TMI: The Evils of Sorbitol and IHOP
Yesterday I had a truly delightful experience that I'm blaming on sorbitol. You know sorbitol -- that sweetener that the food industry puts in lots of sugar free stuff. Personally, my limit is about 1 tablespoon of sorbitol-based sugar free pancake syrup or one sugar free candy. Anymore than that and I can't be far from a bathroom. I have now decided my non-WLS mother's limit is zero. She can't even be in the same room with the stuff.
Anyway, this story will probably be TMI for some.
Mom is diabetic. Yesterday morning I had to take her in for fasting labs that she has to do before she sees her doctor quarterly. After the labs, she is usually ready to eat the seats out of my car.
So, after her labs I ask her where she wants to eat. She says IHOP.
Other than maybe Baskin Robbins, it is probably the worst chain restaurant in the world for a postop to visit. I didn't like it much even when I was preop. But I know better than to argue with her when her blood sugar is low.
From my postop-protein-needin'-carb-avoidin' perspective, looking at the menu was painful. How can they sell this crap to people? Why do people eat it?
They do list the calories in everything. They put pancake batter in everything -- it's even in most of the omelettes. The fruity stuff is loaded with sugar. Unbelievably, the chocolate chip pancakes were lower cal compared to most of the others (still don't want to think about the carbs). And the healthy grains pancakes have walnuts in them. I'm allergic to walnuts.
We ordered (she ordered a seniors item for me, and I ordered her sampler platter because I've heard they can be nazis about who can order senior stuff). I figured I'd eat the egg and ham and limit myself to one bite of pancakes (my doctor does not forbid carbs, they just have you eat protein first).
[I did see the 'diet' foods on the back of the menu about 1.5 seconds after we were done ordering.]
Food comes. She starts pouring sugar free syrup all over her sausage and pancakes. She also put some butter pecan syrup on her pancakes -- she is a total sugar addict, after all. I'm not the food police.
When we're done, we went to Lowe's. She picked out a new toaster. Before we left the appliance dept, I asked her if she needed to use the restroom because we were close -- no.
I had to pick up a couple more things, so I asked her to go up to the front of the store and wait for me. She uses a walker, doesn't move fast, and gets tired out quickly.
When I found her about 10 minutes later she was sitting on her walker by the main entrance. She stands up, something shifts internally and and she sez: "where's the bathroom?" Moving a lot quicker than normal, we go to the back of the store and she goes in. I wait. And wait. And wait. Something is wrong -- it shouldn't be taking this long. I go in.
She's in the handicapped stall with her pants off. Her Depends is folded up on her walker's seat, but it's loaded. There is poop all over her legs, her support stockings, her shoes, her pants (in a ball on the floor), the walker's seat, the toilet seat, the outside of the bowl, the floor. It's one of those times where I'm totally screaming inside --- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo! My pouch that was iffy from the crap IHOP food just sort of flipped over and went bleeeehhhhh. I'm surprised I didn't throw up.
I pitch the Depends in the tra****ry to wash some of it out of her pants, but there's just too much -- and they're light blue!
I asked her to stay inside the handicapped stall. I scrub my hands. I walk out of the bathroom mortified. I see a female Lowe's employee in the floor covering section. I told her what had happened and that I was going to go get her a new pair of pants at Target. She said she'd tell the Customer Service Desk.
I walk across the parking lot to Target and they don't have carry women's larger sizes. Mom is a 20, but I don't have any idea what that equals in the unnumbered regular women's clothing. I finally dig out a regular women's 2X pair of sweats (it is 95 degrees outside) out of a stack. Please, God, let these fit her.
I stopped at my car on the way back and grabbed a bag of baby wipes.
Back to Lowe's.
Mom is sitting on her walker right next to the sinks wearing her spare Depends. Her pants are in a ball on the floor. Two little girls went in right before me -- they didn't know what was going on. I'm just thankful that they went in about 10 seconds before me so I could take over the situation. Otherwise, who knows what they would have done. ("Maaaaaahhhm!! There's a creepy old lady sitting in the bathroom in her underwear!")
I took Mom back into the stall. Cleaned her up. Cleaned up the stall as much as I could. Cleaned her Crocs. Got her into the sweats (actually a bit big). And out the door.
Needless to say, we won't be going back to that Lowe's ever. Maybe this experience exorcised IHOP from Mom's consciousness (hopefully).
I looked up the Smucker's sugar free pancake syrup. Number two ingredient-- sorbitol. It's basically sorbitol and artificial flavoring.
Anyway, this story will probably be TMI for some.
