Not eating.. - Page 2 - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Jeanie · 07-03-2008, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baja Big Dog

WOW Phoenix, I was reading some of the posts and thinking, maybe 8 Vicodin is too many, (according to the doctor, he prescribed up to 12 a day!!) but your right, nobody knows the pain level of any other person, and I have what I consider a high threshold for pain, but after breaking an ankle, walking on it for three days, having pins inserted, and having surgery on both knees for ligament damage, breaking a leg, knee and having 16 screws, metal plates and a surgeon that was happy when I woke up after surgery that he saved the leg, can lead to some rather severe pain, and I got most of my relief from Motrin, but since the surgery and the elimination of said wonder drug, I am forced to attempt to deal with pain in any way I can, will the pain go away with more weight loss? Time will tell, Im down over 120 lbs now, and it is no better!!

It was interesting that Vicodin will reduce the appetite, I didnt know that.

SimplySameria....To answer your question, it is somewhat laborus to "POO" as you call it, prior to WLS, I was quite proud of the ability I poses ed to "POO", it was somewhat of an irritating issue with the girlfriend!!! Yes, she was jealous, but now...much different, Im considering stool softeners, if anyone has tried them let me know, because get NO sympathy from her!!

I had blood work done two weeks ago and didnt have any problems except for a slightly low iron count, everything else was fine.

I never heard about weining yourself off of shakes or supplements after a while, but I am finding out that if you ask the same question to 20 surgeons, your gonna get 20 answers, and they will all be different!!

Holy crap it sounds as though you are lucky to be walking. My dad has chronic pain is on some pretty heavy pain meds so I would never question someone about why they take meds. That being said I hope that with more weight loss the pain will go away also.
On the subject of stool softners I take them every night before bed. I've had to take them since about 9 monhts after WLS if I don't take them I DON'T go for several days to weeks at a time.

NOT FUN!

I get the ones with a mild laxative in it, and it works very well for me. I get mine at Wal Mart because they are pretty cheap there. I think it's the equate brand.

Phoenixfire · 07-03-2008, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baja Big Dog

WOW Phoenix, I was reading some of the posts and thinking, maybe 8 Vicodin is too many, (according to the doctor, he prescribed up to 12 a day!!) but your right, nobody knows the pain level of any other person, and I have what I consider a high threshold for pain, but after breaking an ankle, walking on it for three days, having pins inserted, and having surgery on both knees for ligament damage, breaking a leg, knee and having 16 screws, metal plates and a surgeon that was happy when I woke up after surgery that he saved the leg, can lead to some rather severe pain, and I got most of my relief from Motrin, but since the surgery and the elimination of said wonder drug, I am forced to attempt to deal with pain in any way I can, will the pain go away with more weight loss? Time will tell, Im down over 120 lbs now, and it is no better!!

It was interesting that Vicodin will reduce the appetite, I didnt know that.

SimplySameria....To answer your question, it is somewhat laborus to "POO" as you call it, prior to WLS, I was quite proud of the ability I poses ed to "POO", it was somewhat of an irritating issue with the girlfriend!!! Yes, she was jealous, but now...much different, Im considering stool softeners, if anyone has tried them let me know, because get NO sympathy from her!!

I had blood work done two weeks ago and didnt have any problems except for a slightly low iron count, everything else was fine.

I never heard about weining yourself off of shakes or supplements after a while, but I am finding out that if you ask the same question to 20 surgeons, your gonna get 20 answers, and they will all be different!!

Hey Big Dog (soon to be little pooch like an ankle biting little doggie!)

Yes, narcotics reduce appetite. I've learned from experience and research. So aside from your smaller pouch, you've got that to consider.

Stool softeners help, but Metamucil fiber is better. It's good for the bod, cheap and it gets the fiber you need after WLS. There are other options too, so do a little research. I've tried a few and found a couple suck and others are great. The narcotics will also interfere and cause constipation, so definitely get yourself a big old bottle of the fiber you mix in water. But don't mix it in your shake. Been there done that and it don't work.

