Have you tried taking (2) stool softners daily when you take Iron? My PCP recommended that I take them for constipation and said unlike laxatives they could safely be taken daily. They have resolved my problems. I've also heard that the Iron will cause constipation when you first start taking it but the problems disappear in time. Best of luck in resolving this problem.

Thanks for your wonderful post. Like you I struggle daily to keep the weight off my still obese body (187 and holding), but I'm so thankful for having had wls. I think many of us go into wls thinking it will cure all our ills. After all, for years if we stumped our toe the doctor would say if you'd lose some weight this wouldn't happen, etc. Is it any wonder we expected weight loss to make us feel 20 again? Have a great day!

I will be 3 years out from RNY surgery in January 2007. I lost 220 lbs and fluctuate 10 lbs up and down from my lowest weight. I've been very fortunate to have had no complications and very few problems eating since surgery. It's important to have blood work done on a regular basis because they will catch problems early and address them. So far my blood work has actually improved slightly since surgery. It was fine before surgery, but is now in the upper levels of normal. I take my vitamins/calcium and focus on mostly protein in my diet. At 57 when I had surgery bone density was obviously a big concern for me, but my latest bone scan shows that has also increased. I'm considerably above normal for people in my age group. People who have the RNY absorb better than those who have the Distal surgery. However no matter which surgery you have there can be absorbtion problems and nobody knows why one person absorbs better than another. I think we all had the same concerns you have before surgery. This is a serious commitment and should not be entered lightly. We are limited in quantity after surgery so it's important to make those calories count in a nutritional way. My decision came down to health issues that I was unable to resolve without the surgery. I've gone from 5 prescriptions a day with awful blood work to -0- prescriptions and great blood work.

Breaskfast 1 Centrum vitamin 9:30 AM 2 Tums (or 2 Viactin) according to my mood that day. 2:30 PM 2 Tums (or 2 Viactin) according to my mood that day. Dinner 1 Centrum vitamin Some will say you need Calcium Citrate rather than the Calcium carbonate you take in Tums, Citracal or Viactin. Maybe that is true for some people, but my bone scan was above average for my age before surgery and has improved since my surgery so the Calcium carbonate is working for me. Great to hear that you are getting back into your routine. I've read so many horror stories about people who didn't take their supplements, which have scared me into being very careful to take mine. Have a great day!

Really cool! Hope they continue to drop.

I didn'****ch the show but have it taped to watch later. I did want to address a couple of points in your post. I think most WLS patients are addicted to food prior to surgery so it's natural when that tool is taken away that the addiction be moved to some other form of addiction. Carni Wilson's dad was addicted to alcohol and drugs so she has the genes to form addicitons. I've read her story and know she used food to fill the emotional needs so when that tool was taken away it's natural that she'd transfer the addiction. I saw her on the View recently and she referred to the emotional eating and said it was still a problem for her. WLS patients are like the rest of the population, some are more stable than others. We don't know going in what our journey will be like, but if we face each day with determination and willingness to meet the challenges it will all work out.

