Hi folks. Been a bit since I been on here but I’ve been spending a great deal of time in the yard. Summer is here and that means winter clean up and plus I have Ā a bunch of bare spots where I had some well work done last year that now need grass. So I’ve been super busy with trying to get some grass to grow. Plus seems like every weekend is someone’s birthday, wedding, anniversary, etc. This weekend, for example, my mother is coming from up north to have a BBQ at my house to celebrate Mother’s Day and my sister’s birthday is on Sunday as well so we’re going to celebrate at the same time. Then we also have to celebrate with the in-laws for Mother’s Day so basically I’ll be entertaining both days of the weekend. Somewhere in there I have to also work, do laundry, grocery shop, etc. So needless to say….busy, busy days.
As far as my health is going I’ve been doing okay. The weight has pretty much petered out and holding steady which is good news considering I haven’t been the most studious with my dietary choices as of late. I have been dealing with constipation lately though. Perhaps this seems a bit too much information but the reality is that duodenal switch patients have to deal with this so I’m going to be brutally honest here. I apologize if it’s too much. Anyway, I haven’t changed anything really other than I have been not eating quite as well as I usually do but for the most part I have not added any additional vitamins that are known for constipation issues or anything like that so I’m not entirely sure what brought this on all of a sudden. My tummy has been very upset for 4 days now and I’ve taken some Phillips hoping to get some relief and it helped a bit but still not feeling well enough to say normal. I also took a double dose of probiotics before bed because they always seem to help me stay regular and that also helped a bit but still not normal. So the only thing I can think of next is that I must not be getting (a) enough fluids and (b) enough fat. So I plan to have a bacon burger for dinner and sausage for breakfast and get in tons of fluids until the dam breaks! Sorry, haha…that’s a bit much.
It’s always a bit of a challenge for me because I know DS’ers need fat and my brain is so programmed for anti-fat from my diet days pre-weight loss surgery that I have to always be reminding myself that the fat is okay and actually encouraged. I still find myself buying fat free and low fat this and that; no wonder the tummy is having fits and starts. So that’s the latest anyway. I go for 6 month blood work in June and will know where I stand with all that then but for now doing okay aside from the constipation issue. I’ll be in touch soon with more info on the blood work, etc soon. Hope you all enjoy your Mother’s Day (for those who are) and possibly your Memorial Day if I don’t chat before then. Much love.
Mandy
Peeps, Peep This! 
Mandy, if you have questions about the care and keeping of your DS, you’ll let me know, right? I’m always happy to help. I’ve struggled with constipation since my DS, as well – so I totally get where you’re coming from!
Hugs!
Hi Dina! Thanks so much for the offer of assistance. I wasn’t really sure where to turn for advice. I will certainly check in with you if you don’t mind. It’s a bit better lately but still have those days where nothing has changed and yet I’m still bound up; not sure why it’s so hit or miss. I usually just super dose myself on fat and that helps but sometimes not and I have to use something like Phillips. What do you do? We can have this conversation here (though personal) in case any readers have the same questions. Thanks again!!
Mandy
Here’s my recipe for success:
1. Fluids. We need at BARE minimum 64 oz of non-sweetened (no artificial sweeteners, either) fluids daily. Like by 10 days post-op. By the time you’re 6 months post-op it should be twice that amount. What we tend to forget is that more than half of our GI system is no longer exposed to ingested fluids. We have to work WAY harder than a normie to stay adequately hydrated.
2. Fiber. From food – not pills or powders. Real stuff. If you go to my blog – http://www.livingthedslife.wordpress.com there’s a page called “Online Resources” scroll down to the Dietary Fiber heading and you’ll find some good resources there that tell you which foods have the best fiber delivery. We need between 30 and 35 grams of dietary fiber daily.
3. Fat. And honestly, the good for you fats just make so much more sense all the way around – especially as you get further out from surgery and your body learns to adapt more to malabsorption.
4. Movement. I hate to admit it – but being active and maybe even getting some formal exercise really does make a difference.
I do have some “go to” foods that really do the trick, though…
Spinach – what it is about it that makes it so magical, I have no idea, but dang, it works! I try to make sure I get a little bit in each day. (I make a lot of quiche, and nearly always have some spinach in it.)
Oatmeal – amazing stuff. I make granola, or add oat bran to other foods. It’s fabulous!
Watermelon – not as effective as the other two, but it is effective.
It really is all about paying attention and keeping track. Even at close to 8 years post-op, I still use http://www.fitday.com to spot check my “work” so to speak. š
Hmmm….that sounds great, Dina. I already do the fiber, exercise, etc. but where I lack is the fluids. I have to really focus to get the 64 which I do get most days but certainly not any more than that. I’ll try to up my intake and see what happens. Right now I’m not even taking an iron pill and worry about how much worse it’ll get after if I need to add one (I get 1st round of blood work done in June). š¦ Thanks again!!
It may be that you won’t need iron right away. And if you do – a heme based delivery is much more gut friendly to those of us who have post-op constipation issues. ProFerrin-ES is my favorite – you can get it from Vitalady or http://www.coloradobiolabs.com – both are fine, although I think the second is a bit cheaper.
And – depending on what your labs reveal, it may be that at some point in time you may find that infusions are the best course of action. You wouldn’t be the first – or the last – to find that to be true!
My best advice on meeting the hydration goal is to find a water bottle that you like a lot – cause then you’ll use it! I buy them at REI – an outdoorsy-camping-ish kinda place. There’s a 24 ounce bottle that I *adore* and I have no problem getting my gallon’s worth of non-sweetened fluids (for me it’s iced black tea) each day. š