On the low iron count, find the thread here about Flintstones vs. vitamins and you'll see you can get (as I've done) GREAT prices on vitamins at Costco. Since you're probably not able to swallow big pills, you can grind them up with a grinder at GNC for 6 bucks. Or you can try some of the other vitamins that Corrine and Beth have worked hard to put together for comparison and use. It's a big thread but you can wade through it and learn a lot.

My God you’ve had a terrible injury! Great to hear the docs saved your leg. That must have been a very stressful and terrifying experience eh? I hope that the surgeries work and no further ones are needed, and that your leg is treated with the best surgeries and you get top-notch ongoing care for the post-op issues that arise.

Personally, I’m terrified of surgery on my spine because once they go in and operate, um…well let’s just say that many surgeries fail, and with my doc only giving me about 25% chance that surgery will completely fix my problem, I ain’t doing it. Not at this point.

I’m struck in my empathetic gut with your own story of your leg injury, and I’m sympathetic and very sorry that you’ve got to live with the consequences of what sounds like a HORRIBLE injury. Dang you're a typical man: using Motrin? Kudos to you, and don't even go there and beat yourself up that you need something stronger. Just BE CAREFUL with those narcotic oral meds. (See below about a different option).

Who am say if the pain will go away with weight loss, BUT I firmly believe it will decrease. Mine did for awhile, until my spine rotated even more. You can BET that whatever fixes were done to the leg will hold up longer than if you stayed obese. Definitely. I had a hip implant at age 30 and the docs said if I didn’t get to a LOW weight that the implant wouldn’t last long at all. As it is, it will need to be replaced eventually. They don’t last forever.

You will unfortunately (as you know) have to live with the pain to some degree the rest of your life. It’s one of the realities of having our human bodies that ain’t perfect right? My advice as a fellow sufferer of disabling conditions (I was officially “disabled” by the government for years but am now trying to work) is to be vigilant with your doctor’s orders of physical therapy, stretching and light strengthening exercises for your muscles, x-rays to monitor the condition and being proactive with all treatment options, if you have any at this point. Sometimes we slack off on those thing, myself included, so don’t pooh-pooh the stuff you gotta do postop to get the best recovery and healing, m’kay? 

Again, as far as the question of “will it go away or get better” I would bet my first-born that once you’ve taken off the excess 200 lbs. you are working to take off (and you hit your goal) that you WILL have less pain. No guarantee you’ll have none. There are people at a healthy weight who still suffer pain from injuries or other issues like birth defects (like me). BUT it’s a no brainer that a body carrying around 400 lbs. will have joint issues, right? Matter of fact, I had WLS surgery for the main reason of alleviating the strain and continuing decompensation of my body in the areas that are f’ed up. I’ve had improvement, but it hasn't taken it away completely and it never will. Even if I was anorexic and weighed 80 lbs. But I am certain that you will have less pain. I REALLY want to hear about it as your weight comes off, so keep coming to TT or send me private messages. I’d love to hear your success in losing the weight AND your level of pain decreasing.

I started a thread here awhile back and others who have had chronic pain related to different conditions have posted off and on. So we have a little group of us that are happy to report relief of pain or resolution of pain-causing conditions we had when we were obese. Go read the thread and it will give you more hope I think. And post there!

Another thing. Talk to your doc about a long-acting pain reliever. The oral meds like Vicodin or Oxycodone can lead to dependency and increased use when your body reaches a level of tolerance and you need more to get the same relieve. Ask your doctor about the fentanyl pain patch or the 2 or 3 other long-acting pain relievers. I won't mention them here because they are heavy-duty meds that most think are "horrible" to take.

