Things that Swede is thinking about.

Hi everyone, thanks for checking in to see what im thinking about, lol.  I guess im really looking for some advice about things that are happening to my body.  Here goes.  Last night I had my first and hopefully last "stuck food" issue.  I was eating the insides of a taco bell bean burrito.  The burrito was a little dry so I added some salsa and a little sour cream.  Everything seemed fine until I was almost done eating then WHAM I get this feeling like the food is backed up to the top of my throat.  I felt like I wanted to vomit but nothing was coming.  I went out back to walk around and move things around but nothing except a little burp.  I went up stairs to sit by the toilet in the event that I did have to hurl.  I texted Lisa H to ask what to do and she advised I ride it out, so I did (thanks Lisa).  Well it turns out that after about 30 minutes the worst of it passed.  I think maybe I ate too much of some dry dense food.  Id be ok if I never went through that again.

Next, Im also being told by my wife that I seem ..."not the same."  She says that I am just grumpy and depressed and that im not as upbeat and silly as I use to be.  I dont necessarily disagree with her, as I see it myself, but maybe not to the extent she says.  She asked if I should be seeing a therapist or something.  I told her that I think a lot of it might be due to the fact that I am not 100% recovered from my hospital stay and that im still struggling to feel better.  We both agreed to keep an eye on it and see if a little more time will help me "get back to normal."  I want to be happier but it does seem a little difficult to get there.

I am also noticing that I have been having muscle cramps in my forearms and calves.  I am worried that it might be a dehydration issue or maybe a low potasium issue.  I am currently eating a banana while I type this to get some potassium in me.  I noticed that my multi vitamine doesnt have potasium in it.  Are there any supplements out there that provide this?  For now I will keep with the bananas and keep pushing the water.

Last but not least, I havent had a BM in three days.  I know that our regularity will change after surgery but I dont want to end up "backed up."  What are some good safe pooper helpers that you guys use and recommend?

Thanks
Swede



   

Yep, sounds like too dry and too much. Watch teh fast food, it sounds healthy but it still loaded with fat and you are early out. I find if this happens laying on my left side seems to help. Sipping warm peppermint tea also works wonders.

The "not the same", I would agree that it is just from all you have been through. I was exhausted for a while post op, remember how little calories you are eating. I'd give it another month and re-evaluate.

Cramps can be low potassium, low B12 or dehydration. I'd call your surgeon or PCP and get some labs drawn ASAP. Up your fluids and see if it helps.

AS for poop, well that's one of our favorite topics! lol Peri colace is a god send. You can also try drinking some diluted apple juice. Others will recommend fiber. Early out 2-3 days can be totally normal too. Even at 3 1/2 years out 2 days isn't unheard of. Of course if I need an instant fix I just have to drink milk.

Good luck and keep your chin up - you are doing great!

so you were texting me from the toilet? Nice!! Glad you are that comfortable with me!!! 

As far as "not the same", yes you are recovering from surgery.. your body has gone through a lot of changes in the past month.. even more than most of us.  Your hormones are changing .. women go through it, men do too.  The whole chemistry of your body is changing along with the rapid weight loss and mood swings are to be expected.  You also don't have food to "drown your sorrows" or comfort you.  So, you have to learn to deal with any issues you have in other ways.  You are smart to keep an eye on it and it wouldn't hurt to see a therapist.

Regarding the muscle cramps and pains, it could very well be either.  Make sure you are getting in all your fluids.  I am not sure about potassium, but I would be careful of bananas as they are higher in sugar than other fruits and may cause dumping.  If the pain continues and it's not from exercise, please check with your doc.

You are doing great and coming to the right place to vent, ask questions, and kvell. 

Liz and Lisa gave you great advice - I'll just add my 2 cents - 'stuck' food sucks and sorry to say this will probably NOT be your last time, but now you know what its like. For me the fetal position works best and sleeping it off. Its misery, plain and simple - and no matter how far out you get once in a great while something will upset the pouch and it'll happen - did you get the foamies with it?? They're lovely -  - and by the way, most of us cannot hurl anymore - its physically impossible, so don't pu**** - dry heaves are probably the best you'll get.

I eat a banana almost every day - and when I skip days I end up with charlie horses or cramping - there are potassium supplements you can take so you might want to add that to your vitamin arsenal.

Careful about those BM's - don't let it go too long - that can be very dangerous for us. And yes, we're BM obsessed out here and no topic is off-limits!! But it is something we have to be very aware of - getting too backed up is not good. I take a peri colase every other day and that seems to help keep me regular.

