Re: this list - vs- post op list's view

[Guest guest]

> I'm only reading this list nowdays online, but am silently reading the

> post-op list, trying to ready myself emotionally for this surgery. I

> can't help but say I am going through tremendous second thoughts. I am

> really kinda baffled about issues that when brought up on this list

> and kinda made to not seem to big of an issue, but on the post op list

> I see a lot of talka bout it. For one, the gas and diareah issue. I've

> seen lots of posts on here, saying don't worry about it.. it's not

> like they say.. it's just rumors. But on the post-op list it is a

> popular topic, and very much true. I don't want to spend the rest of

> my life getting terrible cramps and having explosive diarhea anytime I

> eat something with fat in it.

As a one-year post-op, I can only relate my experience. I do not get

diarrhea. I get gas more than I did pre-op, but it's always tied to foods

and avoidable when it happens. If I choose to have a milkshake, I know I'm

going to have some air rolling through my gut. The Dairy Care helps

tremendously, but it's not a cure-all, and the lactose intolerance is

something that happens in ANY gastric bypass, because the place in the

intestine where lactase is naturally excreted resides in the biliary tract

post-op, and isn't able to mix with food early enough to do any good. That's

why oral lactase helps -- it's mixing with food in the food tract. But is my

life defined or overshadowed or anything more than peripherally affected by

the occasional bout of gas? No way. I notice too that the post-op list is

dominated by gas/diarrhea topics, and you know what my theory is? After the

first couple of months, there's simply not much else to complain about!

If we didn't talk about that, it'd be a pretty darn slow list. Hmm... come

to think of it, it *is* a pretty darn slow list! That's my take on it.

M.

---

in Fremont, CA, age 38

Starting weight 299, now 178

Starting BMI 49.7, now 29.6

Lap DGB/DS by Dr. Rabkin 10-19-99

http://www.duodenalswitch.com

Direct replies: mailto:melanie@...

[Guest guest]

One of the main reasons the talk on the DSPostop list has been about

gas (in particular) is because somebody specifically asked for

hellacious gas stories from other Postops! So, guess what? People

responded with the types of foods that cause them the biggest amount

of gas.

My not-formally-scientific findings support what I read on this: Eat

some kind of heavily-laden lactose product (Frappuchino)and be

prepared -- other's of course will not have the farts with these.

Here's the deal -- you can't have a very large portion of your small

intestine bypassed without having aleration in your stool and gas

patterns. Period. And most everybody adjusts. A small percentage

don't.

[Guest guest]

I know what you mean... I too read different stories on the post-op list.

But you also need to keep in mind that the complications of gas and diarrhea

are worse the first year post-op and tend to improve over time to nearly no

problem after a year or so... Most of the folks posting on the post-op list

are within the first 6 months or so. There are more problems in the

beginning...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.<A HREF= " apapararo@... " >apapararo@...</A>

BMI: 50.1, 5'7 " , 320, age 40

Pacificare/Sutter Medical Group

Dr. Rabkin/Dr. Jossart BPD/DS

SURGERY DATE: 11/27/00!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Pixel -- Living post-op DS isn't bad, just different. Same is true

of any WLS.

As an RNY, there were times when I was eating out with friends and had

to excuse myself quickly because I'd, without thinking, eaten one bite

too many and had to throw up. Came back to the table with teary eyes,

blotchy face, embarrased as hell, etc. I'll take what I have today,

thank you, over and over and over!

Since the DS post-op list is for medical and health issues ONLY, you

don't hear about the other aspects of our lives there. The joy, the

freedom, the deliciousness of life, I could go on and on...

It IS a slow list, and the two main topics IMHO are " I had some

gas/diarrhea " and " I'm on a plateau " . Pretty repetitive. Well, if

that's all there is to complain about for the strong chance to live a

longer, healthier life, I'll take it!

Digestion is not much different for me now than it was the 12 years

previous with RNY, and is definitely not worse. Haven't had a

gallbladder those 12 years. I CAN eat a little more of everything now

than with RNY (hallelujah for the increased variety!), including fats

and fiber, so I go more. This is not a problem, this is a blessing for

me.