But there are meds that give you a continuous release of pain relief. The oral meds may be needed for breakthrough pain (like after you’ve been more active or had a harder week at work, or “strained” yourself from some fun with your partner, or any other thing that makes the time-release med just not cut the mustard. This plan of pain management is a good one, and many of us need continuous time release medication. My goal is to get off the breakthrough oral meds and just use fentanyl to control pain.

Well this is a long reply (typical for me a lot) and I am glad that I responded to your thread. As I said, not many understand the realities of disabling conditions that cause pain. And a big thing is to stick with ONE doc that prescribes your pain meds. Issues arise when you see more than one and it’s called “doc shopping.” So don’t do that. It will bite you in the ass. I’ve seen just one doc for 8 years and it’s what helps me get the treatment I need without the stress of lack of pain management medication or worrying that I’ll be labeled a doc shopper.

One doc monitoring you also means that they can tell you what all your options are without re-explaining the whole thing to a bunch of docs. I'd suggest not seeing your primary care doc for this and don’t have him manage your pain. They aren’t specialists. Look for a PHYSIATRIST (physical rehabilitation and pain management docs-not psychiatrists, lol). They SPECIALIZE in pain management and rehabilitation of injury or treatment of chronic pain and they know their stuff better than a primary care doc. I only see my physiatrist for my issues.

Keep in touch, and I’ll be watching your numbers drop. Enjoy the honeymoon period where the weight comes off fast. Men lose faster than women, so you’ve got that in your favor!!!!

Jeanie · 07-03-2008, 05:14 PM

Fiber pills and powder didn't/doesn't work for me.

You should try it though to see if it works for you.

Baja Big Dog · 07-04-2008, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenixfire

Hey Big Dog (soon to be little pooch like an ankle biting little doggie!)

Yes, narcotics reduce appetite. I've learned from experience and research. So aside from your smaller pouch, you've got that to consider.

Stool softeners help, but Metamucil fiber is better. It's good for the bod, cheap and it gets the fiber you need after WLS. There are other options too, so do a little research. I've tried a few and found a couple suck and others are great. The narcotics will also interfere and cause constipation, so definitely get yourself a big old bottle of the fiber you mix in water. But don't mix it in your shake. Been there done that and it don't work.

On the low iron count, find the thread here about Flintstones vs. vitamins and you'll see you can get (as I've done) GREAT prices on vitamins at Costco. Since you're probably not able to swallow big pills, you can grind them up with a grinder at GNC for 6 bucks. Or you can try some of the other vitamins that Corrine and Beth have worked hard to put together for comparison and use. It's a big thread but you can wade through it and learn a lot.

My God you’ve had a terrible injury! Great to hear the docs saved your leg. That must have been a very stressful and terrifying experience eh? I hope that the surgeries work and no further ones are needed, and that your leg is treated with the best surgeries and you get top-notch ongoing care for the post-op issues that arise.

Personally, I’m terrified of surgery on my spine because once they go in and operate, um…well let’s just say that many surgeries fail, and with my doc only giving me about 25% chance that surgery will completely fix my problem, I ain’t doing it. Not at this point.

I’m struck in my empathetic gut with your own story of your leg injury, and I’m sympathetic and very sorry that you’ve got to live with the consequences of what sounds like a HORRIBLE injury. Dang you're a typical man: using Motrin? Kudos to you, and don't even go there and beat yourself up that you need something stronger. Just BE CAREFUL with those narcotic oral meds. (See below about a different option).

Who am say if the pain will go away with weight loss, BUT I firmly believe it will decrease. Mine did for awhile, until my spine rotated even more. You can BET that whatever fixes were done to the leg will hold up longer than if you stayed obese. Definitely. I had a hip implant at age 30 and the docs said if I didn’t get to a LOW weight that the implant wouldn’t last long at all. As it is, it will need to be replaced eventually. They don’t last forever.

