dumping on purpose?

Hi all, i have not been here in a while, had a busy few months, my son left for marine boot camp and then I had a hernia fixed and a TT along with the doctor shaving my protrding sternum bone.... well after my surgery, I was in a LOT of pain, first off I had a bleeder somewhere and the surgeon took me back into the OR the next day and opened me up all over again, thankfully the bleeder fixed itself and he did not find anything. anyway, my whole stomach area is as hard as a rock, the muscles are so inflamed! My surgeon did a wonderful job and I can not wait to see how I look once all the swelling goes down. since we cant take insaids I was at a loss at how to make the swelling go down. I was in a lot of pain but I HAD to see my son graduate from Marine boot camp and I almost did not get to go, it was a 700 mile drive one way and I was worried my husband would not let me go. but my surgeon said I could go and although I took a lot of lortab, I was able to make the journey, I did not tell my husband just how bad I felt but I think he knew. anyways, after we got home, driving back the 700 miles, I was in a lot more pain, sitting up just seemed to make the pain worse because I was putting pressure on my swollen belly area and sternum. so to help me "feel better" I made myself dump on purpose!! Now when I dump, I dont get sick, just really really tired and I feel drunk! I did not go all out and eat really bad stuff, like candy bars or cake and such but I did eat a oatmeal cream pie... the big one and like I knew it would, within minutes I felt that feeling coming on! As soon as I felt it, I went to bed. dumping along with my pain medication, really helped me get through the pain. plus get some much needed sleep now just few weeks later I am still swollen but not as much and the pain is very minimal. I just take maybe one pain pill at night and at other times just some good ole Tylonal! no sweets I went to a pain clinic years ago for cronic pain caused from spinal tumors, I had talked to the doctor there about "making" myself hurt somewhere else to make the pain seem lesser. he said it was common for people to do this and called it "pain transferance" and also said a lot of people do this. I really hope no one flames me on this, I just wanted to share my story and see if anyone else has done this. also during the time from my surgery in December until now, I have lost some weight, I actually got down to 138 ( I am 5'8) because I didnt feel like eating, but my hubby got on my case and I made sure I ate and got my protein in, I gained back about 5 pounds and have stayed at 143 for over a month. and as soon as my surgeon clears me, I intend to start walking 3 miles a day. anyways, now that I am not in constant pain anymore, I have cut out the NO NO stuff and am eating right again. guess I rambled on long enough, thanks for listening Donna 277/143

Donna, Hope you're feeling better soon. Hang in there! Best Wishes- Dx

Thank you DX

Bet I would have done something similar... Everybody talks about "using" their pouch... I guess you just respected it in one way (didn't eat tooooo much of the wrong stuff) and cross referenced it to help you in another... (transfer pain)... You seem honest enough to place it on the board, and quite frankly I have never really dumped... maybe once on yogurt, but I am only 9 months out or so... I have someone close to me in the hospital who broke their neck... and quite frankly, I'm ravenous but not hungry... ... someone said it was good I had an appetite...??? yeah, well what do they know? An appetite is for fish and veggies, not junk food Congratulations on your sons achievement and yours too. Best Wishes.

Thank you pat. I am sorry to hear about your friend in the hospital.

I haven't done this with my pouch, but it reminds me of something similar I did a long time ago. I've had chronic back problems for years and once a doctor prescribed a TENS unit for me. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a battery operated device about the size of a beeper that has electrodes connected to it. The electrodes are placed on strategic locations along the affected nerve pathway and can be set to deliver different patterns and intensity of an electrical shock. There were times when the pain got so bad that I would max out that puppy! It didn't really stop the back and sciatic pain, but the *different* pain from the electrodes on my skin was a distraction from it. I'm glad you're feeling better. Sue ZQ

hi Sue, I will have to ask my doctor about that TENs unit, I think I have tried it once years and years ago but I have slept since then and just don't remember...LOL

Since you have been so honest...you opened up my mind to my reality...and being honest with myself. I was 139 now I'm back up to 150...I'm frantic...I'm eating sweets everyday, jelly beans, etc...anything that will go down...I just finished a year of caregiving for my 17 year old daughter with rapid cycling bipolar. I just had to be switched from my Prozac to Effexor XR so I am in a deep depression....it's almost like I'm eating sweets and dumping so I don't have to feel the pain and fear of the last year, now that my daughter is stable it's almost like I'm falling apart...I have a good psychiatrist and psychologist...but they can't LIVE with me. I feel very depressed because of the weight gain and the sugar cravings are horrible. My pdoc says I haven't been on the Effexor XR long enough for it to help with the depression and more than likely I'm exhausted, depressed and just dead inside from the last year. I have only been on the Effexor XR for a week. She is going to strive for a target dose of at least 150 mg to make sure the XR is absorbed. If it were not for your post I would not post this and come clean. Right now my heart is beating so fast, I'm flushed and feel like you know what from dumping.....it seems like the only thing that gives me any feeling, even though it's an awful feeling and very sick feeling. Thanks for sharing your experiences and I'll be thinking of you.

Hi Karen, thank you for your reply. I think I am getting back on track but I am still having some medical problems NOT associated with my wls. I have Neurofibromatosis. this is a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on the nerves. you may have seen people who have tons of bumps all over. a few have been on talk shows. I dont have any on the outside but I have many inside, I have had over 22 surgeries associated with my NF and sometimes the pain it causes leaves the doctors scratching their heads because its hard to find the source of the pain. I have had two cervical spine surgeries(in my neck) and had 3 tumors removed there, boths surgeries were tough and I almost died! the last one, about 5 years ago left me in a wheel chair for about 6 months and it took me a long time to get where I am today. anyway, I am again having trouble that seems to be coming from my cervical spine!! and I am having a really really hard time digesting what I am going to do this time. I do not want to have surgery but the pain and numbness that its causing in my left arm and hand is terrible, I know I need to see a neurosurgeon and a shrink but I keep putting it off. some days I just feel like eating everything in sight and not care how I feel. but I know what is going on and I am taking the steps to fix it, tomorrow I am going to my regular doctor and from there I will make appointments to see a shrink and a neurosurgeon and maybe even go to a pain clinic. I am not sure what will happen but I have to try something.. I want to thank you for sharing about your daughter, maybe I will ask about effexor. I will try anything at this point. Donna