I have some questions...

To bad there isn't a FAQ section here... but any who... I am 12 days post op and feel great. Actually on day 7, 1 day post drain removal I mowed my lawn with my push mower, took about an hour... I felt great. I have also had Sushi and been to several restaurants for fish dishes and was shopping at Wally World and Target the day I was released from the hospital. As of Saturday I was down 41 pounds from the week prior to my Surgery. I can't check presently as my GF has hidden my scale saying I was obsessing over it. So... Some questions. When can I try to mix 1% milk in with my Whey protein shakes? Since I can have peanut butter, is it a logical thought that I can have Peanuts as long as I chew them well? What is frothing? Do you guys have GasX in your pockets all the time too? Does anyone here wake up with severe dry mouth after surgery, but never before. I presently use a Cpap, but can tell I won't need it for long. I am getting in atleast 65 grams of protein a day, is it ok that a chunk of that comes from a protein shake in the morning? Also, with all this protein I have had mild constipation how should I take in fiber? Any help would be greatly appriciated, thanks!

I was mixing 1% milk with my ISOPure protein shakes as soon as I was home from the hospital. I eat peanuts, walnuts and pecans.  Just chew them well and don't over-do it.  They've got a lot of fat. Frothing (sometimes called "foamies") is when you eat too fast, don't chew well enough or you eat something that doesn't agree with you.  You'll feel like you have something stuck in your throat and like you really need to burp really badly.  When you try to burp, you'll throw up this foamy liquid.  It's pretty gross and really uncomfortable.  Just a word of caution, if you have this a lot, you might want to talk to your doctor.  I was having this problem every time I ate solid foods and it turned out to be a stricture.  Got it dialated and I'm able to eat whatever I want with no problems now. I don't have a problem with gas so far.  Much less than before surgery, actually. I have a dry mouth all the time, day and night. Don't know about the fiber, but I get most of my protein from shakes as well.  I also love the Strawberry/Kiwi Gladiator Smoothies from Smoothie King.  140 calories and 40 grams of protein in a 20oz shake and it tastes good. Best of luck, and congrats on the 40+lbs!  Feels good, doesn't it?!?!

Chris, Maybe some answers….. First, Welcome to The Men’s Room! Glad you found the place, And Congratulations on your smooth Start! Add milk back in to diet? If your doc says it’s ok, go for it. Try it once, and if it doesn’t give you extreme gas Or diarrhea, then You’re probably fine. If it Does, then wait a couple of weeks longer. Peanuts? If you are cleared by your doc for Peanut Butter, then chewing them well shouldn’t give you a problem. Don’t slip up, or you could get a chunk stuck in your stoma And you’d be the new authority on "The Foamies." (frothing) FOAMIES- The Slang Term for a condition caused when you plug your stoma with something And the saliva, and mucus produced in the esophagus linings And upper most portion of Stomach (the part used to make a pouch) No longer has an exit below so it comes out the one above. Can be caused by- Eating too fast, Not chewing well enough and swallowing something to big to go through the little hole (stoma) out of your pouch into you intestines. Bread is a bad one. Particularly soft bread. Even when you chew it well, Bread can "gum-up" and plug your stoma. Take a pinch of white bread and try to mu**** up in your fingers. Since your pouch isn’t adding stomach juices to the mix, this is the same thing Pretty much that happens to bread in your pouch. Makes a little ball. (this is why often Docs recommend Toast rather than Bread early on) Swallowing a pill can do it too for a few folks. The reason Most Docs recommend crushing pills early post-op Or opening capsules and taking with juice, pudding or applesauce. This tends to not be a problem further out Post-op. Meat (Dry Chicken or pork get a lot of folks) That is not chewed thoroughly Can plug in for quite a while. (Some at 5 years Post-Op can still have a Problem with dry meat) Many folks claim that sipping ho****er With Papaya Enzyme (buy at health food store) in it. Now the Papaya enzyme IS a good thing, And works however, It Only works on MEAT that's stuck. It doesn't break down carbs of any kind. It works by breaking down the muscle tissue in protein. So, lets say you get a hunk of bread or cheese stuck – It doesn’t do Squat! Carbs require a special set of enzymes to break down. If you have a Vitamin Shoppe near you, You can pick up a bottle of Nature's Plus Nutri-Zyme. It has enzymes specifically designed to help in the breakdown of carbohydrates (Amylase & Lipase ) (Works on proteins too with Papain ) and comes in a chewable wafer. It does have 3 grams of sugar - so if your SUPER sensitive to sugar, Not such a good trade of one problem for another. If you can't find it locally, The Vitamin Shoppe online carries it priced too. Now, all of this is predicated on having a problem after eating some solid food. If you start "kicking back" a shake? Or really mushy food? Have the Doc give it a look. This is the primary symptom of a stricture forming That is closing down the diameter of your stoma That leads from the pouch to the intestines. Fixable, but needs to be addressed soon. As for "normal" bout of the "Foamies?" Best way to avoid them- CHEW! CHEW! CHEW! Your food! And don’t swallow anything larger than a pencil eraser. GasX and gas? It is a big problem but only early on. Once your system heals up and gets used to mixing the digestive juices In a whole new way, the gas falls off. I had zero gas problems after the 6^th month. Severe dry mouth? That’s a hold over from the surgery. Work to get in more water still. Some folks even get a small case of "Thrush" or "Black Tongue" After surgery. Use a good mouthwash, frequently. While burning through the fat, your body is releasing Ketones In your saliva. That’s why so many have killer bad breath While in the fast losing stages. This too shall pass. That Protein figure sounds a little low. Get it from what ever source you can early on. It gets easier later. Constipation? One of those "clear-dissolves in water" fibers, like Benefiber Work great. Throw out any questions or thoughts as they pop up. Also, while you are still fairly fresh out from surgery? Don’t hesitate to give the doc a call. They are pretty good about getting back in touch with patients, Particularly early on. Keep up the great work! Best Wishes- Dx

Chris, I had pretty much the same experience with feeling good and being able to get out and do things as long as I did is slowly. Your energy will continue to increase, just don't pu**** too much. Concerning the 1% milk, I actually had better luck with Silk (soy milk) The taste is a bit strange at first, but the whey protein covers up the strangeness. Now, I actually prefer soy to regular milk. I had trouble with peanut butter and nuts at first. If I were you, I would give it another week or two. I was able to get rid of my CPAP about 2 months after surgery. I was very happy to get rid of that damned thing. Constipation was the same for me around the same point post-op you are in now. It eventually goes away. The gas issue goes away about the same time your constipation clears up. At least it did with me. HANG IN THERE!!!