Dumping Syndrome

Question
Hi,

On Nov 7th I had gastric bypass surgery and my surgeon bypassed 150 cm of my intestines.  Over the holidays I gave in to temptation and had a spoon of ice cream.  I noticed I did not dump.  Then I wanted to experiment and see if I would dump if I had a piece of cake.  I didnt dump then either.  

Based on your experience as a gastric bypass patient is there a certain amount of fat/sugar I'd need to consume in order for dumping to occur.  While I've vowed to stay away from any more sweets/fattening foods I was looking forward to the negative reinforcement.  I'm concerned that the procedure isnt working as it should.  If I dont dump, does that mean I'm absorbing all of what I consume?

Your insight is most appreciated.


Answer
Linda,
Not all people dump on sugar. Each person is different and we can not predict from one patient to another. Sometimes we do fine on sugar one day and then another we dump. Dumping comes in many forms too. You can get light headed, sweaty, heart racing, sleepy, or sick to your stomach feeling. Some dumping happens right away and some may show up to 2 hours latter. So it is not something you can predict. I personally dump on fats. I can handle some sugar but not sugar alcohol. So there is no definite answer for your question. It is a trial and error process. Absorption has nothing to do with the dumping process. You will malabsorb your first 6 to 12 months at a greater percentage then latter on, so take advantage of this time.

Stay away from these things for as long as you can in your first two years. This will help maximize your weight loss. Why do you feel that the surgery is not working? We need to change behavior and the way we look at food. The surgery is just a tool and we need to learn how to make the tool work. Check out Makeitalifestyle.com for some ideas.
Good Luck,
Monica

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