March 8 - Newbie :)

Hi everyone -- I had lap RNY on March 8th and duhhhh just found this message board! I felt great initially until Sunday the 14th when I had some sudden bouts of weakness followed with significant ummm (gross description follows) foul smelling, tar like bowel movements. After some research I discovered I might have an upper GI bleed. Monday morning I had my dear hubby take me to the ER and I was admitted for another 3 days (returned home yesterday). My hematocrit levels (red blood cell count) was dropping until yesterday when it stabalized. I was also dehydrated. I'm home - weak but feeling better. I'm glad I didn't mess with what I was feeling. Fortunately I avoided a blood transfusion, but my energy level is half what it was on Sunday. My surgeon has informed me that I will continue to feel a bit weak as my blood supply rebuilds itself over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, they put me on an iron supplement. Does anyone else have to take these. They are the most disgusting things to take crushed up. I need hints and help on taking them! The bonus of this whole thing is I have dropped 20 pounds already! Woohoo! Lissa in Washington March 8 386/365/150

I'm taking slowFE tablets. They are small and seem to go down OK. I was anemic before surgery. Depending on what caused your bleed, they may not want to risk anything that might upset you right now though. Congratulations on your loss, but next time, try to do it without throwing in a pint of blood, OK?? Glad you are OK now! Welcome to the Marchers. We are a very eclectic group (translated ), but we offer our support in any way we can. Joy -19 lbs / 17 days

In a hurry to go to the doc more, but here's the crucial information. I, too, have a complication that requires me to swallow something vile. Someone on another board gave me this and it can mask the taste of, well, anything: 1. In a quart ziplock back, combine Lactose free or 1% milk, depending on tolerance, with Splenda syrup (use flakes if you can't find syrup). 2. Seal the quart bag. 3. In a gallon ziplock back, put two cups of ice cubes and 3/4 c. salt. You know have a quickie ice cream machine. 4. Insert the sealed quart bag in the gallon bag. Now seal the gallon bag. 5. Turn several minutes, less than 5 for instant very sweet ice milk. It freezes and you'll have enough for several doses until you have to make it again. After you mix it (keep it fairly crushed for the best taste) and get your dose down, follow it with a sugarless popsicle chaser. Be nice to yourself and insist that everyone else be nice, too! Complications are no fun. Gano

Wow, Lissa...that must've been a BIG scare! Glad you're on the mend, but follow your Doc's instructions "to a T". This is nothing to mess with. I have to take my fibromyalgia meds crushed. I was hoping and praying that when I came home, I'd be done with them forever, but alas, the Lord has a different plan in mind. Not a big problem...I'll deal with what He's thrown me 'cuz I'm having a cakewalk by comparison to others right now. Two of my fibro meds are HUGE pills. My surgeon said "...they're about the size of my little finger, aren't they? Any chance you can suck on 'em like a popsicle?" He's got such a GREAT sense of humor, and I love him all the more because of it. He told me to crush 'em and "shoot" 'em and follow 'em with a 'chase'. Problem is, the meds HAVE to be some kind of a salt base 'cuz they're the most VILE tasting things. Even pre-op, if they hit the back of my mouth (or as my wacky Angel said "...uvula...don't you just love saying uvula?" She's a nutcase! :crazy), I could taste 'em for hours afterward from just TOUCHING the buccal membranes momentarily. So to crush 'em is even worse. I did a pre-op 'test' with 'em and got 'em down, but dry-heaved for over an hour afterward, thought "this is NOT going to work..." I've found the secret, tho...Iced Botanicals. I use either Key Lime or Passion Peach flavors. I take a little bitty souffle cup, pour a bit of the Iced Botanical in, crush the meds (I bought a pharmaceutical pill crusher from eBay pre-op just for this...like a HUGE nutcracker...smooshes 'em to a powder) and mix it into the Iced Botanicals. Then I have the bottle nearby, I "shoot" the liquid mixture and IMMEDIATELY chase it with the I.B. Works fine now. I must also add that I THINK I'm already 'experiencing' what may post-ops told me pre-op: that your tastes are going to change drastically post-op. I've already found several things that aren't "all that" anymore that I LOVED pre-op. I TRULY think a partial lobotomy goes with this WLS, but they neglect to tell you so! If you can't find Iced Botanicals, use something strong, like grape juice or apple juice. The tart-er, the better. And DON'T FORGET THE 'CHASE'!!! Good drinkin' to ya! Just don't neglect your meds. You'll "perk" soon. Kimmer Queen of the Niners, Instigator to All Marchers, High Priestess of Giggles

Hi Lissa, Welcome to AMOS. I take some nasty meds but I don't think they come close to yours!! (One of mine I just plan out refuse to take. I told the dr that it tasted bad before surgery but cutting it up REALLY makes it taste bad. He said OK, let's just wait and see if you continue to need it) My surgeon told me cut anything up that was bigger than a baby aspirin. When I showed him my antidepressant he callled it a horse pill. At first I was cutting it in 4. But 6 pills a day times 4 pcs = 24 little pills. Ye Gads. It was taking me hours to get them in. Now I just cut them in half and it goes alot quicker. My surgeon suggested crushing them and mixing it into sugar free applesauce. This trick my mom did for me as a kid. Made me hate applesauce for a while. I can't do it but you might give it a try. Good luck. E-mail me if you need to. We share surgery dates!!!!