Mom is diabetic. Yesterday morning I had to take her in for fasting labs that she has to do before she sees her doctor quarterly. After the labs, she is usually ready to eat the seats out of my car.
So, after her labs I ask her where she wants to eat. She says IHOP.
Other than maybe Baskin Robbins, it is probably the worst chain restaurant in the world for a postop to visit. I didn't like it much even when I was preop. But I know better than to argue with her when her blood sugar is low.From my postop-protein-needin'-carb-avoidin' perspective, looking at the menu was painful. How can they sell this crap to people? Why do people eat it?
They do list the calories in everything. They put pancake batter in everything -- it's even in most of the omelettes. The fruity stuff is loaded with sugar. Unbelievably, the chocolate chip pancakes were lower cal compared to most of the others (still don't want to think about the carbs). And the healthy grains pancakes have walnuts in them. I'm allergic to walnuts.
We ordered (she ordered a seniors item for me, and I ordered her sampler platter because I've heard they can be nazis about who can order senior stuff). I figured I'd eat the egg and ham and limit myself to one bite of pancakes (my doctor does not forbid carbs, they just have you eat protein first).
[I did see the 'diet' foods on the back of the menu about 1.5 seconds after we were done ordering.]
Food comes. She starts pouring sugar free syrup all over her sausage and pancakes. She also put some butter pecan syrup on her pancakes -- she is a total sugar addict, after all. I'm not the food police.
When we're done, we went to Lowe's. She picked out a new toaster. Before we left the appliance dept, I asked her if she needed to use the restroom because we were close -- no.
I had to pick up a couple more things, so I asked her to go up to the front of the store and wait for me. She uses a walker, doesn't move fast, and gets tired out quickly.
When I found her about 10 minutes later she was sitting on her walker by the main entrance. She stands up, something shifts internally and and she sez: "where's the bathroom?" Moving a lot quicker than normal, we go to the back of the store and she goes in. I wait. And wait. And wait. Something is wrong -- it shouldn't be taking this long. I go in.
She's in the handicapped stall with her pants off. Her Depends is folded up on her walker's seat, but it's loaded. There is poop all over her legs, her support stockings, her shoes, her pants (in a ball on the floor), the walker's seat, the toilet seat, the outside of the bowl, the floor. It's one of those times where I'm totally screaming inside --- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo! My pouch that was iffy from the crap IHOP food just sort of flipped over and went bleeeehhhhh. I'm surprised I didn't throw up.
I pitch the Depends in the tra****ry to wash some of it out of her pants, but there's just too much -- and they're light blue!
I asked her to stay inside the handicapped stall. I scrub my hands. I walk out of the bathroom mortified. I see a female Lowe's employee in the floor covering section. I told her what had happened and that I was going to go get her a new pair of pants at Target. She said she'd tell the Customer Service Desk.
I walk across the parking lot to Target and they don't have carry women's larger sizes. Mom is a 20, but I don't have any idea what that equals in the unnumbered regular women's clothing. I finally dig out a regular women's 2X pair of sweats (it is 95 degrees outside) out of a stack. Please, God, let these fit her.
I stopped at my car on the way back and grabbed a bag of baby wipes.
Back to Lowe's.
Mom is sitting on her walker right next to the sinks wearing her spare Depends. Her pants are in a ball on the floor. Two little girls went in right before me -- they didn't know what was going on. I'm just thankful that they went in about 10 seconds before me so I could take over the situation. Otherwise, who knows what they would have done. ("Maaaaaahhhm!! There's a creepy old lady sitting in the bathroom in her underwear!")
I took Mom back into the stall. Cleaned her up. Cleaned up the stall as much as I could. Cleaned her Crocs. Got her into the sweats (actually a bit big). And out the door.
Needless to say, we won't be going back to that Lowe's ever. Maybe this experience exorcised IHOP from Mom's consciousness (hopefully).
I looked up the Smucker's sugar free pancake syrup. Number two ingredient-- sorbitol. It's basically sorbitol and artificial flavoring.
One food makes you larger, and one food makes you small...
Hi Patti,
That may explain why I felt puky yesterday. I had 1 pancake at Perkins (sort of like IHOP) with Smucker's SF syrup along with a scrambled egg. Yesterday was also the big day of DH's colonoscopy that it took me 4 years to get him to do and he thought he'd eat a big breakfast afterwards.
He did good out of the surgery center and once we got to the restaurant, things started going south. He went to the bathroom and felt fine and decided that oatmeal with milk (I told him not milk eat protein and toast but no he's right), he ate it and had to go back to the men's room. By then, I ate my pancake with sf syrup which didn't taste bad at all. It took too long for him to come back so I got my purse, found a man to open the men's room, called out to him and asked if he was ok and he said no. It came out both ends and he was pretty bad. I feel the same way you do--I'm not going back there. It isn't that great of a place anyway but that cements it.
