[tom7312]

Okay, I am offically one month out from surgery, I have lost the better part of 50 pounds and I am at a weight I have not been to in 3 years.

I eat tiny portions only 3 times a day and take a barrage of pills.

The things I looked forward to before was revolving around food, either putting it in my face, or having it come out.

I drink a little more then 75 ounces of fluid a day and only urinate around 20 ounces give or take. I do not measure it but I can tell roughly from fluid volume, stream length, power and total elapsed time flowing....
Is that normal or should I increase my fluid intake, is that what I have to expect for the rest of my life?

Also, I used to wake up and go to the bathroom, come home from work and go to the bathroom and go before bed. Usually there was another one in there during the work day too, and all masses leaving the body were significant. You can cal it bear like almost. Now I go maybe once a day, and I have to push hard, when it does come out it is around the size of a walnut and I feel like I am going pellets like a deer.
Is all I can expect from now on?

I understand that because I only eat 16 ounces of solids a day there is going to be less bowel movements, but last week I went 3 times the whole week. My doc said that it is normal and suggested that if I am pushing to hard to take a softener.

Can anyone who is a long term bypass patient let me know if this is what I have to look forward to?

Thank you guys!

[kiwi-leelee77]

ooh pick meee!!! I am on a med called docusate with senna to keep things softer, not liquid.
I got a tad concerned in the first 2 or 3 wks at only going about the same as you are now. Nothing to worry about at all! Your body is using more and so you poop less.
Also, the further you get down the track, the more 'normal' it becomes, again, you eat more, you will poop more. but dont worry about less than once a day, maybe after 4 days, but use kiwifruit or prunes etc.
use the softener just to ease things along.
going 4 times a day (pre op) is what I would not call "normal", but again, what comes out reflects what goes in aye?!
Good luck, and you will be fine

[MsVickie]

Tom,

Alot and I mean alot of us suffer from this after this surgery. Some of us it regulates it self after a bit but for some of us it just dont. Im one it didnt. I always had a bit of trouble before hand so.....

I have to take Miralax. Its OTC. You can take it daily and its not somthing that you get hooked on and have to take to go the rest of your life. The good thing about it is that its tasteless. Alot of people put it in there coffee. I put mine in juice and drink it every am. That is all you need is one dose daily. I take mine about 3-4 days a week to keep it going good. I dont have to strain any. Kinda hard to talk about it here but you will see post on here about it from time to time and it gets hard to talk about it but its common.

My Dr acutally wrote me a RX for it because it comes in a generic form and its much cheaper to get it that way. Its a huge bottle. Its powder. I took this before surgery for trouble I had one time and I thought then it was a miracle powder. Another thing if you become constipated and need immediate relief.... Glycerin Suppostiories is somthing that you can use and it dont have to go though your pouch to get it to move. Just get you a box of gloves and use a couple and they will melt and it will get things moving also. If you do increase your fluids it will help also. I know we dont eat as much as we did but my surgeon told me even though we dont we should still go daily and if you dont you will know it eventually honey. Good luck.

[amymarie7905]

I have had the same issues and I take miralax as well. I only take it every other day but it seems to work for me!
Amy

[MichelleA]

Wow! I had forgotten that issue until right now!

First of all, congratulations on your decision and follow-through to change your life!

I remember being very concerned about the same thing. I asked my surgeon about it, and he seems very not concerned. So not concerned, in fact, that I thought he wasn't understanding my concern.

I then asked my pharmacist about it, and he explained pretty much what Leelee did.

I remember spending a lot of energy worrying about that particular function of my body. It wasn't happening often enough. It was too hard. Too loose (WAY too loose for comfort). The wrong color (due to my addiction to popsicles, there was a time when lime green was the color.) There was a short time when I actually considered that I might have to use adult diapers.

I finally came to realize that my body was not "normal" for years before my surgery, and that trying to compare what was happening to me with what was going on at 300 lbs was insane. So was trying to gauge what my body was doing against what other peoples' bodies were doing.

I made a deal with myself to stop worrying about that particular function unless and until I became ill from it. I never did get ill because of it, and I am now probably "normal" for me. (I won't go into detail.)

This is one of those things that's going to take care of itself, and you will probably find that it's different than it was before, but that different does not mean wrong or dysfunctional.

I found it more constructive to focus on what was going into my body than what was coming out.

Your mileage, of course, may vary.

Stick around and pay attention. You'll learn a lot, and perhaps avoid the pitfalls that plague some of us as we get further out.

[SummerBreeze]

I seldom have problems but first few weeks I did, Miralax worked for me...good luck !

annie~

[pmajsmith]

I use the prescription miralax as well - it does wonders!

[kiwi-leelee77]

we have a product over here called KiwiCrush, and its basically frozen kiwifruit flesh. you can let it melt or eat it like a popsicle and it is a natural mover and shaker...lol it tastes fine also. If you know what prunes do for a body, well kiwifruit is similar but seems a bit more...gentler When I started taking Iron tabs, my body...blocked up a bit and taking something natural, that doesnt expand in your pouch, is really important.
I hope you feel better after reading our thoughts and advice!

[katress]

i was taking Senna twice a day, now i take co-lace....same thing....im one of those people that thinks if i dont go at LEAST ONCE if not twice a day, things arent working right....and then i feel like im gaining weight.....weird ha? but i moved from a food addiction, to a Poo addiction....i HATE it....

[kiwi-leelee77]

Originally Posted by katress

i was taking Senna twice a day, now i take co-lace....same thing....im one of those people that thinks if i dont go at LEAST ONCE if not twice a day, things arent working right....and then i feel like im gaining weight.....weird ha? but i moved from a food addiction, to a Poo addiction....i HATE it....

Sorry but I couldnt help have a giggle.. I too found I was getting antsy about it but realised what I was doing was not going to be helpful, so managed to step away and avoid the OCPW (obsessive compulsive poo worry...lol)
If it doesnt hurt you though, then dont worry about it.