Feeling lots of nausea & discomfort into postop week 3

My surgery was 8/8/18, and all went well. I'm starting on the soft & purée phase, but having nausea & abdominal discomfort in spite of eating small bites, and taking my time to eat. Feeling fatigued in the afternoons as well. Is this normal ? I don't have much of an appetite at all, almost feel like I'm forcing myself to eat... kind of worried... should I call my surgeon ? Any advice ?

Your body has been through a big ordeal! It is completely normal to feel fatigued. The body needs to recover, but is also adjusting to fewer calories than it is used to.

Nausea from eating new foods is normal. It is only not normal if you are in horrible pain when eating.

Everyone heals at their own rate. If soft foods are making you sick, go back to liquids and then introduce soft foods very slowly. There are no extra points for feeling sick. All I ate the first three months was protein shakes, broths, sugar-free jello, and sugar-free pudding with protein.

I never forced myself to eat.

I was not hungry at all and full of energy. That is how you want to feel, not nauseated.

I had surgery on October 15 and my first solid food was a one inch square of turkey on Thanksgiving. By January I had added things like tuna, fish, chili, and vegetable soups. A month later, I had my first salad and very tender steak.

I still avoid eggs and chicken.

Good share! Protein is your major concern so drinking those protein shakes give you your protein and part of you 64 min. oz. of fluids/water at the same time! Just take it easy, go with what works for your body.

dehydration causes nausea. Are you getting 64+ oz of liquid a day?

Getting liquid is your most important job right now.

You should feel free to call your surgeon any time that you have a concern or question.

There is a wide range of normal. Your body might not be ready for puréed yet. Or maybe the foods you have tried are disagreeing. Do you feel sick when you drink your water or your protein shakes? How much puréed food are you eating at a sitting (for me, I started with a tablespoon or even less at first). Maybe you just aren't ready to advance your diet.

Good news is: it won't be like this forever.

You say you're having "nausea & abdominal discomfort in spite of eating small bites". Maybe you need teeny tiny bites, at least for now. Some people dip the end of their spoon into the food, and then lick it.

Also, I found that protein shakes made me feel a little queasy unless I sipped them (tiny sips) very slowly.

You might consider going back to the previous phase for a day or two, until your stomach is happy again. Then try soft foods again, but only one new food at a time. If you tolerate your new food well on three separate occasions, then add it to your diet and move on to another new food.

As others have said, any time you feel something is wrong, go ahead and call your surgeon. (If you've been assigned a dietician, they might have more practical advice than the surgeon.)

Hoping you are feeling better today, Heather!