Need Something Settled, Gallbladder/DS
DBF and I were talking this morning about the surgery and he thinks I'm going to be like him since he no longer has a gallbladder.
He is saying that after I eat I am going to need to go to the washroom within the next 30 minutes or so and be crampy.
He says that it's really bad first thing in the morning since bile builds up and after he eats in the morning it's an urgent need to visit the washroom. What comes out is the excess bile, it smells bad and is liquid.
From what I understand about the DS and peoples experience is that most people go once a day, first thing in the morning and maybe later if they eat poorly. Also that unless you've eaten too many carbs for your system that you might even be constipated, not liquid. Of course your poop will still stink.
Please tell me about your poops. What is your experience like?
He is saying that after I eat I am going to need to go to the washroom within the next 30 minutes or so and be crampy.
He says that it's really bad first thing in the morning since bile builds up and after he eats in the morning it's an urgent need to visit the washroom. What comes out is the excess bile, it smells bad and is liquid.
From what I understand about the DS and peoples experience is that most people go once a day, first thing in the morning and maybe later if they eat poorly. Also that unless you've eaten too many carbs for your system that you might even be constipated, not liquid. Of course your poop will still stink.
Please tell me about your poops. What is your experience like?
I have always gone more than once a day - usually three-four times a day, and about three of them in the morning. I usually go again later in the day or sometimes for some odd reason, an hour after I fall asleep! I suppose if I were to be like my husband and grab the world atlas or something and SIT there on the toilet for an hour, it'd only count as one time in the morning, but I usually don't have time for that. It's really no big deal. At first, it kind of stresses you out, especially if you have to rush off to work or something, but then your body becomes more acclimated to your schedule. The only time my poop has ever been liquid has been when I've done something REALLY stupid, like eat a huge amount of Jelly Bellys. If I have too much white flour/sugar combined, it can get pretty weird too, and burns. I just try to be really moderate in regard to eating stuff like homemade chocolate chip cookies. The rest of the time it's pudding-like (I just love our descriptions here), soft-ish, and sometimes even formed such as a pre-op has. After four plus years, I'm so accustomed to it, it just ceases to concern me anymore. As long as I don't go overboard on the simple carbs, I do fine.
Julie R - Ludington, Michigan
Duodenal Switch 08/09/06 - Dr. Paul Kemmeter, Grand Rapids, Michigan
HW: 282 - 5'4"
SW: 268
GW: 135
CW: 125
Duodenal Switch 08/09/06 - Dr. Paul Kemmeter, Grand Rapids, Michigan
HW: 282 - 5'4"
SW: 268
GW: 135
CW: 125
LOL
Ms. Cal Culator
on 9/4/10 5:19 am - Tuvalu
on 9/4/10 5:19 am - Tuvalu
There are meds for people with no gallbaldder that help that situation. My mom was prescribed those years ago and they did help.
But the point here is that rapid massive weight loss, from any cause, can cause the need for an emergency gall bladder surgery and many DS surgeons try avoid sending you back into the OR right after the DS.
I post this over and over, but I remember a LONG time ago, when the NurtiSystem program really did help wth rapid massive weight loss and a Phil Donahue show where all the unhappy (but thin) NutriSystem people were there complaining that they had lost ther gall bladders and it was all the fault of the diet. (So they changed it.)
NoMore B.
on 9/4/10 5:29 am
on 9/4/10 5:29 am
Sue,
I remember that too.
I lost about 50 pounds on Weigh****chers 15 years ago, and ended up with emergency gallbladder surgery. It is a common thing after massive weight loss. In my experience, I didn't notice any differences in eating or cramping with or without a gallbladder.
My surgeon said he takes out the gallbladder with DS's because the gallbladder / bile duct area is very close to the DS "switch" area, and that he doesn't want the chance of any random ER surgeon messing around with that area in an emergency.
I remember that too.
I lost about 50 pounds on Weigh****chers 15 years ago, and ended up with emergency gallbladder surgery. It is a common thing after massive weight loss. In my experience, I didn't notice any differences in eating or cramping with or without a gallbladder.
My surgeon said he takes out the gallbladder with DS's because the gallbladder / bile duct area is very close to the DS "switch" area, and that he doesn't want the chance of any random ER surgeon messing around with that area in an emergency.
