Newbie Questions

Going on 4 weeks PO and have some questions...

First, my doctor recommends very little in the way of vitamins so I have ordered Vitalady DS packs. My question is when do I start taking them? Which ones do I take first? Can I take a whole pill? I am still on soft foods, no meat yet.

Second, I feel like I am living on beans, eggs and cheese. Can someone explain to me if this is ok? How much is too much? Any other recipe suggestions because my taste buds change daily? How do I decipher these darn labels? I look at protein 1st, then carbs, and sugars...what about fiber, does that come into play?

Finally, My most embarrassing question, but how do you handle smelly bathroom issues? I bought poo-pourri and it is NOT working. Any suggestions? I am a teacher and once we start back to school there is one restroom stall for an entire floor of staff.

Thank you for any insight in advance :)

I'm 12 years out and have forgotten those days after surgery. Your post brings it back.

I used (and still do) Vita4Life Plus. I love it because it's 4 capsules 3x a day which was so much easier for me than tablets and mixing and matching. I have added iron at times (when pregnant ) and I take D from Vitalady.

I was cleared to take my capsules at 2 weeks but I'd check with your surgeon!

Food- I eliminated carbs as much as possible. I was under 30 in a day for 1.5 years. That means I didn't eat beans. I ate peanut butter by the spoon , string cheese at room temp, budding lunch meat (soft), liver wurst and protein coffee or shakes. I was eating every two hours , drinking liquid on opposite hours.

Bathroom... Eliminate beans, breads, rice, pasta. I was lucky that I went every morning and usually was set for the day. After years when I added carbs back I would sometimes have to sneak into a basement bathroom.

I'm sure others more recently out will chime in.

Good Luck!

I'm 7 months out. I eliminated grains (oats, bread, rice, barley, pasta--anything with wheat or corn in it) and sugars completely. As long as I do this, my poop is no worse than anyone else's. I did eat beans at first, but now I choose not to. They have a high carb count and I try to keep my carbs way down. As far as the fiber--I eat more fat. Avocados, real butter, heavy whipping cream instead of milk in my coffee--it all adds up and I normally don't have issues going to the restroom. If I start to feel a little backed up, I add Miralax to my coffee or I eat a couple of pieces of sugar free candy/chocolate/gummy bears (you have to be really careful with sugar free candies--too much and you live in the bathroom begging God to help you and promising you will never do this to your poor body ever again.) Eggs and cheese have no negative affect on me, so I eat them all the time. Just try to keep your carbs low--20-30 grams are more than enough. Concentrate on protein first, fat second, then carbs. This works for me. I hope it works for you.

At a month post-op you can start slowly taking your vitamins - one or two at a time. If you need to crush them or split them or open them up, you can do that. Definitely cut the bigger ones and any capsules can be opened and sprinkled into food - apple sauce or something like that.

General rule of thumb is 30 grams of protein by 30 days post-op, 60 grams of protein by 60 days, 90 grams by 90 days, et****il you're at your desired amount. Don't worry about what you eat bu****er first - you must stay hydrated and should aim for a gallon of water per day. Sip sip sip.

It's all about the protein. When you read a label you should look at two things - protein and carbs. Remember you're now eating as a DSer - your needs have completely changed. IMHO this is the hardest part - re-learning how to eat.

Try things like tuna with lots of mayo, cottege cheese, eggs in all forms, yogurt (low sugar). With food, it's all about experimenting and finding what agrees with you, what tastes good, etc.. Definitely a learning process.

This may be TMI, but the reason poo-pourri isn't working could be the beans! I've never been a big bean fan but that could be the reason for the smelly bathroom issues. Once you're settled into a routine, you can also try Devrom. It's an "internal deodorant." I take two pills three times a day with meals and it definitely helps with odor - they also make chewables. Remember what goes in must come out.

You're doing great. Just remember it's a learning process and that takes time.

Hopefully by the time school resumes, you'll be on somewhat of a schedule. You can use this time to figure out a routine, and with luck, you'll enjoy the first thing in the morning routine that many of us do. Poo Pourri works best if your poop sinks, which most of ours does NOT. Keep a food journal of what you eat in the day and when you get gassy, you can look back and note the reaction. My body reacts to what I eat 2-4 hours later. My rule is no experimental foods when working (I am a corporate trainer) to eliminate embarrassing mishaps, and I'm happy to report that I've never had one.

Citrus Magic or Ozium for the smell. I use Poo Pourri once in a while but effectivenss is directly related to what I ate and how much volume the BM takes up. At 4 weeks I don't really think moderating your diet will help at all. This will get a little better when you are on solids and more manageable the further out you are. Further out it will be more related to what you eat.

Actually you can start taking your vits any time now as long as you have room for them. I started off on chewables and sublinguals and then moved to the usual tablets/capsules.

Sure it's OK for the soft food phase but you can add in yogurt, cottage cheese (if that isn't what you listed).

I was always a protein first kind of guy. Only a little interested in counting carbs the first year and not much interest after that. Given that fiber wasn't a big issue for me and sugars were pretty much kept to a minimum.

Welcome to the DS world. It gave me a whole new life experience, just not from day 1. :)

Pete