some suggestions needed!

Good Morning! The surgeon told me yesturday that he saw how malnourished and thin my intestines have become. My problem is I had a mechanical problem(the bubble) and have a functional one(the stasis of food in my limbs). The functional problem most likely caused the mechanical one. I do not need any more bubbles forming. He says if by a few months I am not a lot better, he thinks it's a good idea to take up the connection. He even said he would reverse everything if that is what I wanted but he doesnt want to do that.(I do not want that at all!) He says he just wants to have me feeling and doing better and isnt giving up. I am not going to even think about having yet another surgery but will focus on my eating now. I would love some suggestions on some mushy gushy foods ideas. Meats by themselves are not so good and I do not like fish at all. I cant do anything really bulky but am tolerating soups and chili fairly well. I can do mushy steamed veggies and cheese pretty ok. The surgeon told me maybe I should move to wisconsin then. Ha. One of my problems is I am never hungry. I can go the whole day w/out eating but I cant do that. The surgeon told me to carry a fanny pack of food around w/me w/an alarm on it if that is what needs to be done. Another problem is I am a little scared of eating. I have been through so much just to get halfway normal, and now I'm afraid of food. I cant afford to see a nutritionist. I go to therapy once a week which helps a lot. She says I am just plain scared which is competely normal for everything I am been through. I seriously get chills up my spine when I just drive by that hospital. My surgeons partner gives me chills when I see him as well. Not b/c he is a bad guy but when he is around me I know it means business. You should have seen me in the hospital w/him. I asked my surgeon if his partner can wait outside the operating room until I was knocked out b/c he makes me nervous and he did. If he would come in my room w/my surgeon I would hide under my sheet and laugh and if I saw him in the halls I would turn and go the other way. When I was in their office yesturday, he held up a piece of paper to his face when I went by him. Ha. I am pretty sure the fear aspect will just go away with time. Anyway, thanks for any help/suggestions! Take care everyone. Tavia

Tavia, How do you feel about Tofu? I have pretty much cut out red meats and replaced them with Tofu products. I particularily like Morningstar farms burgers. Sandra

Tavia - Considering all you've been through, I don't think it's all that uncommon to be afraid of food; I've seen it in a few other people that I've talked to in the local support group as well. Basically, it boils down to "I don't want to go back there EVER again.." - meaning back to where we started from... LOL; there are some of us, that even afterwards, aren't ENOUGH afraid of food I think the therapy would be a good idea to help "find the balance" between being afraid of food, and doing what you need to do to get back healthy again.. You honestly don't want to end up malnourished or "too thin", and sometimes, it IS necessary for some of us to 'break the rules' to maintain weight and health post op, perhaps for a little while, and perhaps for the rest of your life... What I would try to do is to find out what specific things you can do to help restore the state of the intestine and other parts that need specific focus, whether that's fiber or protein or supplements or whatever.. That might require a trip to the nutritionist, or maybe even to a specialist.. it's possible your surgeon may have some specific ideas in that area too.. If it's a matter of more protein, then there are flavorless supplements you can throw into your regular drinks (lol; probably not flavorless with water, but you get the idea).. You might also check out some specifically designed "foods" for Bariatric patients; Vitalady I think had some, I know there are some at i-shophere.biz (I had used them for a while when my surgeon wanted us to do the protein shakes (which is only for the first 6 weeks post op)), like some decently flavored bariatric puddings, bariatric pancakes (not great flavored lol, but tolerable), etc. Of most of the people on the NY board, you probably know best the value of getting and staying healthy, because of the complications you have had - I admire both your and your surgeons "stick-to-it-iveness" to get to the bottom of the problems; I don't know too many surgeons that would have had that level of patience to go through all that without saying "well it must be the patient's fault somehow", whether general surgeons or specifically WLS surgeons.. Hang in there, and keep up the great work! You're an inspiration to us all - ...Nick

