Veterans: Question RE: bowel movements

[LumpySpacePrincess 594]

I'm almost 2 years out (yay!) and I hit goal at about 10 months out.

Before surgery, I'd poop about three times a day, give or take. Now, I'm lucky if I get to go once a week with a laxative. I tried Miralax, but it made me gain weight like crazy, so I'm back to my ex-lax.

Question is: is it normal to have stringy, mucousy poop at almost two years out? Is it just the laxative scraping the last bits out of my intestines, or should I be thinking more along the lines of an IBS type situation?

My next post-op isn't until March and since I pay out of pocket for these visits, I really don't want to spend $300 to ask my surgeon a poop question! Lol I could call, but thought I'd poll the boards first before I bother her.

Thanks in advance!!

[sweettea 300]

I'm over two years out. I've always only pooped once a week. But I do have IBS. So every week I take a "gentle" laxative. (Walmart brand). By the end of the day or the next day it is stringy and mucousy. My IBS causes Constipation, not the runs.

[joatsaint 2,814]

I'm 31 months out, and I eat a lot of fibrous vegetables, especially brussell sprouts (for no other reason than I like them) I haven't had to take a laxative in over a year. I found that adding lots of fibrous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts added enough Fiber to my diet that I stay pretty regular - going about once every 3 days.

[WL WARRIOR 692]

Why does Miralax make you gain weight? Does it cause you to retain Water? I'm just curious because I have started adding it to my Protein shake in the morning.

[McButterpants 2,846]

I'm an every other day sort of person - I have difficulty when I don't eat veggies, but it's a fine line...my tummy doesn't like a lot of veggies.

[LumpySpacePrincess 594]

Why does Miralax make you gain weight? Does it cause you to retain Water? I'm just curious because I have started adding it to my Protein shake in the morning.

I'm not really sure. I've heard this from a few other people, but it doesn't seem to be common. It works fantastic as a laxative, I just noticed a 10 pound weight jump in a matter of days after taking it. Even if it is Water, its enough that my clothes won't fit so I had to stop taking it.

[LumpySpacePrincess 594]

I'm 31 months out, and I eat a lot of fibrous vegetables, especially brussell sprouts (for no other reason than I like them) I haven't had to take a laxative in over a year. I found that adding lots of fibrous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts added enough fiber to my diet that I stay pretty regular - going about once every 3 days.

I wish veggies worked for me, but they don't. I typically eat quite a bit of cauliflower, broccoli, green peppers, spinach, and lettuce but it doesn't seem to help. I even took a fiber supplement at one point and it did nothing but make it worse. My nutritionist told me I'm probably just not eating enough in volume to really go very often. Even at almost 2 years out, I have a lot of restriction so my portion sizes are rarely over 1/2 cup.

[joatsaint 2,814]

Wow, that is a big restriction, compared to mine. I can easily eat 8 ounces or about 17 Brussel sprouts, wait an hour or so and eat another 8 ounces.

For at least the 1st year post-op, I had trouble staying regular. With the high Protein diet, I wasn't getting in enough fiber to move things along. Sometimes I'd have to do what I call, "Priming the pump." Go to the bathroom as normal, strain really hard and then get up and go away. That sometimes seemed to get things started and I'd come back later to complete the task. :-P

I did notice that after soon after eating a Quest bar or an Oh Yeah! Victory bar, the next day, I'd poop a rope! :-P They are sweetened with a Prebiotic fiber that is made from vegetable sources (not exaclty sure which vegetables) But they both claim to have lots of fiber and I think they taste pretty good.

I'm 31 months out, and I eat a lot of fibrous vegetables, especially brussell sprouts (for no other reason than I like them) I haven't had to take a laxative in over a year. I found that adding lots of fibrous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts added enough fiber to my diet that I stay pretty regular - going about once every 3 days.

I wish veggies worked for me, but they don't. I typically eat quite a bit of cauliflower, broccoli, green peppers, spinach, and lettuce but it doesn't seem to help. I even took a fiber supplement at one point and it did nothing but make it worse. My nutritionist told me I'm probably just not eating enough in volume to really go very often. Even at almost 2 years out, I have a lot of restriction so my portion sizes are rarely over 1/2 cup.

[SnOwCrAsHeD 56]

I'm the same way, pre-surgery 3 times per day, post surgery one every other day, but I don't use a laxative. I think this is due to all the Protein I eat. It took my nearly 10 days to go after my surgery and they scared me, but I'm ok with every other day and I don't feel any worse for it and don't feel constipated in any way, so go figure.

I'm almost 2 years out (yay!) and I hit goal at about 10 months out.

Before surgery, I'd poop about three times a day, give or take. Now, I'm lucky if I get to go once a week with a laxative.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I'm a little over a year out. I'm also vegetarian. Pre-op I went pretty much 2 hours after each meal. I went 2 -3 times a day regularly. Post-op my doctor started me on colace for the first 30days. I had my first BM on day 5. I had a BM every day til about maybe 6mths in. Now I probably have a BM anywhere from 1 - 3 times a day depending on what I eat. A few weeks ago without thinking I had steel cut oats for Breakfast and a kale salad for lunch and diner. The next day was a truly "cleansing" experience.