Having difficulty eating :( - ThinnerTimes

imdaprincess1157 · 07-03-2008, 09:38 PM

I know that I'm not that far out (6 weeks-ish)...I'm in the solid stage, and I"m trying to experiment and figure foods out again, but not having much luck. My sister is starting to call me bulimic because it seems like I am throwing up alot. And once my stomach is irritated, the day is pretty much shot. Not a good thing.

Things that seem to work most days:
-the white part of hard-boiled eggs
-Fat Free/Skim cheeses (mozzerella, cheddar,etc)
-broths from first stage (chicken, beef) --> haven't had much luck with the creamier soups.
-Baby juiceboxes (though I try to limit these because even though it has no sugar added, it still has some..)
-egg drop soup (luckily, a favorite of mine prior to surgery.)
-pastina
-farina
-tuna with mayonnaise sometimes...
-peanut butter
-Smashed meatballs (occasionally...depends on who makes them/spices used)

Thats about it....when i went for my first month check-up, the doctor was worried about my protein intake and fluids. I know most of you use protein suppliment shakes, but that was never on my food list as a choice or brought up by my doctor, so I don't know if I should try them. Also, I'm supposed to wait 30 minutes after eating to drink again, but it doesn't matter if I wait an hour...I seem to still get sick. my first thought was that i was eating/drinking too fast, but I'm really not. I chew extra fine, and am not gulping down my water...i'm just very confused.

I don't want my body to get used to this behavior. Any suggestions or people who have dealt with similar difficulties??

KathyV · 07-03-2008, 10:07 PM

I am about 13 weeks out and still having problems. Its not that I get sick a whole lot its just nothing sounds good and I get full before I have eaten my protien. Somethings to try are beens, chili, tuna, chicken with melted cheese. Boring huh! I started craving fish the day of the hospital I didn't even like fish before. There is a lot of protien in fish and it goes down easily. Put a sause on it so its not so blaugh. Good luck and remember get in your liquids. Oh ya if you drink your protien it counts as protien and liquid. It does double duty!

Phoenixfire · 07-03-2008, 10:28 PM

Even though your doc didn't tell you to use protein shakes it sounds like some would be a good and healthy idea. Find a WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE and mix it in whatever you like, have two a day, and you'll find you're feeling stronger.

I could recommend some foods to try if you like?

Try lots of different soups, they don't have to be creamy. You can make lots of different soups with broths you like, simmer them, and the beans/meat/whatever you put in there will be very tender.
If you like egg drop soup then try wonton soup. It's got pasta in it so don't eat it 24/7, but it can be an item to add if you like it.
Peanut butter and crackers.
Cheese cheese cheese. Love the stuff. Find any kind you like

chicken salad (for a break from the tuna)
egg salad (since you like the whites already, try a mushed up egg salad and maybe a couple crackers if you want to use them as a scoop.
I make caprese salad: sliced tomatoes, mozarerlla cheese balls (in water-the fresh stuff), shredded fresh basil and a balsamic viniagrette dressing.
Oh, and Trader joe's makes a GREAT French Onion Soup in their frozen food section. It's incredible, and if you're not able to do creamy soups then you may like this one. I eat it very frequently, it's a low-cal meal

Those are just some quick ideas. I hope they help and you're feeling less frustrated and more fulfilled soon.

Starhanger · 07-05-2008, 05:23 AM

Definitely go for the protein shakes. The Nectar brand is my favorite by far. If you like cappucino, their 's is the best. I have several sugar free syrups I add to it or sugar free chocolate, anything to keep them fresh, not the same old thing. I find myself sipping on the during the day. Not because I am hungry, but because I drink a lot of fluid. So I mix them with a cup of milk, add some ice adn make a smoothie and sip on it for a few hours. I have never tried, but I would imagine some one sells Nectar brand protein powder online.

Starhanger · 07-05-2008, 05:27 AM

I just found this link...

