Stomach & Bowel Maintenance Post Surg

I'm getting switched on 9/26 and I'm sorry to say that my biggest fear is the aftercare for my new insides. Not to get too disgusting, but how big of an issue is this? Right now, after reading a lot of posts on the board, I'm worried that I'm going to have constant gas and crap in my pants. I'm planning to go back to work 2 weeks post-surg (3 at the longest/if needed). Am I going to be making a mess of myself in meetings at work and will I just be a stinky mess? I'm embarrassed that this is my #1 concern but with my line of work, I interact with people all of the time/all day long. I can't be sitting in a stink of gas clouds or have a messy pile in my pants. 

Sorry if this is TMI, but I'm actually quite concerned about the bowel maintenance after surgery. How long until things are "normal"? 

Probiotics help a great deal with bowel maintanance. When I'm not lazy and do what I need to do I have no issues. I honestly believe too that your body will level off after a period of time. I find I have certain triggers that make things worse for me. I have to be very careful with fruit that I eat and I have to be careful with what I drink- no soda, no lemonade and foods that could create a lot of gas. Last but not least- always have an extra change of clothes JUST IN CASE. Don't be afraid of the unknown- it will all work out great for you.

It took a month or so to get the hang of everything. It helps to be on a full vitamin plan, like Vitalady's, with all the calcium and iron.  Also, start adding in the probiotics now. It might take a few days for your body to get used to them but keep trying. Maybe you will be lucky and you will have instant improvement with your probiotics.

--gina

Every one can be different bit I don't think the majority of us have those problems. Certainly the probiotics will help along with watching
your diet during the day (low carb). You might also try Devrom or some other chlorophyll type pill. THey seem to help some people but
not others.

In the first month I had only one accident but you do have to pay attention to the signs that early on. I don't think there is such a thing as 
waiting an hour after the urge hits you in the first month or so. 15 - 20 minutes maybe but I would be on alert to make your excuses and
make a pit stop.

Eventually, I got to the point where I mostly go in the morning and don't need to go through most of the day. My advice when you go back is
to get up a little early and move around a little to get things moving so you go before you leave for work.

Honey Chil please you will be just fine, and this is not TMI.  Ask as many questions, even the nasty ones before you invest in anything in life.  Ask, ask, ask.... 

My question is do you have a support group near you, or have you been going to your local support group meeting, because that helps.  During pre-op, I was blessed to meet three angels, and we are both close.  One more than the other because of personalities.  One like to act as though she did n't the surgery, but she is not staying in the network and has gained weight, the other girl comes in and out, and one support lady I can talk about the nasties stuff.  Support person or team is helpful.

Now one thing about humans, we do adapt, we immediately try to normalize things.  But be aware, you do not want to normalize things too soon, because as much as you are going to the bathroom, especially at the beginning, the more you are losing weight.  The goal is to get the weight off.  Your maintenaince at the beginning should not be to normalize things as they are now, but to normalize things to where you can manage the BM and bathroom.  Please keep in mind, because that was something I was not told.  I was trying to constantly get things like they were for regular human digestive, because I was nervous that it would not slow down, and in my crazy thinking I thought I could always eat anything I wanted because I was losing so good.  But I should been thinking I can handle this until I reach my goal, and then I can transform into a experience Vet.  As an experience vet, one who has accomplished their goal is to go to the bathroom in the morning, and not all day during the work outs, and maybe in the evening.   The scarfice as a newy is going to the bathroom a few times during the work hours, however, making things seem or appear appropriate like any and everyone else.  Also my dear, PLEASE beaware of passing gas and thinking its just gas, and then you mess your pants up. Also sometimes depending on your body it can get messy, so take wipes with you, and make sure you wipe from the back.  Most females wipes from the front, which is easy to get a bacteria.  We do not want stuff to get messy.

Also the probiotics is good advice, however find the probiotic that works for you is best.  If you are lactose intolerate before the surgery, you will be extremely lactose after.  The extremely high dosage, non-lactose causes me to be consipated.  So I actually take the low dosage, that has milk because I feel it clean my system out better.  FYI, this may apply to you, but anytimes I am consipated and need to go to the bathroom, LOUD stomach sounds happens in my quiet workplace. 

Plan in advance to take your wipes and air freshner everywhere

Also make sure you take Vitalady recommendation, Trust most of us Vets use her plan, and it works.  My labs are good. 

plus what the lady said above, soda, for me definitely gives me the runs...too much sugar.

And remember this is just advice, everyone body is different and you will find your happy median.  I was just looking at photos from the past I can not believe how big I was. Compared to then, this was the best decision, and of course there are some extra expense, and constant adjustment, but it is worth it.

Also most of our bodies are Tempermental...easily to change if you disrupt its pathern.  And I usually stop eating real food, after 5 or 6....I give my body full 12 hours to process all the junk so I will not be running to the bathroom all day during work.  I can eat snacks after 5, but not meat, and real food that takes time to digest. ....this has really helped my bathroom habits.