You will unfortunately (as you know) have to live with the pain to some degree the rest of your life. It’s one of the realities of having our human bodies that ain’t perfect right? My advice as a fellow sufferer of disabling conditions (I was officially “disabled” by the government for years but am now trying to work) is to be vigilant with your doctor’s orders of physical therapy, stretching and light strengthening exercises for your muscles, x-rays to monitor the condition and being proactive with all treatment options, if you have any at this point. Sometimes we slack off on those thing, myself included, so don’t pooh-pooh the stuff you gotta do postop to get the best recovery and healing, m’kay? 

Again, as far as the question of “will it go away or get better” I would bet my first-born that once you’ve taken off the excess 200 lbs. you are working to take off (and you hit your goal) that you WILL have less pain. No guarantee you’ll have none. There are people at a healthy weight who still suffer pain from injuries or other issues like birth defects (like me). BUT it’s a no brainer that a body carrying around 400 lbs. will have joint issues, right? Matter of fact, I had WLS surgery for the main reason of alleviating the strain and continuing decompensation of my body in the areas that are f’ed up. I’ve had improvement, but it hasn't taken it away completely and it never will. Even if I was anorexic and weighed 80 lbs. But I am certain that you will have less pain. I REALLY want to hear about it as your weight comes off, so keep coming to TT or send me private messages. I’d love to hear your success in losing the weight AND your level of pain decreasing.

I started a thread here awhile back and others who have had chronic pain related to different conditions have posted off and on. So we have a little group of us that are happy to report relief of pain or resolution of pain-causing conditions we had when we were obese. Go read the thread and it will give you more hope I think. And post there!

Another thing. Talk to your doc about a long-acting pain reliever. The oral meds like Vicodin or Oxycodone can lead to dependency and increased use when your body reaches a level of tolerance and you need more to get the same relieve. Ask your doctor about the fentanyl pain patch or the 2 or 3 other long-acting pain relievers. I won't mention them here because they are heavy-duty meds that most think are "horrible" to take.

But there are meds that give you a continuous release of pain relief. The oral meds may be needed for breakthrough pain (like after you’ve been more active or had a harder week at work, or “strained” yourself from some fun with your partner, or any other thing that makes the time-release med just not cut the mustard. This plan of pain management is a good one, and many of us need continuous time release medication. My goal is to get off the breakthrough oral meds and just use fentanyl to control pain.

Well this is a long reply (typical for me a lot) and I am glad that I responded to your thread. As I said, not many understand the realities of disabling conditions that cause pain. And a big thing is to stick with ONE doc that prescribes your pain meds. Issues arise when you see more than one and it’s called “doc shopping.” So don’t do that. It will bite you in the ass. I’ve seen just one doc for 8 years and it’s what helps me get the treatment I need without the stress of lack of pain management medication or worrying that I’ll be labeled a doc shopper.

One doc monitoring you also means that they can tell you what all your options are without re-explaining the whole thing to a bunch of docs. I'd suggest not seeing your primary care doc for this and don’t have him manage your pain. They aren’t specialists. Look for a PHYSIATRIST (physical rehabilitation and pain management docs-not psychiatrists, lol). They SPECIALIZE in pain management and rehabilitation of injury or treatment of chronic pain and they know their stuff better than a primary care doc. I only see my physiatrist for my issues.

Keep in touch, and I’ll be watching your numbers drop. Enjoy the honeymoon period where the weight comes off fast. Men lose faster than women, so you’ve got that in your favor!!!!

Funny you would mention the leg, (the bad one I call it), it happened on the freeway going home on my Harley, I was on my way home to get the truck to drive to Phoenix move from my house I sold!! Bell and 42nd..small world...(I hated selling that house, I love Phoenix, and the dry heat! )

I am a believer in the one doc thing, had mine for four years not, and Im with Kaiser, so even if I do change, my history is there.

I do have hope that the pain will reduce after a few of these pesky pounds I have to loose go away. I do know that I will never live pain free, after many years of football, motorcycles, car racing, and who knows what ever I have been successful in breaking 6 bones in my ole bod, not counting the who knows how many ribs and toes, even broke all eight fingers once, that was hell letting mom finish up the duty!!! Spent a lot of time sitting around...and...well eating!!!

