OMGoodness..THAT was painful.

Hi!! I'm an old newbie.  I had vertical sleeve gastrectomy back in 2012, lost 110 pounds and then developed what they thought was thyroid cancer and removed my total thyroid and parathyroids in May.  My TSH level jumped to 84.0 when it's supposed to be below 4.9 and that threw my body into a tailspin of gaining weight, flu like symptoms, sleeping for 20 hours at a time.  It has taken MONTHS for my endocrinologist to get my level down to 5.9, which is still high, but we're getting there.  Anyway, I was gaining up to 5 pounds a week due to the thyroid issue and managed to gain back about 40 of the 110 pounds.  I then developed severe reflux issues that needed surgical intervention immediately. Since my esophagus stopped working, I was not a candidate for the Lynx procedure to fix the reflux issues and my surgeon recommended Roux en Y to fix the hernia and esophageal issues.  Without hesitation, I agreed to the surgery and had it within a week of him recommending it.  I had the revision from vertical sleeve gastrectomy to Roux en Y on October 26.  I have been in massive amounts of pain due to internal bruising and have been unable to care for myself adequately but of course I'd do it all over again because I know I need to get this excess weight off.  Without my son and my husband, it would have been a nightmare though.  I lost 10.5 pounds the first week and have only lost about 3.5 pounds over the past 2 weeks.  I'm not able to walk much yet so I'm not getting exercise.  I'm not taking in a whole lot of protein yet either.  I'm just not finding it palatable at all.  I'm getting in 1 scoop a day at best but I am putting it in milk so I'm getting about half of what I need to be getting.  I will work up to a level that I can tolerate eventually.  I am taking all my vitamins though, so I'm not completely screwing up.  Anyway, the point of my post is to say that I had four tiny bites of salmon scrambled with an egg night before last.  It was my first night on pureed foods and it was recommended on my list of foods that I could eat.  It sounded delicious so I asked my mama to fix it for me.  I didn't feel any restriction and then all of a sudden after bite 4, I started salivating, I felt nauseous and was hurting in my chest. For about 30 minutes afterwards, I felt like the food was stuck in my upper chest and I kept wanting to burp or something.  I honestly can say that I never want to eat salmon again.  Haha!  So, what did I do wrong?  Did I eat too quickly? Did I eat the wrong thing?  Was it not moist enough?  Should I avoid fish for a while longer?  I'm back to eating zucchini because it goes down well and I love it.  It's not a protein rich food but at least it's palatable and goes down without pain or problems.  

Lastly, why would I not be losing much and is this a common thing?  I remember back when I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, I lost at a slower pace but it was a steady pace.  I expected the loss to be faster with Roux en Y just because I'm comparing myself to everyone else (which I know we're not supposed to do) and I expected to lose faster than this.  I've been going back and forth from the same 2 to 3 pounds for over a week and a half now.  It's very frustrating.  VERY FRUSTRATING.  

Also want to add that I don't "get" this.  Everyone talks about how they're only able to eat a teaspoon or so of food and here I am able to eat ounces of zucchini or cream soup, et cetera at one time.  Is this because it's not a dense food?  Is it because it's basically a liquid or what? Since I'm eating pureed food, should I still be getting only a couple of ounces at one time no matter what?  I don't feel hungry but I want food so I know it's a mental thing on my part.  I just don't really know how to best proceed when I'm not feeling restriction from what I'm eating.  Will the restriction come with "real food"?  What if I never feel restriction?  I'm thinking about trying a scrambled egg for breakfast and hoping that it won't cause pain.  Should I eat like 2 bites and wait for a period of time to see or just eat the egg and see what happens? I'm so unsure of myself with the Roux en Y.  I was used to the vertical sleeve gastrectomy and knew what to do and when to do it but this seems so different somehow.   

Congrats on in the fresh start,  and I'm sorry for all the crap you've gone through. 

I'm only 3 month postop, so I'm by no means a vet, but I recognize what happened with the egg & salmon. That is what happens when we eat too fast or don't chew well enough.  Food gets stuck in your stoma and you couldn't enemy swallow saliva. It's horrible.  I've had of happen a few times and try to be conscious and chew well and eat slow.

As for the amount you can eat,  it's because zucchini and soup are very soft and can slide right through your pouch. You should get into the habit now if weighing and measuring everything.  In a few more weeks you'll be moving in to more solid foods and the nerves in your pouch will begin to heal and wake up,  and you'll feel more restriction.  

Ithink you are at the 3 week mark which is notorious for a weight loss stall.  I got it,  most everyone stalls around 3 weeks, but the loss will continue.  

