chewing...how to....

[johan22 0]

I'm scheduled mid to end January,and i think i have read a lot there is needed to know.

a question i have is how bad is the chewing process post-op?

by bad i mean chewing should be "well done" but how much is good enough? and what if it is not done well?

it kinda makes me sick only by thinking to chew everything until it is really in a thin liquid form.....if you know what i mean....

and it is not something i can learn to do,like eating slowly,it just won't get down in this state.

i have tried 15-20 chews on a bite of steak and that is as far i can go....less for soft food.

hopefully it will be enough....

any thoughts?

Edited January 3, 2010 by tdriver

[stoongal 10]

its an individual thing, the idea of chewing well is to help the new tummy staple line to not have to over work and to give you time to fill it without overfilling it. You will find out about that soon enough! I eat much faster now with softer foods and still try to chew meats slower than before as they really fill you up and I don't want to eat too much and suffer for an hour afterwards! LOL, as I said it is an individual thing and you will have to learn what is right for you at the time!

[i1Linda 15]

Tdriver -

Post-op you obviously start with Clear liquids and slowly progress to solid food. Once you start eating things that need to be chewed, you will get a feel for how much chewing is necessary for your sleeve. Initially, when I started eating solid food, cut my food into little pieces, like feeding a toddler. Today, I cut my food up the same as I would for my four year old. Much smaller bites than I would eat pre-op but not tiny. I probably chew 10-15 times for solid Protein (maybe less sometimes for softer food). My sleeves tells me when I screw up and eat too quickly and/or don't chew enough. The food hits my stomach like a rock and I am really uncomfortable (sometimes painful) for a few minutes. It's a non-subtle reminder to eat more slowly. Some people will vomit, but I haven't since I was in the hospital starting Clear Liquids and my tummy was swollen.

Overall, I haven't found the chewing process difficult, especially after my tummy healed. You will learn to understand the chewing needs of your sleeve.