since surgery

I've been taking Gabapentin for 12 yrs. Its also used for nerve pain. I take 1200mg 3x a day. When I first. Started taking it it made me feel like I was living in a dream. Not anymore. My dr told me to continue everytning but birth control pills. They increase my chance of blood clots. Btw (probly tmi): condoms suck!!!

I had trouble with protein intake and liquid intake. After I started my soft solids I found out real quick what could happen if I drank too much within that 30 minute time frame. Everything came back up. Sorry if tmi. The drinking before is not as big of a concern but they want you to eat your calories and not drink them. If you drink too much before a meal then you won't eat as much. Good luck to you.

I am a week pos-op and I am doing great. I have been taking care of myself since I got home. I am 63, by the way, I did a lot of prep work though. I filled the kitchen with the fluids and pureed food that i need post-op. It made the first couple of days home much easier. Other than the diarrhea (sorry if that is TMI) I have had no issues. My surgery was done laparoscopic so I have 5 small incisions, and the one that they used to remove the portion of my stomach that was removed through was sore for about 4/5 days, but I didn't need anything but tylenol for the pain. If you don't feel that your doctor is giving you enough information, keep on pressing for answers. You are paying him/her for their services and you have the right to know everything! If you aren't comfortable with this doctor, maybe you need to find one that you are more comfortable with. You will need to have a long term relationship with your doctor and their team. Good luck!

i do share my story, i blog every day and post reality as i see it.and i answer threads when i am able too...although some do not like my (no sugar sprinkles point of view)...my blogs detail the TMI info stuff to the downright silly and all my dr appts and xrays..and also i speak from my heart..i know what it is like to mot be able to walk and wear a size 30 pant size.....coming from a super morbid obese person, i also see it was get bigger and possibly die or get well....hence why i come to this site...i support anyone who supports themselves..i commented only because i do not like seeing people say (dont get the band, it doesnt work) when in fact it does........i stand by what i wrote...may not have worked for this particular poster, but it does work for me...and hence my response...people on this site know me..i support anyone as best i can...as does alot of us......i am not one to trash anyone........(except myself)

Well - I have experienced both. When I PB, it's like a mini throw up (sort of). Sometimes it comes with a funny sounding burp and the food I ate comes right back out. Not really like throwing up though because it's not like the normal stomach acidy kind of throw up. Slimes for me are the clear stuff that just keeps coming out of my mouth until whatever is stuck is unstuck. TMI? I hate both of these. Doc told me my band was too tight if this was happening, so I got a little unfill.

Hey Ladies I wanted to share my experience with having surgery this past Tuesday. Monday 5pm drank 1 bottle of magnesium citrate Stomach exploded all night long...:eek: Woke up 5:30 am Made it to the hospital around 7am - checked in. Nurses called me back around 7:30. Stomach still bubbling:unsure: I go to the preop area get an IV and wait. Made 3 trips to the bathroom since the IV. Anastesilogist can to the room asked if I took a pregnancy test.. No.. The nurse forgot to give it to me.. So had to take the test wait another 30 mins for results. Anyway they finally took me back to the O.R. around 11am. The nurse puts on the compression garments on my legs and the ana..logist gives me some feel good. We are in the O.R. laughing and having a good time. Next thing I know. I am waking up in recovery. My first thought in my head was... what the F*ck have I done! The pain was unberable!!!:eek: I wasn't expecting it to hurt so bad. Anyway I had a nurse with who tried to rush me out of recovery. She woke me up saying "Ms. Speed the Dr. said you look fine, so you can go home." She kept on tapping me on the shoulder, and shaking me. :sneaky: So I finally am able to mouth "I'm in pain" she gives me a dirty look because she doesn't want me to fall back asleep. So the Dr. comes and gives me some more pain meds:thumbup: and I fall back asleep. Mean while laying in the bed in recovery I hear the nurse referr to me as her "problem patient":cursing::cursing::cursing: So I politely called her over and said "I KNOW YOU ARE IN A HURRY TO GET ME OUT OF HERE" "BUT I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!" "I AM STAYING RIGHT HERE UNTIL I FEEL BETTER":thumbup: She left my bedside and switch patients with another nurse.:thumbup: This nurse was great, she let me sleep until I felt like I could go home. This lady took me to the restroom, and helped me sit on the toilet. (I know TMI!) but my legs were shakey.:ohmy: I finally felt good enough to leave the hospital around 3pm. I went home and slept all night. Not much pain while laying down. Just pain when I try to turn my torso. :biggrin:

