I'm over it!

 

It’s been a little over a month since I had DS surgery. To be honest with you I am not sure I made the right decision. I have yet to see my dietitian through out this whole process. Thanks to some amazing women on here I have some idea as to what I should be eating, but I guess I never thought this process would be so hard and at times so overwhelming. I feel trapped. My husband and our three girls left for a winter retreat and I stayed behind due to eating. I seem to not be able to eat. I’m never hungry, and I do my best at getting in the protein but I’ll be honest I’m getting tired of eating the same crap all the time. Plus it seems like everything I do eat ends up with me throwing it back up. I’m frustrated and I wish there was an end in sight. I loose a few lbs. here and there but to be honest I don’t feel any different than I did before. Other than I can’t eat. My husband wanted to take me out for Valentines Day and I turned him down in fear of having to order something and not being able to eat it. I know I hurt his feelings, but I don’t know what else to do. Please tell me this gets better! I’m so emotionally drained…  

i am right behind you hon....I feel some of the same stuff as you. I trust these peeps on here. They say it will get better I HAVE to believe it will. Can't wait to see the replies. Just wanted you to know that you are not alone in this. Thank you for posting this....

Throwing it back up is NOT normal...call your surgeon and tell them.

It does take time but after a month I was beginning to feel almost normal. I still tired really easy and glad I didn't go on any trips but I could have handled dinner out if the menu cooperated. Would not have been worth it as I was still eating extrememly small portions but I could have.

At 2 months, I was more than normal feeling...had more energy than I knew what to do with. And by four months, I was eating most anything I wanted...just very small portions (I still eat small amounts even 2 years out).

What are you eating as to protein? Maybe others have suggestions you haven't tried yet.

When I throw up it feels like I have a knot in my stomach and I burp and out it comes. As for what I eat... cottage cheese, pre cooked chicken strips, slices of cheese, yogurt, meat balls, and little smokies. I also have protein bars from Atkins... and they seem to be the only thing that doesn't fight to come back up. It seem like I eat two bights of something and I'm done. I try to eat 4 to 5 times a day, but it's hard cause I'm not hungry. It's not like I want to run out and eat fast food, and junk, but to be able to sit down and eat a chicken lettuce wrap would be heavenly. 

Thank you both for your post. It's good to know I'm not the only one that feels this way. 

I only threw up when I ate too much.  Throwing up often IS NOT NORMAL recovery.  When you find out why you are throwing up let us know.  I have a ton of easy protein ideas but if you are throwing up you need to address that first.

~Becky

It does get better.  I'm a little more than 3 months out and things are returning to pretty much normal, except for smaller amounts and I focus on protein first and foremost, and try to limit what carbs I can.  It still feels like I'm constantly thinking about what to eat, when to eat, should I drink more, am I eating low enough carbs, am I getting enough protein - blah, blah, blah.  I can pretty much eat anything I want - some things go down better than others.  I never threw up (I'd rather give birth than throw up!!!!!), but I was close a couple times.  I ate ridiculously small amounts of food in the beginning, and never felt like eating, so I just did what I could.  I struggled to get in my liquids, and didn't even get close to 64 ounces until probably a couple weeks ago.  Then I was just all of a sudden able to drink more and eat more (and of course, then I was worried I was eating too much).

I think a goodmajority of people have buyer's remorse, but it DOES get easier and you WILL feel better.  Be kind to yourself and don't expect too much.  You have put your body through a LOT and it takes time.

I had the same remorse and regurgitation issues, then! I have no regrets only thanks and I rarely throw anything up except if I push that 1-2 bites too far and out it comes. So take heart and take it slow. You just rearranged your guts dear, it may take a minute or two to fully recover. I felt horrible and now 5 mos later I'm up and walking 10k steps a day with boundless energy. Everyone's recovery is different since "YMMV". Relax and give it a minute, it'll be worth the wait. Besides you definitely broke it so you absolutely bought it. Lol

At one month out, I felt like death warmed over.  I was not wild about the DS and I was so scared of what I had done and how hard it was going to be put it all back.

But it gets better.  It just takes a while to get back on your feet.  Some of us take longer.  I am 7 weeks out and I just started feeling as good as I did before I had it done.  I get tired easily (physically), I sleep more at night, but I turned the corner on feeling like dog doo.  And I'm 40 lbs lighter....

Relax, sleep, sip your water, exhale.

And get your 64oz of water in every day.  Being dehydrated can make you sick to your stomach and tired.  And you might need some acid reducing meds.  Call your doctor.

 

At one month I went through a period of throwing up and my surgeon made me go back to liquids to rest my stomach.  It worked.  After a few days on soup and juice I slowly started again. 

I am sorry that you feel left out of family time, I understand.  My husband is now (14 weeks out) used to how little I eat and when we go out I usually just have an appetizer but sometime I order a meal and take home leftovers.  I can still only eat about 1/4 - 1/2 cups of food at a time - slowly and with lot's of chewing!!  I think you foods might be a bit ambitious for 4 weeks, you may want to go to softer things and soup.  I lived on soup!  Shrimp is much easier on the stomach than things like sausage.

It really does get better - at two months I was pretty fed up but now at 3.5 months it is a lot better - I still have bowel issues and I eat many times a day, (pretty much all day). to get all my protein in.  I figure I can worry about regulating my meals when my body is regular again.

I do chart my foods most days, it helps to add everything up.  I have been using only chewable vitamins, etc. but plan to switch over to the Vita Lady DS program this week. I highly recommend buying the Bariatric chewable vitamins, iron, calcium, etc if you continue to have trouble with throwing up like I did.

Hang in there - it is going to get better.

A chicken lettuce wrap might not be in your near future, but you will get there.

As far as throwing up, you will need to assess why. If you try and drink while you are eating (and for me, that meant just one swallow), that may easily make you throw up.

I was up and down the first three months, but I had low expectations on a recovery period. Relax and enjoy the weight loss. You will be feeling better before you know it.