Questions from someone just learning

What is the 5DPT? I know it stands for 5 day pouch test, but what does it entail?

What exactly is the dumping syndrome? Is it what I think it is? lol

For those who had the surgery years ago, how hard is it to keep the weight off long-term?

Is there anyone *****grets getting WLS? (I'm betting this is a big NO)

 

I'll answer the ones I am familiar with.

Dumping is when you eat something (sugar, fat) that your body can no longer digest correctly, and it makes you feel extremely sick.  The symptoms can range from bathroom issues to shaking, sweats, dizziness.  Usually passes in 30-60 minutes.

As for regretting having the surgery, I'm not sure I actually regret it, but I can't say I'd do it over.  However, I think I am rare.  I'm almost 4 months out.  For the first 3 months, I couldn't eat much of anything, no solid proteins at all.  This is not normal.  So I was miserable living on yogurt and cream of chicken soup.  Then on July 11 I got a hole in my stomach that required open emergency exploratory surgery and it was repaired.  Now I'm back to liquids/some purees until at least Aug 22 when I have an endoscopy to make sure I'm healing and that there is no narrowing.  I miss food desperately.  It may be different if I had progressed like a normal person and been able to eat solids without throwing up/feeling ill all of the time.  I also have a vitamin deficiency that has caused my abdomen and legs down to my knees to be numb.  And I have severe hair loss.  After the second surgery I really didn't eat anything at all for 2 weeks except maybe a popsicle and a few bites of broth.  I am NOT a good patient and hate taking medicines, vitamins and protein.  After my surgery I have improved a lot.  I never miss my Prevacid now (because they think me not taking it caused the hole in my stomach) and I've started getting in at least 10-20 grams of protein through Isopure a day.  Which is a huge increase from before (even though my doc recommends 60 grams per day).  I get a little from food, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time.  So that is the bad. 

The good is that I have lost 118 lbs in about 3 months and 3 weeks.  I no longer use a wheelchair, I am no longer diabetic and I can do nearly everything for myself (where I could barely get dressed by myself pre-surgery).  Of course, some of this has regressed due to healing from this second surgery, but I know it will get better.

The good stuff is good, but I am still morbidly obese, so losing weight is great, but still hasn't put me to a point where I feel good about myself.  And this second surgery really knocked me off of my feet.

So my advice is just to be sure to do everything you are supposed to do and be aware that there can be complications, though they are rare.  This is the hardest thing I've done mentally.  So you really have to be prepared for the emotional toll it can take on you.

Hi Lisa!

Let's see....the 5 Day Pouch Test.....LOL Kelly and I just got done with it and even though the first two days were hard....it was worth it! Basically you get back to basics. It helps to remove bad habits you may have allowed back into your daily diet and didn't even realize it. It takes you off 'slider foods' as well. Kelly has posted the link to the 5DPT site. It was a wonderful thing to do!

I will be two years out on October 3rd and even though every day is a bit of a struggle and every day is work to maintain I would do it all over again if I had to. In my personal experience I took the first year to change my habits the best I could, learn to exercise and make the positive changes I needed to help me maintain the further out I get. I worry about gaining weight and do whatever I can to keep from doing that. I know there will be hard days, easy days and inbetween days and I deal with that. I am happy with my weight now and work to just maintain. We shall see what the next year holds!!!! Good luck to you and so glad you posted!!!

I think they both covered it but yes dumping is exactly what it sounds like and it is not pretty. When you get to the point of adding things to your new pouch Try new things at home incase you get that dumping syndrome

The 5DPT is going back to basics. www,5daypouchtest.com is the website. Sometimes we let some foods back in and althought thats not a bad thing, we have to remember not all the time and occasionally there ok