I got him home, he slept for 4 hours and ate chicken soup when he got up. I told him NO MILK!!! I, however, felt puky and had to lie down and the gas was something else. No more sorbitol for me!!
It shows that not only us WLS have issues with that stuff, but diabetics do too. My mom is diabetic (Type 2) and she does not do fat free dressing anymore because the sugar content in it sends her blood sugar sky high. I guess they have to put something in it to taste good.
Though my DH's experience wasn't sorbitol related, I found out I may have exceeded my limit too. It was just as much fun.
You're doing great by the way
Sylvia
That may explain why I felt puky yesterday. I had 1 pancake at Perkins (sort of like IHOP) with Smucker's SF syrup along with a scrambled egg. Yesterday was also the big day of DH's colonoscopy that it took me 4 years to get him to do and he thought he'd eat a big breakfast afterwards.
He did good out of the surgery center and once we got to the restaurant, things started going south. He went to the bathroom and felt fine and decided that oatmeal with milk (I told him not milk eat protein and toast but no he's right), he ate it and had to go back to the men's room. By then, I ate my pancake with sf syrup which didn't taste bad at all. It took too long for him to come back so I got my purse, found a man to open the men's room, called out to him and asked if he was ok and he said no. It came out both ends and he was pretty bad. I feel the same way you do--I'm not going back there. It isn't that great of a place anyway but that cements it.
I got him home, he slept for 4 hours and ate chicken soup when he got up. I told him NO MILK!!! I, however, felt puky and had to lie down and the gas was something else. No more sorbitol for me!!
It shows that not only us WLS have issues with that stuff, but diabetics do too. My mom is diabetic (Type 2) and she does not do fat free dressing anymore because the sugar content in it sends her blood sugar sky high. I guess they have to put something in it to taste good.
Though my DH's experience wasn't sorbitol related, I found out I may have exceeded my limit too. It was just as much fun.
You're doing great by the way
Sylvia
HW: 407 SW: 386 CW: 202
RNY Surgery Date: 7-9-08
Dr. Manfred Chaing, Bariatric Institute of WI
RNY Surgery Date: 7-9-08
Dr. Manfred Chaing, Bariatric Institute of WI
Thanks for your kind words about my progress.
This isn't Mom's first run in with sorbitol. But in the past, I'd always figured she just overdid it. Once she ate an entire bag of Russell Stover sugar free jelly beans in about an hour. I missed the poop hemorrhage on that one, but I think it scarred my brother for life. Another time she ate four or five chunks of sugar free peanut brittle. She made a valiant effort to clean up the mess in her carpeted bathroom. But I still had to spend an hour in there with the carpet cleaner.
I'm banning sorbitol from the house completely.
There is so much low fat stuff that is loaded with sugar.
I think we both do better with the real stuff, jus****ch the amounts of the real full fat stuff that we use. I try to eat protein and complex carbs before touching anything with fat or sugar in it. But I can't be there watching her all the time.
Hope your DH (and you) are feeling better and that his colonoscopy comes back completely normal.
Patti
This isn't Mom's first run in with sorbitol. But in the past, I'd always figured she just overdid it. Once she ate an entire bag of Russell Stover sugar free jelly beans in about an hour. I missed the poop hemorrhage on that one, but I think it scarred my brother for life. Another time she ate four or five chunks of sugar free peanut brittle. She made a valiant effort to clean up the mess in her carpeted bathroom. But I still had to spend an hour in there with the carpet cleaner.
I'm banning sorbitol from the house completely.
There is so much low fat stuff that is loaded with sugar.
I think we both do better with the real stuff, jus****ch the amounts of the real full fat stuff that we use. I try to eat protein and complex carbs before touching anything with fat or sugar in it. But I can't be there watching her all the time.
Hope your DH (and you) are feeling better and that his colonoscopy comes back completely normal.
Patti
One food makes you larger, and one food makes you small...
I'm a nurse and I both sympathized with and enjoyed your very descriptive trials. Life gets a little TOO real, sometimes, doesn't it? My brother lives 2 hrs away, but he can only appear about twice a year to help with Mom and Dad. Dad actually passed away 3 yrs ago, but he had his episode of explosive diarrhea in his pants and shoes in my brother's fancy car. I've always enjoyed that fact. I did all the hospital visits and taking him to the ER countless times, but my brother got the poop. Life is good. (but sorry it happened to you, of course!)
