Question:
I am still pre-op, but was wondering what hapens if you get the stomach flu

how does your body handle it? Does it go up or down?    — Stillfat (posted on June 2, 2001)

June 2, 2001
I am pre-op too but I had to laugh when I read your question. It was one of the questions I asked my surgeon at my initial consult! He said that your body will react in the same fashion it always did when you got the flu. I'm not sure what kind of explanation that is but it's what I got! I haven't had a true stomach flu since I've been an adult (the 24 hr bug only) so I'm not sure if I would be able to tell if my body was reacting any differently or not. I don't quite understand the last part of your question - the up or down part?! Do you mean, will you lose weight??
   — Karen B.

June 4, 2001
I asked my surgeon the same question, and none too soon...I was about eight weeks post-op when I got the flu! He said that I wouldn't be able to bring anything up, and that it wouldn't be pleasant, but then again, the flu never is. Guess what? He was right. I wanted to hurl just to kill the nausea, but it wasn't possible. So I was bloody miserable for a couple of hours. Bonus: I wasn't sick anywhere near as long as I normally am. Don't know if this is a by-product of the lack of food in my stomach or not, but either way, it didn't last long.
   — Suzanne B.