My Dr. Also said as soon as I feel up to it. (He didn't mention my husband may be up to it.. before I was even considering it...) I am 2 weeks out... and the last few days my husband and I have had sex twice. Heading into TMI area... but being honest... first time... I was a little nervous, afraid he might hurt me with too much weight on my abdomen, so I held his body up with my hands a little... Second time, I was on top, so no pain or pressure on my stomach. Just a thought ladies and gents... kinda private and embarrassing,.. but a real question deserves a real answer. We didn't go through all this so our spouses and significant others wouldn't want us... this is a good thing. Its nice to be loved, just be careful.

Yes, mine too on the left side. Two weeks out though and it is feeling alot alot better in terms of the sharp pain, so I would just give yourself some time. Seems like alot of people start to feel much better at the 2 week mark. Today though I had lots of gas...could be becaue I started a job and now just have the 30 min to eat, so I prob ate too fast. (TMI warning)...When I was finally able to take my 15 minute break, I took a walk by myself and had the most amazing loooong farts. I felt so much better after that. :-)

I haven't been banded yet - just starting the process ... however, I've already have this problem - or should I say - HAD - this problem. A friend of mine told me that her gastroenterologist told her to take 250-500 mg. of magnesium daily and it would regulate her -- she said if that didn't work, increase it by 250 mg. until it did - that you can't OD on magnesium - your body will burn off what it doesn't use. Well, my BF and I both started taking it - You can get a 100-ct. bottle at Target for $2.49. I started taking 500 mg., about 3 weeks ago and now I go every day -- sometimes more than once! Hope that's not TMI!!! Give it a try - hope this helps someone. :rolleyes2::tongue:

I am pre-op, but was finding that the foods I've been eating are just not making me feel well. I've always suspected that I may have an intolerance to wheat, but not sure about anything else. So, I went on an 'exclusion diet' and removed all dairy, gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and oats), eggs, citrus, alcohol, and caffeine from my diet for two weeks. I chose these because after much reading on the internet, these seem to be the most common food intolerances. There are more complex exclusion diets, but this was hard enough to follow as it is. Luckily, I have a friend who has celiac disease (allergy to gluten) so she was able to help me understand what foods are gluten free and which ones aren't. Anyway, after the two weeks of excluding this all from my diet, then I introduced one at a time (not faster than one every three days). So far what I've found is I have intolerance to onion (goes right through me - horrible cramps and diarrhea). Even though this wasn't something I had purposely excluded, it just so happened that I didn't have much onion in anything until the 10th day in. I had been feeling great, then bam, the onions made me feel awful. I didn't quite see the connection at first, but then it happened again the next time I prepared something w/a lot of onion. The next thing I identified as a problem is dairy, but I seem to have a threshold w/it. A little dairy is fine. If I have more than a normal serving or multiple dairy items in one meal, I feel sick to my stomach, and get diarrhea again. Sorry, if TMI. Finally, I just reintroduced wheat products today and haven't had any GI symptoms, but VERY noticeable lethargy/tiredness after eating. And, I didn't eat a lot of wheat. I had popcorn chicken (that has breading on it) and a cookie. Then, took a 2 hour nap. Interestingly, prior to the exclusion diet, I was feeling exhausted every afternoon and most days needed a nap. Since the exclusion of wheat, I had not needed naps anymore.

