8 weeks post op...what?

[Gary A Hunt]

Wait. They just told you your A was "low"? Get a copy of your lab results. How low? What's your D? You know you've got to keep track of your own vitamin levels now, right? Because they might say something is "normal" when in reality it's tanked. That happens a lot.

Is there a file with target ranges for a DS'er or should we just stay in the suggested ranges ?

 

[Munchkin]

Glad you are doing well. As far as the doc thing goes, no worries, you got what you needed and took care of the rest yourself. And that bodes well for the future.

As far as the food thing goes, I know you hear about people on endless liquid diets, pureeing food, all sorts of nastiness. There are just as many of us who were/are just like you. Able to eat almost anything within days of surgery. That has it's good and bad points!

Gary, a lot of it is trends. Are the numbers going up or down and how fast? It's easier to catch the problem and fix it before it becomes a major deficiency. Personally, I am happy with everything in the suggested ranges. But I am also 11 years post op and chances are I absorb a lot more now than I did the first few years post op. I know what my labs are supposed to look like and where I want to be.

 

[Sheanie]

There's no DS range, far as I know, Gary. On my lab sheet they give a "normal range" in parenthesis ( ). If yours is high or low, they will put a "H" or a "L" next to it, or print it in bold, so it stands out.

There is a lot of learning involved in keeping up your DS labs. Read more on the vitamin forums, and also on DSfacts.com

 

[jjordan8130]

Hello all!

Yesterday was my 7 week surgiversary, so crazy! I thought I would do an update on myself.

I've been doing really really well. When I first got home from having surgery I had a few issues with things like my nose having lots of sores/running all the time, drinking being difficult, an itchy hooha, and generally just not feeling well. Everything resolved itself with time, which I'm so happy about. Sadly I did get the rhino virus at about 3 weeks out. I was really dramatic over that and very unhappy. It stuck around for about a week and then finally cleared up. My doctor did give me Penicillin to clear it up but I was only able take that about four times before my stomach started to make me throw it up every time I took the pills. So I stopped taking them and let it run it's course.

As for food, I've honestly tried about 90% of food that I was eating before surgery. Now to anyone who's worried about me not sticking to the diet I'd like to emphasize that I TRIED the foods, I didn't binge. Also each time I tried them I pretty much felt done with them after. I ate small portions, became satisfied, and haven't eaten most of them again. I had serious cravings after surgery and over the past three weeks I've been getting most of them out of my system. Before surgery if I had a craving it meant I wanted mass portions five times a day for two weeks straight before I was satisfied. But now after surgery it means that I've had a few bites and was able to stop and still be satisfied. Funny how that works. I honestly haven't come across a food that upsets my stomach (knock on wood!). I've had breads, chicken, ground beef, turkey meat, rice, ice cream, tortillas, corn, soda, etc. Most of these things I've only had once or twice, because I didn't want them more then that. My favorite foods at the moment are; turkey burger patties with American cheese, pepperoni (on its own!), string cheese, meatballs (these go down so so so well!), eggs, this ranch chicken thing my mom gave me a recipe for, and protein shakes. It doesn't seem like much, I know. I'm just not that interested in food. But I get in my protein like a good girl and on occasion try to satisfy a random craving.

I'm working up to a full vitamin regime now. I'm adding them all in very slowly as my stomach does get iffy with them. But I have no trouble swallowing them, which I'm glad for. I'm just now getting in some light activity, I just haven't been too stressed about it. The hardest thing for me honestly is eating/drinking slower and smaller bites and drinks. I've made myself sick two or three times because I wasn't slow enough. I don't know why that mental aspect has been so tough for me. I never realized how much I despise eating/drinking slowly Lol. Other then that I've been going strong. At my last doc appt, which was three weeks ago, I was down 30 pounds. I don't have another appt until the middle of March and won't know how much I'm down again til then. I told my dad to hide our scale at around three weeks out because I was getting obsessed with weighing myself and didn't want the obsession to worsen. So now I just notice things by fit, like my rings that slide right off and my jeans that fit perfectly now as opposed to not being able to zip before surgery haha.

So ya, DS life has been good to me. I still come to the board just about everyday. But I tend to lurk and read. I hope everyone is doing well and thank you if you made it through this novel!

Might be TMI but I'm curious. How have your BMs been? A close friend of mine had DS a couple years ago and she said it was so bad she couldn't leave the house sometimes. So, I'm a little worried. My surgery is the week after next.

 

[newanatomy]

Might be TMI but I'm curious. How have your BMs been? A close friend of mine had DS a couple years ago and she said it was so bad she couldn't leave the house sometimes. So, I'm a little worried. My surgery is the week after next.

I am beginning to worry that I didn't get a DS at all, lol. I have one formed, non-stinky BM per day sometimes every other day. I am 6 weeks out today.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Your poop habits will change over time. What happens in the first weeks is NOT typical of the long term for most people.

 

[newanatomy]

Your poop habits will change over time. What happens in the first weeks is NOT typical of the long term for most people.

