Question:
Well, I'm now on a pureed diet and I don't know HOW well I'm doing.

I ate eggs one day (hus make his scrambled eggs a little different than mine) but none the less I can tolerate his eggs but not mine. Unless my food is really liquidy kind of like the first foods of Gerber baby food, I can't tolerate it. Even the protein drinks are too think and I vomit it back up too or it takes extremely long to get down. My surgeon said she's upgrading my diet to soft food on Jan 12th and I don't see how that's even possible if I can't tolerate much past the seriously pureed food how am I EVER going to tolerate soft anything. Although I'm not hungry, it is so frustrating makes me want to just stick with clear and full liquids. It's pretty bad that I have to puree creamy soups but if I don't I'll vomit. Is my stoma too small? Or will it eventually stretch some with time? What so dramatic will change between now and three weeks from now? Help. Also, My protein is mixed with milk. My diet calls for after a meal 1/4 c. milk in 30 mins and another 1/4 c milk in another 30 mins. Is it cheating on my diet if I increase my milk as to thin out this protein (I don't have a problem drinking milk, I rather like it). At least until my appetite is better. How much milk per day can I have anyways? Thanks for your help. Terri    — tinky471 (posted on December 25, 2003)

December 25, 2003
Terri- There are lots of reasons why you are having trouble tolerating mushy foods. In addition to the most likely reasons that Lisa very succinctly gave you, you also might be in ketosis where the ketones (the by-products of your body's fat-burning), which are found in your saliva, are irritating your pouch. This was my problem (along with a headcold that dumped far too much post-nasal drip into my pouch) during the first 8-10 weeks. The other consideration that I hope will ease your mind is that the stuff you eat during the early stages aren't the foods that will comprise your lifelong healthy diet. As a result, try to find something that settles your stomach and gives you the protein, vitamins and calories your body needs this soon after surgery. Everything really will settle down in time. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi

December 25, 2003
Happy Holidays Terri! I hope that you are beginning to feel better. My surgeon indicated that for the first few weeks after the surgery, the trauma and swelling the stomach goes through makes it very hard (the stomach itself) and unable to really do the work it's supposed to. After the few weeks it returns to being more elastic, able to stretch and then contract normally in order to digest foods properly. That would explain a lot of what you are going through now, though obviously your own doctors know best.
   — Jennifer K.

December 25, 2003
Are you using regular cow's milk? Many people are lactose intolerant after RNY. Try switching to a lactose free milk, or take Lact-aid before drinking milk. You can also try mixing your protein powder with water. I could not tolerate thick liquids at first - yuk. I was on pureed foods the first 4 weeks after surgery. You might also try Choice DM (like Ensure, but for diabetics, so much less sugar, and has vitmains and minerals added). V-8 juice, pureed chicken with cream of chicken soup, pureed turkey, pureed vegetables and fruits (peaches, pears, bananas) , oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc. Like the others said, you have a lot of swelling and irritation from the surgery going on, and that will diminish with time. Eggs were hard for me to digest at first.
   — koogy