portion sizes at 8-9 weeks

I have had a rocky start since surgery. I ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks with complications and wasn't able to eat very much at all during that time. I have been out for about 3 weeks and am still having problems with vomiting and the foamies. I have slowed my eating down and take a bite every 3- 5 minutes. Today, I ate 1oz. of turkey and a babybel for lunch. About a half hour after that, I took a few sips of a protein drink. I proceeded to get that painful pressure in my sternum and ended up vomiting. My fluid intake has improved, since I can drink more at this point in time and I am reaching 50-64 ounces of water/day.

My question is: how large were your portions at this point in time? I can't seem to eat more than 1-1.5 ounces of fish or deli turkey at a time. Any suggestions of how I might decrease the vomiting? I have been using an anti-nausea med before eating, which has helped, but I didn't use it today.

I am really behind the curve at this point in time and would like to improve my intake of real food.

Any suggestions?

I think real food is overrated. If you can drink and keep down protein shakes and other fluids at this point, I think I'd stick with that for a couple more weeks. You need to get your strength and nutrition back up to par. 1 - 2 oz of real food isn't going to help you at this point. Protein shakes, vitamins and lots of fluids for hydration. Just give it a little more time.

((hugs))

--gina

Thank you!!!! Major Mom to the rescue. I can tolerate the Premier shakes from Costco, so I can drink those during the daytime. I have been averaging about 1.5/day, so I'll increase that. I am barely making 400 cal/day. Most of the Nectar shakes gagged me.

In addition, I have had problems with vitamins. My D3 is liquid from BA, so that hasn't been a problem. I have liquid CA and BA chews that I am using more often, as my tolerance increases. I just bought a liquid multi-vit that I have to be careful, when I take it, so that I don't reguritate it. B12 is sublingual, so that has never been an issue. The B sublinguals from Vitalady gagged me, so I have a different one that I have been using.

I have recently been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, which my PCP said is r/t to the surgery. He started me on 4 weeks of iron transfusions, so I am hoping that will help. Tomorrow is week 3.

I will give it more time. I just wanted to be able to eat a little food, keep it down, and supplement with protein shakes. I'll focus more on the shakes, since I really need the nutrition at this point in time.

I'm with Gina on this - keep your calories and protein up (and that can be done easily with shakes), and just do what you comfortably can with dense proteins (meats and such).

At your stage, I was maybe 1-2 oz of actual meat, unless it was the canned Tyson chicken breast - that I could get down 2 oz consistently, but it's muushy stuff and not really dense.

At this point, I can do 3 oz of meat if it's chicken thigh, but beef is 2 oz if it's a filet, and I can only do about 1 oz of pork. You'll find your pouch has its own rules, and you just need to learn them, because they probably won't match the rules our pouches gave.

Best of luck - you will do fine.

Thank you!!! I need to focus on shakes for the calories and nutrition, and try bites of dense protein. I was able to keep down an ounce of salmon and deli turkey. I don't know how anyone can get enough nutrition at this stage, without using shakes.

So, at this stage 1-2 ounces is pretty common. I'll just be slower than the average person. The hospital stay really set me back.

Hi, I am glad you posted this because I had the same question!  I had my surgery a few days before you and ended up getting an ucler around week 5 or so.  I am just now getting in my 60 grams of protein via shakes and about 40 oz of water a day.  Sometimes I have greek yogart for breakfast, but I can only eat about 3 oz.  1-2 oz of meat like chicken is a struggle for me, so I have just been concentrating on the protein shakes (which fill me up so much that I dont want any food anyway!).  I would like to be able to get off the shakes because they are not my favorite, but there is NO way I could get enough protein in with just food.  So,... water for me, protein, vitamins , and hopefully some  day soon, real food!

Sorry to hear that you are also having problems. Helps to know that I'm not alone. I know a couple of people who had surgery around the same time that I did, or perhaps a month after, and they are able to eat real food. They do supplement with shakes, but they are miles ahead of me in the food dept.

I am so glad you asked about this!  I am a little over a month out and am really having a hard time getting much food in.  Luckily I haven't had the nausea, just discomfort.  I have been doing the Premier Protein shakes from Costo because they go down pretty easily.  My NUT wants me to do more food and less shakes, but it just won't happen now, not until I can eat more.

That is why I like this site so much.  I learn from other people's questions and I appreciate all the info that is passed along from those with more experience.

Beverly

I also drink the Premier Protein shakes from Costco, because they do down easily, although, it can take a few hours to get the entire thing down. The discomfort leads to me vomiting, even when I slow things down.

You are about a month after me, so your food intake would be lower. Before surgery, I did ask the dietician how long they recommended supplementing with a shake or two/day and she said about 6 months. The program encourages people to eat real food and to supplement until they can eat more.

I had surgery the same day as the OP. I am able to eat almost 2 ounces of dense protein at a time, but no more.

A typical day for me consists of a protein drink for breakfast, a string cheese mid morning, 2 ounces of chicken for lunch....maybe followed with a few lettuce leaves, a small snack of more chicken or cheese and crackers and then a couple more ounces of chicken for dinner. I occasionally have a no sugar added popsicle (40 calories) in the evening.

I'm getting 600ish calories, 70 or more grams of protein and no more than 40 grams of carbs a day. The 30 gm protein drink really helps. If I get hungry and need more (very rarely) I would have part of a second protein drink. I'm getting all my fluids in too.

I hope this helps and that your vomiting stops. I haven't had any.