Need help with post op diet

I am 7 wks post op. The past 10 days or so I am throwing up just about everything I eat unless it is really pureed. I really chew and I eat slowly. I was fine before. Any suggestions from anyone? I could really use some help with this as I am going back to work soon.

Hi Elaine, sounds like the "Dumping syndrome" I have heard others tell so much about on AMOS sweety. Once we have the surgery we have to basically learn how to eat all over again. Some foods we were able to eat before we might have trouble eating after our surgeries. I am sure I will experience this as well. It is a process of elimination to find out what foods make you "dump" and what foods don't. Remember smaller meals as well. You could be eating to much hon. Hugs Mickey

Dumping is a little different...you get faint, sweaty etc. This is just a pain in my chest and then I have to throw up to make it end. Perhaps I think I'm eating slow but it's not slow enough. I have been reading the posts and keeping up with you Mickey. I hope you have your surgery soon, even with this recent problem of mine, I'm not sorry for a second.

I agree, that's not dumping. It could be that you're taking one or two bites too many and the food is getting "stuck". I remember that feeling of the pain in the chest, it's no fun. Also, if you're eating anything that's dry or overcooked, that seems to make it harder to go down. Things like chili go down easily. You might want to try adding sauces or gravies to your meats. Eat slowly and chew, chew, chew and give your body time to tell your head that you're full! And if none of the above helps, it's possible that you have a stricture. It's the most common of complications and happens when scar tissue forms and closes the stoma. They need to go in with scope to check that and if that's the case, they can dilate it at the same time. Usually when a person has problems keeping anything at all down, it's a stricture. Good luck!

Thanks Sandra. In your experience, did this go away or do you still get the "stuck" feeling sometimes? I think I eat too fast....a life long bad habit that I must curb. I'm trying, I'm trying.

I'm almost 15 months out now, and I don't get that "stuck" feeling anymore really. I notice that earlier on I felt "full" higher up in my chest rather than my stomach, and it was really uncomfortable. Maybe the pouch has stretched out a bit or maybe it was swollen because I now feel "full" lower in my body. I can still get full really quickly on some foods (like bread or pasta) but it doesn't feel stuck and I never throw up anymore. I probably threw up 5 or 6 times from months 2-6, but not once since then. Unfortunately, I've fallen back into the habit of eating too quickly sometimes, now that I don't have to worry about it so much! Still working on that one.

Hi Elaine, I am 4 weeks post op tomorrow (Monday) and I get the same exact thing. My chest hurts and it feels like the food doesnt even make it to my stomach. I have to go to the doctors on Tuesday the 23rd (Dr. Harrington) and I was going to mention it to him but I am a little nervous. I had my surgery done on November 17th. I am glad I am not the only one that is going through this. I too eat real slow and only a little bit but can't keep anything down. Sorry I can't offer any advice but if you get some hopefully it'll work. Do you know anything else about this stricture? Tammy

A word to the wise... Tell your doctor if you're having problems. None of us really are equipped to know if what we're going through is abnormal or symptomatic of something we're doing wrong. I can't stress enough how important it is to tell your doctor whats going on. Remember folks, they're the experts....thats why they're as rich as they are! After I had my own surgery in August, I've lost about 110lbs and i've never thrown up. There have been a few times when I ate too much meat too fast that I felt awful for several hours, but I've never vomited. One trick that I found really helped me was I took a chicken breast (cooked) and cut it up into pieces the size of a pencil eraser. Then, I took about half and mixed it into half a can of progresso lentil soup and microwaved it for about 3 min. The small size of the meat made me able to eat chicken, something which I hadn't been able to do before, and it was really good. Remember, eat slowly and chw chew chew. If that doesn't work then tell the doctor. Thats why you, or your insurance company, paid him. Good luck

Oh I did ask Dr. Roye about this. He said I probably wasn't paying enought attention to how I eat ( pace, chewwing, etc.)...I was asking my peers here for suggestions on how to deal, their experiences etc. We always should talk to our doctors about our problems --!! Thanks for your imput.