Re: orange oily discharge

[Guest guest]

Yucky, ain't it? Do not read the following post while eating!

My understanding is this oily substance is a combination of bile, hence the

orange or yellow color, and unabsorbed fat. It escapes the closed sphincter

and is responsible for the disclaimers on leakage for the various drugs like

Meridia, etc. It is also quite irritating to sensitive tissues and excess

production can lead to fissures ( not too be trifled with!) and other

unpleasant difficulties. Lack of a gallbladder makes the problem worse. In

fact some of my thin friends without gallbladders report the very same

problem.

Solutions? First, I try to balance my daily intake such that my overall

intake of fat remains below 30% of my caloric intake. I don't obsess about

it. I just think before I eat. For example, yesterday I had artichokes for

dinner which also means a couple of tablespoons of mayo. The rest of my

dinner was skinless chicken in a tomato based sauce with lots of rice and a

salad with vinegar only. Essentially fat free to compensate for the mayo on

the artichoke.

Breakfast is almost always hot cereal of one type or another. I don't know

if it is true or not, but hot cereal (which I love anyway) seems to absorb

some of the residual bile and lessen the symptoms of leakage. I try to

avoid the traditional American breakfast of eggs or pastries or muffins as

my day then starts in a deficit for fat intake and I am lousy at denying

myself for an entire day. Duh, that's how I got to where I needed surgery

in the first place.

Remeber I am nearly 4 years post-op, my capacity is far greater than it used

to be , and I can eat rice and other grains, something I had extreme

difficulty doing in the first two years.

Second, I keep Imodium on hand, which I use at the first sign of a problem.

I buy it on sale whenever I find it and keep it, along with Lactaid, in my

possession at all times.

The problem is something I have learned to manage, and it has lessened over

time. I am not sure whether that is because my bowels have adapted or I

have just learned how to avoid the situations that cause it..

Deborah

BPD/DS

09/24/97

Dr Anthone

BMI 54

307 lbs

Current BMI 26

154 lbs

[Guest guest]

Deborah,

Four years postop! I want to talk to you!

Honestly, at 8 weeks postop, I really do have questions for someone who has

experienced the process and is several years out.

First, how was the experience for you in the beginning. Did you lose quickly

or slowly? When did the weight loss slow down? When did it stop? Does your

weight fluctuate now? How has your eating changed? Does it continue to

change? How are your labs? How do you feel? Any surprises along the road?

Any advice?

Thanks,

Dawna