"From what I understand about the DS and peoples experience is that most people go once a day, first thing in the morning and maybe later if they eat poorly. Also that unless you've eaten too many carbs for your system that you might even be constipated, not liquid. Of course your poop will still stink."
What you said above describes me pretty spot-on. Most of the time I go once in the morning as soon as I get up. It's soft, but not diarrhea. I will occasionally go again a second time. If I've eaten poorly there may be more urgency (though it's never been so bad that I've had an issue with it) and it may be runnier. Yes, it stinks.
What you said above describes me pretty spot-on. Most of the time I go once in the morning as soon as I get up. It's soft, but not diarrhea. I will occasionally go again a second time. If I've eaten poorly there may be more urgency (though it's never been so bad that I've had an issue with it) and it may be runnier. Yes, it stinks.
P. Poster
on 9/4/10 5:52 am
on 9/4/10 5:52 am
I had my gall bladder out years ago, and never had the issues your BF is mentioning. Not to say it can't/doesn't happen, but it didn't to me. Diets high in fat tend to be the culprit here.
As for postop DS life? My bowel habits are quite predictable now. I go once within 30 minutes of waking, and once after my protein coffee in the morning (about an hour after the first "go") and I'm done for the day. They are now "normal" DS consistency, float, are pale brown and quite voluminous. No diarrhea and no more constipation now that I figured out what was causing it :) I have no cramping, rarely have issues with gas, and to be honest, I don't even think my poo smells that much worse than it did preop. Now, should I have gas issues, yes, the gas is awful! haha! I credit much of this to a good probiotic, I take mine religiously.
As for postop DS life? My bowel habits are quite predictable now. I go once within 30 minutes of waking, and once after my protein coffee in the morning (about an hour after the first "go") and I'm done for the day. They are now "normal" DS consistency, float, are pale brown and quite voluminous. No diarrhea and no more constipation now that I figured out what was causing it :) I have no cramping, rarely have issues with gas, and to be honest, I don't even think my poo smells that much worse than it did preop. Now, should I have gas issues, yes, the gas is awful! haha! I credit much of this to a good probiotic, I take mine religiously.
Okay, you asked, so here comes the TMI.
I go like clockwork once every morning, except for rare cir****tances. As soon as I wake up, I have to go RIGHT then. If it is a weekend and my alarm isn't set for 6:00 am, my body will wake me up by 6:30 to go (I can go right back to sleep, though, so no worries there).
It takes 5, maybe 10 minutes in the bathroom and I am done. If I've done everything right: eaten fat and taken my stool softener, it is a soft fluffy poop. (Early out I was having hard poops and got a fissure from them, so now I take stool softeners daily.)
It is incredibly voluminous. An amazing amount comes out. This doesn't bother me because it lets me know the malabsorption is working.
Now, occasionally if I don't eat enough fat, I will skip a day. I hate when that happens, so I try to avoid it. On the flip side, I've occasionally had an evening poop if I go nuts on teh simple carbs. I was out with friends for lunch last week and tried one of the new mini blizzards from DQ (Oreo cheesequake - yum). Sure enough, I had a "bonus" poop in the evening. LOL. It was no different in consistency than my standard ones.
Hope that helps.
Edit: Oh, and I still have my gallbladder FWIW.
I go like clockwork once every morning, except for rare cir****tances. As soon as I wake up, I have to go RIGHT then. If it is a weekend and my alarm isn't set for 6:00 am, my body will wake me up by 6:30 to go (I can go right back to sleep, though, so no worries there).
It takes 5, maybe 10 minutes in the bathroom and I am done. If I've done everything right: eaten fat and taken my stool softener, it is a soft fluffy poop. (Early out I was having hard poops and got a fissure from them, so now I take stool softeners daily.)
It is incredibly voluminous. An amazing amount comes out. This doesn't bother me because it lets me know the malabsorption is working.
Now, occasionally if I don't eat enough fat, I will skip a day. I hate when that happens, so I try to avoid it. On the flip side, I've occasionally had an evening poop if I go nuts on teh simple carbs. I was out with friends for lunch last week and tried one of the new mini blizzards from DQ (Oreo cheesequake - yum). Sure enough, I had a "bonus" poop in the evening. LOL. It was no different in consistency than my standard ones.
Hope that helps.
Edit: Oh, and I still have my gallbladder FWIW.
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