Eating with a DS: A Day in the Life (pics!)

n00b question - your fats seem to be weighted heavily on your first meal, and there's also obviously some in your last meal as well.  Do you plan it out this way because of the timing that it encourages your BMs to occur in?

I can't speak for Jenna, but I do try to fat load earlier in the day. I don't know if it helps poop timing or not, but I have to eat so much fat to avoid being constipated, I have to get a head start on the stuff!

Nope, that was just how today happened to work out. I always have 1 BM per day, first thing in the morning. I tend towards constipation which is part of why I eat so much fat.

I have the exact same issue (pre-op).  Low fat diets plus my thyroid issues have led to ER visits due to impacted, birthing-pain constipation in the past.

I love the variety here, and any menu that includes sushi is awesome in my book.  Well, sashimi, but you know what I mean :D

Hi again, My surgeon told me I would have approx. 3 BM's a day did you have it to when you were first out of surgery and does it slow down to 1? or ?? Just curious cause I don't want to spend a half of my life on the lou....if I don't have too...

Mich (pronounced Mike)

Hi Mich,

This is one of those things that greatly varies by person. Unfortunately, there's really no way of predicting what your post-op experience will be. I think a lot of surgeons like to tell their patients to expect the 3 times a day, so that they are prepared just in case.

When I was first out of surgery, I only went once every 2-3 days. I was very constipated and it was actually a problem for me. I have since added fat and fiber, and that (along with eating more) seems to have evened me to 1 per day.

I do know there are DSers who have 3 BMs a day, so it's not outside the range of possibility that it could happen. Anecdotally speaking, the average from what I've seen on the boards seems to be about twice a day (both in the morning, often). There was a study done on post-DS patients that found we had an average of about 1.67 BMs per day. www.dsfacts.com/Bowel-Habits-Post-Op.html

Some DSers on the higher end of the curve with this issue have had success decreasing their number of trips to the bathroom by tweaking their diets and taking probiotics.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the info very informative wow you are great Jenna!! hugs to you!

I usually have two a day, but they're usually within the first 20-30 minutes after I get up, so---not exactly time-comsuming. (*grin*)

But yes, immediately post-op you'll go more frequently, especially until you graduate to a 'normal' diet.

Thank you  Ms. Batt lol

I almost never go that often. If I do I consider it a severe anomaly. I'm more like an every other day type person.