calcium/football connection

I have one of those toilets that the TV says can flush 12 golfballs. (It can by the way). Despite owning one of these babies, I frequently look upon my most recent work and wonder, "What happened to the water"? Decorum prevents me from describing the plunging effort necessary to clear the tube. I'm convinced that technology cannot solve solve my problem. So I'm wondering,  "Is it possible to OD on calcium?" I only take what I'm supposed to but I've become wiery and sometimes sore from trying to push a football through my ass. I need advice from the only people I know I can talk to about this sort of thing. Don't leave straining my brothers!  

Between the iron and the calcium (and NOT at the same time, plz) it's a wonder that we ever go.  Both are notorious for causing constipation.  In fact, I was just about incapacitated for the past 36 hours! Try lots of fluids (extra if you are already waterlogged), and a glass of MiraLax daily.  I can't believe that I can forget so quickly and easily how horrible post-RNY constipation can be, enough that I'm not always vigilant enough to prevent it from happening again. /Steve

Constipation! Yep.  I remember times when I was regularly passing Granite Tombstones! There were times when I considered Drilling & Dynamite. At the least, I wondered about a long teaspoon or one of my least favorite fingers. I have seen similar “un-seemly issues” discussed by many others. Here’s some info to read or skip…. (makes good bathroom reading….) To start with- Once it’s gone solid, there’s only Stool Softeners Like Dulcolax®, Colace®, and the like, Or The Mother of them all- MOM- Milk of Magnesia. If it has gotten to critical stage- There’s the Fleet® Enema. But when it comes to Constipation, An ounce of Prevention, Really is Worth a Pound of Cure. With the reduced amount of food in the pipes, The large intestine has less traffic to push stuff on through And since the large intestine removes water from the waste material The slower it travels trough, the drier it becomes. Fiber is your friend in keeping stuff moving. Many Docs recommend increasing overall water intake as well Which just makes sense. The more water in the overall system, the more remaining Even when the large intestine has taken out all it can. “An Apple a Day” is a great one, so are most all crispy Veggies. If Oats aren’t good for you, then maybe more salad stuff Like celery, carrots, raw veggies in general? Be selective though.  Broccoli, Cauliflower, and other High-Insoluble Fiber foods such as Cabbage, can cause major gas and act more like “Colon-Blow!”  Resulting in more output than one might think of as “Normal.” The “Home-Remedy” of choice is soluble fiber.
It soothes and regulates the digestive tract, stabilizes the intestinal contractions resulting from the gastrocolic reflex, and normalizes bowel function from either extreme.  That's right – soluble fiber prevents and relieves BOTH diarrhea and constipation.  Nothing else in the world will do this for you.
The most common soluble fiber supplements are: Equalactin, FiberChoice, Fibersure, Benefiber, Metamucil, Konsyl, Fybogel, Citrucel, and Fibercon.  Most are widely available at drug stores.  Metamucil, Konsyl and Fybogel contain psyllium, Citrucel contains methylcellulose, Equalactin and Fibercon contains calcium polycarbophil, Benefiber contains wheat dextrin and both FiberChoice and Fibersure contain inulin.  These supplements are available as powders that you mix with water and drink, or as caplets that are either chewable or meant to be swallowed whole with a glass of water.
If you're at all prone to bloating or gas (as many WLS Post-ops can be when eating certain foods) avoid both psyllium and inulin (the main ingredients in Metamucil, Konsyl, Fybogel, Fibersure, and FiberChoice), which can generate more gas.

Simple Apple Pectin, like “Sure Jel” –
http://www.kraftfoods.com/surejell/sj_index.html
or any of those “Home-Made Jam/Jelly” additives are the absolute best at regulating bowel movements while keeping gas output low.