You ask for 5 years out, but since you aren't getting a lot of response I thought I'd let you know how it is for me at 33 months out. BEFORE SURGERY 410 pounds, 5'6" unable to stand more than 3 minutes due to pain, taking 5 medications a day with blood work totally out of control. No quality of life. I went to work then home to rest up for the next day of work. Anything else just seemed like too much effort. I used only stores with electric carts. AFTER SURGERY 188 pounds, size 10 pants 14/16 tops. Work out once a day 45 minutes, often twice a day. Work in my yards for hours without taking a break. I take no prescription drugs and have fabulous blood work. Quality of life is fabulous, I am on the go non stop rarely going home before 8-9 PM. I am traveling a lot now days and having a ball. My WLS journey has been much easier than many peoples. I've thrown up twice in 33 months when I unthinkingly did something I was told not to do. At 60 my bone scan is better than it was prior to surgery and much better than most people my age. I have followed the doctors food/calcium/vitamin program with few exceptions. No complications of any kind. I think if you read the post you will find even with health issues popping up for some people that they still say the surgery is the best thing they could have done for themselves. I probably know 150+ wls patients from support groups, but I only know one person who wishes he had not had it done. I know the couple well (she had wls first), and feel he was pushed into it by his wife. He wants to be able to eat like he did before surgery, but that's not possible because his pouch limits the quantity. He blames a heart attack and neuropathy on his wls but the truth is he had been overweight and diabetic for years, plus he was 68 years old. Yes wls could have been a contibuting factor, but these things happen to non wls patients every day with his medical history. Diabetes leads to neuropathy and heart attacks. Of course it's easier to blame all the problems on wls and who am I to say it wasn't due to the surgery. This surgery isn't for sissies because you don't know going in what your experience will be. I don't think I would have had it for cosmetic reasons, but I'd reached a point that it was the only option for me. The surgery is a life long commitment so don't push yourself to make the decision too quickly. I found the live support groups helped me to make the decision. I was looking at the results and hearing the good, bad & ugly about the surgery. A couple of people told about a complication and almost death experience, then said but I'd do it all over in a minute given the same cir****tances. Being able to question them face to face made me more comfortable. On the other hand there were a 70-80 people telling me how uneventful their wls had been and how happy they were to have had the surgery. Best wishes in making the right decision for you.

The DS surgery was something I thought about then tossed away after deciding I didn't want the long term added problems with absorbtion. RNY patients have absorbtion problems but it's worse for DS patients. We never know if we've made the right decision but once I make a decision I don't look back. I'd suggest putting the indecision behind you since you've had your surgery. Make the best of the surgery you've had and move forward. The problems RNY patients have with eating get better with every month out from surgery. By the time you hit a year you'll probably be eating like you did before surgery, but in smaller quantities. At least that's the experience I see from people in my support group. Best of luck!

I had my gallbladder removed at the same time I had wls (both lap surgery). I quit taking pain meds the day after surgery and didn't take any after I got home. I was back at work 6 days after the dual surgery feeling fine. It sounds like with your pain tolerance the gallbladder won't be a problem for you. I can't answer the one on tying the tubes. Best of luck!

Back to basics for me means I eat as my surgeon instructed after surgery, eat all your protein, followed by veggies, followed by fruit: 4 oz protein If not full at this point 1 cup Veggies If still not full Fruits It seems the basics still work no matter how far out from surgery we happen to be. I agree with another poster that we need to celebrate the fact that you're still down 105 pounds, but like you I think we know when it's time to get a grip and stop any further regain. Best wishes for your continued success on your wls journey. This is a journey we will be on as long as we live. We take some detours along the way but as long as we get back on the right path we're fine. Hugs

I don't like the change either, but I tend not to like change period. One thing I do is save my forums in favorites so I don't have to look for them each time I want to view them.

Congratulations on your five year anniversary and even more on the return to good health. I've seen you post many times and thought how beautiful you are and imagined how perfect your life must be. Today I took time to read your profile and realized what a hard WLS journey you experienced. Your attitude through all the hard times really impressed me and made me realize just how special you are as a person. May life bring much happiness to you in the future.

Like you I had the problem before surgery and it got worse after surgery. I talked to my PCP who has a lot of WLS patients about this and was told to take 2 stool softners every day and Senokot if necessary. The stool softners have really done the job for me. I might take the Senokot every other month when things get stopped up, but it's rare now days. I was told the stool softners were fine to take forever if I need them. I may not go to the bathroom every day but when I go it's not a strain. I used the Senokot (took 3 one night-no action so I took 3 the next morning) to get myself cleaned out. Then started taking two stool softners every morning. I told my brother-in-law about the stool softners since he had a lot of problems with bowel movements and he started taking the stool softners. He said he is regular for the first time in his life. Hope you find the right solution for you.