Question:
Love Me...Love Me Not

Please tell me that there are others out there who are experiencing this as well... I am 8 months out and I still have days that my pouch hates me! I can eat something one day and feel like a million bucks and then the next time I eat the same thing it makes me sick. I don't get it!! I eat slowly and chew well, but at least once a week I eat something that makes me vomit. The strange thing is that it's not anything in particular. It's not like it happens when I eat just meat or fish or veggies, it just depends on the day. Sometimes the pressure in my chest is so bad that I need to induce vomiting and that scares the bejeesus out of me because I'm afraid of doing damage to my pouch or esophagus. I stay away from anything that can swell in my stomach (rice, granola, etc) so I really don't think that its because I'm eating the wrong things. I have a very healty diet (no sugar, no white breads, no high fat foods, etc) Can anyone else relate to this??? If this is something that I need to just live with than that's fine because its a very small price to pay, but if this is something that others aren't experiencing than I would like to explore it more with my Dr ASAP. Anyone have any thoughts, advise, experiences that you would like to share about this?    — pam29922 (posted on January 2, 2003)


January 2, 2003
I know exactly how you feel. I'm 8 months out and have lost a bunch of weight but there doesn't seem to be much consistency to what I can eat from day to day. I rarely vomit on anything but a lot of the time what I eat just doesn't feel good in my stomach. I seem to have the least consistency with eating bread. Somedays it's no problem and the next it feels uncomfortable. Like you I always chew well and eat slowly. I agree that it's a small price to pay, but I'm hoping that it will get better. Good luck to you! - Mike
   — Michael N.

January 2, 2003
Hi, I'm 8 months out and have experienced the same thing. Each day is a new adventure for me! :) I know that sometimes when I vomit it seems it is mostly mucous (mucus??) so possibly it isn't what I ate but more the mucous in my pouch? I don't know for sure but I will be interested in seeing what others say. Rny-lap 5/9/02 -100lbs
   — Lynn E.

January 2, 2003
Spike- (that how I affectionatly refer to my pouch) does have a mind of its own. I am 8 months post op and day to day I just dont know how something will sit. Though I do not vomit weekly or anything like that, like the previous poster said, it just wont sit right. I understand from other postops that this is NORMAL! There are no gastric juices or bile in the pouch to burn your esophagus, so I dont think you are harming yourself, like if you were bulimc or anorexic. There is no rhyme or reason to how our pouches work, that is why there are so many different answers to basic questions. I have just determined that working with Spike is a lifelong committment.
   — ~~Stacie~~

January 2, 2003
hey i can relate too....some days even my protein bars dont sit right....i never know how to predict when something is going to be bad....and i call my little stomach REX, coz he 'wrecks' my day sometimes....i usually know right away when something isnt sitting right and then i do have to toss cookies, as it were....it is a real pain, coz i would like to try new things, but i am soooo leery of throwing up that i stick woth the same old stuff and i get depressed coz i cant eat what i want for fear of it getting stuck and throwing up. How's that for a rambling sentence!!! LOL.....i wish you all the best........Nancy
   — Nancy D.

January 2, 2003
Pamela-- THANK YOU for posting this. These are the kinds of questions that really bless me, and the reason why I consider this website my *support group*. I'm 3 months and 2 days post-op and I SO have this problem. Last week for lunch I thought I'd have a half of an avocado (seemed like a very mild choice ....at least in my estimation...i mean avocados couldn't hurt a flea, right? WRONG!!!) and boy did I regret it. Maybe I ate too fast or maybe my tummy (I'll have to give it a name now...) just wasn't happy. It's just nice to know that I'm not alone in this...I don't care much for vomitting (who does?), but there are times that I have to, I just HAVE TO because I can't stand the discomfort. I never was one to throw-up in the past and never,ever could I MAKE MYSELF vomit. Boy, has that changed. Now that said, I don't do it daily..not even weekly...but it DOES HAPPEN. I just am glad to know that I'm not alone and that every day does bring with it different challenges. Thank you for asking this question. All the best.
   — Karen K.

January 2, 2003
*Spike* the wonder pouch!!! You just gotta love her. She does the same thing to me too. Some days I can eat anything and other days I can't eat a bleesed thing!!! Pouches tend to be a bit tempramental...relax and take it as it comes. Have a Sparkling Day!! ~CAE~
   — Mustang

January 2, 2003
Even after over 2 years I sometimes have this challenge. Some days I can eat 'hard' foods (chicken, pork chops) easily, some days they feel like an anvil in my gut. The other day clam chowder made me hurl. Today, I am fighting with my lunch for over an hour now. I have had to induce vomiting a few times in my tenure as a post-op, and have so far managed to avoid any damage. You are not alone, but man, it sux!
   — Cara F.

January 2, 2003
I don't vomit, but sometimes certain foods do make my pouch hurt (the pressure) for a while, usually a few hours. And i am almost 11 months post-op. I know which foods do that, but once in a while I'll have something I have had before and for some reason, theres the pain. Not often, though...and like the others, small price to pay!
   — Cindy R.

January 2, 2003
Again, at the risk of being redundant, thanks for posting this question. I am only 6 weeks out and it is a tremendous relief to know that this is not abnormal. It happens to me a few times a week. But, hopefully, it will lessen as time goes by. I never know what will set it off. I just keep a list of food and times so that I can try to track the culprit.
   — Melinda_AL

January 2, 2003
I'm having the same problems today. I'm sitting in my office. My skirt is so tight on me I'm about to burst. My stomach is in knots and I'm on the verge of vomiting. I'm also as hot as can be and have my fan on me. I haven't been feeling well; I've had a cold for about 2 weeks and I'm so tired! I hope the antibiotics didn't hurt my stomach. My doctor is aware that I can't take anything with aspiran, so he's careful when prescribing medications. All i want to do is go home and go to bed. I'll probably get on the train tonight and go to sleep! If you're still not feeling well, call your doctor. I had that problem several weeks after surgery and he called in some medication. It was a life saver!
   — dolphins94

January 2, 2003
I just wanted to thank each of you for sharing your experiences with me. It is truly a relief that I am not the only one experiencing these pesty pouch issues. Not to mention, Misery loves company, right!?! :-)
   — pam29922




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