Mistakes were made

Friends, this post is gonna get gross, be warned!

I am close to 7 weeks out, and as I'm feeling better, I've been trying to integrate new foods...and many of them didn't go so great. I've experienced three different kinds of bad reactions and I had a hard time figuring out what each one was (I'm still not 100% sure!) but I wanted to share what I've experienced so if anyone else finds themselves in the same boat, you know what to expect. I'm going to be totally honest, so it's gonna be gross.

1. Tried natural peanut butter and it was either two oily or I tried too much. It took about half an hour before I realized there was a problem. I was nauseous and had diarrhea for about half an hour. I couldn't drink any water afterwards, my guts were just too sensitive, but I was generally ok afterwards.
2. Tried some chicken that was too dry and it got stuck. I realized something was wrong while eating, so I stopped, but it took a little while for the pain to really start. It started with a stuffy, runny nose, then it turned into burping up foam. The pain in my pouch was just awful, like it was being squeezed by a giant fist. It slowly turned to nausea, and I discovered that we don't vomit like we used to. Foam and slimy saliva, but no stomach contents (this might have been because the food was stuck, i don't know) It took over 3 hours of little foamy barfs. It didn't start to get better until I finally barfed up some sour acid. After all that, I felt ill and exhausted for the entire next day. The only thing that helped was walking - I read that papaya enzymes might help, but obviously wasn't really in a state to go find some! I spoke with a nurse and she said you just have to wait and get it out.
3. Today, I think I dumped. It was insane. I have been really struggling with head hunger the last few days, and I decided to have a quarter of a quest protein bar after dinner even though I wasn't hungry. Old habits die hard - but I'm not super inclined to repeat the experience. Here's what happened: started with the stuffy, runny nose within 15 minutes of eating. Quickly turned to nausea, and within 5 minutes of the nausea starting, I got extremely dizzy and light headed. My entire body went ice cold and I started sweating. Everything sounded like I was in a fish bowl, and the scariest thing was, I couldn't see. It was like my vision tunneled into blurryness. I couldn't stand up straight, I was so dizzy I had to hold onto a counter, and my brain just went weird. I was in my kitchen and couldn't figure out how to open a drawer! Then I retched once (didn't barf) and it all just stopped. It was HORRIBLE but thankfully short lived...at least I think it was, I couldn't tell you how long it was, my brain was basically shut off.

Ok, that was super long and probably TMI, but I hope it helps make someone feel a little less scared if any of these things happen to you. They all SUCKED, but I survived to live another day and so will you!

Sounds like all three things you experienced is dumping. Perhaps youre not chewing enough or eating too quickly?

Im over a year out and still have to remind myself. Also make sure youre spacing your water out after you eat. Hope this doesnt happen again

Hmm maybe...I definitely struggle with seperating water and food. I'm going to keep working on it and going slow...and I'm going to cross every finger and toe to never experience it again!!

It sucks when we find out the hard way eh? Well the good news is you are finding out what different food to avoid for now and you can try then all down the road again in a few months.

Your PB experience, I think you had mild dumping from the carbs and fat. Severe dumping would have happened in minutes and you would have had diarrhea and vomiting, sweating for hours. Carbs act like sugar in our bodies. This was just too much for your new insides to take. I don't eat a lot of PB now at 4 yrs out mostly because its loaded with calories and I much rather eat some steak for that amount of calories. Try it again in a few months and try to eat it with some protein, like mix a tsp of PB in your yogurt but not alone.

As for food getting stuck, yup its horrible. In 4 years I have had food stuck 3 times. Each time I wanted to die!!!!! It feels like a heart attack. Its just down right nasty. I don't vomit anymore either. Its just hours of pain and foam/saliva. I find that walking as much as I can through the pain helps and it just works it self out sooner or later. I will tell you though that it makes me chew the hell out of thing because getting food stuck is the worst. Glad you are okay now! Chicken needs to be super moist, so bbq sauce or something from a crock pot.

Your Quest bar episode was not dumping, that was RH. Google Reactive Hypoglycemia. It happens to a lot of us post surgery. I have had it a few times. Quest bars are known to be high in carbs, carbs = sugar in our bodies. Your body went into shut down mode due to the carbs. RH is nasty. Its an overwhelming tired, shaky, light headed, dizzy, nauseous, and cold sweats. A lot of people try to keep some protein & fat with them for when RH hits. So a cheese stick or nuts, yogurt, jerky (bu****ch the sugar in some jerky).

Lots to figure out, keep coming here and posting. Hope you are feeling better now after all these episodes.

Thanks so much, I have never heard of reactive hypoglycemia - I've been thinking everything was dumping, but the symptoms didn't really make sense - that's why i posted this, I figured other people were probably struggling to figure these things out too

Hey Swiggum, I remember the first times as well mine was edamame beans. Why I even thought they would be okay is still beyond me. I also react to regular and natural PB but have been successful with the Kraft "unsweetened-unsalted" it has a blue label and lid. If it is any consolation it happens rarely now at four months out and when it does I have better coping than thinking I am going to die. I find that being bent over a cushion seems to help me but nothing except an understanding family and schedule will help with the massive emptying of the bowels that seems to take hours. TMI I know.

I'm glad to hear it gets better! I know a lot of it is going to be trial and error for a while, but man it sucks when most of the trials end with feeling like you're going to die!

Wow! So much info on this post, thanks for all the advice and I will be spending a lot of time reading posts as surgery will be coming soon.

This forum has been a real lifesaver for me - everyone is really helpful and forthcoming! Ever got a question, just ask - people here are really great at helping each other out :)