@ I'm very fortunate to be able to say that I've never had the experience of dumping, but the fear of getting sick outweighs my desire to have the sugar again, and to be perfectly honest, my cravings for sweet stuff are nowhere near what they used to be. From what I understand, it's the sugar that causes the dumping, not the actual item- dumping can happen from lots of kinds of sugar, not necessarily just candy/cake/whatnot. I've listened to folks who've told me they dump on Pasta, bread, and fruit juices! If you look around the forum here, you'll see all kinds of stories of people's experiences with dumping, & that fear is of anything that has sugar- not one food item specifically. What I have experienced (and I don't know if there's an official name for it) is a stabbing pain right at the base of my breastbone. The best information I could find is that it's caused by food blocking the itty bitty stoma (opening to your new itty bitty stomach pouch). For me, it happens when food is too dry (like meat) or doughy (like breads). It's absolutely horrible, and what's worse is that trying to wash it down with a drink of Water doesn't help at all. Top it off with an inability to throw everything up (Sorry if this is TMI) and it's an overall miserable time for me. But, similar to dumping, I remember every single food that made me feel that way (since I can't seem to group them by nutritional content), and I won't touch it again for a loooong time.

I had my 3rd post surgical appointment yesterday, one week shy of 4 months banded. I was glad to finally be seeing the doctor because I've had some digestive issues since my last fill -- vomiting, sliming, discomfort...you name it. And then, about a week ago, I felt a lump in my abdomen, just inside my hip bone. It was tender to the touch and seemed to move when I changed position. I thought maybe it was a hernia I'd never noticed because of all the fat on my gut before but definitely wanted to have it checked out. So, I'm sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor and reading the informative poster about the digestive system which, as we know, ends in the colon and rectum. How delightful to read the symptoms of colo-rectal cancer while I've got a lump I'm worried about. Here's my thought process: "Let's see, hmmm, change in bowel habits - check, pain or tenderness in the abdomen - check, other TMI symptoms - check, check, check.... OMG, I HAVE COLON CANCER! Great! Isn't this just ironic that here I am, finally losing weight so I can live a healthier life and now I'm going to die from colon cancer anyway. I shouldn't have smoked. I shouldn't have drunk too much. I shouldn't have had a high fat diet. I shouldn't have.....oh, here comes the doctor." So, when the doctor asks me how I am, I blurt out, "I have a lump in my abdomen and at first I thought it might be a hernia but after reading THAT, I'm a little worried it's colon cancer." He sort of laughs and says, "If you had colon cancer and could feel a lump through your stomach, you'd be f'n dead already." Well, I do like him for being blunt. So, he feels around and says it's a hematoma and asks if I had an injection recently. I did not and, I can't think of any incident where I got poked or fell on something..... So, chalk it up to all the swimming I did in Mexico - probably a small tear in my muscle. Phew. Thank goodness these hypochondria moments don't last too long. So, now that I know I'm not going to die (from this particular ailment), I mention that I might need a slight unfill because I'm concerned I'm not getting enough food since the last fill on 1/27. I've been trying to do about 1/2 cup of food but find I get very full just at a little over 1/4 cup down and begin to feel uncomfortable, get slimy and..as I mentioned above, vomit. The doctor says I don't need an unfill and that 2 ounces of solid food at a sitting is just about right. So, no fill, no unfill. But, you know, I really miss eating even though I take longer to do it now and can eat almost anything - just not much of it. I miss everything about cleaning my plate, the feel of the food in my mouth, having more than one course.....dessert! Today I went to the cafeteria to get some lunch. I got a small soup (less than half filled) and put 1 hard boiled egg, one slice of cucumber and a few carrot shreds in the smallest salad container they had. When I took it to the cashier, it wouldn't weigh -- it was too light for the scale so she charged me for a cookie (!!!) -- all of $.50. I got a packet of mayo and made myself a little egg salad and had some on a saltine. It tasted good. I could have licked the container but I was too full. I couldn't even eat the 2nd saltine. I signed up for this knowing the band was a tool and that I had to do the heavy lifting. It's working, I'm working. I'm vomiting, it's working. I'm sliming, it's working. I've lost 58 lbs, it's working. It's working, it's working.

Hey guys! I’ve been struggling with lately and now I’m getting scared. I’m sorry if this is tmi but I need some advice. My bowels are hard little pebbles and are covered in this yellow/white jelly like mucus. What’s going on?

Surgery was good! Post op was painful, it's a major surgery, lots of gas pain. And the leak test X-rays was hard, but I think it's getting better, kept my liquid down today. And passing gas has been a great thing ( tmi ) also I have a very loose stool that looks like a baby first stool.

