I just want some bread!!!!

Hi all, I'm really having a tough day. I'm finally able to eat food (since my endoscopy on the 7th). Yes, I actually went almost 2 full weeks without eating and only drinking the minimal amount to stay hydrated (it was too painful to do more). I was told my hook-up had almost completely closed. I have to go back on the 21st to have it done again to make sure it is staying open. Anywho, now that I'm able to actually eat and drink pain free, I am craving bread so bad. I just want to make a tuna salad sandwich or have one bite of a plain hamburger so bad!!! I read the label on my Captain John Derst bread here at home and it has sugar in it!?! Sugar in bread? I never knew that. So I go to Publix and every loaf of bread I picked up had sugar or corn syrup in it! Aughhhhh! Does anyone know of any brand bread that I can buy just to ease this craving? Even the whole wheat kind had sugar of some kind. Even biscuits have sugar, I can't win. Maybe this is the LORD's way of preventing me from having what I shouldn't huh? Ok, just had to vent, thanks for listening as usual. Robin

Hey Robin, I'm sorry to hear about your painful experience, but are you allowed to eat now considering??? You are allowed some sugars but it is up to your body to tell you how many it can tolerate. Just remember bread swells though, so if you take just a pinch that will probably take care of your craving and fill your pouch with minimal sugar in that pinch. Good Luck, Jennifer

Robin, I am so glad you are feeling better. You will need to be easy on the bread. Some people dump on carbs as well as sugar. I did find some bread that I have been able to tolerate. It is the Pepperidge Farm VERY thin slice. It is about 1/2 thickness of regular bread and about 3/4 the size. At this point it makes a perfect size sandwich for me. The whole wheat kind, for 3 slices, Cal 110, Fat 2g, Sugar 3g, Carbs 20g, Protein 4g The white bread kind, for 3 slices, Cal 120, Fat 1g, Sugar 2g, Carb 24g, Protein 4g Remember that is for 3 slices. So one slice is Cal 34, Fat >1g, Sugar 1g, Carbs 7g, and protein 1g of the whole wheat kind. But remember be careful, you are still really early out. I would suggest using only one slice and make your tuna sandwich. And take it slow. I was not eating bread until almost 6 mths out. I hope this helps Julie

They actually have some sugar free and low carb breads at Super Walmart, but please be careful. Bread is the one thing that makes me feel bad...even at over 10 months out! It feels like gooey gummy concrete sitting in my pouch! Plus you are so early out, you will not even be able to 1/4 of a sandwich before you start feeling that pain. Then it will have you not feeling like eating for the rest of the day! You don't need that with what you have been through the past couple of weeks. If you try bread, toast it. Or try crackers instead...or maybe a low carb tortilla (but chew really well.) A couple of times with that awful feeling after bread, and I don't really crave bread anymore. But then again...you may tolerate it well. That could be a blessing and a curse all at the same time. As always, be prepared when you try new things. Kathy

Thanks Jennifer, I'm still trying to understand the whole sugar thing. I'm so afraid to try anything with sugar if it is one of the first 3 ingredients(sometimes I'm afraid if it's in the food at all) . Dr.B is actually encouraging me to try to eat a bit more in an attempt to keep the stricture open. I really don't enjoy food at all anymore but I try to eat because I know I have to eat to live now. I'm learning what foods I can and can't tolerate at this stage and what just feels yucky once I get it down. I know that my beloved seafood just does not sit well with me anymore. I tried perch fish baked in the oven and another time I tried sea scallops (the really tiny ones with old bay seasoning) both felt terrible after just one bite. I couldn't eat anything else the entire day because of the nausea (even the anti-nausea meds Dr.B gave me didn't cure it). I want to be brave and try a salad or a wrap but I'm so scared that it may hurt going down or it may be something in it that doesn't agree with me and I won't know what it was. I really want a beef and bean burrito and I actually have some in my freezer but I'm too scared to eat it. I've had refried beans and they were great and stayed down but what about the tortilla wrap? That's like bread right? Will it blow up in my stomach and make me sick? I feel like such a basket case now when it's time to eat.

