Post-op discomfort (poking sensation) and soft food phase

[Lisa1313 2]

Hello - I had my my VSG about 20 days ago. I was cleared for the soft food phase but it takes me 2 hours to finish ONE egg and the food makes me feel like something is stuck in my throat. I decided to stay on purées because of it. Is that normal? How long does it last?

Second question…. Where they heck is our stomach? Any discomfort I feel is only on my left side. When I feel the food “drop” it’s always there. I also feel a tightness and poking sensation on that side. Sometimes it feels like baby flutters too… Is that normal?

Any advice would help.

Thanks!!

[The Greater Fool 2,023]

What did your medical team say when you brought this up? It sounds quite problematic to me, but on hearing of your issues your medical team cleared you for the next phase, so what do I know. And I guess they agreed with you not moving on to your next phase?

Good luck,

Tek

[ChunkCat 727]

Egg is a food that not everyone does well with. So maybe skip it for a while? Have you tried anything else like meatballs cooked in a sauce, nice and tender? It takes a while to adjust to each food stage and every body has its own timing. I'd trust yours, hold off on eggs, and try something else in the soft food category like cheese or deli lunch meat. There is nothing wrong with keeping to a base of purees until you've tried enough soft foods to compose meals. Many people just try one new thing a day, so it might take a while to get to that point. If you find you can't progress at all, let your surgeon know.

I feel my stomach straight down the center and a little to the left. There are stitches there so tightness and poking sensations are normal for a while, stitches dissolve in everyone at a different rate. If this continues to bother you though feel free to ask your surgeon! They can explain more about where your particular stitches are.

Yes, sometimes my stomach flutters too. I think it is normal. Mine also does these spasms where it feels like it is doing cartwheels inside me, also normal.

Edited November 13, 2023 by ChunkCat

[Arabesque 7,237]

@ChunkCat is right. eggs can be difficult for some. Also on purée try to keep your food still pretty runny - like at the very least ‘gloop’ of your spoon. You may need to make yours even runnier by adding additional stock, gravy, Water, milk, etc.

And yes, while healing you can have weird muscle spasms & strains. Remember your tummy is a muscle & it has to heal from being cut. Lots of nerves also were cut during your surgery & other abdominal organs are moved about while they operate too. So the spasms & other weird feelings are understandable. Someone posted recently that they’re surgeon told them it can take 8 weeks or more you heal from a sleeve. So you may continue to have these spasms & twinges for a while yet.

But do check with your surgeon to be sure - better safe than sorry.

[Char V 52]

I couldn’t even eat scrambled egg. I couldn’t eat a lot of soft diet food and definitely dense food was a no go. I was on purée runny soft diet for 10months and they had to take me back into surgery.
ask for some tests to be done

[Lisa1313 2]

Thanks so much everyone for replying. I’m feeling a bit better. Managed to eat the egg in an hour and half vs 2 and I’m tolerating deli turkey pretty well.