How is Soluble Fiber both a laxative and anti-diarrhea solution?
The "soluble" in soluble fiber means that it dissolves in water (though it is not digested).  This allows it to absorb excess liquid in the colon, preventing diarrhea by forming a thick gel and adding a great deal of bulk as it passes intact through the gut.  This gel (as opposed to a watery liquid) also keeps the GI muscles stretched gently around a full colon, giving those muscles something to easily "grip" during peristaltic contractions, thus preventing the rapid transit time and explosive bowel movements of diarrhea.

By the same token, the full gel-filled colon (as opposed to a colon tightly clenched around dry, hard, impacted stools) provides the same "grip" during the muscle waves of constipation sufferers, allowing for an easier and faster transit time, and the passage of the thick wet gel also effectively relieves constipation by softening and pushing through impacted fecal matter.  If you picture your colon as a tube that is squeezing through matter via regular waves of contractions, it's easy to see how a colon filled with soluble fiber gel is beneficial for both sides of the ‘irregularity’ coin.
To include more roughage and soluble dietary fiber, rather than be tied to some “Product,” Whole grains are also a good source.  Just look at the fiber content on labels. Also, More Fat. I know it sounds counter-intuitive to weight-loss But more Essential Fatty acids are a great way to Boost your overall health as well as “lube” the system. It also scrubs the “bad-Cholesterol” out of your system. That’s what all the rage about Flax-Seed Meal comes from. Excellent fiber source as well as Essential Fatty Acids in one food. A teaspoon or two of Flax Seed meal in Yogurt or in “Anything” Is hardly noticed and it’ll keep you regular and provide The essential fatty acids needed for great health. Cold Pressed Cannola Oil and Olive Oil are also great sources That fit easily into a normal diet. Some Essential Fatty Acid info- http://goodfats.pamrotella.com/ I have Flax-Seed Meal in some food most days, Also, I still shoot for “an apple a day” (well more like 4 a week) and that has worked well for me. Most of the dramatic intestinal swings from “The Screaming Runs” To a full scale “Lock-Up” fade away around the 2nd month, But with the Iron and calcium supplements, particularly if you aren’t in the habit of eating enough fiber And getting in enough water, constipation can be an ongoing problem. I typically say, “Hang in there, This too shall pass.” But it may need some dietary encouragement. Best Wishes- Dx

 

Hey Dx, what would a typical dosage be if I were to use sure-jell as a fiber source? Metamusil really gasses me up. I know I should drink more water, but since the prostate surgery my "tank" is pretty small.

If gas bothers you, Citrucel contains a non-absorbable soluble fiber, methylcellulose.  That means that it isn't metabolized by your gut bacteria and accordingly doesn't cause gas. /Steve

Hey Doug, Don't know anything about the calcium but I sure can relate to the daily plunger workouts. I've become very attached to my newest, bestest friend. Boner

Three Stool softeners a day will work miracles. I use the food lion brand. Wouldn't try to do this without. To hell with sitting on the crapper until the legs go numb. Ken

yeah doug, what dx said.

as for me, i go once in the morning. it has the equivelant weight of a neutron star and actually has a basic nervous system, with eyes. i feel like i've given birth everytime i go. the toilet resembles the birth of a baby orca whale when i'm through. it feels like i just passed a bowling ball or somebody opened an umbrella in my azz. i actually weigh less after i poop. scary. it won't flush and just looks back at me. i've taken to digging a hole outside in the back yard with a bobcat and just burying the thing out there. sometimes at night i can hear them screaming. even the dogs bark. kind of like edger allen poe's the raven thing. they weren't kidding when they said this surgery changes things. hope this helped.

Well Carbon, misery loves company. Funny you should mention the bobcat thing. I've been considering the low tech approach. Thinking about building a privy in the back yard just like the old days. I've never known one of them to plug up. When it gets full, which shouldn't take long, I could just move it over a few feet.

It would probably take 10 years of enviornmental impact studies in order to get clearance to build an outdoor privy these days. I'm looking into leasing an abandoned oil well. There's a ****load of 'em around here. They're supposed to be plugged with concrete after they're abandoned. I might could contract out to plug them with **** the same consistency as concrete.