I couldn't decide where to put this one so I figured that most of it's gonna come after surgery so I put it in post op. Feel free to move it if necessary.

I was reading another thread and someone said these words and it made me think about what I have learned reading this board and was amazed at the responses I saw stating that they were not told such and such before hand. What are some things that you have learned after the fact?? The things you didn't find out until you were elbow deep into this journey...

Let's hear them, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know that I am not the only one to wander this and I know that others looking are curious as well. The only way to learn is to talk to others that have been through the experience. Thanks, Dave.

Not. Pooping.

They never told me I would poop like once every two weeks. This is a real bummer. I make some good decisions in there.

Right now its bad for me....im on the 5th day of not going. I hv taken colace, stool softner, & today colon cleanser & nothing.

Not. Pooping.

They never told me I would poop like once every two weeks. This is a real bummer. I make some good decisions in there.

Eat broccoli. If you cannot handle the stalks yet you can make broccoli cheese Soup and puree it. Any fibrous vegetable will do. I've also had good luck with Citucel, but it's better to relieve this the natural way if possible.

My husband and daughter camp in the bathroom and take drinks and books. I just can't do it.

Here's something for you guys.....if they don't give you a catheter' date=' you may have difficulty relieving yourself afterward. I didn't have a catheter, and I was happy about it until about an hour after surgery. I had to go and couldn't. Over the next 6 hours it just got worse. I could only let go of a few drops at a time. By late that night I finally started getting a little relief....gradually. By the next morning I was pretty much back to normal, but it was miserable getting there.

They told me it was perfectly normal after this kind of surgery. I'm not sure if it was the same for you ladies, or just the men.[/quote']

I did haved that problem. They upped my IV fluids and an hour later problem solved.

I have a question can you eat seafood like Crab Legs. I am 3 weeks post op.

Depends on your dr. I am on full liquids for 5 weeks post op!

Eat broccoli. If you cannot handle the stalks yet you can make broccoli cheese Soup and puree it. Any fibrous vegetable will do. I've also had good luck with Citucel, but it's better to relieve this the natural way if possible.

My husband and daughter camp in the bathroom and take drinks and books. I just can't do it.

I'm almost 3 months out...I can eat everything (well, bread and raw veggies and a few other things give me massive gas, so I don't eat them). I feel okay. I just really miss my alone time, evidently. Hee!

Right now its bad for me....im on the 5th day of not going. I hv taken colace, stool softner, & today colon cleanser & nothing.

drink prune juice i swear by it i don;t take any other kind of anything to help me go now just prune juice over ice.

if its been say 3 days and no go prune juice!

after my couldn;t go for a week pain taking meds etc etc i drank half a glass every day for a couple of weeks to help that never happen again now just when i feel i need it if i am not going on my own.

Not. Pooping.

They never told me I would poop like once every two weeks. This is a real bummer. I make some good decisions in there.

I started adding chia seeds to my Protein shakes about 5 days ago. Within 1 day everything was back to normal. I can't believe how much better I felt. I was skeptical at first, but those little seeds make a world of difference.

I paid $15000 earlier this year to have ours bathroom completely remodeled and by God I want to enjoy it, not sit in there and suffer.

I'm almost 3 months out...I can eat everything (well, bread and raw veggies and a few other things give me massive gas, so I don't eat them). I feel okay. I just really miss my alone time, evidently. Hee!

My mother is like that. She can't eat broccoli, cabbage, onions, asparagus or anything like that. I apparently have a bomb proof gut. Hate to be TMI, but I have a BM every single morning. I think I would pop otherwise. I've always been that way.

Prune juice! Blechh!!!!!!

Where do u find chia seeds? Is it n the section with the vitamins?

Speaking of taste changing--- I've gone from 4 cups of coffee per day to none. Just don't want it after doing without it before and immediately after surgery. Never thought I could live without it!!

Prune juice! Blechh!!!!!!

thats why its over ice the colder it is the less it has flavour lol

Where do u find chia seeds? Is it n the section with the Vitamins?

I got mine online. Plenty of online sources. I would think most Vitamin shops would have them. Whole foods market has them. I read somewhere that Walmart has them in some stores, but I live in the sticks so my Walmart doesn't have anything that doesn't go on a tractor.

I never threw up. I never had nausea in the hospital. I did once feel like I might chuck (the first time I tried something thick & sticky - cream cheese, of all things), because it didn't want to go down. It wasn't really a stomach thing, it was an esophagus thing. I was a revision from a band so my issues were a bit different. They had to do magic with my scar tissue. And this caused some swelling in areas that don't really swell. So yeah - you can assume the worst, but it's actually very very common for people to not have any problems (way more common than I thought it was when I went in).

You guys not pooping - unfortunately it happens. I'd say (not a Dr.) that as long as you aren't in discomfort, it's OK-ish. I mean, it's never great, but it's not horrible either. I pooped once or twice after surgery, then went either just under, or just over 2 weeks without pooping. Without having any urge to poop. Soluble Fiber + Miralax + as many fluids as you can manage. (You REALLY don't want to take additive fiber without increasing your fluids). And when I did poop, it wasn't nice. I felt like I pooped a sandpaper brick. Actually it felt like a pooped a huge sandpaper brick. And in reality, it was like a walnut. Yes, I looked. I wanted to see what 2 week old poop looked like, I guess. Or how alien the thing I just birthed really was. I was like "OMG - no... that's SO SMALL!" How our butts distort things like that, I have no idea, but they do.

Wait until you have to poop, and it comes halfway out and gets stuck. Tell me what you do then.

I know to expect throwing up, is that a temporary thing, or is that just to be expected forever? Also, what are slimes, sounds alien like.

thats why its over ice the colder it is the less it has flavour lol

There are not many things that make me gag, but prune juice is it. I don't like dates either. Sometimes dark raisins smell funny to me. I think it's something about the dark, dried fruits that turn me off. I love dried apricots, golden raisins, dried cranberries and blueberries. Go figure.