Health probs 11 months on

[rosejohnson]

I have mentioned before that I have severe back pain over the last 6 months, well I went to the physios who said what I thought, and that was that i have severe muscle wastage, and just about the weakest back muscles she has ever seen.

She says for years my fat has been acting as a corset for my back muscles/spine, and now that it has gone my muscles have to do the work. She says there's probably not loads less than there was before I lost the weight (when I NEVER had any back ache), just that it didn't need to work as the fat did the work for it. And now, my back muscles don't have the strength to hold me upright for very long.

So I have a list of exercises to do, they are basically pilates exercises, for strengthening the core generally, and I see her once a week.

She things with commitment to the exercises 4 times per week, I *could* be pain free by Christmas!

Add to that the major hypo I had in the middle of the night a few nights back and I feel less healthy now than I did pre op! It was the scariest experience of my life, if my husband hadn't been there I hate to think what could have happened.

I had to eat 3 sugary cereal bars, and then had diarrhoea all day the following day from all the sugar!

Anybody that thinks life is all roses after a bypass is very wrong

Rx

 

[Mazza]

Sorry to hear about your back Rose, lets hope the pilates works and you are pain free.

What are they advising re the hypo's for the long term?

Thanks for sharing x

 

[rosejohnson]

So far nothing more than to always carry Glucose tablets or a sugary drink, but I have to go back to my GP on the 18th (I am away next week so couldn't go then) when we will discuss it again, as they are really getting worse. I used to only get them when I didn't eat for a long time, now it's regardless of whether I eat or not and they are becoming more severe and terrifying!

Rx

 

[cherry]

ooo rose! i hope these excersises help you, truely sounds terrible, and abit scary if im honest, so with these hypos, so if im soiunding dim but why is this happening? what is it?.... and what now do you do to prevent it?.... i really hope by xmas or sooner your painfree x

 

[Mazza]

I think Steph suffers with this too Rose. She was having lots of small meals. Hopefully she will see this and may be able to offer you some help. Poor you it does sound scary

 

[shelbell]

Hi Rose,

I had the same back problem, but it was caused more by wastage around my stomach muscles rather than back muscles, so different excercises but hopefully a similar outcome, as 3 months later I'm not having anywhere near as much pain in that area.

I had the reactive hypoglycaemia as well but mostly during the pregnancy, it seems to have settled now. I found a sugar fix followed by a low GI carb for a longer sugar release worked for me.

 

[rosejohnson]

Good to know that the exercises do help, thanks shell.

I guess I will have to read up on low GI. I am certainly needing to eat more sweet things now, which then gives me an upset tummy for a few hours!

I don't know why the hypos are happening, I did read that it is a risk with the surgery but never read in detail exactly why.

They have increased in frequency and severity since my appetite increased about 6-8 weeks ago, I wonder if it's related.

Rx

 

[gaelic girl]

Rose i'm sorry you are having such pain and such terrifying experiences with hypos. I have heard of this happening before and like you they have been told to monitor their blood sugar and take lucozade or other sugar on board. Despite their bypass they can tolerate this high sugar and it seems to help but no real reason so far has been found for the cause. I really hope the exercises help your back and that they can work out how to control the hypos you are having. Big hugs x

 

[RoseA]

Scary... whilst we all get told to exercise, how many of us are warned specifically about muscle wastage ? I certainly wasn't. I'm now attending the gym on a patient referral scheme and am going to mention muscle wastage to the fitness advisor at my next session to ensure I'm working on the right things. But it sounds like exercise referral should be a standard part of everyone's post WLS recovery regime ? Surely better to invest in this than treat people for the effects further down the line ?

 

[rosejohnson]

Eat the protein!

If there is one message I could give everyone going for this surgery, it's PROTEIN!

Makes a massive difference, so important.

Rx

 

[yorkiegal]

I do wish those people who say WLS is the easy way out and we just need more will power would come and read threads like this.

 

[cherry]

hi rose im going for the sleeve hopefully, i take it this will apply to?.. im all ready trying to recondition myself to less carbs and loads more protien..... so thats the way ahead you reckon?... thankyou for this insightful post x

 

[StephieAck]

Hello there
Yep, I do indeed suffer with horrible hypos post op. I decided to set an alarm on my phone for every two hours and when it goes off I eat something, even if it is just a satsuma or a cereal bar (Asda's Vitality Apple and Raspberry, Im sugar sensitive but they dont even nearly make me dump!) and the hypos have all but stopped. I was literally dropping very quickly up to four or five times a day and I was exhausted and rather scared. Since I started eating every two hours it has stopped happening. I get the occassional moment where I feel jittery for a few seconds but I just have a drink of milk (naturally sweet) and am ok. I dont like eating every two hours, it slows my weight loss down, but what is the point in being all skinny quickly but really poorly because of sugars.
I talked to my team about it last week and I was told to get over my obsession with protein over all else, I was told to have equal starchy carbs to protein. Non diabetics get away with less carbs but we diabetics NEED it. I still have a high protein diet, but I dont sacrifice starchy carbs to get this and I have gone from strength to strength since eating more often and definately since making sure I take in more good starchy carbs.
Hope this helps a little xx
Steph xx

 

[cherry]

oo dero im confused with the whole protein and carbs thing i suppose its moderation in it al?... x

 

[StephieAck]

One addition...I swore off bread but I have added in Bergens Soya and Linseed bread, maybe one slice per day, and that seems to have helped too.
Steph xx

 

[StephieAck]

Kelly...if youre not diabetic I dont suppose you have to worry about it so much.
Steph xx

 

[cherry]

o gosh have i missed the whole point then? is rose diabetic?.... o dero sorry i mustnt have noticed that said eek xx

 

[StephieAck]

I dont know if she is honey, but if blood sugar becomes an issue you should really treat yourself as though you are.
Steph xx

 

[shelbell]

Personally I think its the combination of protein and exercise that prevents muscle wastage. I always had a high protein diet since surgery, but have been unable to exercise due to a combination of health problems.

 

[rosejohnson]

I still eat carbs! Certainly not as many as I used to, but some. I just try to eat LOTS of protein too.

Rx