Constipation(!)

I'm just going to start here:

Having a gluten intolerance and diagnosed with IBS (likely Celiac but faulty blood tests) I've always been open to talking about my bowels.

But I have talked more about my bowels in the last six months or so than I ever thought was humanly possible.

Bariatric patients deal with constipation for several reasons. First of all, we drink protein shakes like they're going out of style, and they can bind you up. Second, we take a high amount of iron daily, which also binds. And, for the first 8 weeks post op, we don't get a lot of vegetables in, which doesn't help us correct the issues. Further, our bodies need to adjust to the new much smaller portions and there isn't as much moving through to help things along.

I started experiencing constipation during my Liver Shrink Diet two weeks before the surgery. At my return to clinic visit about ten days out, the Nurse Practitioner told me to get myself unconstipated before the surgery to make things less painful. I was told when they pump the gas into your abdominal area (common for laproscopic surgeries) if you have constipation it hurts a lot more. So starting at 10 days out, I had a cocktail of Miralax every night. Which did it's job...but the time I was constipated led to hemorrhoids. Yea. I'm going to go there.

Hemorrhoids have lived to their description as the biggest pain in my rear and lurks where ever I go. It has led me to change how I sit, remembering to take a cushion with me, and using a Squatty Potty whenever I am at home. For those of you that have seen the commercials, Squatty Potty really does live up to expectations. The hemorrhoids are also a double edged sword: they flare if I don't go every day, but they're so painful I don't want to go.

So by about two weeks out, I realized that if I had a little bit of coffee, I would be able to go. Now this was a huge bariatric no-no, but I couldn't see another way out. A few weeks later, that trick stopped being so dependable and I started having fiber every morning, which also helped.

Also, getting the proper water in helps a lot. Like, I think it prevents constipation all in all.

After a long trial, I have developed a system that works for me.

I take Colace three times daily.

I now take my vitamins in a powder that I mix with water. This powder includes a little fiber which has replaced my separate fiber drink (for the most part). I take this twice a day.

Daily, I try to get vegetables in.

If I have not gone by my bed time, I set aside 10 minutes to sit on the "throne" using the Squatty Potty and if I haven't gone in 10 minutes, I take 2 Senna Tabs and go to bed.

If the Senna has not worked overnight, I take a fiber drink in the morning and go to work, and hope for the best. At this point I carry hemorrhoid cream with me.

Constipation and hemorrhoids are not pleasant but they're a realistic side effect.