Oh and I believe that revisions don't always lose as fast,  bit you'll have to ask the revision berry's for all that info.  

Best of luck and I look forward to seeing you around the forums. 

Sorry for the typos,  I'm on my phone and rushing.  I hope you understood all of that.  

Hi Michelle, Congrats on your revision. Sounds like you have had a really hellish ordeal! A few things...

First, did your surgeon talk to you at all about the difference between a revision surgery and a first time surgery? Your body is going to fight a second major weight loss. It will happen if you stick to plan, but revisioners are always slow losers. 

Second, are you getting in 60-80oz of fluid a day? At this early stage fluids are more important than protein. But if you become dehydrated you'll get very nauseous, which makes getting protein in even harder. It's a vicious cycle, so don't get behind.

Third, salmon happens to be a food my pouch hates. I have no idea why, but I just can't eat it without the same reaction. If your pouch "rejects" a food, just stay away from it for awhile and slowly try it again in a few months. There are lots of foods that people can't tolerate at first--it's often chicken and eggs. Since you had salmon and eggs together it could be one or both that didn't work. Take it slow and try new things one at a time.

Fourth, yes--you are not full because these are liquids, and going through you, instead of filling the pouch. I also suspect that revisioners have a different restriction at first. It's a common theme if you read these boards. Head over to the revision board to read a lot more.

Last, 3 week stalls are the most asked question on these boards. Totally normal and it will pass. Sometimes it passes in a week sometime it take a lot longer. Your body is freaking out and will hold onto whatever it can until it recognizes that this is the new normal. And combined with the revision status, it will be slow. But take a deep breath--this will happen!

Good luck!

There are so many questions in here, but I will try to answer the best I can.

1.  what you experienced after eating the salmon and eggs is called "the foamies" -- I used to get these in the beginning.  It's caused by eating too fast, not chewing enough, eating too much (even one bite can do it) or by particular foods that the pouch just isn't ready for yet.  Tuna was a big offender for me -- I have no idea why.  Another was cucumber (this was 6 months out) --- it's a miserable feeling.  The best thing I found to deal with it, was NOT to drink, to lay down, and let it pass.  Sometimes, vomiting was the only thing that would help.  I also tried papaya enzymes.  However, the real best way to deal with it is to slow down, stop before you are "full" and put off foods that cause this for a while and try again.
2. People do not lose as quickly with revisions. People who are not meeting their protein goals lose slowly.  
3. You will not feel restriction or have very good weight loss eating cream soups, etc.  They are full of calories and do not have protein.  If you can eat soups then you can be swallowing protein.  That will speed your weight loss.  Restriction is felt with denser foods and after your nerves heal.  The fact that you had the "foamies" means you do have restriction.  Eating zucchini is a waste of pouch space -- there is no protein and little nutritional value.  

This, exactly.

You received great advice so far. I just want to add that I have problems eating eggs for breakfast. Eating heavy things too early in the morning always causes problems for me. But I could handle eggs for dinner not too long after surgery. So maybe try them for dinner instead.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice.  I didn't realize that revisions lose slower than first time surgery.  That sucks! I'll head to the revision board.  I didn't even know there was a revision board on this site.  I have an awful lot to learn.  Because my surgery was unplanned and happened so fast, I didn't have a lot of time to read up and research all of the pertinent issues beforehand.  

I'll definitely be avoiding the salmon for a LONG time after the other night.  I thought I chewed slowly and very well so maybe my pouch just doesn't want me having salmon just yet.  :) I'll find something else higher in protein and try eating that.  I was able to eat a scrambled egg for breakfast this morning without issue so it was most definitely the salmon OR the fact that it wasn't chewed properly.  

Sorry you've been through so much.  What choice do we have but to keep trying.  Like you, I have an awful lot to learn and that's why I keep coming back.  My bowel obstruction surgery was emergency so understand the unplanned/fast part.  I wish I would have asked the WLS to check out how the pouch looked--maybe he did and didn't mention it.  The day after surgery he did say, "you really need to get your excess skin removed."  I was in no mood to hear about yet another surgery so just gave him a "whatever look."  Re: your salmon experience...I have good/bad days re food and haven't figure it out.  Could it be chewing, swallowing, too fast, quality of food, dehydration, time of day, stressed, un-stressed (scratch that one-always stressed about something). A friendly suggestion when you are having a stuck feeling...chewable papaya enzyme or going for a short walk...both seem to help me. You are strong.  You are brave.  You are awesome.