You are doing the right thing by learning all you can about life

post-op, but keep a balanced viewpoint. What price would you pay to

live a longer, healthier, more active life? Only you can say.

Regards -- Margie in Austin, TX

5'4 " , pre-revision 275#, 10/04/00 down 47#

RNY GB in 1987, revision to DGB/DS 02/01/00

Dr. Crookes, USC University Hospital, LA, CA

> ...

> Can someone explain this differing view to me, and just how bad is

> it??

>

> pixel/becky

>

> (sorry about the spelling - no spellchecker)

[Guest guest]

Great answer - thanks for the reassurance

W

Pre -op Dr.

waiting for ins approval - Prudential POS

5'5'' 301 - BMI 51

[Guest guest]

Hi Pixel,

I am pre-op so I am not talking from experience, but I do read the

post-op list. It seems new post-ops have the most problems and then

the others on the list discuss the problems they had. It does seem

that some people have to adapt there eating so they won't have repeated

problems. " I drank a malted--had horrible gas--I haven't done

that again " --type of stuff. Or some people take dairy care,

etc. to help their digestion. It does seem that there are

adaptations, but that does not seem to bother most people.

I think

we do that pre-op. I rarely have orange juice because its acidity

and if I eat the brownies I love to make--I know I will pay by having a

horrible acid attack. Sometimes it is worth it, but most of the

time I avoid foods that will cause me to have a lot of acid.

Finally, if gas/diarrhia ends up being really awful for you, there is the

comfort of knowing that you can reverse the intestine part of the

surgery.

Deborah

At 04:42 AM 10/26/00 +0000, you wrote:

I'm only reading this list nowdays

online, but am silently reading the

post-op list, trying to ready myself emotionally for this surgery. I

can't help but say I am going through tremendous second thoughts. I am

really kinda baffled about issues that when brought up on this list

and kinda made to not seem to big of an issue, but on the post op list

I see a lot of talka bout it. For one, the gas and diareah issue. I've

seen lots of posts on here, saying don't worry about it.. it's not

like they say.. it's just rumors. But on the post-op list it is a

popular topic, and very much true. I don't want to spend the rest of

my life getting terrible cramps and having explosive diarhea anytime I

eat something with fat in it.

<sigh>

Can someone explain this differing view to me, and just how bad is

it??

pixel/becky

(sorry about the spelling - no

spellchecker)

[Guest guest]

Ok Becky--- here we go again with the gassy issue.... ((hugs))) Don't let it

confuse you.... Most of the problem is in the first few weeks. With

anesthesia & losing about a pound a day..... It will happen in those first

few weeks. But it gets better, hon!! (GAWD I sound like someone on AMOS).

Once you get all that yucky stuff out of your system, start eating better &

taking your vitamins, it gets waaayyyyy better! I'm a year out now & it

REALLY isn't a problem for me. Most of the discussion on the post op board

is from newly postops. I'm not saying it wont ever happen again, but it is

in your control! For me..... Fat, sugar & carbinated drinks give me gas.

Eating ALOT of fat, not a little, gives me looser stools. This is the

amount of fat I eat everyday: butter on my toast, chef salad w/cheese, meat,

egg & ranch dressing (not diet), butter on my veggies, rice or potato.

Eating that much fat in a day doesn't cause me a problem at all. When it

becomes a problem is if I were to eat 2 cheese enchiladas or 2 or 3 pieces

of pizza...something with MAJOR fat.

I can't guarantee that you will have my experience, you have to weigh the

odds. How many people are really struggling with this as a major problem,

who are long term postop ...compared to..... how many people are not having

a problem with this a year or more out. There are no guarantees. I guess

you just go with the odds. I've heard a couple stories where this was

problem for them post op, but I've never heard someone say they want a

reversal because of it.

I hope this gives you something to think about..... It's a very serious

decision & I will keep you in my prayers while you're researching..... Keep

asking questions! heidi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

heidi guio

Age 43, Templeton, CA

Dr. Anthone, USC, DGB/DS

United Health Care--Select Plus-POS

22 Oct 1999: 312/ BMI 51

22 Oct 2000: 198/ BMI 31

Direct replies: mailto:heidij@...

Home Page: http://www.myWLS.com

Join myWLS.com Update:

/group/myWLSupdate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~