Syntrax: Smartbody Nutrition

They sell Nectar, far cheaper than I have been buying it actually!

imdaprincess1157 · 07-05-2008, 08:01 PM

thank you all for your suggestions!!

KathyV/Starhanger: I will keep a lookout for some protein shakes. At this point, I'm willin to try anything!!

Phoenixfire, I will definitely look into those other food options.

MiladyB · 07-05-2008, 08:58 PM

Katie, in reading your post I'm seeing some little red flags flapping in front of my nose. Sorry, its the nurse in me but the fact that you aren't really keeping anything solid down, or at least very little...and that you are frequently throwing up, makes me think that you could have an ulcer or a stricture. You are at the prime time for a stricture. I really think you need to be speaking to your surgeon and strongly suggest that he do a scope to make sure that what is going on is just a pissy pouch. If he won't do a scope right now at the mimimum he could put you on ulcer meds to see if they help at all.

Please don't just push this off as a pissy pouch...it honestly could be something else.

imdaprincess1157 · 07-05-2008, 09:25 PM

MiladyB, this may make me sound really dumb, but what exactly is a stricture??

I will definitely call my doctor and ask after this holiday weekend commences.

Another thought: easy access to a bathroom. I was talking about my situation with my mom, and she pointed out that after I eat, if there is a bathroom nearby I usually am more likely to throw up. But, when I'm in a place where access to a bathroom is limited (ie: in the middle of a row in a movie theater) then I don't get sick. I guess my problem could be more psychological than I originially thought. So maybe I'm making myself sick because I'm worried about eating too much? Of course, this is a stretch.

Nonetheless, I survived this weekend with no problems...so thats good!

MiladyB · 07-05-2008, 09:42 PM

Katie, a stricture is when the connection between your pouch and your small intestines gets too small. Occasionally what can happen is that our body over heals itself and that opening gets too small for food to pass out of the pouch. It actually is a fairly common complication. It is a fairly easy fix, but it has to be handled my your surgeon. The problem won't go away on its own, it will only get worse. 4-8 weeks postop is usually when a stricture presents itself. If you are progressively having difficulty keeping solids down which progresses to having difficulty with liquids, well then there is real concern that there may be a stricture.

If you are scoped and they find a stricture, the surgeon will place this instrument in your opening which will blow up like a balloon forcing that opening open. Occasionally this is something that may have to be repeated more than once.

Don't play around with waiting. You are fine until after the holiday but then please call your doctor. Let him know the problems you are having and ask him specifically if he feels it could be a stricture or an ulcer.

The real concern here is dehydration. If you aren't getting the fluids you need into your body you could find yourself right back in the hospital. So take the fact that you are throwing up seriously. For the weekend just keep getting your fluids in. That is what is important, not the protein, in your situation. Just keep sipping...you want to try to get 64 oz of fluid in yourself.

EmilyInVermont · 08-02-2008, 10:37 AM

I, too, have problems keeping foods down. I can usually tell if something is going to stay down within the first couple bites. I made a wonderful chicken stir fry the other night with zuchinni, summer squash, onions, green, yellow and orange peppers, snap peas, fresh garlic, soy sauce and a few spices, plus the chicken of course. I couldn't wait to have it. Alas, it seems no matter how much I chew or how slow I eat, my pouch just didn't like it. I was so upset because I was so looking forward to it. Oh well, at least my husband loved it.

Sometimes what doesn't stay down one night will stay down the next. I tried a Weight Watchers mac & cheese dinner and that didn't stay down at all the first night (I ate about 4 bites I think). Then, I tried a bit more for lunch the next day and it stayed down. The same thing has happened with a mac & hamburg casserole. I know I don't get enough food, protein and fluids in me during a day, but I just can't seem to do it. I get so discouraged sometimes. Makes me not even want to eat anymore, but I have to. Eating is no longer fun, it's like a job that I have to do but don't like doing.