OW OW OW!!! Don't try this at home kids!

Ouch!  Now I know why they say to take small bites about the size of a pea, and eat slowly.

My wonderful breakfast is 1 ounce Instant Grits with just a pinch of WW LF shredded cheese and 1 ounce unsweetened applesauce.

Well, I have stuff to do - being Christmas don'tcha know....  so I was trying to eat my grits before they cooled off.  Was also reading the boards while I ate.  Well, I guess I kinda inhaled the grits.  I began to eat the applesauce, and OUCH!!!  I had this bad pain under my sternum every time I took a bite! 

I figured that the grits couldn't get into tiny tummy as fast as I shoveled 'em in and were backed up a bit.  I can now eat my applesauce without pain as long as I take tiny bites.  I won't be doing that again!!!

Christie, that's funny because I had my first experience today of something not sitting well in my pouch. Decided to make coco wheats (never had them before), well didn't add the sugar as the box called for (for obvious reasons) and when I finally decided that I might want to add some splenda for taste, they had begun to cool off. This made them a *****unky. I thought I'd be ok and just chew them up well. UH WRONG! I got this instant pain when I felt them hit my pouch. NEVER again will I make that mistake. Guess we learn by trial and error huh? 

I think everything I know about my pouch today I learned by trial and error.  Some of the obvious things others can share with you but really experience is the best teacher. 

Hugssss you gals,
Jeannie

Yep Melissa - trial and error and check the boards!  LOL  Glad you're feeling better today!  Hiya Jeannie!

Christie:

I know what you mean.  I think that is part of the reason I had been using those little bitty spoons that I got while in the hospital with our meals instead of the larger baby spoon that we got during our nutrition class.  I found a packet of multi-colored plastic baby spoons at Wal-mart (has like 12 spoons in them) that are really close to that smaller spoon size and got those.  They seem to be just right.  If I take too big of bites from the larger spoon that we got at the nutrition class I have the same thing happen.  

I found a company that sells those little spoons we got while in the hospital and also matching size forks for when we move on to thicker foods!  They sell 20 of the spoons for $2.  It's apartysource.com.  It's the Reflections mini petite spoon 4.2".  I ordered two packs of each and it didn't take very long to get 'em either.  I'm with you .  I prefer those teeny tiny spoons.  I've got some of those baby spoons too, but I prefer these tiny ones.

Christie:

Thanks for that website address.  I am most definitely going to be looking into that and seeing about ordering those.  You know what is funny is to see the expression on people's faces when you go out to eat with family... people see you eating with this little bitty spoon and all you have on your plate is mashed potatoes with no gravy or drink.  You just KNOW they have questions running through their mind and because they don't want to seem rude they don't ask the question.  Those little spoons though really set it off.  I am curious as to what other things I will notice here soon about people.  LOL

Tammy, you are right you will start noticing all sorts of things.  It's funny. Things you even used to do without thinking anything of it.  My funniest restaurant experience yet was when Brandi (my bff who had the surgery just before me) went to lunch together.  We ordered one baked potatoe with shredded cheese and two saucers.  We had ice water before the potatoe got to the table and asked the waitress for lemons and splenda.  An older gentleman dining alone was watching us.  We were both making our "homemade" lemon water and drinking it.  Then the potatoe came to the table.  We cut it in half and split it onto the two saucers.  He continued to watch us and smile as he finished his lunch he said " you girls have a good day."  He was so pleasant.  After he walked out of the restaurant the waitress came to the table with menus and said... You girls are to order whatever meals you want.  The gentleman at the table next to you noticed that you couldn't afford drinks and a meal and has agreed to pay for your meals.

We nearly busted laughing!  How sweet was that of him!  But how funny that he thought we were so poor we couldn't get the food we wanted.  It was funny to us that someone else would see us as being poor and sharing a baked potatoe.  I was very impressed by the kindness of his heart though.  I still smile thinking about him.

I seem to notice now, how much other people order to eat.  It looks like tons of food to me now.  Back in the day... I could have kept up with the best of them.  Glad that is all behind me !

Neat story, Tracy. What a sweetie he was! I still love going out to eat with my family, and I'm really a cheap date! I usually just get an appetizer or soup. I just love the atmosphere and the fellowship with whomever we're with. It doesn't bother me in the least that I can't eat a ton of food like I used to. We went to a pizza place the other night and I had a small salad and most of a slice of thin crust pizza, and enjoyed myself just as much as everyone else. This surgery has so changed my outlook on food. It's not the center of my attention any more.

As for the grouchy pouch stuff...yeah, trial and error! When we pay for those errors, we're not likely to forget what caused them, at least that's true in my case. That bowl of Life cereal I dumped so badly on will never happen again, that's for sure.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Jenny