1 month post op- scared please help!!!!

Hi everyone! I am 1 month post-op(11-29-05), I am having a very emotional time adjusting to all of these changes and seem to be worried about EVERYTHING! I have never experienced that full filling and have heard from my bariatrics nurse how easy it could be to stretch your pouch and that has scared me more than anything because I did not go through all of this emotional and pain process to be a failure again. I am suppose to be using 2 2oz cups for my food however I have found myself eating out of a 4 oz bowl half full, or I ate a whole order of pinto and cheese from taco bell without the red sauce and still never got sick or felt full. I am lactose intolerant and haven't been able to get in my protein drinks because they all taste awful to me, however I can drink and haven't had problems with any foods, I just feel like I am failing at something and am not sure if anyone else has gone through this? I can not tolerate sweet tasting things, crystal light is way to sweet, I have finally been able to drink s/f kool-aid and hawaiin puch s/f as well as water. LOVE ice can't get enough of it! I have asked my nurse at the bariatrics office how do you know if you have stretched out your pouch, if there is a test that can be done, could you stretch it out this soon? I have went back to using just my 2 2 oz cups but I have made myself sick with worry. Please Help me!!!

Dawn, You are fine!!! If you eat soft things like refried beans your tummy can handle it better, and more of it than say chicken. If I were you I would concentrate on the quality of the foods that I am eating or drinking. I use myfitday.com and it helps me keep everything in perspective. Most RYN'surgeries use the top portion of your stomach, where it is the thickest. It takes a while for it to stretch out. As far as not feeling full we are still learning the cues of our new pouches. If you are not getting enough protein you will feel hungry. Protein stays with you longer. There are alot of protein shakes etc that you don't need to add milk to. Head hunger maybe what you are experiencing. I know that for at least 2 weeks after my surgery I really grieved all the food that I was missing. About that time I started excercising in earnest and it has really helped me feel happy and in control Also if you are eating too many carbs, it will cause you to be hungry and crave more carbs. You are not a failure! You just need to learn how to believe in yourself again. It is hard for us who have been overweight and have been unsucessful keeping weight off to let ourselves actually believe that something good might happen to us, and we can succeed. BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE Pam

Dawn We are WLS sisters (same surgery day.) I had the same concern because I also don't get that full feeling much. I think it is because I have been very careful with what I eat and eat slow enough. And I stop when I've had the amount I'm supposed to have. One of the hardest adjustments is learning that you don't have to be FULL to stop eating. My most difficult time is GRAZING. I'm not hungry, but just want to snack! Part of this is because I am still home from work and bored. Try www.bariacticeating.com for some protein supplements that are not milk based. Also, have you tried Lactaid milk? Good luck sister. We are going to make it. I understand that the first two months are the hardest and then it gradually becomes our new lifestyle. Happy New Year, Tammy

I agree and am feeling the same as you. I had my surgery 11/14 and in the 1st three week liquid phase I was STARVING!! The pureed was a little better and now on regular foods, I get fuller quicker. But I find myself grazing a bit with the holidays and eating more than I thought you could. At a restaurant the other day, I ate a bowl of french onion soup minus the cheese and a side salad and ATE IT ALL. I sometimes feel afraid I too am a failure. I havent weighed myself at all but did keep measurements and am down 25 inches so I know something must be working. Just be diligent and try to make good food choices. You are going to make mistakes, nobody is perfect. How much have you lost? I am sure you are doing well, dont be so hardon yourself. Have a great new years and keep posting! Laurel

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far-I never thought this would be so emotional I just cry cry cry!! I am so scared!At 2 wks po They said I had lost 28.5 lbs but then I saw my Family doctor last week because of my bronchitis and she said I have gained 5 lbs since I saw her 9 days previously!@@!@!!@@!@! yuck Then the bariatric nurse talks to me about possibly stretching your pouch, this is all so crazy for me right now.I am not eating extra because I am hungry, I just ordered it and ate it all because it was good and I didn't get that full feeling to tell me to stop. So now I sit and ponder if I have already done damage to myself after only 4 weeks. I never thought that I would feel like this after surgery- everyone talks about how happy they are and that it was the right decision and I sit here an amotional wreck WHY?????

Dawn, There was some talk on the main board about some Drs. telling patients to use an appetite supresent. You may want to explore this. I honestly can't believe that you have damaged your tummy so early. You may also be a little more emotional than you might normally because when your body breaks down the fat, it releases hormones that have been stored in your fat cells. Mean huh? Those 5 lbs gained may be related to that or alot of other things going on. Are you exercising? If so it could be your building muscle. Be positive, stay focused and remember we are all here for you! Pam

Hi Dawn, I was very emotional my first month too. My ZOLOFT helps A LOT!!! Remember you are in mourning.......thats how I like to think of it..Im mourning the loss of my best friend...........FOOD........ now its gone and I cant reach for it when Im sad......... SO, look in the mirror look at the new you and who are you going to become.................keep a journal, its a new year and a great time to start a journal............take pics of your self and paste them in your journal........you'll be amazed when you look back at them!!! Be well and come onto this board as much as you can....its a lifesaver!!! ~Bethany

Hi Dawn, I had my surgury Nov 9, 2005. It was a rough 6 weeks. I was put in the hospital 3 times. I lost 40 pounds and then gained back 15. I was feeling very depressed and wished that I had never gone through with this surgury!!! I feel nausua almost everyday. But now, I'm almost 2 months out and I'm starting to feel better again. The weight is starting to come back off. The trick about not feeling hungry is to try eat reaaly slow. I also eat Edy's whole fruit sugar free ice pops. We are so used to eating all the time that I think our brain tells us that we are not full. So the icepop thing works because we have something in our mouth and its only ten calories!!!! So try not to get discouraged. There are many better days ahead. Take care... Tina

When you eat, do you make sure everything is liquified in your mouth before you swallow? If you do, then the food will move through your pouch faster. I was doing that for awhile - REALLY CHEWING. My Dr. told me that it doesn't have to be liquid, just chewed really well. I've noticed now that when I eat, and chew well, especially meat, that I do get a full feeling - sometimes not so pleasant. Soups and waters, I can do non stop. You can water down the crystal light - Actually, I got a gallon container, and made the raspberry ice and lemonade, which does take away some of that sweetness. PLEASE find a protein drink! They even have some that you can mix into food. I've read that we can start losing our hair around month 4, and it's directly related to protein intake!! And I'm not so sure we can stretch out pouches this quickly - you'd have to have experienced that full feeling a few times - in my opinion. Keep your head up, and just do what you're told. It'll all come together - remember - we have to learn when we are satisfied, not bursting at the seams!!!!!!! Good luck!! Take care!

Hi Dawn. I am a little bit late responding to your post but I wanted to help if I could. I had surgery on November 30th and I have been really emotional regarding the changes I am going through also. I was worried about the full feeling also so I asked at my dr. office and they told me that during the first few months when doing the pureed/soft/mushy food (soups/liquids) that it will be hard to feel because the food does move through the pouch faster. They said that once I move to more dense foods then I will start to feel the full feeling. I had a hard time believing that it was all "head hunger" so I asked about that also and was told that with the smaller portions of only so many calories then I probably was getting hungry every 3 hours or so (usually right in time for my next protein or meal) and it wasn't mental. As for your protein samples, try them with soy or lactose free dairy or go to www.vitalady.com and get some of the samples of the nectar protein. It is fruity flavored and mixes well with water. The CFM whey protein also comes fruity flavored and mixes well with water. Courtney 5 weeks out - 30 lbs (unofficially)