HELP!!! 5 weeks post bypass and not coping very well

[Nounouche]

Current thinking is that there is no calorie malabsorabitive effect from the bypass.

What I mean is that I am able to make better food choices to make sure I get the best nutrition for the lowest calories. The op had meant that I am more objective about food. But I do feel satisfied. Simply, My restriction doesn't dictate how much I eat, I do! This responsibility has been a very important to me.

It takes a little time to learn to read your body post-op.

I can eat a fair amount, about 250g per portion. I know this is the upper end of typical, and I'm ok with that. Once I got on to normal food, my hunger largely disappeared. And psychologically it makes all the difference.

I also think the psychological aspect is a very important. I used to have a can of soup for lunch pre op and it would suffice. But blended up it's not the same feeling. The taste is not the same either. Texture is so important in food,or so i've now learnt.

 

[Nounouche]

Just my tuppence as a patient from l&d, also bypassed by Mr Whitelaw. My experience has also been that I can eat more than many bypassers, but I do have restriction. Clear cut, cannot mess about with it, thou shalt not pass restriction. You cannot unwittingly damage your pouch I promise. If you eat past restriction (and at 5 weeks out you cannot feel it properly yet- that takes between 6 weeks and 2 months to kick in) you will feel overfull. It will feel like there is food in your oesophagus. A step further than that and you will be in agony. To stretch your pouch you would have to get to overfull all the time. it would have to be deliberate. If you're hungry eat. You may find you need to eat more often now as you cant eat as much in a sitting - I always have felt hunger.

Just one more thing - the size of your pouch does not affect weight loss.

Thank you for your response. I have to admit I haven't eaten until I was full or ovefull as I tend to stop feeling hungry quite early on and stop then instead of waiting until I feel completely full. It's quite nice leaving food on my plate (my small bowl).
So far my problem has been that I feel hungry more often. When I get any pain it's at the first swallow of something that does not agree with me.

When you talk of restriction, what exactly do you mean? Is that the feeling of fullness?

 

[Nounouche]

Hi there,
Congrats on your operation. It does get easier. Plus your body is still healing. If you are hungry make sure you are drinking enough water but don't drink anything for 30mins after eating else you are just pushing the food through. I think its about 2.5 litres of water a day which is lots of sipping all day long. I found that my head still tries to tell me I am hungry when actually I am thirsty because I forgot to keep sipping the water!
When you do eat try to stop drinking fluids about half an hour before you eat. Then make your scrambled egg or soft omelette (use only one egg) You will probably not eat all of it but even though it is soft still chew it heaps. If the lumps are too big when you swallow it will go down your throat fine but can cause pain because the hole to your pouch is tiny. I try to chew for 20-30 bites plus it gives my brain (which is greedy) to catch up that the body is getting food!
I still write down all that I eat. It helps to keep track of what aides the weight loss and protein seems to make a huge difference to how I feel. So I would choose high protein things ie greek lowfat yogurt with soft canned peach slice makes a nice change if you fancy something sweet on the soft stage. make sure its in juice not syrup though. To be honest I think everyone will try things we shouldn't and the pain that literally bites us on the butt is the kick in the rump we need to avoid the naughty stuff that got us in this mess along with other stuff. At five weeks I struggled with most fruit and I love fruit but I found canned fruit in juice drained ok. I kept it in the fridge and ate it for a meal (one to three slices of peach with tablespoon of lowfat greek yogurt , fage brand is good)
When you have a wobble then write down later on how it effected you.. It soon makes you rule out certain foods. Ie I will never ever eat a Dorito again! Plus everyone's body heals at different speeds and you might find some foods you will never eat and others you will be able to just much smaller amount. When serving yourself use a tea plate and small bowls so you are having a lot less. I used a sherry glass for my water and just kept filling it and sipping it. If the glass was too big I would take a gulp and get the pain.
Try not to worry but the pain is your body saying you can not have that food, or that size , or that fast. If you write it down you can then maybe try it again in a few weeks just take tiny tiny bites for now and still chew like mad so by the time you swallow its is like puree.
It does get easier. If on puree stage it should be the consistency of applesauce. if you have a lot of pain on soft go back to puree for a couple of days then try soft again.
Good luck and hang on in there. It does get a lot easier. x

Hello.

