extra 5 pounds found (May be gross)

Thanks for the info.  I was not into caffeine until recently.  I found a Crystal Light that had caffeine and LOVED it.  I did not drink it all the time, but I enjoyed it when I did.  I sure miss it.
Ruby 

 Sorry about the pain.  I have been there too and it is awful!  I take two stool softeners a day (sometimes 3 if I get backed up) that I pay at CVS (generic).  I also take Citrical pills for fiber.  It's a pain to take more pills, but I am one of those who swears she can taste the fiber in all those "tasteless" powders.  I know it's in my head, but my routine is working most days so I'm not complaining!  Hope you are on a smoother road now.
Janet

I'm sorry you're hurting but so glad that you got some relief.  I take 1 stool softener a day and it often doesn't help.  Maybe I need to try 2.  YUCK.  I bet I'd lose the pound that I gained if the BooM Princess would come visit me. 

((((())))))) Stacey !!!!! Well thank God U found it THERE and not on Ur AZZ Lol! thats the way i C it . Sorry about the pain though ....

figs and the tons of fiber I eat always help me ... Im never blocked up honestly

Oh sweetie!! I am so sorry this happened. This is a fear of mine terrible. I have taken colace with stimulant and I haven't any luck with movement...I have thought about taking a straight up laxative to move things along sometimes because you know how that feeling feels...like you know you are backed up but not really in distress yet...ugh, it's tough.

I go see the PA @ surgeons this friday for that pain i've been having in the lower left hip area...the symptoms mimic some sort of hernia or adhesions. I heard/read that adhesions are more and more likely to form with abdominal surgery and mesh...I had the bladder sling (mesh) and the rny and a long time ago the mesh repair of a herniated fatty tumor in the abdominal wall (right where the pain is at) so I suspect that's the culprit again...but not a doc here...lol Anyways, I am going to ask him for a ct scan and I have this fear that he is going to say that nothing is wrong and that I'm just full of it...poop...LOL.

Here is what I do to keep my gut moving when it wants to cooperate...

Powder fiber (benefiber...etc) added to my morning coffee every day
Drink LOTS of water....period. I always try to get 96oz in daily. minimum.
Take 2 colace
Drink 1 cup ho****er with the juice of 1 large lemon sweetened with splenda

The above is non-negotiable. If any of them are out of balance...then boy oh boy...

Another note, you mentioned the calcium. Are you taking magnesium with it? I had a horrible experience when i switched my calcium once and it did not have the mag mix...and yah, it was bad. I think that's a lot of the contributing factor to the rectocyle I had to have repaired. Extremem constipation. I have also seen posted on here where taking additional magnesium something helps. Hopefully someone will post it...I need to take notes too....

I'm glad you got things moving again...I'm sorry it was so painful :(

HUGS to you

Another thing...I notice if my carb intake is higher (crackers and breads specifically) it adds more bulk and makes it harder to get out....if that makes any sense. I also noticed that with fiber, you have to be very careful...fiber is good...yes...BUT...I noticed that with ME normal fiberous foods like veggies cause terrible bubble gut. Same thing goes if i add too much artificial fiber like chewables and powder.

I have noticed that too and does not really pass the right way. I have cut carbs down to 20 per day, cut fat out all together and increased everything else, but prior to doing that I had been grabbing a few crackers to ease the pain, maybe that did it.

I also looked into my calcium, they are bariatric advantage and it does contain magnesium.

I have had the same problems.  I have suffered from constipation for years.  For some reason the last too days have been the opposite.  Don't know why except that I had beans for lunch for a few days.  I use Fiber Choice Weight Management and 2 stool softeners and magnesium oxide, along with the magnesium in my calcium.  I also use Miralax but I haven't for a few days to see if it was helping or not.
One thing I was going to say is don't cut out fats entirely.  I have a tablespoon of regular bleu cheese dressing a day.  I find it helps with the problem.

 Stacey, Gina posted a protocol for constipation a while back. It has really helped me. I now take miralax (generic) every day. I don't do all of the protocol, but the miralax has been a miracle. I was in agony every time I tried to go, blood, straining, groaning, even using a medical exam glove to get things started (TMI, I know). Now, it's easy to get things out.

Have an easy time with the gall bladder. I had gall bladder out in 1992 and have had no complications since. At that time I had lost weight fast with Optifast, another one of my misguided attempts until WLS.

Oh Stacey, I feel so bad for you!!  The gall bladder pain is enough without constapation too.  I'm so glad you got relieved of some of it. 

I used to worry I was going to break a blood vessel in my head because  I had to strain so hard.  I started taking a colace in the morning and one at night and that helps me go without straining as hard.  I have been drinking my morning protein drink without ice so maybe that has helped too.  I have a bottle of miralax but I thought it caused cramping but I might start adding a little of it to my morning drink.

My surgery is on Thursday.