Question:
trying to live through first few weeks

I hear so much about not being hungry after the surgery. I am eating and drinking slowly, although probably a little more than an ounce every 15 minutes. I AM hungry, and can't always tell when pouch is "full". I am especially tired of all the "sweet" ways to get protein. How am I supposed to know if my pouch is full if it is still kinda sore, and how do I know if I'm stretching it? If I eat a few oz of something thicker, like soup, I still want something to drink. I am afraid of stretching pouch, but I don't like being hungry. I've even chewed a few small bites of the fam's meal, rice and chicken, with no adverse effects. I'm 5 days post op, my DR is on weeks vacation, and I am VERY confused and concerned. PLEASE HELP..and you can email me, if you want [email protected]    — Lori B. (posted on July 6, 2003)

July 6, 2003
I am 4 days pre-op, but I can tell you what I will be allowed to eat for the first 2-3 weeks: clear liquids until I leave the hospital, then gradually to shakes made of Carnation Sugar Free Instant Breakfast mixed with 8oz of skim milk and 1/2 cup of eggbeaters. No chewable food until a month after, but clear liquids like SF Jello and broth are OK. Also, you must be sure to get in 64oz of water a day, while not drinking 1/2 hour on either side of a meal... most people can only get 1-1 1/2 shakes in at first, and end up at 3 per day. I have been doing this diet for almost 2 weeks in prep for surgery. I have lost 19 pounds so far, the only real prblem is how boring it is... I am gradually losing my hunger, but I think about food I can't have (yet at least)...
   — Tim W.

July 6, 2003
Please do NOT eat rice this early - you could end up in the hospital with a blockage. I was on full liquids for a week after leaving the hospital and I lived on V8 Juice. My surgeon was not concerned about protein at that point. I had sf jello and soup broth too. I sipped water or V8 constantly. I usually had about 40 ounces of V8 a day. But it kept me from being hungry and it wasn't SWEET. Again, PLEASE DO NOT EAT RICE!!!!!
   — Patty_Butler

July 7, 2003
I just knew something was wrong with me, because I was soooo hungry the first month. I believe that the "other" stomach is sending messages to the brain saying, HEY, I'M EMPTY!!!!! What helped me was sugar free popsicles. I would bite it, so I got the satisfaction of chewing. Once I started on soft foods, I never knew when I was full. So I'd take a bite and wait, take a bite, wait. You will get the hang of this, I promise!
   — Michelle A.