??? 12 days post-VSG. I'm LOST with Meal Plan; Also horrible pain in stomach!

Hello all! 

 I finally had the surgery I have dreamed of having my entire life: VSG, by the most amazing surgeon: Dr. Juliet Holder-Haynes. All went well during the surgery...and 3 days later I came back home.   I had SO much nausea for the fist 5-6 days, I did not want to eat anything...I just sipped on water when I could. 

Now that I have introduced foods, I am mainly eating Greek Yogurt for every single meal. I try to take small bites and space apart the bites I take...but every single time, it is as if all of the sudden my stomach says WHAM*^#BAM*&%$CRASH....and THE entire fullness of the bites "Drop down" into my stomach from my Esophagus and I am overwhelmingly OVERFULL with HORRIBLE  PAIN.  

The pain feels like a Knife, and it is right at the point of the entrance of my stomach.. Sometimes the pain stabs in my my back as well and it is painful to even take a breath; it certainly feels like a pinched nerve (from eating!).

The other issue is that I've tried to eat some pureed foods and soft foods...and that was a nightmare. I am not sure of HOW TO EAT?!?!?  How much do I put on my spoon? How do I space my bites? It all hit me at once again and BAM that horrible pain hit all at once, like a stabbing feeling. It felt better when I laid down on my side. I feel like I am stretching my stomach already!! :(

 I feel like I am "starving" so I am eating too much too fast I think is the problem. I need some tools to space the amount, size, and item apart. Any and all reassurance and advice is greatly appreciated!!!

What has your surgeon said about how you're feeling?  Did you get nausea meds?  Have you considered going back to full liquids like shakes and soups because yogurt and puréed foods might be too much for your stomach right now?

I havent called my Doctor yet. :/ Yes, I have some Pheneran.I am not all that clear about full liquids. The "Handbook" they gave me is not too full of suggestions for what to eat. What are full liquids? I  could do that for a few days....

Thank you for the feedback and suggestions!

You should call your surgeon first time tomorrow!  The nausea and the pain are not things you should just accept as life - and your surgeon is there to help you.  She's awesome, remember?  :)  

Full liquids for me were protein shakes and strained soups.  I also had some sugar free popsicles.  My plan had me on that for the first two weeks post-op.  

If you don't have a kitchen scale, get one.  Once you're eating non-liquids you'll want to weigh everything you eat and then take very small slow bites.  

I agree with Gwen, you may want to retreat to full liquids for 10 days or so if you are struggling with purees and soft foods. I was on full liquids for four weeks after surgery and it didn't hurt me!

If you are determined to stick with trying purees and soft foods, here are some suggestions from my program that you may find useful:

--for purees, eat three times per day. Measure out 3 tablespoons of pureed food at each meal. Do not eat more than this amount. Soft foods: no more than 3 ounces. And keep in mind those are maximums! Don't feel obligated to finish just because you put that much on your plate. Learn to listen to your body and stop when you feel satisfied.

--use the "Eat Slower" app on your phone. Set it to chime every 45 seconds or every minute.

--after you are half done with your food, ask yourself after every bite if you are satisfied? If you put the food away/tossed it/gave it to your dog would you be okay with that? If so, you aren't hungry anymore and it's time to stop eating.

--if you do go too far and get pain or nausea after eating, figure out exactly how much you ate that time. The next time you eat that food (or similar), make sure you eat less. For example, if 2 ounces of yogurt gave you pain, next time measure out 1.5 ounces, don't even give yourself the opportunity to eat 2 ounces.

Good luck!

WOW, too cool about the APP to Eat Slower! I will def be using it! 

I truly had no idea my stomach would be this small....WOW. 

Yes, I am learning to put the food away in the fridge and save for later...or give to the dog!

I think a lot of it is "Old eating behaviors and patters" that is kicking my ass" about eating  too much too fast. Overeating/Binge eating. :( :( :(

Thank you SO much for the awesome advice!!!

First, congrats on your surgery!  I'd call your surgeon regarding the pain.  I was on clear fluids the first week, and then the next 3 weeks, I was only on protein shakes (in addition to all the fluid).  I could barely get through 2 shakes in a day, which is what they had me striving for.  Week 5 started the pureed foods, and I could barely handle a teaspoon or 2.  You may be taking things too quickly for your new tummy while it's hearling, but I'd definitely ask the surgeon.  It gets much better as you move further along!  I'm at 6 months, and LOVING this new life.  Lots of good luck!!!

Thank you for your positive and wonderful feedback!!!! I am SO super excited, aren't you@ I love to dance around and move my body in ways it never could before, LOL! SO looking forward to what's coming next. :)

You have gotten some good advice so far. Call the surgeon for sure and going back to liquids sounds like a good idea. It's possible that you arn't ready for pureed foods, everyone heals differently. Good luck!