Thanks for taking the time to answer me as well. You guys have all been such great help.

I have realised that I have not drunk enough fluids. What I tend to do is buy the bottles of water with sports caps so that it helps with the sipping and also helps me track how much i am drinking. With glasses I lose track of how many I have drunk.

I do keep meaning to keep a food diary but think I might even start taking pictures of everything I put in my mouth and go from there.

Thanks for the great advice.

 

[Nounouche]

Hi nounouche, i havent got a date yet.but ive lost the weight they asked me to,ive got to have yet another endoscopy on 4th sept.and was told 4-6 month wait.ive seen the dietician once.got to go to a meeting for pre op diet in september.
Hope you feel better
Take care
Michelle.x

I do feel better thanks. I think it sounded worse than it is when I put it in writing as yesterday I was really freaking out. I feel more in control today and I hope it goes on being nice. Good luck for you. Do keep in touch and let me know how you are getting done. Is the endoscopy a routine thing to have done before the op where you are? I had a heart scan and some blood tests. Have you already done the milk diet once to kick start the weight loss?

 

[Nounouche]

Witch, it's not dumping. Oh boy you KNOW when it's that :cry:

Horrible horrible horrible whilst being great. You couldn't ask for a better deterrent

I love how you describe it. I have had one episode of dumping and it was because I was back in hospital 2 weeks after my 1st op and waa given the non diabetic friendly meal instead of the diabetic friendly one.

 

[lyturt]

I was told that if i felt hungry try a drink after 30 mins if it was still therehave something to eat. i was told to have breakfast a snack midmorning i found a milky drink sufficed. lunch an afternoon snack eg yogurt dinner and warm milk before bed and that way there isnot agreat length of time between each meal. it does get easier once you get onto solids but keep a check on foods that cause problems and avoid at all costs. ina few weeks try them again its surprising how our tolerances to foods vary. it is a good habit to be able to leave food on your plate for so long we had to clear our plates so you are making good choices itis a learning curve and your journey will be different to anyone elses. listen to yuor body not your head and keep up your fluid intake most of all savour your food and enjoy

 

[Nounouche]

I am doing much better thanks I think I was having a really bad day, and have since realised that I can't get that much in still...so am breathing a sigh of relief. How are you?

 

[lyturt]

Pleased you are feeling better long may it continue we have had food issues for so long its no wonder we get in a tizz from time to timebut the support on here gets us through

 

[Nounouche]

Pleased you are feeling better long may it continue we have had food issues for so long its no wonder we get in a tizz from time to timebut the support on here gets us through

True. Am so glad I found this forum. My issue has always been portion size so I guess it figures that this is what am still struggling with.

 

[shell13]

Hi nounouche.
So glad you are doing better.i hope that was just a slight blip for you.i suffer with very bad acid problems ,so have had 3 previous endoscopys and a failed nissen fundoplication op.which was supposed to cure the acid problems,but my weight problems havent helped either.i havent done the milk diet,we only have to do 1week pre op diet and i should find out in september what that will be.i will be glad to stay in touch.
Take care.
Michelle

 

[shell13]

Sorry nounouche i am having the bypass.

 

[Nounouche]

Hi nounouche.
So glad you are doing better.i hope that was just a slight blip for you.i suffer with very bad acid problems ,so have had 3 previous endoscopys and a failed nissen fundoplication op.which was supposed to cure the acid problems,but my weight problems havent helped either.i havent done the milk diet,we only have to do 1week pre op diet and i should find out in september what that will be.i will be glad to stay in touch.
Take care.
Michelle

Ohh this is really sad that you went through surgery etc and it has failed to provide the intended relief. From what I (just) read on the Nissen Fundoplication, you must have gone through similar diets etc right? I mean go through the pre op diet and soft food stages? How does it work for you on the milk diet though? Does milk not make your acid problem worse?

I used to enjoy a tall glass of cold milk before but when i first went on the milk diet before it made me lactose intolerant due to how much milk and only milk you have to have. So for my preop i was not on the milk diet, but on the no carb diet. Still lost another stone in 2 weeks, which was great! Its still hard as i could not have carbs but it was better than milk.

