1 week post op..need advice

hi everybody as of today im 1 week post op and trying to adjust to this huge change that ive put both my body and mind through.im trying to get in fluids which i know im not getting in enough and ive started taking in protein shakes the past 2 days because i was starting to feel so weak. like some of you that are recent post op i have had a few dreams of food which i never did before and tv drives me crazy with all the food comercials!!! im sick to death of broth, jello , and water the shakes offer me some type of change but i cant stop thinking about food i was wondering when some of you went to the full liquid phase of your diet, and how you could tell your tummy was full because i really cant and i try to becareful not to drink too much in fear of getting sic****ep reminding myslf that this is only temporary and i read through profiles and the before an after pics to keep myself focused but i would really appreciate hearing from some of you whom have gone through what i am right now im driving my hubby nuts!!! im also not sure if the stages are different for different types of surgery f.y.i. i had the open ryn fobi pouch. thanks for letting me vent here and im looking forward to any advice you all can give me. kriss

Hey there... One week out I was able to eat - Sugar free clear liquids, skim milk and Saltine type crackers. Loved "Vegetable thins" crackers My Doctor states from Day 5 - 6 weeks to use this plan. They include low-fat cream soups, mashed potatoes( u can add broth for flavoring ), noodle soup (without the chicken,) cream-of-wheat, Malt-o-meal( add butter buds and splenda if u must don't use real butter ), cottage cheese, frozen yogurt, peanut butter and crackers (well chewed). (( NO OATMEAL )) Also he stated that One week after surgery, you may try including eggs as a source of protein. Poached, scrambled or fried is OK. If you fry or scramble, make sure it is in a non-stick pan with just a little non-stick spray (Pam, etc.). Chew well and eat slowly. Some people can not tolerate eggs. If they upset your stomach, don't try them again for a while. I tried easy cheese from a can on top of my crackers.. OMG that was GOOD.. It has high salt content. But it was just a thin layer and I'm a CHEESE Lover~! Also I tried some Fat Free / Sugar Free Nestle Quick in my milk. just because I wanted chocolate soo bad.. the content wasn't bad plus added 1 gm of protein to my milk. Hope it helps, Christie 4/11 -40lbs LAP RNY

Kristy, Hi. I know what your going through. I had my surgery 4/19 and was having a real hard time on the clear liquids. At day 5 I just couldn't handle it any more and had made a protein shake. I took about 5 sips and put it in the fridge for awhile (I didn't want to ru**** and drink the whole thing) After an hour I drank the rest down, but made it last about 20 min. No problems what so ever.When it comes to shakes I use 1/2 - 1/4 cup of milk. Then the next day I made to shakes and made them last the whole day. Then by day seven i was allowed to drink full liquids. Don't be in a hurry to rush things. I pureed tuna fish the other day and got sooooooo sick, my dietician said out tummy's are still swollen and can't handle food until around week 5, so don't rush food. Cottage cheese and yogurt go down well, but I am 2 1/2 weeks post op. I can only fit in about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of anything. Once you feel it in your tummy, your close to being full. Sorry this is so long, I hope this helps you out. Kristy

Hi Kristy, I am also one week post-op, I am going through the same thing and have even felt a little hungry. I made some sf pudding today and that made me dump so I won't be doing that again for along time. My fiance and I got ours on the same day so we are going through this together. It is all trial and error. Your are far enough out to be on full liquids. Try some yogurt, cream of wheat, oatmeal, or some applesauce. The TV commercials are driving us nuts also. Hang in there, I know that it is tough but you should be able to puree some chicken and add some light miracle whip or mayonnaise by the middle of next week for some new experiences. Also, some smoothies, use your protein powder and add in some yogurt. Egg beaters are also good at that stage or scrambled eggs. My fiance and I have found that we better tolerate soymilk. They have chocolate, vanilla, and regular which you can have now. Next week you will be able to have pureed vegetables and fruit, which I intend to buy baby food. I think it will be easier. I hope this helps and just hang in there a few more days. Better food is on its way. Heather 340/313/151

