Feel really unwell after eating, 4 weeks post

[sam-i-am 0]

I've never posted before but have been an avid follower of everyone else's stories and posts.

I'm 1 month out and have started on 'normal' food. I feel terrible after I've eaten for the last couple of weeks, ever since the pureed food stage started. It doesn't seem to matter how little I eat or how slow, it has become worse since I've progressed to this next stage. It also feels like the foods sitting somewhere between my throat and the bottom of my ribs.

I'm not sure if it's just taking my system a bit to get used to the variety of foods again perhaps??

I've told the dietician but she just says eat slower and smaller, but I'm down to half a cup at a time and that's taking me about half an hour. Sometimes I wish the dietician was someone who has been through this as well as opposed to the one I have who actually looks incredibly underweight and can't seem to understand what it like to be where I am...

Edited October 31, 2009 by sam-i-am

[carolyn24seven 11]

I am not on whole foods yet, except eggs. It takes me almost 20 min to eat an egg. Which means it is cold towards the end. ick! I got some good advice from Stoongal. Put 3 tablespoons of what ever food you are eating in a small server dish. Eat that while it is hot. then go make another 3 TBS hot and eat it if you feel like it. I am doing that with any whole/mushie type foods. I am still loving my Soups. I make myself 1/2 cup at a time now and can almost finish before it gets cold. The whole idea behind the sleeve is to not eat like we used to. so eating very little is a good thing. It is just hard to get my head around the idea of a 1/4 cup of anything being a full serving. Patience. hummmm

[TennJenn 9]

If you are feeling "stuck", it probably is just too big of bites, not chewed well, & eaten too fast. The other explanation could be a stricture, I guess. But I would guess you'd not be able to keep things down. Have you talked to your surgeon about this? If not, perhaps you should call to see what he says.

The other thing to consider...if you feel sick after eating, it could be you are lactose intolerant. Unfortunately, I've heard it's quite common.

Either way, if solids aren't working right now, go back to mushies. It could be that your tummy just hasn't healed enough to be ready for more solid food.

[LAN2k 18]

I really appreciate your post. It has been about 6 weeks now since my surgery. You have described my experience at 4 weeks out to the tee. Things have gotten only slightly better. I too would prefer that dietitians specializing in bariatric weight loss surgery, were people who themselves went through it. After talking to my dietitian she felt that I should be more comfortable with eating and certainly get better than 2oz. of even soft solid food down, (slowly, well chewed of course). She suggested I speak with my surgeon and I did, he scheduled an upper endoscopy to see if there was any problem causing me to be too narrow. I was told that my stomach was fine and everything looked good. After this I met with the dietitian and she suggested I eat small soft and frequent amounts of Protein, etc. (I was doing that already, more or less). That feeling of "foods sitting somewhere between my throat and the bottom of my ribs.", still happens to me and it is frustrating and worrisome. I find I must do some walking, moving around and/or get someone to give me a good back massage to get that food to move through. I'm also taking a prescription drug called "regulan", a nausea drug. My surgeon wants me to take it about 2x a day for a couple of months since it helps to move the food through. I share your concerns. This was a major change we have had to our anatomy. As I realize that the adjustment period will take time I'm on the lookout for any help I can get along the way. This message board is helpful. Please keep us informed as you progress and feel at liberty to private message me anytime at all.

[Malaika 50]

Sam-I-Am -- welcome to VST; we're happy you decided to come out of hiding and join us. Congratulations on your surgery. I know how frustrating it is to feel things are "stuck" - I had that "feeling" for the 1st month and finally had a fluroscopy done and lo-and-behold, it wasn't my imagination at all -- it actually was getting "stuck" due to esophogeal spasming. My surgeon told me to stay on mushies an extra 6 weeks. Also, I've figured out that if I stick to warm liquids in the morning, it helps relax the restriction and helps with the spasming. I am now almost 5 months out and I still have the spasming; however, it has gotten better and like I said, I've learned to work with it instead of against it. Try warm liquids before eating anything and see if that helps.

Keep us posted!

[sam-i-am 0]

Thankyou all so much, it's good to hear that I am not alone in the way I feel

I have porridge in the morning and that doesn't seem to sit as bad as the more solid mushies or the solid food so perhaps there is something in the warm liquid theory, will try this a little more.

I've got a small baby food bowl that only just hold 1/2 a cup if it's filled to the brim and I eat with a teaspoon all in the aim not to eat too much in a mouthful or too fast.

I see my surgeon on Thursday so will try all suggestions atill then and see what he says as well.

It's just one big learning experience aint it!!

Overall I still have no regrets and I can see this is going to be great, I don't feel hungry, except if I haven't drunk enough, so just have to get through this nasty bit.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I stayed on liquids mostly in the beginning.

I am one of the lucky ones that likes my Protein drinks just fine so it was easy for me to drink them rather than eat in the beginning.

When I started to eat, honestly, I ate 2-3 bites in the beginning and I was DONE.