 

[shell13]

Yes i did have to have a similar diet after the nissen op.i could only eat a couple of petit flou yoghurts a day and ended up back in hospital a week after.the op had failed.and ive been waiting over a year now for the gastric bypass due to funding issues.i will be really glad when i do get the op now ,anything i eat is a problem,milk in tea even gives me indegestion,but i love my cups of tea.im up every night taking gaviscon ,and on the max amount of stomach tablets i can be.sorry that was a bit of a rant.
I hope you are still doing ok,it sounds very difficult to balance food and water out.
Take care
Michelle

 

[Nounouche]

Yes i did have to have a similar diet after the nissen op.i could only eat a couple of petit flou yoghurts a day and ended up back in hospital a week after.the op had failed.and ive been waiting over a year now for the gastric bypass due to funding issues.i will be really glad when i do get the op now ,anything i eat is a problem,milk in tea even gives me indegestion,but i love my cups of tea.im up every night taking gaviscon ,and on the max amount of stomach tablets i can be.sorry that was a bit of a rant.
I hope you are still doing ok,it sounds very difficult to balance food and water out.
Take care
Michelle

I think that you are allowed a rant after all your troubles, though I wouldn't call this a rant. Do soya and almond milk also cause the same troubles for you? Almond milk is quite nice and silky and therefore does add to the quality of a cup of tea .

It's a shame you have to wait so long to get the op. Its hard enough for us after the op with acid reflux etc, what's going to be put in place for you, seeing as you already suffer from it? If i don't take my fastab im in agony and even start retching.

 

[shell13]

I havent tried almond milk ,i have had to cut my fat intake because of high cholestrol.so i have been careful of what i have.
Do you still have reflux problems then?
My surgeon said he was confident that the bypass would cure my problems.but he wasnt confident a redo of the nissen would work.i have read on here that we have to take an acid reducing tablet afterwards,is that for life?

 

[Yvessa]

I havent tried almond milk ,i have had to cut my fat intake because of high cholestrol.so i have been careful of what i have.
Do you still have reflux problems then?
My surgeon said he was confident that the bypass would cure my problems.but he wasnt confident a redo of the nissen would work.i have read on here that we have to take an acid reducing tablet afterwards,is that for life?

This depends on your team and your needs. I only took some for the first 3 months postop.

 

[Nounouche]

I havent tried almond milk ,i have had to cut my fat intake because of high cholestrol.so i have been careful of what i have.
Do you still have reflux problems then?
My surgeon said he was confident that the bypass would cure my problems.but he wasnt confident a redo of the nissen would work.i have read on here that we have to take an acid reducing tablet afterwards,is that for life?

I don't have actual acid reflux, but as you said we do take an antacid for the first 3 months. I was admitted back into hospital 2 weeks after my op (unrelated to the bypass) and couldnt take it for a day due to needing another surgery and i retched like crazy. But no heartburn or acid reflex for me. Only nausea without it.

 

[shell13]

Thanks yvessa and nounouche for your replys.im hoping i dont have to take a tablet for a long time.ive been on a high dose of omeprazole and ranitidine and domperidone since the last endoscopy in oct'12.they affect my blood making me anemic.
You have had a rough ride then,having to be re admitted.hope things are better for you now.
Take care
Michelle

 

[shelleymarie]

Thanks yvessa and nounouche for your replys.im hoping i dont have to take a tablet for a long time.ive been on a high dose of omeprazole and ranitidine and domperidone since the last endoscopy in oct'12.they affect my blood making me anemic.
You have had a rough ride then,having to be re admitted.hope things are better for you now.
Take care
Michelle

I had very bad reflux before my surgery, I would wake in the night and be choking on acid. It was horrible. Post surgery it was almost gone. I still take lansoprazole 30mg daily because I found my pouch is quite sensitive but I haven't had any real reflux since the day of my surgery so fingers crossed you will find that too

 

[Lilacglittergirl]

I suffered for many many years from acid reflux and like Shelley had torturous nights choking on acid in my mouth, etc. i had a hiatus hernia which was repaired at the same time as the bypass. As I lay in HDU the night of my op I realised the reflux was gone - i cried. I sleep all the way through now, and wake refreshed rather than exhausted. Thanks to the Dream Talk app I know I still snore tho ... ;-)