A little TMI but here we go. Day 7-17 Post op I had my monthly. Then for a few days I had no bleeding or anything. Anyways the past few days I have been noticing blood when I wipe I am a month post op now. Last night I went to qipe and there was a lot of blood, as much as I would have during my monthly. I have also been sore in my abdomen between my large incision and belly button and have been feeling unwell overall. I dont have a doctor so it would pretty much be hospital or walk in clinic. I was also out of country for the operation, so my surgeon cant really help me. Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

Thanks, everyone! This is good advice. I'm planning to shake things up with the exercise routine and see if that helps! I also am at the (sorry for TMI) very end of TOM, so maybe that's what's keeping on the extra weight? WorkingMom, I'm so glad that you're liking my blog! I took some more photos at a spot in Chinatown on Sunday night & will post them soon -- maybe tonight or tomorrow morning. Catherine

I felt just like you described, except I also felt like someone had a corset around me and was squeezing it so tightly that I was having to pant and gasp. I think my friend was afraid I was dying...she kept asking me "does this happen a lot" (she knows about the surgery and is a doctor, although not for humans, lol) and I couldn't even talk to answer her. I never threw up, but I felt really nauseous. My main doubt that it was dumping was that it occurred at least 2 hours after I ate. I had not eaten all day because I felt kind of overall yucky (which isn't a normal thing and what made me think stomach flu) and I finally decided I had to eat something before I went to meet my friend. The only thing that sounded good was some Cookies (I know, poor choice, but everything else sounded unappetizing). I ate them and felt fine until I was waiting for my friend. I told my DH on the phone that all of a sudden I was hurting. He knows when I say that I am hurting that I am serious...I have a seriously high pain tolerance normally, so he said he knew right then something was really wrong. When my friend came we walked into the restaurant, and as soon as I felt the heat from the kitchen/smelled the food everything started going to a pinpoint of light and I felt like I was going to faint. I sat down and told her to call DH and have him come get me...it took me three tries to even be able to tell her DH's number where he was at. I felt like I couldn't breathe in fully and I was panting like a dog and unbuttoned my pants...I'm sure my friend was mortified and all the other patrons were staring ...lol, I don't care....probably won't be going back to that restaurant for awhile! I went and sat in the car and debated whether I was truly dying, and had my friend put the AC on full...that helped the most. She kept trying to quiz me down medically, but I couldn't even really talk for most of the time. After about 15 minutes it finally started to subside. DH showed up about then and took me home. I felt much better, but still not good that night and (TMI alert) did have diarrhea. Same for the next day, but now I am just sore. I told DH that I think it may just be a strange reaction to stomach flu or food poisoning since my stomach has been altered so much. I am sure that when you have those things your stomach swells in reaction, and if it is restricted, wouldn't it make sense that it would hurt much more? I don't know.

Okay, here it goes... I was sleeved on Feb 4th. I feel wonderful, I do not feel constipated or anything like that. I have been on liquids for 2 weeks easy. The last bowel movement I had was on Feb 2nd, eight days ago. Should I be concerned at all? Would I even be having any kind of BM without eating any solid foods. I suddenly feel ignorant. lol If it is a concern, any ideas? Thanks :blush2:

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!

ta- sorry you are having such a hard time. I agree you need to find a physician who is committed to finding out what is wrong with you. You should not be having fevers for no reason. As for MVP, it is very possible that you may have it and it can cause weakness, though it is usually without symptoms. It seems as if your cardiolgist's nurse may be uninformed. If I can recall my latest statistics, almost 30% of women have MVP and it can be definitively diagnosed with an echocardiogram. A physical exam may or may not reveal a heart murmur. It is also possible to have a benign murmur (a murmur with no structural defects of the heart). Sorry, was this tmi? My advice to you is find a physician and get him/her involved and advocate for yourself upfront. There is nothing wrong with saying- I wan't answers, however long it takes. Your symptoms are somewhat vague-meaning they could be from any number of possible diagnoses- so it may take a while. Good luck on your journey.