Tavia, Sorry to hear of all you problems. You may want to try Stallone Pudding you can get it in GNC stores or online at netrition.com. It comes in 4 flavors, chocolate,banana,lemon,and vanilla. I think it is great and have one can every morning for breakfast. It has 20 grams of protein. Try some beans, black beans, refried, kidney, etc. You can cook them in tomatoe sauce and top with cheese. I love ricotta cheese with a little artificial sweetner,top with tomatoe sauce or chopped tomatoes. Try making sloppy joes. Just buy the can of sloppy joe mix and add the ground beef. Add more protein by adding black beans. You can also make a chicken chili by using ground chicken instead of beef for a little different flavor..Try a chicken burger, add an egg, milk and some seasoning like onion powder,garlic powder and poulty seasoning. Or make little chicken or or beef meat balls, put in gravy or tomatoe sauce. If using ground beef and tomatoe sauce or pasta sauce,make sure you add some sauce to the ground beef along with the egg and milk to keep it moist. I do not use any bread crumbs or it is too dry. I make small meat balls and bake in a high oven 450 for 5-10 minutes depending on the size just till cooked. They can also cook some more in the sauce if you'd like. I freeze them in small one serving containers in sauce. Also remember to eat slow, take one small bite,chew, chew, chew wait two or three minnutes before the next bite. Good luck, and email if I can help you with any other recipe ideas. I love to cook and have had a great time comming up with some new recipes with the things I can eat, and enjoy. Mary L

Tavia, This might sound not so good, but it really is. I love mashed potatoes. I boil two medium sized ones and mash ( I have a chopper i mix to get a real smooth consistency) and mix some fat free milk, low sodium, low fat chicken soup broth and I 'can't believe its not butter spray. I then rewarm up and add some cottage cheese on it. You'll have some left over. I just refridge to eat at another time. You will get your protein in too It is really good. I hope you find some suggestions you can tolerate. I am sure you will. Take care!! Andrea

Tavia: First I am glad to hear your talking to someone about your issues. Secondly do you or have you EVER done whey protein shakes? My opinion is your body is starving in DIRE need of nutrition (from what you say) and one sure way to get it in w/o eating is protein shakes, the predigested whey protein. If is not needed to be digested (or chewed!) and IN addition to retraining to eat I'd be doing 3 minimum (30g each) and probably 5 a day quite frankly to get self back in shape nutritionally..... Think about joining the grad or protein group they can guid e you from many who came back form a bad malnourished place themselves! Really the philosophy of many surgeons is 3 thirty gram whey shakes a day for any proximal surgery in addition to food! (which in yur intestinal poor state yu may not absorb much from anyways!) Are u on vits? iron? B12? Calcium???? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG-Protein/ Wishing you well. and hoping you dont need a takedown/reversal. Take Care, Jamie Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh 320/163 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/profile.php?N=c1132518510 "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"

Hi Tavia, Here's a really yummy protein snack I just learned about: Take part skim ricotta, sprinkle a little nutmeg, some cinnamon, splenda, and a splash of vanilla. Mix well. It's a sweet dessert type protein treat, really yummy. You can put a dallop of cool whip on top if you tolerate that ok. Also, any creamy soups? Chicken? Chowder? I wish you all the best, Hugs, Amy

