Question:
What is this mucos you read about after surgery and is there a way to avoid it?

   — [Anonymous] (posted on July 28, 2001)

July 28, 2001
I had and still have the mucus problem whenever I eat too fast and/or don't chew my food thoroughly enough. It gets better with time - I'm 3 1/2 months post-op and it rarely happens anymore but still does if I forget to eat slowly enough or forget to chew my food well enough. So to answer your question, the way I found to avoid the mucus was to chew, chew, chew and eat slowly.
   — [Anonymous]

July 28, 2001
My daughter and I are 16 and 18 months post-op RNY and still experience the "strange and bizarre" mucus problem....not as much or as often as during those first 6 months, but it doesn't seem to be going away and we haven't found a way to totally avoid it. We notice that it occurs most frequently when we eat too fast, and with specific foods, so it has been an ongoing reminder to follow "the rules": eat slowly, take small bites, and chew thoroughly. When we do those things, we don't experience the mucus. We've never really heard a good explanation about why RNY patients form this extremely thick mucus from time to time. If anyone else has a great answer, we'd love to hear it :-) For the pre-ops who are now anxious about "mucus"...don't stress about this. It's a peculiar phenomenon which happens only occasionally, not uncomfortable, and generally not associated with feelings of nausea (at least not for us). It's simply an "aggravation" because you're going to have to find a place to spit this stuff out...it's not something that you can just swallow back down and go about your business. We've experienced that once you get rid of it, we're feeling just fine again and can continue eating or functioning as usual.
   — Diana T.

July 28, 2001
I'm 13 mo. post op and haven't has the mucous problem in a long , long time. Maybe it stopped (with me )about 4 months post op. There is a very good explanation in the library for anyone who would care to search. It's no big deal and as the previous poster said be sure to chew the dickens out of your food and little sips not gulps of liquids. Just remember go slowely on anything you eat or drink immediatly post op that first 3-4 months is the hardest .
   — Rose A.

July 29, 2001
Mucus is the thick stringy gel-like stuff your inside secretes so that stuff can move through your system. At least, that is what I *think* it is. Mucus is what you cough up when you clear your throat. It constitutes the major portion of my post-nasal drip and it's very uncomfortable stuff to deal with. It's icky.
   — [Anonymous]