Questions

   Okay, so I know that I should probably know the answer to these questions by now but I don't.  I have read about a lot of post-ops having hernias.  I am wondering why?  Did you guys have OPEN surgeries?  Is there just to much extra room after you lose the weight?  Or is moving our bowels just not such a good idea?

  My mother had terrible hernias( from C-section).  I would really like to avoid that, if possible?

Also, is it bad to drink something else right after my protein shake?  I mean does it wa**** on through and cause me to use less of it?  I know that is a silly question.  The same goes for our vitamins?  Should we not drink a lot right after?  I could probably look these things up online...but I am being lazy.  Anyone care to just give me the answers the easy way??? I am not in a research mood!

*Oh, and one last thing....I tried to go to the WHOLE FOODs in Clay Terrace ealier this week.  I couldn't find it. I even asked directions.  I found a place where it might have been...but it looked like it had been closed?  Or was I just in the wrong place?

I don't know the answer to the question about hernias.  I am curious to see the response to that one myself.

As for drinking something else after a protein shake...I don't see how that would be bad.  Your protein shake should move through your stomach pretty quick anyway because it's liquid so I don't think you are washing it out or causing yourself to absorb less of the protein by drinking something else afterwards.  Just my opinion though.

Vitamins are a different story.  I was told to take pills 15 minutes apart, so by that logic I presume you shouldn't be drinking anything during that 15 minutes after taking a pill.

***Someone please correct me if I'm wrong in anything I've said above***

Candy,

I'm going to try to approach the hernia topic (Jessica...please correct or fill in the blanks as needed).

I had my RNY (9/04) & RNY revision (4/05) both laproscopically. I had what is referred to as KBS...kinky bowel syndrome, or internal hernias in 9/05. If you had seen my stomach at that time, you could not 'see' these hernias because they were poking through the tissue internally..not through the abdominal wall to where it is visually 'there'. Those hernias were caused by there being too much flip-flop room after loosing the fat. Anymore, surgeons try to put a few well-placed stitches in at the time of your WLS to prevent this from happening because there are common places that the intestines like to poke through. Instances of KBS should have been greatly reduced in the past 4 yrs because of these preventative measures. You don't hear about people having KBS surgery nearly as much as there was back in 2004/5.

Last Oct. I had to have open abdominal surgery (due to small bowel inschemia..the blood supply was cut off to the intestines). My abdomon was opened up for quite awhile because of the intestines. I ended up with a HUGE external hernia. In 03/08, a large piece of mesh was placed over the opening. My abdominal wall was not closed up. So..although I have the abdominal wall opening and even though it looks & feels like a hernia, because that mesh is there (however stretched out it may be!), it is no longer considered a hernia.

If you google 'hernia' you'll see that there can be several causes....surgical is just one (but I believe a common one). Having your WLS 'open' does not guarantee you will have a hernia. Having it lap, does not guarantee you will not. I would recommend your putting this on your list of things to discuss with your surgeon.

Sherri

Candy, I had my RNY Dec. 06.  My surgeon, Dr. Inman, chose to open me for this since I had previous gallbladder surgery and two umbilical hernia surgeries, one with mesh and one without.  She wanted to know exactly what she was getting into without going laproscopically.  I think I am hernia prone.  I was born with a groin hernia that was repaired when I was a few months old.  Then I developed one on the opposite side when I was under the age of 5 my mom said and that one was also repaired.  Later in life I got one around my navel.  I only had one child but I was very very heavy.  Doctor repaired that one without mesh.  Within a year I had it back and had to have surgery again.  Used a different surgeon that time and also had my gallbladder taken out at the same time.  Mesh was used that time.  This most previous hernia was due to my surgery.  Dr. Inman wanted me to wait until 18 months after my surgery to repair the hernia, so I just had it done near the end of June 08.  My hernia was huge and she used mesh to secure that everything stays in place.  I have lost 186 pounds since my RNY.  So whether or not you will get a hernia remains to be seen.  They aren't fun, but aren't the worst things in the world either. 
As far as drinking after a protein shake, I don't think it would matter.  Liquid is liquid, but it might not hurt to ask your nutritionist the next time you are there.  As far as vitamins are concerned, my nut told me to take my vitamins each an hour apart.  I am a school teacher, so I set a timer on my desk.  When the timer goes off, I pop in a chewable vitamin.  I usually chew the first one on the way out the door, the next one is about 8:30 and then the next one is about 9:30.  I am supposed to wait 2 hours then before starting calcium.  I eat lunch at 11:00-11:30.  I usually start calcium about noon and use the timer method to get the three of them down.  Of course I am sipping in between each of those doses.  Once again check with your nut.  I hope all of this info helps.  Every person is different and each surgery is different.  Good talking with you.  Karen