Bread? I don't know you are so early out...I stillhave a hard time with bread and I am 9 1/2 months out. I would try baked low fat wheat thins with your tuna on it. Trust me at just a few weeks out and the trouble you have had that little cracker and tuna will taste like heaven and not hurt. JUst remember to chew chew chew...I could only eat maybe 2 crackers w/tuna at 3-4 months out. At our support group here in Columbia area our nutritionist still cautioned us about bread. Glad you are doing better. In Him, Joan M

Hey Robin, Im only a month out but I crave bread also but Im too afraid to eat it. I went for my visit with Dr Bo and he told me I could start eating soft foods and he even metioned chicken!! Well I was so excited that I ran out that night and got me some, I had mabye 4 bites and WOW was I in Pain! It was unbearable to say the least and for 2 hours I wanted to die. after about and hour and half I started throwing up all kinds of yuk but not really that much chicken. Sorry I know it sounds nasty but I tell you what.... I never want that to happen again!!! I was doing so good this whole time and then WAM!! so now I like you are so afraid of eating. I dont know what to eat anymore so Im still eating my same old stuff like soup, cottage cheese, jello and IM so SICK OF IT LOL! well anyway I hope someday we will get to the point were we can eat something good finally. Well just wanted to let you know how Im doing, hope your doing better. Take Care and God Bless Denise

I know the feeling Denise, I'm still eating lots of the same stuff I ate during the puree stage as well. I did go ahead and cook the buritto but decided to only eat the beef and beans on the inside to play it safe. It was delicious and the little pieces of ground beef and beans helped me get over my craving to chew something a little. I've been staying away from chicken and meat altogether so far. I cheated during the second week of my puree and ate a rice size bite of pork chop which made me dump for about 2 hours. The pain from the vomiting was enough to scare me straight. I'll do meat last to play it safe. I am able to handle spam though for some reason. I cut a small slice then cut it in small cubes and about 3 or 4 cubes fill me up and the chewing is so satisfying. Stay in touch, maybe we can keep each other encouraged. I'm a month out now so we are on the same level of recovery. Talk to you soon. Robin

I SURE FEEL FOR YOU MS DENISE ... I'VE BEEN SICK LIKE THAT MORE THAN ONCE & IT "AIN'T" NOOOOOO FUN! REMEMBER, EVEN THOUGH YOUR SURGEON/DR KNOWS THE SURGERY END OF THIS JOURNEY, THEY REALLY HAVE NO WAY OF PERSONALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR POUCHES DO TO US ... WHAT WE CAN TOLERATE & WHAT WE CAN'T SO ANY TIME SOMEONE RECOMMENDS YOU EAT SOMETHING, BE SURE TO ASK HERE ON THE BOARD! CHICKEN IS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS TO EAT IN THE BEGINNING ... ALONG WITH OTHER HIGHLY-TEXTURED PROTEINS LIKE STEAK, ROASTS, HAM, PORK, ETC. I COULDN'T TOLERATE CHICKEN FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS (my pouch was very picky). YOU & MS ROBIN ARE JUST NOT FAR ENOUGH OUT FROM SURGERY TO BE ABLE TO DIGEST THOSE THINGS YET. START WITH SOFTER PROTEINS LIKE EGGS (SOME CAN TOLERATE EGGS, SOME CAN'T), FLAKEY FISH, GROUND BEEF (CHEWED VERY, VERY WELL & ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT ... JUST A COUPLE BITES AT MOST UNTIL YOU KNOW YOU CAN TOLERATE IT), SEAFOOD, CHEESES (THIS IS GREAT IN "SOFTENING" GROUND BEEF" SO IT IS MOISTER & EASIER TO DIGEST). IT IS ALWAYS HELPFUL TO ADD GRAVY OR A SAUCE, OR A SOUP BASE TO ANY PROTEINS. THE MOISTURE REALLY HELPS & BECAUSE YOU ARE ONLY EATING A COUPLE BITES, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE. SOUPS & STEWS WITH TINY PIECES OF MEAT & VEGES, COOKED VERY SOFT ARE ANOTHER WAY TO GO ... IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF BABY STEPS ... Y'ALL ARE DOING GREAT! KEEP UP THE GREAT EFFORT! GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICK

I think you all are right. I am only a month out and should probably steer clear of the bread for now. I think I'll use your idea of trying crackers. I'm sure if I put a dab of tuna salad on one or two crackers, that would make a great meal. This whole eating thing is just difficult. Thanks for always being there for me. Robin