Struggling with what to eat/drink

I was doing okay and now for some reason everything makes me sick.  Just the smell of some things is more than I can handle.  Yesterday, the only thing I could stomach (so to speak) was a cup of tea.  I could not face a protein drink to save my life of any kind.  I had nothing at all. 

Today I had one of those chocolate mint whey isolate powder drinks and forced it down. That was unpleasant.  Of course, it did not stay long.  I had made some black bean soup the other day and never got around to eating it.  I had a little and it seems it is okay for now. 

I got to say, this sucks! 

Keep trying! The beginning is tough! I had a very hard time with smells, too! I also could not tolerate milk, crystal light or protein drinks! I did well with jello, and cottage cheese! I made my jello with the ISOPURE drinks in place of the water to get any protein in and I also was able to do some s/f puddings, only sometimes!

It is more important to get the fluids in than the proteins, to stay hydrated. Keep trying, every little bit helps! I know the first few weeks are the toughest, hang in there, you can do it!

Hugz Dawn

Keep an eye on it, there is a chance of stricture- BUT it could be just being newly post-op and your new pouch is grouchy! Hugz

Thanks... It is good to know that I am not the only one that cannot stand the smell of this stuff.  Maybe I am just going through some changes but goodness I don't want to go anywhere near it.  Making the jello with the ISOPURE is a good idea.  I could do that for thanksgiving. 

What is stricture?

Hijack!  Thanks for the idea of using Isopure as the water in the SF Jello!  Great idea!  I'll make a note of that.

I think most people do go through  a short spell to where they have to experiment with what they have in order to get their liquids in. During this time period, food & protein are only a 'yeah, right'. As has been said, it is critical to get the liquids in. Play with temperature. If hot tea does well, drink hot tea..just make sure it's decaf. My sister had to make sure ALL of her liquids were luke warm. My biggie has always been texture. That includes drinks. I could do sf hot chocolate if it was made with ho****er, but not with skim milk. It seems that with most people, this time period starts about 3-4 weeks post-op and lasts for about 4-6 weeks. Be patient. You'll learn what your body will and won't tolerate. In the grand scheme of things, if this is the worst thing you have to deal with, then you've done pretty good.

Where your intestines was attached to your pouch is called your stoma. Scar tissue can cause the stoma to close up..and that is called a stricture. When you have a stricture, you have trouble getting pretty much any food to stay down, regarless of texture or how well chewed it is. It can get to the point that you can't keep liquids down either which can lead to some serious dehydration. An endoscopy is performed when a stricture is suspected. The patient is put in la-la land (not really asleep, but you sure think you are), a tube placed down their throat, and the stoma is vibrated back open. About 20% of post-ops have a stricture. If you have to have 1 endoscopy, you usually have to have 1-2 more as a follow-up. In RARE cases, you would have to have multiple ones if you have over-active scar tissue (I had to have 15 before mine got under control).

So...try keeping liquids down..sugar-free, decaf, non-carbonated. Try getting in your protein...but I wouldn't suggest trying anything that doesn't agree with your taste buds again. Drinking skim milk is better than drinking protein drinks that you just turn around and throw up. If you like chocolate, Nestle has a sf chocolate that you can add to the skim milk if you want. If you can't keep things down, call your surgeon. Don't wait until you are unable to keep water down either. If you wait that long, you will probably be their 'guest' for a day or two so they can get you re-hydrated. Sometimes, it's just nausea and nausea meds will help. Others times, an endo is needed. Let the surgeon's office decide which.

Best of luck...
Sherri

I didn't read thouroughly through all the responses to your post, so if someone else already said this, then I apologize.

I just wanted to add that sensitivity to smell could possibly be ketosis.  I know during the first few weeks after surgery I struggled with ketosis and it would leave a funny taste in my mouth and I was VERY sentitive to smells.  I talked to my surgeon about it and she had me drink a small amount of grape juice every day for a couple days and it straightened me right up.

Just another possibility...
Melissa

Hi
Wanted to check back with you and see how you are doing today?  I hope you are doing better and able to tolerate more things.
I am sitting here with my chest/throat/pouch not happy because I was eating too fast!!  Hard habit for me to break!  Do you have that problem too?
Let me know how you are doing? 
((hugs))
Leah

Hey,

I am doing a little better.  I made a soy protein drink with orange juice and a banana this morning and was able to get it down.  I have had some water and I am drinking some unsweetened tea.  So exciting. 

I understand about eating too fast.  I had no idea that I was doing that before but I am painfully aware of it now.  It is amazing what you realize when it is in your face. 

Hang in there. 

Are you going to the newbie class on Wednesday at St. V?