Dec 2010 DS but still nauseated and can't take protein

I have been down the malnutrition road, including having been put on TPN, J-tube and eventually had a revision to my common channel. I experienced an aversion to shakes, meats, etc. I have to say however, that the majority of my problem was exacerbated by the constant diarrhea, so in that regard we are not the same.

First and foremost, your surgeon cut you and at the end of the day, it is up to you to take control of your nutrition. They can only do so much, you have to fight now. It is not going to be comfortable and tasty eating your way back from malnutrition. I promise you it's worth it but it will truly suck ass the whole way. It is so much easier to pour nutrition into a tube rather than eat it. You are depending on your tube rather than using it as backup for what you can't do for yourself.

I completely and totally understand the full after a few bites, the smell issues, the nausea, etc...
Here's where I would start. First and foremost, give up the idea...for now, that protein supplements are going to be tasty or for that matter, anything you eat. Do not put another freaking bite of sherbet or anything that has no protein in it till you can honestly say you've ingested your protein requirements for the day. You are not eating for pleasure, you are eating to live.

Start with a drink of shake. STOP. Wait and stop thinking about it, it's taste, the amount, etc. Get your mind to stop. Breath. As soon as you think you can, take another drink. Do not eat or drink anything till you feel full. Always stop before that because once you feel that, you're probably going to lose your cookies. This is all day from the moment you wake up till the end of the day. You can do this with protein foods as well, but for now, I'd try to easiest means of getting down what you need.

Once you get to where you might want to make them taste better, remember this. A shake powder to me is like flour in a recipe, all by itself it's nasty. I use sugar free syrups, peanut flours, almond milks, flavorings, etc to make a shake the way I want it to taste.

I believe you are also suffering from malnutrition brain. You are starving aka dying slowly and not able to get enough nutrition for your brain to comprehend how bad you really are. I would also suggest TPN, but you cannot become depend ant on any of these. They are tools to help while you learn to help yourself out of this mess. I'd suggest since you already have a J-tube to do nocturnal feedings with a pump and leave the daytime open for you to eat by mouth.

This is just the bare beginnings. I'd say it sounds pretty harsh if I'd not accomplished it myself.

 Jacque,

Obviously you need to try meds/dosages and/or new doctors to kick that nausea.

That being said, I'm also having trouble getting clarity on what food you can keep down.How did the hot-and-sour soup work for you? Scrambled eggs? Cottage cheese? Have you tried other mild cheeses by the slice? Any nuts or peanut butter?

  About protein supplements.. please stop immediately spending "thousands of dollars" and get your butt over to GNC where you can return/refund anything that you can't use. This month they are having a sale on my favorite RTD protein shake, Labrada Lean Body RTD Hi-Protein Milk-Shake 40gms in 17 ounces, a 12 pack is $29.99. I use the Vanilla Ice Cream flavor and add a few ounces of cold coffee or decaf to cut the sweetness. Today I found my favorite protein bar being sold at both Walmart & Target pharmacies (brick & mortar) this weekend for about $7 for 6 or 7 in a box. Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe with 20grams of protein.
www.pureprotein.net/pages/products.aspx
http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2620829


If you can't use any of your protein powders in a liquid format, maybe this recipe nuking them into a lava-like shake cake would be better:
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/4391069/1st-posting-for-chocol ate-microwave-protein-cake+Pics-high/

If you can tolerate cottage cheese and yogurt (low-fat greek is super high in protein) you might like one or both of these:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/4348542/I-never-cared-f or-the-ricotta-fluff-but-OMG-you-gotta-try/
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4098778/Ricotta-Fluff-recipe/




DON'T STOP TRYING

In defense of this OH site and the people here, I must say even I, (in another state) recall reading stories about your surgeon and cautions not to use him as he was not caring and mostly interested in the money. Dr Stewart has been mentioned as the one in that area to use in numerous posts I have read.

Good luck with your complications and please keep diligent and get some real help!

Even Dr Stewart can't make her eat.

She has to take control. It's now about her.

We all should know this. Jeez, our pre-op info was BS. Come on.  Decide you wanna live and do the hard **** that you gotta do. You have to decide to stop wasting away and take control. You are the only one who can do this.

As soon as you stop thinking that food will taste good and get the idea that you need to eat to live, I will show you the delicious, wonderful things I eat/drink. But right now, it'll all sound and taste like ass.


You are going to have to eat it and be a big girl. No excuses.

I'm so glad you're here to share this experience.

You've gotten some great advice. (Even if it may not be all things you want to hear.) I just want to point out that sugar alcohols kick my ass. Anything with them I threw up for the first few months out, and now I either throw them up or just get a really bad tummyache. Just something to think about, in terms of eliminating certain foods.

Just a side bar, my surgeon Dr. Preston Carter is the chief of surgery at madigan, and is not listed on dsfacts but I did google him and saw great reviews even on OH and he is a wonderful surgeon and my follow up has been great...The only doc is Dr. Martin listed and at least 3 docs do DS at madigan and everyone I have talked to had great experiences w/all their docs...

As far as the aversion, I do think its mental turned into malnutrition/physical... or visa versa... When I was pregnant my nausea turned into hyperemisis and to this day I still occasionally get psyched up with food and basically psych myself into puking/everything makes me nauseous this was preop mostly...When I was hospitalized for dehydration, I got nauseous from eating too much... then I started puking...then I couldn't stop puking it was like the mouth watering made me keep going no matter what I put into my mouth, they literally had to give me antianxiety, antinausea and antacid to get food/water down to get me hydrated... It may not have started as mental, and you very well want to eat...but I agree, small sip, know that it isn't gonna taste good...Mostly texture too I like them ice cold and blended with ice like a frappucino texture from starbucks, add flavors I like but not too sweet even if you have to freeze a vanilla shake with orange flavor and eat it like sorbet... cottage cheese has some protein but the ice cream will only assist in your early grave... hang in there!