Unable to progress

[jaxx]

I've been struggling to get food down with me on the mushy phase of the post op diet so much so that I was vomiting almost everytime I ate so I decided to go back one stage and just have liquids. Having done that, I had some cottage pie tonight (without the mashed potato) and I even blended it with plenty of runny gravy and I still had pain and discomfort and if I hadn't stopped when I did, I would have vomited again.

Will I ever progress to stage 2? I'm 5 weeks post tomorrow.

 

[smilergem]

Sorry to hear you are still having problems. I am sure one of the post oppers will be along soon to give some advice. Hope things improve soon x

 

[CCPM]

Yes you will Jaxx. Its a complicated process alright. I couldn't stomach anything I'd prepared before my op and I had it all soups, purees in the freezer ready but no couldn't face it. Spent 3 weeks nibbling on a rich tea biscuit or a cream cracker. Now Mr Somers allows those at this stage but even if they're not on your post op sheet if you chew them well they go to mush, top with some light philly and you're getting protein too. Gradually I chewed less and moved onto a bit firmer food in my pouch with them. I must admit I used things like cottage cheese and spread cheese triangles even at the puree stage as just the sight of it made me sick.

It will get better just sending you some support

M

 

[jaynefrances]

I've not got any aswers, just more questions - sorry !
I'm five days behind you surgery wise and have been following your progress (cheekily using you as a marker to help gauge my own progress, as you seemed too be moving on much quicker than me lol)
When you say you went back to fluids, how long was that for and did you do the inbetween puree stage after that before trying minced meat again?

 

[candie]

Jaxx I found that dutch crispbakes with philly on melted in the mouth if chewed enough, also sugar free custard, and angel delight

 

[Fashionably Late]

At your stage I was still really struggling with food. It is only recently that I have been able to progress on my foods and some days are still bad.

 

[samsmum]

Stick with your liquids for a bit longer and then move onto just thicker liquids. If you are making your own soup now and blend it smooth just blend it a little less in a week and then a bit less the week after and so on. Sugar free jelly is good as are yoghurts. Also when you move on a stage the amount you consume goes down a lot.

Good luck
x

 

[emergingbutterfly]

Im at a similar stage to you. I still live on yogurts and slim fast to get my protein. I have also discovered tiny pots of diary lee that are low in everything but high in protein and very very easy to eat.

 

[Dawn36]

I am also on on the "lumpy" food stage, having moved on from purees. Basically all i am doing is whatever I used to puree I still puree but not as much. I found that with purees it is fairly easy to eat and difficult to truly control portion size. Now I weigh and measure everything and just see what the pouch likes! I stick with the things I know are OK and then just have very small amounts of anything new. I think meat is a hard one to digest. Aunt Bessies mashed carrot and swede with dollop of Philly with herbs is my safe standy.

You probably already know this, but you really have to eat ever so slowly, It takes my about 30 mins to eat a 3 ounce (85 grams) meal, whereas I know I ate the purees way too fast!

As everyone told me, it is indeed a case of trial and error. And yes, it is easy to become despondent, this is hard but as time goes on you will get there., HTH Dawnx

 

[jaxx]

I tried baked beans this evening which I've been able to eat with no problems before and I threw up again.

Anything thicker than a blended soup (I had pea and ham soup yesterday quite easily) and I throw up. I'm also feeling quite nauseous most of the time and the thought of having soup yet again knocks me sick. I'm taking my lansoprazole religiously.

It feels like a lifetime since I had my op but in reality it's only 5 weeks today. I just feel like I should be progressing a bit more but perhaps it's just me being impatient. I also know I'm very depressed at the moment. I'll be seeing my psych next Monday. I've been off all my meds for depression and anxiety since my op so it's probably no wonder I'm panicking a bit.

This is my diet sheet from my team.

Stage 1 (week 1 to week 3)
• All food should be a smooth consistency.
• You should aim for three small meals and two snacks a day.
• Portion sizes should be limited to two tablespoons at each meal.
• You should stop eating as soon as you feel full.

