Forty-three weeks post operation and things are looking up

Just a quick update.  I weighed in this morning at 83.5kgs/184lbs/13st2lbs.  So another 500g/1.1lbs lost this week.  I am very pleased with this steady continuing weight loss.

I saw Dr Picot at Clinic St Yves, Rennes on Thursday late afternoon. He is a very pleasant chap, easy to talk with and it was a good meeting. He had several comments.

The first one was that I mustn't exclude any item of food from my life unless it had been proven that I was intolerant to it. I explained that I now eat and drink everything that I did prior to my operation and had reintroduced dairy products without any noticeable effect. He did ask that I drink lactose free milk if I drink milk, but that all other dairy products are fine.

He said that I was now a slave to my bowel and I had to take back control. He gave me a chart to complete daily which is split into two hour blocks. Each time I have to go to the loo I have to put a cross in the box. I am only allowed one cross in each box. This seemed impossible as first thing in the morning I use the loo a lot. He said I must not do that. I have to hang on and not give in.

It is possible that I have Candida Albicans in the bowel and he suggested that I take something to counter this before taking antibiotics to kill any bacterial growth which I may have in the bypassed portion of upper intestine. Apparently, the gas which I have is almost certainly due to the presence of bacteria. Although I have already tried two different antibiotics, he suggested that there are many others I can try, one after the other until we find one which works.

He has prescribed Questran which has a good record of ceasing diarrhoea in patients who have had their gall bladders removed. I have had mine removed but didn't suffer with diarrhoea afterwards. It is apparently a very unpleasant drug to take for texture and taste but can be very successful.

He has also prescribed Créon which I took before with not very good results. We shall see.

He examined and listened to my tummy, tested my reflexes and the quantity of hydrogen in my breath. He was very thorough.

So, hopefully one of the above things will work. If, however, nothing works, then it will be another appointment with him and then a week in Clinique St Yves for them to try and sort me out.

The Questran seems to be helping with my diarrhoea.  Unfortunately, one of the side effects is sensitivity to sunlight and I am a sunworshipper.   As a result, I have a rash on both legs which is very itchy. 

Actually, thinking about it a bit more, I suppose it might not be photosensitivity but just a straightforward reaction to the drug.  It's so good not to spend so much of my day worried about accidents and trying to be near a toilet.  I am also pleased that in spite of having the diarrhoea controlled I have still lost weight.

I spent the whole day out at bowls today and ate a pasta and fish lunch, and drank three black coffees with no bowel problem - brilliant!  At last I feel that I may have a chance of not living with this problem forever.

This was me on Sunday before I went out for a picnic by the canal 

followed by a walk along the Nantes/Brest canal path with a friend and his dog.  Absolutely stonking hot afternoon, with almost no breeze - just my sort of weather in beautiful surroundings.