Lesson learned

Hi Folks, First, before I tell my story of my first bad eating experience, I want to wish everyone a very wonderful holiday season and a fantastically happy and healthy New Year! Okay, my house is a mixed household. My husband is Christian and I'm Jewish. We sort of blend our holidays. So, I cook a fairly standard Christmas dinner - turkey, ham and lots of fixings, but I also make potato pancakes for Chanukah. I make killer potato pancakes, let me tell you. One of my all time favorite comfort foods. But this year I KNEW I couldn't eat any (they are fried) and I was being oh so very good and made this really big batch, because everyone gobbles them down and I wanted to have enough to send home with my brother. So, the day is progressing and everyone is chowing down and enjoying all the food and here I am eating my little bit of turkey and some veggies and being very proud of myself for having turned out a nice holiday meal and eating properly. Dinner is over and we head into the other room to light chanukah candles and exchange our gifts and we were having a ball. Now it's time to clean up the kitchen and put everything away. I was packing up the remaining potato pancakes into a container for my brother and one broke in half and BOOM - just like that I popped it into my mouth. Old habits, bad habits, but oh boy did that pancake taste good. I chewed and chewed and mushed the darn thing up and savored the flavor and put the rest in the container and was happy with my little taste and didn't want anymore (I sure wasn't hungry, it was just a bad thing to do.) At first I was ok. Then, all of a sudden I started to burp and had this incredibly heavy feeling in my chest and I started sweating and then was cold and then, well, I guess a lot of people have been through this bad part - well, I couldn't hold down the pancake. I thought, okay, that was bad, but I feel better. WRONG - this went on for another hour or so, the feeling (and actions) repeating over and over until finally it really was all out of my system and boy did I ever get mad at myself because I KNEW I couldn't eat the darn thing and I shouldn't have eaten it and I HATE feeling lousy like that. And, on top of it all, we had to take my brother to the airport (a good 2 hour each way drive) and I had to sit there with barf bags - which I sadly had to use! UUGGGHHH!!! But, lesson learned, at least. I now know what it feels like and I do not want that feeling again, so I will be more careful and pay more attention to what I am doing in the future. Thanks for hearing me out. Hugs - Robin

Oh Robin, That sounds so aweful! But your sense of humor speaks volumes as to your ability to see the bigger picture. Lessons learned, huh? I hope you're feeling better now. They say that things you couldn't tolerate at one stage, you may be able to tolerate later.... But I guess the idea of potato latkes don't call to you at the moment! Happy New Year! Amy(pre op)

- I guess my excuse is the devil made me do it! I sure don't have the desire for potato latkes or anything greasy anymore! I don't even know if I'll try them the next time I make them (a whole year from now)! It is true, they do say you might tolerate some things at different times and I have heard that from almost everyone I know who has had this surgery. When I finally stopped being sick, I felt immediately better. Feeling better came on as fast as getting sick did. I don't want to go through that again, but in a way, I'm glad it happened. First of all, it taught me limits - I had been feeling so good and so proud of myself, not having a single thing that made me sick in more than a month, so it was a real grounding experience. Secondly, I now know what it feels like to do the WRONG thing and third I sure know what to stay away from in the immediate future! Amy, I wish you all the best in your journey. Keep me posted about your progress - when you get a date and all that good stuff! Me, I'm a little more than a month out and I've lost between 30 and 40 pounds (I'm not sure because my scale doesn't register at my weight and I won't know the exact amount until I go to the Dr. in a couple of weeks!). Have a great New Year! Robin

Hi Robin Sorry you had to go through all that, but it sure is a deterrant! I seem to go through that at least once a week with normal stuff (like chicken) and that keeps me from eating it for a long time!! I think my problem is that sometimes I eat too fast! Vi

Hi Vi, Thanks for the sympathy. It helps to know that others go through the same thing. I have learned about eating slowly. I'm really careful about that and chewing everything until it is mush! Slow down, doll and maybe things will get better for you too! Robin

I am two years out now and every so often, I [yep - ME, miss perfect america, right?] make a bad food choice, and when I do, my body lets me know just the way yours did. I hope it never stops happening, because it is a reminder that I need to continue with the GOOD habits...... Good luck and God bless!

AMEN Angel! I'm not at all sorry it happened. I wi**** hadn't happened when it did (brother visiting from out of town, having to go to the airport while feeling so sick, etc.), but boy am I glad it did happen because I needed to learn the hard way that my body has changed forever! Thanks for sharing, because I really do need to know that it happens to everyone, even those who are not new at this!

Robin, Hun I am sorry you had to go through that on the holiday.. ~hugs~ It does take some time to break these old habbits, I am still fighting many..... Some can be replaced with better ones but some need to stopped, which is so hard to do when you have been doing them for a long time. We learn every day of this journey.... Take care hun and happy holiday.... ~hugs~ Debra P

Hi Debra, Thanks for the words of wisdom! The old habits are the hardest, but I'm slowly learning. It is so true that we learn something along this journey every day - including limits of all sorts! Have you moved yet? How are things going? Happy new year, dear! Robin