Will I ever feel normal again?

I found that cooking them soft, or adding something like a wedge of laughing cow cheese, really helped.

As others have said, hold off on the eggs for a while and try them again after you've had success with some other food stages. I couldn't stomach eggs until after other soft foods and chicken was sitting well on my sleeve, then eggs were OK with my prissy sleeve again. My surgeon said about half of her patients can't handle eggs during puree/soft foods, but can handle them OK later on, she's not sure why.

Most other foods were OK with my sleeve, but I did find I had to introduce stuff slowly and had to be very careful with amounts... just a little to start with. It seemed like I couldn't possibly be eating enough to sustain a human being. But I kept drinking my protein shakes and eating a little here and there, and it kept getting more "normal" every day.

I eat pretty normally now, just a lot less than I used to. I still have to be REALLY careful about the "one too many" bites and eating too fast, but I can eat pretty much whatever I want. I still have to remind myself to eat, and there are a couple of things my sleeve still gets prissy about. But I'm so glad I did this, it's been so good for my health. I have several chronic conditions, so I'm not 100% yet, but I'm getting there, and I wouldn't be this far along without the sleeve.

Just go easy with yourself. Concentrate on fluids and protein, and introduce the other foods very slowly and in small amounts. Some people have to advance a lot more slowly than other people, but most still get to a "normal" place in the end. You'll be fine, and it DOES GET BETTER.

Hi!

Thank you so much for your response, I really appreciate it! And I love that you refer to your new stomach as your "Prissy sleeve!" That is brilliant and I'm stealing it if that's OK!

I have read from a lot of people that they cant handle eggs, I would love to know the reasoning behind it but cant seem to find that answer anywhere! But I pray I can eat them again someday because I love them!

I know I need to get better about getting my liquids and proteins in - I am trying to put protein powder in just about everything I eat and drink. I think it also helps with weight loss, or that's what I read anyway........

Thanks again for your post, and I hope that you are doing well and feeling well - its great to have so much support and while we are all at different stages, I feel like we are all really in the same boat and we want each other to succeed.

Take care and best to you!

XO

Nancy

Yeah, I'm doing great overall. There are days it's like having pregnancy nose, and certain smells will turn me off food entirely or I'll get queasy for no apparent reason... but it passes and it doesn't actually cause me to throw up so I chalk it up as an oddity and minor annoyance. And another opportunity to make a crack about "Miss Priss". (And yes, you're welcome to steal it.)

My theory on the eggs is that they actually tend to be fairly dry they way most of us cook them, and the protein is a more complex one than some of the other early proteins, so some of our systems don't take to it right off the bat. Per my doc, I waited until I was handling chicken breast again to try them again, and haven't had an issue with them since and I eat them regularly.

Hello,

i felt the exact same way for at least two months after my surgery. I was sleeved in April of last year. I felt sick all the time for at least 7-8 weeks. I was wondering why I ever decided to go ahead with the surgery. After about 2 months I slowly started to feel better and I started to be able to eat almost anything. I can now eat small amounts of anything. I still feel a little nauseous after eggs, chicken and thick protein shakes. I didn't have an appetite at all until about 4 months post op. Now I am hungry all the time. The only hard part is that you can't drink and eat at the same time. Sometimes I am so thirsty and hungry at the same time. I can honestly say that I wish I got the sleeve years ago. Best decision I ever made. I started at 245 and I am 5'8. I am 48 years old. I am now 160 and feel great. You will get past this and feel great in no time.

Three months post-VSG, and I can tell you, "Yes, it does get better." There is likely a lot of inflammation still going on with your sleeve so things still need to settle down and finish healing.

Your millage may vary, but already at three months I have adjusted to the "new normal" in a way I could not have even conceived of after only 30 days. Like you, I was still reeling from this massive change that was done to me.

I would also reiterate what others have said on this thread:

1. Pain is a good teacher. Recognize your "oh no, I only have one bite left" trigger and when you hit it, stop!
2. Keep up on your care team's recommendations. They really do make a huge difference (e.g. protein first, take your PPI, no water during meals, etc., 30 minutes per meal)
3. Chew your food and take tiny bites. Even at three months, I can pretty much eat anything I want as long as I take small bites (baby spoons are your friends) and chew to the applesauce consistency and take at least one minute between bites

While it might seem like radical changes and like it will never feel "normal" again, once you commit and tell yourself there is no going back, you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll fall in line and start enjoying eating again within the new constraints.

Hope this helps.

Hi Nancy! Everyone had given great advice already but have you tried a baby spoon? It's a humbling experience, but has really helped me slow down. Also, I started a huge puzzle just after my surgery that is quite difficult and when I'm ready to eat I sit down to my puzzle and after one tiny bite I have to find a couple pieces that fit before I take another bite. This has helped me to seriously slow down my eating process so I can think before each bite, "Am I full?" Maybe there's something that could help you do that too?

Anyway, hope this helps!

trust me, you will feel normal again! Better than normal. So much happened to your body. Many chemicals are even still in there such as anestesia. I personally have found that seeing a therapist that specializes in WLS is helpful and they're way easier to find than you woudl think. Ask your surgeon's office.

For me, 1 month post op was touch and go with foods and textures. I won't make a list of what didn't work. But here's what did!

Egg drop soup. It was easy to sip it off the spoon slowly and gave me some protein. It wasn't all broth so i felt full.

Ricotta cheese. At this point, it's fine to eat things liek that because you can barely get things in. So many patients who went before me told me their favorite thing to have was ricotta with marinara sauce. Be sure to heat it up in a small ramekin or something. Tastes a bit like manicotti!

Refried beans with some sour cream.

Again, really easy. Just popped it in the microwave in a small ramiken and topped with sour cream. you can also mash a bit of avocado.

Eat slowly. sip things that work. With water, try different temps. Even at 2 years out, sometimes ice cold water in the morning feels like I'm going to get sick.

Honestly if you find something that works and you eat it for every meal, just go with it.

I promise it gets better. Never wish for that weight back. You deserve to be healthy and happy. I sometimes have to remind myself what those first 2 months were like. I got so busy living a happier and healthier life, I forgot to check in with my old self.

In time! But just take a breath and realize you will be fine!

Hi!

Thank you so much! You were right - feeling better! Still not 100% but definitely better than when I originally posted! Now it seems I just suffer from indigestion! But yes, I have found that Mexican food is my friend, so I eat that a lot! Minus the chips and tortilla shells!

This is still such a hard process but I am getting there - better and better every day!!!

Thanks again soooo MUCH!!!!

XOXOX

Nancy

Hang in there, things will improve. Eat slowly and get fluids. Think ahead to the future. I could eat so very little for months. But I had accepted that I had to change my relationship with food for the rest of my life and have done so. I no longer dream of big amounts of fattening food. When you are further along you will find that there are many high protein low cal foods that are good to eat and satisfying. i do soup often. Its a comfort food. Try not to feel bad and concentrate on losing as much weight as you can. And you would not be normal with your 35 lbs back. Trust me, it is so worth it to not be fat for the first time in my life. gl and check in often. Go to a support group if you can. Food is not the most important thing in life. Diane S