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.

I'm home now some pain drinking my fluids and urinarting

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.

you should find a place that sells kangen Water. not the machines, but the water itself. the machines are expensive, but buying the water isn't. they charge you for the jugs (which you can buy your own), and where i live it's only like $10/mo for an unlimited amount. you could bring a cistern & have it filled up if you wanted. lol

"Kangen water is also known to have small clusters of 5 to 6 water molecules , as a result of the electrolysis process. Making it a Super Hydrating water. You can taste the difference in your first glass. Tap water is typically 12 to 15 molecules per cluster. That is over double the size of Kangen water.

Small clusters also mean that your body can readily absorb the minerals in this water into your cells in mere seconds. Reverse Osmosis, Distilled and tap water will slosh around in your stomach and often flush key minerals out of your body because they lack these important properties.

The electrical charge of Kangen machine re-arranges healthy minerals that are naturally included in your tap water. As a result, Kangen water contains essential minerals, such as Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium, in an ionic form that can be assimilated immediately into your body."

magnesium that's easily digested & absorbed by your body will make you poop.

in regards to the electrical charge.. it's not what it sounds like..

"Kangen is a Japanese word, best translated into English as "Return To Original" which means several things when used to describe water.

Kangen water is simply an easier way of stating: Alkaline, ionized, electron rich, restructured, micro clustered, active hydrogen saturated, oxidation reduced, powerful water.

Kangen Water is first purified, then given an electrical charge to recreate electron rich water. It's molecular formula shifts from H2O to H+ OH- In plain old English.... It's now living water again. .

Kangen water is water that has gone through a Special Electrolysis Process that changes the pH of the water to ALKALINE and much, much more.

Most other water electrolysis equipment will not create active hydrogen in their water, therefore, the equipment merely produces ionized alkaline water, not true Kangen water."

source:

http://www.thewatertruth.com/go/index.html

seriously, it makes you go to the bathroom & you can taste & feel the difference. you can also use it to cook with & make coffee or tea or use with crystal light or whatever. you can even bathe with it.

where ARE you' date=' iggychic?![/quote']

Lol I make my house sound like a prison heh heh. It's actually an old hotel/b&b in port Townsend wa. (it was taxed as a hotel because it had so many rooms). You can google my lovely prison by typing in "the James house, port Townsend".

I went down to half a dose on the Valium and may get to leave my room if I'm lucky lol. We keep all stickies in room six for some reason. Maybe cuz it's furnished with pieces left in the 20s (they are much older) by a former patient. .

you should find a place that sells kangen Water. not the machines' date=' but the water itself. the machines are expensive, but buying the water isn't. they charge you for the jugs (which you can buy your own), and where i live it's only like 10/mo for an unlimited amount. you could bring a cistern & have it filled up if you wanted. lol

"Kangen water is also known to have small clusters of 5 to 6 water molecules , as a result of the electrolysis process. Making it a Super Hydrating water. You can taste the difference in your first glass. Tap water is typically 12 to 15 molecules per cluster. That is over double the size of Kangen water.

Small clusters also mean that your body can readily absorb the minerals in this water into your cells in mere seconds. Reverse Osmosis, Distilled and tap water will slosh around in your stomach and often flush key minerals out of your body because they lack these important properties.

The electrical charge of Kangen machine re-arranges healthy minerals that are naturally included in your tap water. As a result, Kangen water contains essential minerals, such as Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium, in an ionic form that can be assimilated immediately into your body."

magnesium that's easily digested & absorbed by your body will make you poop.

in regards to the electrical charge.. it's not what it sounds like..

"Kangen is a Japanese word, best translated into English as "Return To Original" which means several things when used to describe water.

Kangen water is simply an easier way of stating: Alkaline, ionized, electron rich, restructured, micro clustered, active hydrogen saturated, oxidation reduced, powerful water.

Kangen Water is first purified, then given an electrical charge to recreate electron rich water. It's molecular formula shifts from H2O to H+ OH- In plain old English.... It's now living water again. .

Kangen water is water that has gone through a Special Electrolysis Process that changes the pH of the water to ALKALINE and much, much more.

Most other water electrolysis equipment will not create active hydrogen in their water, therefore, the equipment merely produces ionized alkaline water, not true Kangen water."

source: http://www.thewatertruth.com/go/index.html

seriously, it makes you go to the bathroom & you can taste & feel the difference. you can also use it to cook with & make coffee or tea or use with crystal light or whatever. you can even bathe with it. [/quote']

I actually have a cistern but it's 16'x15' so I can't get it in the car. That said there is a dealer up town and I'm really having trouble with the water so I'll send dh up for some tomorrow.

