Things I am afraid of

All, There are things hat I am afraid of because people have scared me with stories- hoping to get the real scoop from all of you!! First, I am afraid of lettuce and spinich. I was told not to eat lettuce for the first 6 months by a person who knew a person who had the surgery. I am afraid of pop. I was told by another person who knew a person that you can't drink pop. I am afraid of gum- I read a post on the board that talked about no gum. Now none of these fears is based on info from my dr or the nutritionist. In fact there are recipes using lettuce in my surgeons guidebook. So I am asking all of you - can i eat lettuce and spinich? Can I drink a diet soda once in a while? Could I chew a piece of sugarfree gum after eating somehting with onions? -Nan

Yep, I don't think there is one food or drink that someone hasn't had a bad experience with so it is hard, especially at first. I can give you my experiences but first remembber that it is best to follow your own doctor's advice. Lettuce & spinach- I was told by the first person I knew who had the surgery that she couldn't eat it anymore & thought that meant we all couldn't. That's just not true. I eat it all the time. As a matter of fact a salad is what I take to work, of course, always including some protein, cheese, chicken, tuna, etc. You may be a bit early out to try them but go ahead & eat a small amount. You'll be surprised how much lettuce you can eat but remember it's almost all water & when chewed doesn't take up much room. I just got done eating scrambled eggs with spinach & cheese for breakfast. Pop- There is a lot of disagreement about this. My surgeon said no carbonation but we could drink it flat. I love diet pop so would, after a few months, pour my pop back & forth between two glasses & then pour it over ice. Then at 9 months the PA asked me how I handled pop and carbonation. I was dumbfounded & asked if I could drink it that way. She said they were only concerned that it would hurt or cause discomfort but it was safe to drink it by 9 months. I've been drinking it the normal way ever since but always over ice. Straight is just too strong & bubbly. Now others will tell you it will stretch out your pouch. I saw a demonstration where the (somewhat dense) dietician shook up a bottle of pop & put a balloon over the top & of course, the balloon inflated. She tried to tell us that that is what would happen to our pouch if we drank pop. However, she didn't take into account that we can burp, & yes, we also fart. Our pouches will not expand due to carbonation. There is also a group who feel that pop, especially with artificial sweeteners, makes you hungry. I don't know if that's true but it is something to consider. Of course, pop is bad if you drink the kind with sugar. You'd be surprised to find how much sugar is in one can, something like 10 teaspoons, I think. Lots of empty calories evenif you don't dump on sugar. Gum- My surgeon is very adamant about this. He says absolutely not. He has had to go in & remove stuck pieces of gum that were accidently swallowed & he is not a happy camper if he has to do that. Before surgery, I always swallowed gum so I have not had a piece since my surgery. I won't chance it. I have read on the main message board often of people who do swallow it & freak out. They are reassured that usually the gum will go right down but I won't chance it. I'd rather brush my teeth, eat a mint, Or use one of the strips that dissolve immediately. I doubt if a TicTac will bother you even if you can't eat sugar since they are so small. Hope that helps. Remember it is different for everyone. You just have to experiment & see what works for you. Dixie

Thanks, Dixie! I beleive I will try some lettuce at home next weekend and see how it goes. If it goes well then I think I will try some spinich as I so hungry for both! I am going to stay away from gum- sounds like there is a lot of controversy on this and I am not much of a risk taker!! I am going to think some more on the whole diet soda thing- my surgeon was happy that I had given it up before my surgery so I will just ask him about it at my next appt in Feb. Thank you for the info!! -Nan

Nan, I can certainly understand your reluctance to try these foods. I am telling you from my own experience and make no claim that you should follow my suggestions. I have no problem at all with lettuce. My favorite way to eat shredded lettuce is with some grilled chicken fajita meat with fat free sour cream and loads of skim cheese. I also chew gum. DAILY. Nobody at my surgeons office has told me to quit, and everytime I go there I have a piece in my mouth. I do not swallow gum. I have not had a carbonated beverage since november 14 (2 weeks before surgery.) Prior to that date I was drinking a 2 liter of DMD (Diet Mt. Dew) a day. This was a very hard vice to give up, but I am afraid if I start with one glass it will turn quickly into one bottle again. I know there are many who do drink carbonated beverages with no problem, but I have no experience with this myself. Good luck to you. Nicole

Nicole- glad to hear that you are not having any trouble with salad stuff- I am excited to give it a shot- at home of course until I know the impact. I have swallowed my gum ocassionally in the past so going to skip the gum. I too am a little worried about restarting soda and that snowballing into a full blown habit. I am going to wait and discuss it with my doc in Feb before I cross that bridge!! -Nan

Nan, My surgery was a week after yours, and I've been eating lettuce and spinach since 5 weeks out. Neither bothers me. I chew gum now and again, but I am SUPER-careful not to swallow it. They make sugar free sour fruit mints I try to suck on instead of gum. I to have something in my mouth when I work out because it gets so dry. Also, I was told no carbonated drinks, but then when I went to the support group for the first time 1/2 the people there had diet cokes, and most of them weren't caffeine free either. Carbonation doesn't bother me, so I allow myself 1 pop every 2 weeks or so. I always make it caffeine free, as I was told to avoid caffeine. The only caffeinated drink I haven't given up is diet green tea. It has lower caffeine than regular tea, and it has many health benefits. Plus I just get sick of water. I really like lite hawiian punch, but it's really hard to find. It's really yummy and only 10 calories a can. If you're really worried about swallowing gum, have you tried binaca spray? I don't think it has sugar, but I'm not sure..... Where in North Liberty are you? I used to live on Chestnut St. when I was going to U of Iowa. I drove through there recently and barely recognize the place. A lots changed in the past 10 years! Sheryl

Sheryl- thanks for responding. I live on Elm Ridge which is closer to 965 than Chestnut. We have been here for around 3 years and the town has changed a ton just in that time so I bet there is a big difference after 10 years!! Appreciate the info on how lettuce works for you. i am really hungry for a salad- seriously! Thanks! Nan

I eat lettuce and spinach. Altho, not much since I've never been much of a salad eater and this really gives me an excuse not to eat it! I do drink soda on occassion. However, I need to flatten it somewhat because I just don't like all the carbonation. My surgeon says after 6 months, soda is okay. Altho, I have discoverd that the nutrasweet in soda gives me foot and leg cramps. So I have to be really careful about how much I drink. I can't do a full can. That is unless I WANT to be woken up in the middle of the night with cramps. NOT! Gum, I never chew it. My surgeon says not because of the chances it will get stuck if you swollew. I would imagine the farther you get out, the less the chance is for getting stuck and things relax a bit. I personally, wouldn't chance it.

Lyn, Is the cramp thing new since your surgery or did you always have this after ingesting Nutrasweet? I am with you on the gum- seems too risky with several surgeons saying no gum. So even though mine never mentioned it I am going to skip the gum. I can live without it listerine pocket packs will help me out in a pinch when I cant get to my toothbru****hanks for sharing your advice! -Nan

I agree with everyone else......spinach and lettuce are fine. I too drink diet pop.....but didn't try one until at least a year out, and it can hurt if I take too big a drink even at a couple years out! Gum, my surgeon says "no" but I am SO NOT A GUM swallower.....I don't think I have ever swallowed a peice in my life actually! I chew it now on occasion....but it isn't a big deal for me. If your wanting something after a meal.....get some tictacs or those listerine breath freshener strips ****il farther out or whatever) a peice of stuck gum early out, could be a problem Hope I helped a little! Take Care jesi