Kriss, Hello my name is Tracy and I am about a day over 3 weeks from surgery. It seems as if it has been forever already since I had surgery. I am not sure which WLS you had I haven't heard of that on before however. Don't try to drin****il you are full. Drink your amounts and stay with that, because you don't want to get yourself into trouble. Give yourself a chance to get well. If you are feeling frustrated and you are still off work, go walking. You can not get to much walking in to your new life style. Go to the park, go to the mall, you can even go to a super Wal-Mart to get some walking in to your day and that will get out from in front of the television. Good Luck and if you need to talk email me at [email protected] Take Care. Tracy

hi everyone thank you so much for your words of encouragement and advice concerning what type of things i should be eating in my next phase. i spoke with my nurse at the surgeons office and she said she didntwant me to go to phase 2 until next week thats almost 2 weeks on clear liquids and honestly i dont think i can do that i need some substance. i'm feeling very weak and im taking in about 40 grams of protein a day with the shakes but i really think i need something more. i cant get up to walk like i need to be doing because i have 2 herninated disk in my back which is hendering me from getting up and moving cause i have no pain meds until at least monday. but i'm trying to stay focused and god bless all of you here that gives encouragement and support to those in need. kriss

Kristy, I'm 5 weeks out now and I remember the 1st and second week quite well. I can tell you that the first week I stuck to the clear liquids and clear protien drinks because my body absolutely could not handle milk based products. The second week I could have 'opaque' liquids. I found Advant Edge 0 Carb protien drink that is soy based and something I could tolerate. I also found NECTAR's Fuzzy Navel protien powder, tastes like orange juice with peach juice mixed in. 23 grams of protien per scoop with 8 oz of water. I still drink a glass of this each morning, its like having a glass of OJ to me. I also added a little meat baby food to my broth and it gave it enough substance to statisfy me. My third week I tried having egg drop soup...it has now become one of my staples as well. LOVE the stuff. I did make the mistake and tried some grits one morning then had some low carb yogurt a couple hours later and ended up having a dumping syndrome with hemroids because of it. Be careful on the solids before week 4. Week 4 is when I used my Magic bullet to grind up my meats and slowly ate about 2-4 ounces over a hour time. Any faster and my pouch made me feel as though I was having a heart attack. The pain is an indicator that I had too much. I have learned to identify the 'full' feeling prior to the overful pain. I think of the first month progress as: 1st week in newborn phase 2nd week in infant phase 3rd-4th week toddler phase 5 week young kid phase in trying new things Hope that helps!

Kristy Could you please forward me the website where I can order the Nectar drink that you are referring to? It sounds great and I'm in need of protein. I would appreciate your time. Thanks very much. Blessings, Samaria -20 since 4/19/05 [email protected]

Hi! Kristy , I know what you are going through. I has RNY on 04/25/2005 and having a hard time with it. I see others eating all of the things that I love and it's very hard to deal with, but I press on and try to stay focused on the new lifestyle. My morning consists of 4 oz. Carnation Instant Breakfast (Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla are available ). You may want to try this if you haven't yet. They kinda taste like a milkshake. For lunch I will usually have SF Black Cherry Jello and 4 oz. of Propel Fitness Water. For dinner, the remainder of the Instant Breakfast. I know this doen not sound like it would be enough to live on, but you need to remember that vitamins are a very important part of this new lifestyle. I have been taking (1) 500mcg of B-12, (2) 500mg Chewable Calcium Tabs, (1) GNC Chewable Vitamin C 100mg 5x per day. Remember, we are all here to help each other get through this. We all know how hard it is to adjust and we try to keep in mind of the main goal...the sleek,sexy body we have dreamed of. Good luck and remember, we are here for you. Love you and God Bless! David

Hi Kristy, At one week post op, i couldnt tell i was full ( i also was never hungry), i just measured everything, the surgeon said 2 oz at a time, and thats what i eat/drink, sipping very slow....be very careful not to over drink/eat- if you do you could be in alot of pain... best wishes...Dorie