Re: Fiber-- My Post-Op Experience (Long)

[Guest guest]

Hi, Will!

I don't really have the complete answer to your question, but it is

one I have a great deal of interest in. I was reading a patient

brochure last night from Dr. Rabkin's Web Site for the DS. The URL

for the patient brochure is:

(http://www.pacificsurgery.com/For_Patients/Patient_Binder.pdf)

On page 20 of this patient manual, it says,

" Over the long term, good, well-balanced nutrition is important:

Protein first (beans, tofu, tempeh, eggs, fish, seafood, dairy

products, poultry, meats), then vegetables, and then whole grains.

To use protein properly, you need to eat adequate complex

carbohydrates. "

I gather from reading this manual that they are describing the

optimal post-op diet after the stomach has stretched to the point

where you are able to get all your protein needs in and do have some

room left for other types of food. For me, this occurred at 6-8

weeks post-op. I think it happened earlier for me than for many

folks. I started small doses of my Citrucel fiber at about 5 weeks

post, I began eating apple slices and cooked veggies at 6 weeks post,

and salads at 8 weeks post-op.

I have had sluggish bowels all my life. I had problems with

constipation a lot as a pre-op. I have a 100 cm common channel, and

although my constipation problems are not as bad as they were as a

pre-op, I still tend toward constipation rather than diarrhea as a

post-op. I tried stool softeners and they hurt my insides (cramping

pain). Milk Of Magnesia worked well, but was a bit harsh to use

every day, so once my stomach capacity had increased a bit, I began

adding fiber to my diet to help relieve my constipation. Now I take

Citrucel daily, though not as much as I was using as a pre-op, mostly

because I can't take a full dose at one time now, so have to work

several half doses in during the day with all my other medicines and

vitamin/mineral/calcium supplements, etc. So I usually get in two

half-doses a day these days. I also eat cooked veggies every day

with my " big " meal of the day, usually dinner. Occasionally, I will

have a small dinner salad instead of the cooked veggies. My snacks

tend to be mostly protein-- nuts, cheese, lo-carb protein bars,

vienna sausage, and protein shakes. This is a change from my pre-op

dieting days when my snacks used to be mostly complex carbs, like raw

carrots and celery, pickles, apple slices, or a salad.

I have to say that I have been very fortunate to have had almost no

post-op complications from my DS surgery. No nausea, no vomiting, no

unusual taste changes, and no problem eating/drinking all the protein

I need. I realize that this is probably not a typical post-op

experience! I made up for my smooth complication-free recovery by

having mega pain during my hospital stay and the immediate post-op

period. I have Fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndrome, so I was not

too surprised at my excessive pain levels, but fortunately, they were

not an indication of a serious problem.

I am only 3 months post-op now, so the folks with more time as

posties may have a different slant on this question.

As for odor, I once became a vegetarian for a time as a pre-op, after

joining a Hindu meditation group. I also had a couple of periods in

my adult life when I was too poor to be able to afford meat, so ate a

lot of brown rice, beans, tofu, and soy protein meat substitue

foods. Being a vegetarian didn't agree with me at all! I had stinky

gas non-stop, and my poor brain didn't function at all. I had to

quit the meditation group because my body couldn't handle living

without animal protein sources. I still don't eat a lot of beans,

but now there is Beano for when I do have a small portion. When

compared to what I experienced as a pre-op, I have noticed a slight

increase in the odor when I have a bowel movement, but it's not bad,

and I don't have a lot of gas now, fortunately.

Joy Frost Age: 48

Open DS with Welker Date: 2-5-01

Weight at time of surgery: 255 lbs BMI: 47

Weight as of 5-6-01: 225 lbs BMI: 41.2 (-30 lbs)

http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/Joy/joy.html

> Hi,

> I have yet to hear anyone anywhere mention fiber in the post-op

diet. Does it have a place. If you have bran or leafy veggies does

that help with the odor problems I've been hearing about. I know that

when I ate a mostly vegetarian diet the thing I liked was that food

as fuel seemed to " burn cleaner " as I like to describe it.

> I know that you must eat protein and maybe there isnt much room

for much fiber early on but I just thought I'd throw the question out

there. Thanks,

>

> Will