General Sickness & the Pouch

Russ,

You know this was the first pain meds I've ever taken.  My wife is a Pharmacist and told me I was a wimp when she got this scrip by fax.  She brought the bottle home and said that these were far better than her doctor gave her for knee surgery!!!  I told her I was going to take 4 or 5 of them and go and hit the sack, she nodded and turned around and then over her shoulder said, "Say hi to Jesus for me!"  Hee Hee hee Hee................

Thanks for your response.  I have seasonal allergies and swear I can fill a cup with phlegm before the season ends, that is coughing in such a way that every member of my house hold looks at me with disgust - I mean more than normal.   I think you are right  -  in the first few tender months it could be worse.  I pray for my surgery to happen between allergy seasons. Thanks, Bob.

Some of the answers might be found in Eastern (Chinese) medicine. I assume that at least some Chinese medical theories must be based on truth, given the ancient imperial court's willingness to make use of the masses.

One theory states that, if the digestive system tires, then the whole body will tire, beginning with the immune system. WLS people are forced to control their eating, so that no huge lump quantity of food may enter the body at one time. Those with RNY or DS actually leave approximately half of their small intestines unused (totally at rest!).

Never guessed that you were on the very cutting edge of Chinese medicine, I bet!

Dave

Guess it could be exhaustion of the digestive system OR it could be a chain reaction from Ghrelin or some other hormone influenced by WLS (?!?)

Rarely sick prior to surgery, rarely sick after surgery.  I typically get the flu once a year and maybe one cold, but besides that, steady as she goes.  So I can't say that I feel my system has been compromised in anyway. Now the couple of times when I have had the flu with the dreaded nausea that went along with it - it was different than in the past.  TMI - but when my body decides it's time to hurl, there's not much in the pouch to empty out...smaller stomach and less volume doesn't equal less heaves...they just keep on coming.  The flu is miserable period, but dry heaves are even worse to me. Overall I feel so much better and certainly feel like I'm better prepared physically to fight off any sickness that comes my way. Cards Fan "STEP OFF THE SIDELINE AND GET IN THE GAME!"

Thanks for the replies.  I know when I first lost a lotta weight and went down to 220, right at this point I started edging back up, but the 10 year it took me to gain it all back was virtually sick free.  So general sickness has got to have deep ties into obesity.  I wonder if there are any studies out there on this....

Bob, like many of the others, I have not gotten sick as much since surgery.  Early on I had a nasty cold and felt horrible, but no different than pre-surgery.  I just had to be careful with the Nyquill type products, although I never had any problems with them - no dumping.  Right now I am down 106lbs and I think I have a sinus infection.  I say I think, because although I that pressure in both my face, forehead, and ears, I do not feel anywhere near as bad as I did when I was sick and 100lbs heavier.  So I have to visit the PCP doc to find out.  Honestly, I feel better with this infection than I did 100bs heavier every day.  My head is a little clogged but I don't have that exhaustion I used to have.  Seems to me that when I was heavier I was always right on the edge of exhaustion and the sickness easily put me over the edge.  But not now.   The thing to keep in mind about the coughing, phlem, etc.  That comes from a different pipe, not the one with the pouch.  It's a factor of the nasal passages, sinus, and lungs.  So that should have no effect. Greg