I am really, really hoping to keep mine!!!

 

[Elizabeth N.]

I am really, really hoping to keep mine!!!

Here's hoping!! I was constipated almost from the outset and have had to really keep up with it by my fat intake.

 

[newanatomy]

Here's hoping!! I was constipated almost from the outset and have had to really keep up with it by my fat intake.

I just got a prescription for Carafate. I am going to have to watch for that problem too. What a pain it is to have to add this medicine! It can't be taken around anything else but, needs to be taken an hour before meals and at bedtime, 4 times a day! If you get your iron or thyroid medicine too close it will not be absorbed! Can't take it close to magnesium or other supplements, sheesh don't they realize, I take vitamins all day and night long! I hope this is a temporary deal!

 

[southernlady]

Might be TMI but I'm curious. How have your BMs been? A close friend of mine had DS a couple years ago and she said it was so bad she couldn't leave the house sometimes. So, I'm a little worried. My surgery is the week after next.

The first two weeks I was MISERABLE...but once on soft foods, mine got much better. Now I typically have pudding like BM's with a bit of an oil slick about 2 times a day. The oil slick just lets me know my DS is working!

 

[Elizabeth N.]

I just got a prescription for Carafate. I am going to have to watch for that problem too. What a pain it is to have to add this medicine! It can't be taken around anything else but, needs to be taken an hour before meals and at bedtime, 4 times a day! If you get your iron or thyroid medicine too close it will not be absorbed! Can't take it close to magnesium or other supplements, sheesh don't they realize, I take vitamins all day and night long! I hope this is a temporary deal!

My doc just has me toss back a Carafate a couple minutes before eating. Seems to be sufficient.

 

[newanatomy]

My doc just has me toss back a Carafate a couple minutes before eating. Seems to be sufficient.

Here is what makes taking all my stuff tricky:

DOSING on the Carafate: The recommended dose for treatment of active ulcers is 1 gram four times daily for 4-8 weeks. Sucralfate is administered on an empty stomach, at least one hour prior to meals, for best results. The dose for preventing recurrent ulcers is 1 gram twice daily.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: When administered with other drugs sucralfate may bind to the drugs in the stomach and reduce absorption of the drugs. Sucralfate reduces the absorption of cimetidine (Tagamet), digoxin (Lanoxin), ketoconazole (Nizoral), levothyroxine (Synthroid), phenytoin (Dilantin), quinidine (Quinidex, Quinaglute), ranitidine (Zantac), tetracycline, theophylline (Theo-Dur, Uniphyl, others), and all of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (Cipro), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), and lomefloxacin (Maxaquin). All of these medications should be taken at least two hours prior to the sucralfate.

What should I avoid with levothyroxine?
Certain medicines can make levothyroxine less effective if taken at the same time. If you use any of the following drugs, avoid taking them within 4 hours before or 4 hours after you take levothyroxine:

• calcium carbonate (Caltrate, Citracal, Oystercal, and others);
• ferrous sulfate iron supplement;
• sucralfate;
• sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate, Kionex, and others);
• antacids that contain aluminum or magnesium (such as Acid Gone, Aldroxicon, Alternagel, Di-Gel, Gaviscon, Gelusil, Genaton, Maalox, Maldroxal, Milk of Magnesia, Mintox, Mylagen, Mylanta, Pepcid Complete, Rolaids, Rulox); or
• cholesterol-lowering drugs cholestyramine and colestipol.

Avoid the following food products, which can make your body absorb less levothyroxine: infant soy formula, cotton seed meal, walnuts, and high-fiber foods.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Ah, do you have an active ulcer? Sorry, I'd missed that. I'm basically just using it (when I remember it, which is not always) as an additional buffer for my GERD-ish belly.

 

[Sheanie]

New Anatomy: You sound just like me at 6 weeks. I never thought I'd poop more than once a day. Just wait. As you add in the calcium and get it up to 2,000 a day, you might get constipated. Then the fun really begins. If that happens, PM me. I did all the different dances that entailed. I'm now a very happy morning pooper, usually about 2-3 times before I'm good to go.

 

[newanatomy]

New Anatomy: You sound just like me at 6 weeks. I never thought I'd poop more than once a day. Just wait. As you add in the calcium and get it up to 2,000 a day, you might get constipated. Then the fun really begins. If that happens, PM me. I did all the different dances that entailed. I'm now a very happy morning pooper, usually about 2-3 times before I'm good to go.

I want my cake and to eat it too! I know my time is coming. It's just nice to pretend that I will get to keep this schedule with no stench. I know, there is no free lunch!

I will PM you if I run into trouble, thanks for the offer! I am taking 2,000 mg calcium a day. The only vitamin I am not taking yet is the B-complex and I am not up to 300 mg of iron yet. I am taking everything else that Vitalady recommends though. Plus, the Carafate 4 times a day (which can be constipating) and Prevacid twice a day. With all the **** I have to take on an empty stomach it's a wonder I have time to eat at all.