As for your moods I'm sure they are different - men have hormones too and as you're losing fat and weight your hormones are going to go crazy for a while - plus you went through a helluva lot post-op so you're still recovering from all that. I was always the 'party queen' of our group too and people made comments to me that I wasn't 'Fun Kathy' anymore for a while - you know what - its their problem, not yours - once you settle in with your weight loss and are fully recovered from your surgeries you'll be back to your old self - I am - but it does take a while and in the end your wife is going to appreciate the new, healthier Swede because she's going to have you around a lot longer than if you hadn't done this.

Hang in there - its a long journey and something none of us ever experienced before - but going thru it together out here is what helps us.

I only poop twice per week most weeks.

So I understand.

As far as not feeling the same...........definately keep an eye on it. If you don't see an improvement or feel worse.....Call the doc!

Muscle cramps are most likely dehydration. But you can have potassium levels checked by blood work.

All meats, including poultry and fish are high in potassium so if you are eating proteins, you should be getting enough.

Now, as someone who deals with Kidney patients all the time, I wouldn't recommend going crazy with potassium. Too much Potassium will cause Hyperkalemia and/or Acute Renal Failure. Not that this will occur over a few bananas. But if you get too gung ho about increasing it without knowing your base levels, this can happen.

Just some info. I would suggest getting labs done to see where you stand. If you are Hypokalemic, more potassium rich foods will be recommended. But you don't want to make that assumption without knowing your body's chemisty right now.

Well I thought I would share....I just pooped.  Yeah for me.  I guess all this talk about it got things moving. 

I will have Jen read these posts and we can then keep an eye on me and my moods to see how things change.

I will be calling my Dr. to see if I can get some labs drawn.  I have a follow up with her in two weeks, I think she may be ordering some for me anyway.  We will see.  

Thanks for all the help and advice.  Keep it coming, I appreciate all of the help and new ideas.

Swede 

Fibre-stat is another good one for your fiber issues instead of a banana and there is a potassium that is powder that mixes with water (tastes like Tang) but I believe requires a script from the doc and yes, you should have labs first.   Even though we are told 64oz. that is a minimum.   Alot of nutritionists recommend drinking your weight in water.   I think probably somewhere in between seems reasonable unless you are exercising and sweating alot out.    Finally, for immediate relief of cramping take a spoonful or 2 of yellow mustard.   The turmeric in it is a holistic cure for leg cramps and mustard is definately ok for us, in fact, its a negative caloric which means it takes more energy to burn than it has in calories so it's a win-win.

i agree with everything and would add  that some vitamin deficiencies cause these problems also

vitamin e and magnesium  if they are low will cause muscle cramps

calcium  if it  is low will sometimes show as depression and muscle cramps

you can google "muscle cramps and vitamins" and" calcium and mood"
 but still talk to your doctor and find out

i have been following  you journey and praying for you so glad you are better.
ps that stuck feeling can also happen if you wait too long between meals.

Swede,

You've gotten some great advice so far - sorry you had to go through the "stuck" issue... not fun.  Dr. P. recommends sipping ho****er (or ho****er with lemon) to relax the stoma and help move the food through.  But really that and time are pretty much "it"... if the feeling persists for too long, you should definitely call your doc, though, because sometimes things get REALLY stuck and needs some mechanical assistance to clear - not frequent, but it does happen, so if things are still hurting after a day or so, call!

As to bananas, keep in mind a couple of things - 1/2 a banana is a serving.  They are very high in carbs and (as Lisa said) sugar.  They are also "binding" foods that can contribute to constipation.  So I would limit consumption to 1/2 a banana per day... if you even need that much.  Again, talk to your doc and get blood work done to figure out why you're having the cramping.  And if the cramping is always in the same place and accompanied by any feeling of "heat" that can be an alert to a blood clot... given what you've been through, that's something you really need to be watching out for, and is not something to take at all lightly.

Mood-wise, I think Lisa summed it up beautifully... but I'll be a little more blunt.  You (as are we all) are detoxing from a couple of major addictive substances (sugar, fats, and food in general).  You're not able to use food to self-medicate emotionally, and are simultaneously processing hormones that have been stored in your fat cells.  That combination puts people into emotional tail-spins.  It WILL get better... but in the meantime, keep a close eye on it and work with a therapist who's experienced with WLS patients.  It can help a lot!

Hugs,

Karen

When one of the NUTs at Barix saw banana listed in my food journal, she told me to be careful as they can cause constipation.  I take magnesium every day, and I'll eat a couple of prunes if I need some help moving things along.