Everyone has issues, you just have to find which stuff gives you issues (which is a verrrrrry long process). Mostly it's carbs and lactose that bring on the gas and diarrhea. Lots of people get gas from fruits and veggies too. You just have see what works with your body, and what doesn't.

Your questions are quite valid, for all of the exaggerations that go around about the DS, so I'm glad you asked.

First of all - take more time off work.  Give yourself 4 weeks to heal, figure out eating/vitamin/bathroom routines.  I took off 8 weeks total, because my job as a corporate trainer is very active and I didn't want to give the impression of needing to be coddled or granted anything "special".  When I returned, I hit the ground running and didn't look back.  For most, 2 weeks, even three is way ambitious.  It took 5-6 weeks before I wasn't listless anymore.

Work is not the place to experiment with food, so be sure to eat strategically through the work day, and try new foods at home.  By following this rule, I never was a stinky mess and never crapped my pants at work.  As a matter of fact, I don't crap at work, for I have one giant poo first thing in the morning and I'm done for the day.

 

Think of your new DS as a new baby...you have to learn its likes and dislikes, in terms of trigger foods.

They're not the same for everybody.  That said, stay away from white flour and white

and brown sugar,  foods and drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup, regular pasta (including Dreamfields...it's not

all it's cracked up to be!) 

Most people don't realize that brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added.

If you're going to eat bread, make sure that it is 100% whole wheat.  The Pepperidge Farm Very Thin Whole Wheat works well for me with sandwiches, and the new little "Slimwich" buns (the ones with holes in them) work well for burgers, sloppy joes (no Manwich sauce - I make it from scratch!) and fish sandwiches.  

You will learn your own body's signals for when it's potty time.  Your new gut and stomach will mature over the first year, your stomach will reach its full capacity, which for many people is somewhere between 8 and 10 ounces of food at a sitting.

Immediately post op, my capacity was 2.8 ounces.  Swelling from the surgery will reduce it even further.  Follow the eating plan they give you post-op, and don't go trying to eat stea****il you are well healed inside.

I gave it six months before I even tried to eat any kind of beef, including hamburger. 

Lean beef and lean pork are very hard to digest. In that case, fat is your friend.  Well-marbled is the way to go.    If you turn out to be a rapid emptier, you will be able to eat larger amounts, but don't set your heart on it.

Many DSer's are lactose intolerant when they're first switched.  My surgeon said if you're LI going into surgery, you'll be more so coming out.  If you never were lactose intolerant before, you will be after surgery, but it will go away, once your gut is re-populated with the "good" bacteria.  I'm an exception to that rule, too.  I was LI going in, more so post-op, but now, milk products don't bother me at all. Be sure to start yourself on a good probiotic, even before surgery.

As for bathroom issues, be sure to have purse-size Ozium, or some other type of air freshener in your purse or pocket at all times, especially at work. You can get Ozium in the car care section of most discount stores.  I found an el cheapo body spray at the dollar store that works well, too.  Do that type of experimenting at home, though, to make sure what you're using will kill the odor, and if you go with the  el cheapo spray, make sure it's a scent that wont be offensive to others.  I find that Orange Glo stuff is the most vile scent known to man.  It will kill the odor for sure, but it may also make you hurl. Some DSers swear by Poo-Pourri. It's all a matter of what works well for you, and costs the least, because you will be using plenty of it!

There have been a few times that I crapped my pants, either because I was brand new, or because I refused to listen to my body and did that "one more thing", or drove a little further than I should have on the highway or freeway before trying to head for the bathroom. Thankfully those times were out of public view.  Once your system matures, it may be common to "empty out" shortly upon rising, so you will have to give yourself some extra time getting ready for work.

I carry an emergency outfit in my car (non-wrinkling material) that I can change into if I

need to. I've only used it once.

Give your body at least a year to adjust to the re-routing.  It may happen sooner...or later.

YMMV (your mileage may vary)

While I was on liquid diet, anytime I had to pass gas I made sure I was over the toilet because it was usually joined by poop. It definitely improved over time and more so when I could eat "real" food. So at about 10 days out it was no longer an issue for me.

I am 20 days out right now.  I have had zero problems like you describe in your message.   I am 99% confident that this is in your control.  All you have to do is eat conservatively until evening.  

 

However, just thinking about eating more Jell-O, broth and protein shakes are starting cause me to shake.  A little gastric distress sounds better to me.  Last night I had some tuna fish salad.  Everything was chopped super fine.  It turned out that I didn't have any problems, but if I had it would have been worth it.

 

From a work point of view, I had a harder time with my brain.  I am not getting in enough calories to really run my brain at high speeds.   Not a huge deal, but deep thinking / programming has been bit beyond me. 

 

..b.