If you like cottage (I like the friendship 1% milkfat whipped!)/ricotta cheese, try adding a little unsweetened jello powder to 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and let it chill a few hours or over night. I love this for breakfast with orange jello. I use about 1/4 teaspoon of jello powder. ~~~~~~~~ Another one that is good is Peanut Butter-Chocolate Ricotta Crème Two servings. 1 cup low fat or part-skim ricotta cheese 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 or 3 packets Splenda 1/2 to 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter 1/2 to 1 tablespoon baking cocoa (or 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate syrup *wal-Mart carries) Mix as desired, put in 2 serving dishes, chill, and serve. If using chocolate syrup, you can pour on top instead of mixing in, if desired. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No Flour Splenda PB cookies: 1 c. peanut butter the equivalent of 1 cup sugar (use Splenda) 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla Cream peanut butter (I use crunchy) and Splenda. Add egg and vanilla. Shape into 1 1/2" balls. Flatten with fork to 1/8" thick on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees until lightly browned about 10 minutes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Protein Fudge 2 cups your favorite chocolate protein. 1/2 stick melted butter 4 ounces lowfat cream cheese 1 or 2 tbs good powdered chocolate powder (Ghirdelli) 1/2 to 2/3 cup splenda. Chopped nuts Melt the butter and cream cheese together over medium heat, mix in the protein and other ingredients. ) Mixture will be very stiff, so you gotta work at it to get it blended, add a dash of sugarfree syrup (hazelnut, coffee, etc.) if it gets too stiff. I roll it up in saran wrap and let harden then cut into about 18 pieces. Approx. 80 cals each. This is delish! And I think better quality than most of the protein bars out there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Protein Muffin recipe ½ cup. Wheat gluten ¼ cup whey protein powder ¼ cup flax meal ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. baking powder Dash of salt 2 tsp. cinnamon ½ cup no sugar added applesauce ½ cup egg beaters 1 tsp. vanilla ¾ cup splenda 1 to 1 ½ cup of shredded zucchini or ¾ cup of pumpkin 1/3 cup of almond meal (you can buy almond meal or grind almonds down to look like flour) Mix all together and put in 12 muffin cups and bake for 20 -25 min. 350 degrees. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mock Oatmeal 1/2 C Ricotta Cheese 1 pk. splenda 1 egg 1 cap maple flavoring Mixing. together and microwave 1min 30 sec to 2 min, stirring after 1 minute. The maple smell is wonderful. The texture looks kind of funky, but it tastes good, and is a great protein breakfast that isn't just EGGS! ------------------------------------------------------------ Mock Grits 1/2 C Ricotta Cheese 1 egg Shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt and butter to taste. Make in the same way as the Mock Oatmeal. ------------------------------------------------------------ Mock Danish 1 egg 1 oz. cream cheese 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 pks splenda cinnamon to taste spray oil Spray small skillet. Beat egg and 1 pk. splenda. Cook over med. heat. Do not stir--let cook. If the middle doesn't cook through, you may flip. (One pan I have to flip, the other I don't?!) Mix cream cheese, splenda, and vanilla. When egg is done, spread mix over egg and roll up. Sprinkle any leftover mix and cinnamon on top. It is like a dessert! ------------------------------------------------------------ Mock Cinnabon 1/2 C. cottage cheese 1 pkt. splenda tsp cinnamon few pecans Blend with fork. Put in microwave to take off chill. You have to close your eyes and just focus on the cinnamon flavor. -------------------------------------------------------------- Almond Ricotta Créme Ingredients: 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/4 tsp almond extract 1 package sugar substitute 1 tsp slivered toasted almonds Description: Mix together the ricotta, almond extract, and sugar substitute in a dessert bowl. Serve chilled and sprinkled with toasted almonds. Serves: 2 Nutrition: Per Serving: 81 calories, 7.5 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 5.5 g fat, 3 g saturated fats, 78 mg sodium, 19 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber You can substitue many other flavor extracts to obtain different flavor. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Lemon Peel Ricotta Crème ½ c part-skim ricotta cheese ¼ tsp grated lemon peel ¼ tsp vanilla extract 1 pkg sugar substitute Mix together the ricotta, lemon peel, vanilla extract, and sugar substitute. Serve chilled. Makes 1 Serving Per Serving: 178 cal, 14 g pro, 7 g carb, 10 g fat, 6 g sat. fat, 38 mg chol, 0 g fiber, 155 mg sodium ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Take Care, Jamie Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh 320/163 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/profile.php?N=c1132518510 "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"

Hi Tavia, I've been eating a lot of mushy gushy foods lately because I don't tolerate the "harder" proteins at all. Cottage cheese with finely chopped peaches, sugarfree, fat free yogurts are really a lifesaver, a very small piece of sweet potato cooked and then mixed with either a small amount of cream cheese or Take control spread, salt and pepper of course, chicken and beef broth (not much protein but the whey drinks give me what I need). Eggs I don't do too often. Are you crushing your vitamins and calciums? I hated that but still do it once in a while. One thing that I can tolerate is the heat and serve bacon cooked really crispy. I then take really small bites and chew really well. It's a nice break from the dairy products. Also tuna with light mayo, maybe a tablespoon at a time. Hope that all of these suggestions can be of some help. Hang in there, and don't even think about going back! You will succeed, it's still early and your still in a recuperating stage. Keep posting to let us know how you are doing!!! LindaM

Hi Tavia, Have you tried yogurt, I use the Dannon lit and Fit creamy or Fage Greek yogurt ( I get that at Trader Joes, my favorite store). The greek yogurt has no flavor so you can add some mix ins - Vanilla extract, splenda, a few grape nuts, ( I let them soften a bit in the yogurt). It really is good. Also oatmeal with unflavored protein powder added. My favorite is Silver Palate thick and rough oatmeal, I add extra milk to thin it out. My family is afraid of it ( I think the name scares them.) I also eat hard boiled egg whites, hate the yolks. Like you I like cheese also. I buy the baby bell light cheese and the pollyo cheese sticks and keep them in the frig at work. Are you able to go to any support groups? I go to one in my nutrionist, Dori's office the second Tuesday of the month. The surgeon (not our surgeon) that she works closely with is also there, Dr. Gabriel is very nice and answers a lot of questions. I also go to Good Sam's support group, every other Saturday morning when I can. Its nice to talk to people going through the same things you are. I know your problem was unique and not many people would be able relate to it. But you may be able to get ideas from other people on food choices and suggestions. I find that they always put me in a better frame of mind and help to keep me focused. Talk to you soon. ~ Laurie