Holy crap, I think I found my problem, and I always blamed it on MOM!!! Shes off the hook now!

The spine thong is just bad, the tension of not knowing what the hell you will turn out like must be unbelievable!!

I did however have a friend that went through back surgery, and had a 40% chance the surgery would help him, and everybody would tell him, "once the open up the back your doomed" he said screw it and had it, this guy is so happy now that it turned out great he would probably let me have sex with his wife!!!

Guess Im gonna have to go shopping for the poop medicine, I was talking to an ex about it and she laughed her ass off, told me god is getting even with me!! (she said to take the Metamucil stuff also)

I ride through Phoenix on occasion, Ill let you know when and Ill buy you a big old frosty glass of...fricken Ice water!!!

Josephine · 07-04-2008, 12:45 PM

I pray every day that as the weight comes off, the pain gets better, but I have to deal with the reality that it might not. Losing weight will only help me be lighter so I can deal with the pain better. Eating a high fiber diet isn't enough to help me. I've reduced my oxycontin from 8 10mg pills a day down to 2 a day. I'm in pain about 10/14 waking hours a day with only taking two and still have to use a mild laxative twice a week. (Yes my nighttime meds 50mg nortrillen REALLY knocks me out for 10 hours and I was always a very light sleeper.) They're thinking forced sleep might help me deal with the pain better but it really just pisses me off to lose so much of my day.

JumboJulie · 07-07-2008, 10:40 PM

PHOENIXFIRE ...

You are my hero! I adore you and have so much respect for you. You are a true voice of reason around here, and aren't afraid to speak your mind ... AND you don't apologize for being a strong woman.

Damn woman ... YOU ROCK!!!

Baja Big Dog · 07-07-2008, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumboJulie

PHOENIXFIRE ...

You are my hero! I adore you and have so much respect for you. You are a true voice of reason around here, and aren't afraid to speak your mind ... AND you don't apologize for being a strong woman.

Damn woman ... YOU ROCK!!!

Id never mess with her!!!!

tsunami27 · 07-07-2008, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumboJulie

PHOENIXFIRE ...

You are my hero! I adore you and have so much respect for you. You are a true voice of reason around here, and aren't afraid to speak your mind ... AND you don't apologize for being a strong woman.

Damn woman ... YOU ROCK!!!

Ditto! I swear, I haven't read one reply or thread on TT I haven't agreed with from this fountain of knowledge that is Phoenix!! Nice to see some like-minded people who tell it like it is!!

I LOVE IT!!!!!

And Big Dog...I've had success in the past w/Metamucil &/or the generic equivalent of Colace!!

Baja Big Dog · 07-08-2008, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsunami27

Ditto! I swear, I haven't read one reply or thread on TT I haven't agreed with from this fountain of knowledge that is Phoenix!! Nice to see some like-minded people who tell it like it is!!

I LOVE IT!!!!!

And Big Dog...I've had success in the past w/Metamucil &/or the generic equivalent of Colace!!

Thanks "Big Wave", Im gonna give it a try.....

Phoenixfire · 07-08-2008, 12:43 AM

Whoa, man, talk about a great thread to open now that I finally finished replying to a PM that was the exact opposite of the kind words of Julie, Dog and Tsunami! Funny analogy, the PM basically said I was full of poop.

Guess I should have just written "Metamucil" in response and left it at that?

Thanks guys...reading your words was a MUCH needed BIG HUG after a lonely/separating day. One of those days you'll never ever forget.

It feels good to hear that my way of thinking and writing what I think are appreciated and help others, and that I do gots a lil' bit of wisdom in this here head of mine.

Thank you

(Now back to our regularly scheduled programming of Big Dog's intake and output. Are you enjoying your "manly pleasure of the day" regularly now?)