Food is for sissies. REAL women exist on skim milk, protein powder, broth and air..... 
Snicker -- "brother's fancy car"
That's better than what happened to my brother -- he was at my house with Mom. Anytime I ask him to help out, I get a big ration of whine. But he does come through sometimes. I also have two sisters who live 400 miles away, so they can rarely help out. (One of them is a nurse, and I don't have any problems calling her up at 3 a.m. to get opinions on symptoms and/or let her know we're on our way to the ER.)
Up until this past episode, I had missed the full horror poop experience.
There are times that I have little pity parties about being the responsible kid, but when she finally leaves us, I won't have a single regret that "I should've done more."
One food makes you larger, and one food makes you small...
Yes, this whole being the responsible kid thing weighs heavily on me. When Dad died, he'd had 6 months of terrible congestive heart failure and he was either too dry and was dizzy or he was too wet and couldn't breathe. My son was in med school at the time and living in town. He and I got Dad through the last few months of his life and I felt good about him passing away and not needing a nursing home.
Now Mom is in an assisted living apartment and I feel resentment toward her unfortunately. She never learned to drive, use a cell phone, use a microwave, use a computer, etc. She's very shy and won't go out for meals if there is a buffet or special occasion. (The apartment place provides the meals.) Anyway, it feels to me like she is not TRYING and that frustrates me. I kind of dread the next few years with her, which makes me feel terrible and I wonder if my kids will dread taking care of me. Very conflicting.
I loved it when my kids were little and I took care of them, but I'm not loving taking care of an older person. It's MUCH MUCH harder. Of course, it doesn't help that my mother doesn't listen to ANYTHING I have to say because I'm not a MAN. If I really need her to do something, my husband has to tell her. Sigh....
Thanks for the free therapy on this! Good luck with your Mom!!
Now Mom is in an assisted living apartment and I feel resentment toward her unfortunately. She never learned to drive, use a cell phone, use a microwave, use a computer, etc. She's very shy and won't go out for meals if there is a buffet or special occasion. (The apartment place provides the meals.) Anyway, it feels to me like she is not TRYING and that frustrates me. I kind of dread the next few years with her, which makes me feel terrible and I wonder if my kids will dread taking care of me. Very conflicting.
I loved it when my kids were little and I took care of them, but I'm not loving taking care of an older person. It's MUCH MUCH harder. Of course, it doesn't help that my mother doesn't listen to ANYTHING I have to say because I'm not a MAN. If I really need her to do something, my husband has to tell her. Sigh....
Thanks for the free therapy on this! Good luck with your Mom!!
Food is for sissies. REAL women exist on skim milk, protein powder, broth and air.....
Oh Sister....what a hilarious second installment for The Night of the Jelly Beans. I was laughing so hard my eyes were pouring out tears and my throat hurts. I'm just sorry that it was you this time. Delbo certainly can't complain now about how embarrassing it was for him when Moms pants fell down at Kaiser.....at least she didn't blow them off with projectile poo.
This will DEFINITELY go down in family lore. Yet another body function event that we can laugh about at the holidays and you can rest assured that there will be NO sugar free candy for Momster this year.
I can only imagine the horror and embarrassment you went through. Probably about 100 times worse than what I dealt with when Katie was working on potty training and peed under the restaurant table.....but then Katie was 2 and 1/2 so it was easy to explain.
Poor Mom as well....what was she thinking coming out of the stall in nothing but her Depends?!?!? Funny....she didn't mention this event to me when I called this morning. I guess I will need to call her again.
I'm forwarding the link to Jane and Delbie. Delbie deserves some flash backs to The Night of the Jelly Beans and Jane deserves a chuckle.
Love you so much and wish I could be of more help more often.
Love,
Your Sister
This will DEFINITELY go down in family lore. Yet another body function event that we can laugh about at the holidays and you can rest assured that there will be NO sugar free candy for Momster this year.
I can only imagine the horror and embarrassment you went through. Probably about 100 times worse than what I dealt with when Katie was working on potty training and peed under the restaurant table.....but then Katie was 2 and 1/2 so it was easy to explain.
Poor Mom as well....what was she thinking coming out of the stall in nothing but her Depends?!?!? Funny....she didn't mention this event to me when I called this morning. I guess I will need to call her again.
I'm forwarding the link to Jane and Delbie. Delbie deserves some flash backs to The Night of the Jelly Beans and Jane deserves a chuckle.
Love you so much and wish I could be of more help more often.
Love,
Your Sister
A wise woman once said "You have to remember its only a tool....You still have to do the work....The difference is that you have a big shovel instead of a spoon to do it with."
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