I have a question

Ok....I am starting to eat more solid(normal) foods....like chicken, beans, etc. I still grind some up or chew it to hell before i swallow....but I get a sick feeling  everytime i eat (it doesnt matter what i eat) then most of the time if i stop for several minutes it will go away....my question is how long does that feeling last?....its making me freakin hate eating....i dont think im eating too fast....bcuz i tried different speeds (LOL)....is this just one of those things that will pass or what?

Hi.

Your avatar gives me no information.  Did you have the DS?  If so you do not have to chew your food to death.  That is an RnY "rule" and makes me wonder what other RnY rules you are trying to unnecessarily live with and if you got correct vitamin advice.

How far out are you?

Food never made me feel sick unless I over ate or ate too fast.  Maybe you are eating too much?  Try eating 1/2 of the volume you are eating now and waiting a while before eating again??  dunno.

Are you getting enough fluids?  Not getting enough fluids will make you feel nauseaus and will decrease your appetite too.  You want to be peeing CLEAR.

~Becky

thanks Becky,  yea i had it done on 7/22....my doc told me i have to chew my food alot and drink as much as possible...im not reallly eating but 1 time a day and little bites here and there....it seems like im drinking alot but my pee is still on the dark side.....not as bad as a few weeks back, but still dark...i talked to my doc today and he said my vites are ok, he suggested a little change(nothing drastic. I swear im eating like a rny patient...i only eat a couple ounces, but i feel satisfied so i figure im doing ok for 6 weeks out.....my tastes are still way off....choc/vanilla protein powder makes me almost gag

Oh I see you had Anthone.  Don't you have a feeding tube?  I thought he gave all his patients one?? What is your diet "progression"?  What kind of food are you cleared to eat?

You do not need to chew to mush.  If you are cleared to eat soft food then eat soft food.  If you are cleared to eat anything then you do NOT have to chew it to mush. 

You should try eating more often.

If your pee is dark you are dehydrated and it is no wonder you feel bad.  You are NOT getting enough fluids.  So your task is to drastically increase your fluids.  Once you do this you will feel better and everything will be easier.  You need to count how much water you are getting and you need to get the amount up.  Or go to the ER and get some fluids.  Once you are hydrated it is much easier to STAY hydrated.  When you are dehydrated it is very difficult to drink enough to climb out of it.  I went to the ER and got fluids at about 3 weeks out and it was the best thing I ever did.

You need to be getting up towards 60 grams of protein a day now.  The protein rule is 30 by 30 days 60 by 60 days and 90 by 90 days.  100+ for life.  But I personally believe 100 is too low for a lot of folks.

Don't trust ANY surgeon's advice about vitamins.  THIS is the vitamins plan you should be working up to:  www.gblcreations.com/Resources/Gina/ProgramDRNY_ERNY_BPDDS3- 2010.pdf



~Becky

If your pee is a little dark, you're dehydrated, and being dehydrated actually makes it difficult and unpleasant to eat. Try drinking 8 oz of water 10 minutes before trying to eat, and see if it helps get rid of that sick feeling when you try and eat.

Even now when I wake up, breakfast is the hardest to eat because I'm usually a little dehydrated since I can't drink water in my sleep :) I wish I could! 

I would have to say food didn't seem to "feel right"  for at least a couple months after surgery- and that was mechanical soft stuff.  I remember posting (a little over 2 months out)  about being excited when I ate something that actually tasted good, felt good, and left me feeling satisfied.

Eating was a chore the first couple months.  And if I remember correctly, Your doc makes his sleeves pretty darn small- not a criticism :).  It just means that comfortable eating takes a while, in my opinion.  And your quantity that feels comfortable- not overfull- would make most toddlers look anorexic.  I remember distinctly filling my 4 oz bowl with cottage cheese or protein s/f pudding and taking close to an hour to get it down.  And my surgeon is a bit more generous with sleeve sizes.  Just after 2 months is when I turned a corner and things just seemed to get a lot easier.

Hey Steve!  Dr. Anthone was my surgeon too.  Our sleeves are teeeeeeny tiny.  Mine was 50 mL.  I was miserable eating for 2 to 3 months, and then it just seemed to get better.  I'm sorry you're suffering, but I promise it WILL get better.

If you still have your J tube, make sure you are giving yourself water and protein drinks through that several times a day.  You don't want to have dark pee.  Also, force yourself to take (very) small sips of water every 10 or 15 minutes.  2 or 3 sips should be sufficient.

I would eat 1/2 of a swanson tv dinner (like half of the salisbury steak and half of the mashed potatoes...I wasn't brave enough to try the corn at that time).  Usually if I chewed it up well and ate it slowly, I could handle it.

But, having said all this--I remember crying a few times during the first few months.  It's tough to deal with.  But, like I said, it WILL get better and be soooo worth it.

I'm sending you a big ole hug...take care and keep working on getting those fluids in.

Felicia

I had that feeling too for a while. It was almost like my stomach had collapsed closed and the food was forcing it open as it passed through.

What I believe it really was was the nerve endings healing and everything was super sensitive. I think for a couple of weeks we don't really 'feel' what we are eating and drinking completely. And when we start to feel it, it feels uncomfortable.

Try to eat more than once a day. Take small bites through out the day if possible. That might help some. And I think about month three you will notice a big difference.

I'm only a couple weeks ahead of you.  Don't worry it does gradually get better, I think ;)  At least for me I feel a little better every couple days and can eat a little more and can gradually tolerate additional foods.  I also feel sick (even to the point of vomiting) often when I eat.  I also have to chew up my food to mush...this is not because I was instructed to do so, but because IF I do not chew my food thoroughly it feels like it gets stuck which in turn makes me sick.  I have spoke to my surgeon about my issues and IF they continue after my 2 month surgiversary he will do an EGD to make sure I do not have scar tissue blocking anything or another abnormality.  I have not had an EGD at all post-op.  Last week, I was given the go ahead to eat anything (keeping my carbs in mind)...but now being able to add a little more variety has helped.  

You really need to try to get your fluids in first, because once you get dehydrated you can go down hill fast!  Not proud of it, but I've been hospitalized twice post-op because of it.  I knew I needed more fluids, but felt I couldn't do more and it caused problems...so I learned the hard way.

One last tip, I finally discovered!  I'm not sure if everyone is this way or if it's just me.  I've noticed when my tummy rumbles, I used to think it was just gas...which to some extent it is BUT it is normally a good indicator I need to eat or drink ASAP.  If I wait too long before I do eat or drink I will actually feel sick.  So I try to eat a little something...even if it is a piece of cheese every hour or so, and I try to sip often.

Hope you feel better soon

~Roxy

Edited to add...I agree protein powders are really gross to me too right now!