Meal Plan

Breakfast Ideas
• Two tablespoons of porridge/Ready Brek
• One diet yoghurt
• Two tablespoons natural yoghurt with pureed fruit
• One Weetabix with plenty of semi-skimmed/skimmed milk
• 150mls fruit smoothie (blended low fat yoghurt, fruit and semi-skimmed/skimmed milk)

Lunch/Evening Meal
• One tablespoon liquidised white fish in a low fat sauce
• One tablespoon chicken/turkey/lamb/beef liquidised with flavoured gravy granules or stock cubes
• One tablespoon minced meat liquidised with a low fat tomato based sauce
with
• One tablespoon liquidised potato or one tablespoon
liquidised vegetables
or
• 200mls liquidised soup/broth/stew (try to ensure it contains a protein food)

Snack Ideas (2 per day)
• One low fat/diet yoghurt/fromage frais/mousse
• Two tablespoons natural yoghurt with liquidised fruit
• Two tablespoons low fat custard
• One glass(200mls) of semi-skimmed/skimmed milk

Stage 2 (week 4 to week 7)
Meal Ideas

Breakfasts
• One weetabix with semi-skimmed/skimmed milk
• Two tablespoons of cooked porridge(made with semiskimmed/ skimmed milk
• 25g cereal with semi-skimmed/skimmed milk
• One diet yoghurt
• Two tablespoons natural yoghurt with soft fruits i.e.
banana, strawberries, stewed apples

Lunch/ Evening
• Chunky homemade soups
• Three melba toast with soft cheese/low fat pate/tuna or wafer thin ham
• 1/2 medium baked potato (no skin) with baked beans, cottage cheese, wafer thin meats or chilli
• Cottage pie
• Fish pie
• Baked fish with a low fat white sauce and soft vegetables with mashed potato
• Minced beef in a tomato based sauce or a small amount of gravy with soft vegetables and mashed potatoes
• Minced beef/chicken casserole with soft vegetables and 1/2 medium jacket potato(no skin), or two egg size potatoes

Snacks
• Diet yoghurts
• Soft fruits e.g. bananas, stewed apples strawberries
• Two Melba toast with cottage cheese/low fat pate
• Sugar free jelly



Stage 3 (from week 8)
During stage 3 you should progress to a normal diet. Choose from the following foods listed below
Bread, Cereals, Pasta, Rice or Potatoes:
Choose 4-6 of the following a day
• 25g breakfast cereal/dry porridge oats with semiskimmed/skimmed milk
• One slice bread/toast
• 1/2 bread roll/pitta bread
• Three crackers or crispbreads
• Two small boiled potatoes or 1/2 medium baked potato
• Two tablespoons of pasta/wholemeal rice (uncooked)
Meat, Fish and Alternatives:
Choose two of the following a day
• 4oz/100g lean meat or oily fish
• 4oz/100g white fish or tinned fish in brine/water
• One small tin of low sugar baked beans
• 4oz/100g of cooked pulses, lentils or other beans
• Four thin slices lean cold meat
• 4oz/100g Soya, Tofu, Quorn
Fruit and Vegetables:
Choose up to five of the following a day
• One apple, or small banana
• Two small fruits i.e. kiwi, plums
• 1/2 small tin of tinned fruit (in natural juice)
• Two tablespoons of vegetables (fresh/frozen/tinned)
• One large slice melon
Milk and Dairy:
Choose two-three of the following a day
• 200mls semi-skimmed/skimmed milk
• One small pot of low fat/low sugar yoghurt/fromage frais
• 1oz/25g low fat hard cheese
• 4oz/100g low fat cottage cheese
• 2oz/50g low fat soft cheese
Fatty Foods
Your daily fat allowance is one portion a day
• 1oz/25g low fat spread or low fat mayonnaise or
1/2 oz /12g butter or margarine or mayonnaise or oil

What if I am being sick?
Vomiting is usually caused by eating too much, eating too quickly or in the early stages eating the wrong consistency food. If you are vomiting try going back a stage for 1-2 weeks and contact the dietitian. Some patients develop excessive scar tissue around the opening in their stomach
pouch. This prevents more solid food from leaving the stomach and results in a lot of vomiting about 6-12 weeks after surgery. If you feel this may be happening please contact your surgeon or dietitian for advice promptly.

 

[katstofat]

hy im 4 months post op and its still hit n miss. i was sick a lot wen i was changing from one stage to another and thought id never progress to normal eating but pursivear it does come but even now some days i can hardly eat anything before i start to feel sick other days i feel i can eat for england again. today for breakfast i made one slice of toast with one scrambled egg and managed just about half of it couldnt manage anything else till nealy 8pm wen i made same again( didnt fancy anything else) and managed 3/4 of it but yesterday i had porridge, and mash, peas. caulie, shep pie and gravy for my tea ( only small amounts of each) and ate the lot so you have to take each day as it comes and if all you can manage is soup well soup it is lol. some days i can eat a small salad with either tuna, prawns , chiken or ham, still cant manage steak or pork n things like that, some days the first mouthfull says no not today. ive been beter since i changed the fast tabs to a diferent one as i was alergic to something in them . i hope you soon feel beter ,..............kath x