Hehem... Anyone else tried hydrating from the errr other end? I found that a plain clean tap Water enema at home really got things moving. I dont think they are meant for more than occasional use (some professional colonic irrigators will try and make you a, erm, regular) but aren't always unpleasant and the result is satisfactory...

Oh and I can't wait for my surgery! The way I see it, I have eaten enough for a lifetime - I may miss some food or drinks but really I've kindof abused my food privelage...

Also, most of the side effects mentioned here involve some minor physical discomforts- to get some idea why they don't really bother me, they are a small price to pay if I can lose the weight causing a bulging disc causing sciatica and nerve pain from l4/l5 disc. Take a sledge hammer and smash your foot, at the same time randomly stick some pins in your calf! No hyperbole, I'm on (gradually decreasing dose) OxyContin aka hillbilly heroin and two types of nerve suppressant for the pain... I'm only 25 years old and some of the damage done to my spine is irreparable

I'm going to check out the last straw thread sassy pants mentioned, short of some sort of major leak disaster- for me personally- im gunna take my chances with the devil I don't know (& you guys have helped prepare me for)

Good luck all!!!

Sorry i'm kinda late to this post, not sure if this was covered or if i'm a freak..BUT

Since surgery 108 days ago.. My teeth are jacked.. Just went to dentsist after i had a filling fall out and also started to have some pain with one of my teeth, so he checked and i have 5 cavities!!!!!

I'm 31 and i have cavities!!!

So we went through what has changed, crystal light, gatorade, propel, juices.. all have acid, and i have been drinking all of that since surgery and even before when i was on my 2 week liquid...And then the vomiting twice a week isnt helping..

So yeah my teeth are rotting out, now that's something they never told me.. like i said i could be a freak but wish i would have known i would have had plain old Water.. Oh well, just add the filling onto my HUGE hospital bill

Crazyrai

Sorry i'm kinda late to this post, not sure if this was covered or if i'm a freak..BUT

Since surgery 108 days ago.. My teeth are jacked.. Just went to dentsist after i had a filling fall out and also started to have some pain with one of my teeth, so he checked and i have 5 cavities!!!!!

I'm 31 and i have cavities!!!

So we went through what has changed, crystal light, gatorade, propel, juices.. all have acid, and i have been drinking all of that since surgery and even before when i was on my 2 week liquid...And then the vomiting twice a week isnt helping..

So yeah my teeth are rotting out, now that's something they never told me.. like i said i could be a freak but wish i would have known i would have had plain old Water.. Oh well, just add the filling onto my HUGE hospital bill

Crazyrai

I'm sorry to hear this =( How much of these were you drinking a day? Were you getting in plain water too?

Sorry i'm kinda late to this post, not sure if this was covered or if i'm a freak..BUT

Since surgery 108 days ago.. My teeth are jacked.. Just went to dentsist after i had a filling fall out and also started to have some pain with one of my teeth, so he checked and i have 5 cavities!!!!!

I'm 31 and i have cavities!!!

So we went through what has changed, crystal light, gatorade, propel, juices.. all have acid, and i have been drinking all of that since surgery and even before when i was on my 2 week liquid...And then the vomiting twice a week isnt helping..

So yeah my teeth are rotting out, now that's something they never told me.. like i said i could be a freak but wish i would have known i would have had plain old Water.. Oh well, just add the filling onto my HUGE hospital bill

Crazyrai

you should try this toothpaste called Coral White. You can get it on Amazon. I use it myself. It's Fluoride free & made from coral calcium. it helps rebuild teeth (yes, it can happen.. teeth are bones, every other bone in your body is capable of healing, why not teeth?)

there's also a book: http://www.amazon.com/Teeth-Whitening-Cure-Lester-Sawicki/dp/0984370617/

it talks about more than just whitening teeth.

http://revolutiontooth.com/

there's also this article.. about root canals & whatnot: http://thehealthcoach1.com/?p=40 << really gets you to thinking..

i would also recommend viewing a documentary called The Beautiful Truth...

and this site's got a lot of info.. http://www.mercurypoisoned.com/

there was also a Norwegian documentary about dental assistants & how they're infertal or their children are/were born with birth defects due to mercury poisoning..

Sorry i'm kinda late to this post' date=' not sure if this was covered or if i'm a freak..BUT

Since surgery 108 days ago.. My teeth are jacked.. Just went to dentsist after i had a filling fall out and also started to have some pain with one of my teeth, so he checked and i have 5 cavities!!!!!

