pooping after ankle surgery
"constipation" makes for pretty great
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Pooping after surgery is NOT something that comes easily. The anesthesia makes you constipated, the meds make you constipated, being totally immobile makes you constipated, and guess what - that stool softener they give you doesn't work for shit. Being that I'm a total health nut, and my digestion is usually pretty regular, I tried to go the natural way. If you're ever in the same boat (from surgery or just from life), here are several tips for some great pooping:
Chia seeds: Either blend in with a smoothie or pour a few tablespoons into some OJ – great source of fiber, protein, and omega 3′s.
Psyllium husk: My Godmamma brought this one to me. Take a teaspoon or two of this powder and stir into some OJ or water, but drink it fast because it turns into jell-o texture really fast. It’s basically just an ultra-dose of fiber.
Massive amounts of water (mind you I could still only let out little bits of pee at a time thanks to the meds, so this option wasn't easy).
Papaya: It’s so good for settling bellies because it’s filled with proteolytic enzymes which help with digestion. Trader Joes sells a fruit salad made of papaya, pineapple, and mago – I’ve indulged in several of those.
Probiotics: After surgery I got several courses of antibiotics – probiotics are the antidote to those, restoring all of the good bacteria in your belly. My fav ones are by Dr. Ohhira.
Calcium Magnesium Citrate: Magnesium itself has muscle relaxing properties and the calcium helps your body to absorb the magnesium. Take 1-2 tablespoons of this milky liquid – I buy mine from Whole Foods.
But hey guess what?! None of that healthy shit worked for me this time around. I was constipated too much for too many days (I think my first real poo happened 6 days post-op - NO BUENO). The first hardcore thing I ended up taking, recommended by my really smart nurse-cousin, was a glycerine suppository (queue Bush) – it looks like a clear ear plug and you stick it up your butt for like 30 minutes until you poop. Gross but it works...kinda. Then to really kick the bull in the balls I took these colon cleanse pills called Oxy-Powder. THEY WORK. A lot. Maybe too much, if ya catch my drift.
Ok...that's all I've gotta say about pooping (for now), bye.