Question:
I have no appetite, no thirst and no energy.
I had my surgery on 10/29/02. Since that time I'm lucky if I'm able to eat 4-6 oz per day, and drink maybe 8-12 ozs of water or Kool-Aide per day. And, I just can't seem to make heads or tales of my doctors printed eating instructions. I have a 1 ounce stomach, and the instructions say to eat 6-8 ounces of food per hour - how can I do this with a 1oz stomach? And what about water? Do I drink with the meal, before the meal, or after the meal? If so, then how long? And, how much? And, as if that weren't enough I have 4 herniated discs in my back and take pain medication for them, so I'm sure they aren't helping the situation. Someone please help me, I'm not an idiot, but I feel like I'm just absolutely lost here. — Susan C. (posted on November 16, 2002)
November 16, 2002
We've had different types of surgery so I can't answer most of your
questions, BUT--dehydration is extremely serious! It can land you back in
the hospital for transfusions; hope it has not done so already. You MUST
drink your water! Just sip sip sip all day. Carry that bottle wherever you
go and drink one or two sips every few minutes. Dehydration also causes
lack of appetite and energy, and can cause confusion too. Please call your
doctor right away to get your other questions answered, and post here to
let us know how you're doing. Good luck!
— Chris T.
November 16, 2002
I had my surgery two days after you so we're in the same boat.
I have very little appetite too - UNLESS I eat some carbs
like mashed potatoes which isn't what I allow myself to eat
most of the time. I'm only allowed to eat mushy foods
right now. It's hard to get all your water in - I'm averaging
around 40 ounces a day. You need to keep a jug of water
with you wherever you do and sip, sip, sip! Have you tried
baby food? It's really quite good and the size is just
right - 4 ounces! And yogurt with protein powder stirred
in is good too. I try to eat that at least twice a day. I'm
sure both of us will get better on our eating as time
goes on. Make sure to take your vitamins - I take two
children's with iron a day plus b-12 right now. Hang in
there and write me if you need someone who's in the exact
same stage as you! :-)
— Pamela R.
November 16, 2002
Hi Susan.....gosh you sound overwhelmed, and I have SO been there! Believe
me when I tell you this gets better and easier. You have lots of
questions, but the most important one I (NOT a physician) would focus on is
on immediately getting your water intake up tremendously. Sip water all
day every day. You have to get in that huge amount of water that I'm sure
your doctor orders, or you will play havok with all your systems. If water
is not working for you, try diluted Crystal lite, or ice chips, or warm tea
or Pedialite, again diluted. Just do whatever you have to do to get your
liquids in.
Yes, you have a one ounce pouch, and you cannot put more than one ounce of
food in there (don't drink liquids for one hour after you eat), but liquids
go in and out of your pouch must quicker, so stay with it! Carry you water
bottle everywhere you go. I drink a whole bottle while I am at this
website! I reward myself with visiting here, but have to drink my water!
I cannot tell you how important it is - 8 oz a day is about a tenth of what
your body needs! You can go without food for a long long time, but you
will die without water!!
Good luck!
— Scarlett A.
November 16, 2002
It took me a good 2-3 months post-op to be able to get in 68 ounces of
water during the course of the day (or Crystal Lite, or whatever) in per
day. It just was nowhere near possible in the beginning. But, it does get
better. Try popsicles as well as liquids -- freeze your Crystal Lite, or
Sugar-Free Kool-Aide, as well as drinking it. And that rule about eating
6-8 ounces of food *per hour* cannot be correct. (Nobody does that,
whether they're WLS or not.) You poor thing! They should've made it clear
what you can and can't do in the early weeks versus the early months (it
changes). The previous poster is right about the importance of avoiding
dehydration -- just work at that as much as you can. As far as food intake
goes, get a realistic guideline from your doc as soon as you can. And
remember that an ounce of pureed food goes down, and through, differently
than an ounce of something denser like meat (which you're nowhere near
ready to eat). By the same token, liquids pass through much, much faster
(but again, it takes awhile even for that to happen after surgery). Hang
in there!
— Suzy C.
November 16, 2002
You've gotten some wonderful responses today. At your stage postop, I was
practically living on sugar free jello and egg drop soup. Your body is
going through some MAJOR healing. You ahve a lifetime to get used to a new
you. It is overwhelming at times, just do what you can do and several
weeks from now, you'll see a big difference from the way you're feeling
today.
— Marti R.
November 16, 2002
Please, please, please get your water in at all costs. You need a minimum
of 64 oz per day. Sip, Sip, Sip all day long--EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL
LIKE IT. Dehydration can land you back in the hospital, drain your energy
and cause problems I don't want you to have to deal with. Keep in mind
fluids flow in/out of your pouch very quickly. So keep sipping. The only
time you stop is 20-30 minutes before/after a meal. Then you start again.
Next, get your protein in. Set up a schedule for eating and stick to it.
Use liquid protein if you have to but get it in. It will help you heal and
not lose muscle mass. And get back to your surgeon and make sure something
isn't wrong.
— Cathy S.
November 16, 2002
Susan, as the others have said, regardless of whether you are thirsty or
not, keep sipping that water all day long. Stop 15 minutes or so before a
meal and don't drink again until 30-45 minutes afterwards. Though it
doesn't mean too much to you now, its a habit you need to develop for when
you are eating more further down the line. Its to keep the food in your
tummy longer to give you that full feeling and not wash it out with
liquids. As for food, you have no energy because #1 - you had a major
surgery just a few weeks ago, and # 2-your not eating enough to give you
any energy. You'll find that when you get to soft foods, like eggs and
tunafish, and solid foods, the energy does come back. For me, that was
around 4-5 weeks. Exercise helps too. I know you have the herniated discs
(i am dealing with 1 right now) but if you can walk, it does help. Hang in
there- it does get better.
— Cindy R.
November 16, 2002
Susan--I know its tough at the beginning cos you really aren't hungry but
you need to get as much protein in as you can---and real important--stay
hydrated with water. Take your childrens complete vitamins perhaps in the
am...the sublingual b12 1 time a week and your calcium supplement perhaps
in the evening (dont take the calcium and vitamins together--iron &
calcium cancel each other out). I dont know about the 6-8 pz portions your
surgeon has told you to do as you have a 1-2 oz stomach now (some surgeons
make the pouch bigger but most make it 1-2oz). My surgeon basically
advises his patients to eat 60-75g of protein each day and 64 oz of water
but in the beginning he knows that it is difficult so he advises to do as
much as we can. So that's my advice to you---listen to your body---eat
very slowly--dont drink for at least 30 minutes before/after you eat and
you'll do fine!!!!
— Bambi C.
Click Here to Return