I'm 31 and i have cavities!!!

So we went through what has changed, crystal light, gatorade, propel, juices.. all have acid, and i have been drinking all of that since surgery and even before when i was on my 2 week liquid...And then the vomiting twice a week isnt helping..

So yeah my teeth are rotting out, now that's something they never told me.. like i said i could be a freak but wish i would have known i would have had plain old Water.. Oh well, just add the filling onto my HUGE hospital bill

Crazyrai[/quote']

Sorry you're hving all those issues. Everyone is diff so you never knw wht cld happen. This is the 1st i hv ever heard of tht.

I didn't know that you could dump with this surgery. I went in for my checkup at 3 mos and explained that all prtoein powders and shakes cause immediate diarriah and doc tells me - you're dumping. Paperwork I had said dumping only happened with bypass.

I also suffer from major constipation and slimes too- expected those but would love to be out of this stage!

For those of you taking miralax - is it safe to take everyday and does it cause cramping? I tried the smooth move tea but cramps were horrible.

Never knew I wouldn't be hungry EVER - I could probably go days without eating or drinking. I have to eat and drink at set times or I won't get in my liquid and food for the day!

I wish I had known years ago that this surgery was an option to get rid of my ulcers and severe acid reflux. I still take an acid pill here and there but am officially ulcer free!

I didn't know that you could dump with this surgery. I went in for my checkup at 3 mos and explained that all prtoein powders and shakes cause immediate diarriah and doc tells me - you're dumping. Paperwork I had said dumping only happened with bypass.

I also suffer from major constipation and slimes too- expected those but would love to be out of this stage!

For those of you taking miralax - is it safe to take everyday and does it cause cramping? I tried the smooth move tea but cramps were horrible.

Never knew I wouldn't be hungry EVER - I could probably go days without eating or drinking. I have to eat and drink at set times or I won't get in my liquid and food for the day!

I wish I had known years ago that this surgery was an option to get rid of my ulcers and severe acid reflux. I still take an acid pill here and there but am officially ulcer free!

I take Miralax every day and have no cramping or problems at all! I have gas but I think that goes along with this surgery:(

I didn't know that you could dump with this surgery. I went in for my checkup at 3 mos and explained that all prtoein powders and shakes cause immediate diarriah and doc tells me - you're dumping. Paperwork I had said dumping only happened with bypass.

I also suffer from major constipation and slimes too- expected those but would love to be out of this stage!

For those of you taking miralax - is it safe to take everyday and does it cause cramping? I tried the smooth move tea but cramps were horrible.

Never knew I wouldn't be hungry EVER - I could probably go days without eating or drinking. I have to eat and drink at set times or I won't get in my liquid and food for the day!

I wish I had known years ago that this surgery was an option to get rid of my ulcers and severe acid reflux. I still take an acid pill here and there but am officially ulcer free!

I'm so sorry the smooth move tea gave you cramps!!! I haven't had any issues with it at all...it's the ONLY thing that doesn't give me cramps. Crazy how we all react so differently to things. I hope the Miralax works for you.

This may just be me' date=' but I sleep on my front and I go to sleep on my side front so the right side of my body is pressed to the bed.

Well I have to smooth out my night clothes and hike up the waist band of my pj pants above my stomach because all the wrinkles or gathers in clothes feel like fingers digging me.

Its odd I have no gall bladder less fat and less stomach in that area now so it’s a bit hollow and I can feel that much much more!

Its not a bad thing just a odd thing I notice and some others may notice too![/quote']

I have to fo this exact same thing! I feel like the Princess & the Pea!

Ok - what type of stool softener do you all recommend? ((I can NOT believe I am asking this - but I'm among friends...)

Colace or Dulcolax softener, they have the same active ingredient. Worked wonders! I was mortified asking, & buying it too. But it was worth the results!

What I was unprepared for as a post-op, is that I would forget about food. That I would get to the end of the day and feel crappy, and realize that I had FORGOTTEN to eat for the previous 24hours. That for the first 3 months, the thought of putting anything in my mouth would be repulsive.

Wow. Like, wow. You hit the nail on the head for me. It's not that I had forgotten to eat, but that at no time of the day did I really FEEL like eating. Breakfast? Forget it, can't even consider the thought. Same for lunch. I really had hoped this would go away (I'm 5 weeks post surgery) but it still lingers.

Also, ditto on not being able to drink anything at room temperature. I'm not revelling in your suffering, but I'm glad I'm not the only one.