Feeling a little lost...

Well, I just feel a little frustrated right now... I know I'm only just over 3 wks post op, so I may be a little manic, but I have not lost any weight since week one and over the last 2 days I have dumped 4 times...

I feel like I'm doing everything wrong and I just need some advice...

J-Mac first are you truly dumping or just foamies and vomit, because if thats it you could possible have a stricture which is common and usually shows its self at 3 weeks. If this is what it sounds like you need to contact your Doc. and they can do a simple dilation.

Now the early stall journal everything if your not already keep track of your food as well as BM's, constipation can play havoc, if you keep your protein up around 75g your body won't go into starvation mode and you will start loosing again. Could just be your body trying to adjust. Good luck this will pass hang in there! C'ya Bob

Seems like foamies was mentioned before, but since I wake up in a new world everyday....  can you explain the difference between dumping and foamies?  Thanks.  Michael

 Michael,
“FOAMIES”- The Slang Term for a condition caused when you plug your stoma with something
And the saliva, and mucus produced in the esophagus linings
And upper most portion of Stomach (the part used to make a pouch)
No longer has an exit below so it comes out the one above. 
Can be caused by-
Eating too fast,
Not chewing well enough and
Swallowing something to big
To go through the little hole (stoma) out of your pouch into you intestines.

Bread is a bad one.
Particularly soft bread.
Even when you chew it well, bread can “gum-up” and plug your stoma.
Take a pinch of white bread and try to mu**** up in your fingers. Since your pouch isn’t adding stomach juices to the mix, this is the same thing pretty much that happens to bread in your pouch. Little Ball of tough dough.
(this is why often Docs recommend Toast rather than Bread early on)

Swallowing a large pill can do it too for a few folks.
This tends to not be a problem further out Post-op.
Meat (Dry Chicken or pork get a lot of folks) That is not chewed thoroughly can plug in for quite a while.

Many folks claim that sipping ho****er with some meat tenderizer in it will speed its passing.

The “Contradiction for Meat Tenderizer” is the fact that one Could aspirate this into their lungs if they threw up and breathed in at the same time.
Some reassurance can be taken from-
The most popular meat tenderizer, called bromelain, is composed of a number of protease enzymes and harvested commercially from pineapples, in about the same concentration as found in the juice one could buy in the grocery store. Besides being a meat tenderizer, bromelain is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, blocking metabolites that cause swelling. It is used to treat sports injuries and sometimes swelling caused by arthritis. 
Papain, extracted from the papaya, is another popular meat tenderizer. It is also found in the same concentration levels as papaya juice.
If fear of aspirating such enzymes would contradict using them to unblock stuck food, then they would be dangerous to drink as well.
Yes? One other bit of info- Bromelian and Papain Will Not “Eat or Dissolve” Living tissue, it’s a different protein structure of dead/cooked flesh, and flesh with not only a living blood supply of oxygen, but a lining that is used to the highly destructive and corrosive properties of Stomach Acid. This accounts for the LACK of Thousands of Law suits against the McCormick Spice people over the last 70+years they have had “Meat Tenderizer” on the market.

If not willing to use “Meat Tenderizer” then Papaya Enzyme sold as a digestive aid for a higher price (buy at health food store) will certainly work.

Now the Papaya or Pineapple enzymes ARE good stuff,
And work.
However, They Only work on MEAT that's stuck.
They don't break down carbs of any kind.
They work by breaking down breaking the peptide bonds between amino acids in the collagen of in complex muscle tissues.
So, lets say you get a hunk of bread or cheese stuck –
It doesn’t do Squat!

Carbs require a special set of enzymes to break down.
If you have a Vitamin Shoppe near you,
You can pick up a bottle of Nature's Plus Nutri-Zyme.
It has enzymes specifically designed to help in the breakdown of carbohydrates
(Amylase & Lipase )
(Works on proteins too with Papain ) and comes in a chewable wafer.
It does have 3 grams of sugar - so if your SUPER sensitive to sugar, :toilet:
Not such a good trade of one problem for another.

If you can't find it locally,
The Vitamin Shoppe online carries it priced too.

The “Best Thing?” Chew the food more carefully if one is prone to getting food stuck.
An Ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure.

And one final bit of reassurance…
This foamy business is something that is likely to be an issue
during a RNYer’s fist 5 months.
Rarely an issue beyond 9 months out.

*Dumping explanation / thread?...
I’ll find it and post it here or there….

Best Wishes-
Dx

Hey Michael,

I've never dumped but used to get the foamies and still do occasionally. Early on, if I ate something that didn't agree with me (typically dry or dense food such as pork, shrimp, etc.) or if I didn't chew, chew, chew, I would end up puking. I would first get the hickups, then start spitting as the saliva was building up in my mouth (foamies), then 10-15 minutes later, puke. Once I puked, back to normal.

Foamies are just when food has blocked the hole (stoma) between your pouch and small intestive so everything backs up until the plug is cleared.
 
Boner

When I had my RNY, I lost weight like most other WLS patients did.  However, my mentor said he had been a very slow loser for the 1st 6 mos following the RNY and then lost a ton of weight in the next 6 mos.  If you are concerned about your slow weight loss, give your surgeon's office a call.  Perhaps he/she or the nutritionist will have an idea on how to help you.

--depends on what you're eating.

The 2nd to 3rd week stall is pretty common...
I have an old repost about it....I'll look...

Dumping? as in....
Early or Late Stage?

Did your doc give you a list of do's and don'ts?
What are you doing specifically?
More may have info or experience with specifics....

Hang in there....
Best Wishes-
Dx

Yeah I think you are right about the foamies... The only thing is, for lunch I had tuna and some wheat thin crisps which seemed fine, but then I had some deli sliced chicken and a little refried black beans and that was all she wrote...

It's possible that I'm eating too fast... I find myself watching TV when I eat and that's no good because then I dont focus on how I'm eating...

Tomorrow I'll keep a journal of all my eats and drinks and also sit at the table and eat and see how that goes.

Thanks for the support guys. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.

J-Mac,

Seems like most stall a month or so post-WLS as the body adjusts to "starvation mode." Just stick with the program of healthy eating and exercise and the weight will start dropping again. Weight loss is not linear meaning there will be peaks and valleys as the body adjusts over and over again to the amount AND type of food it gets as well as the amount of exercise.

If calories in are less than calories burned, you'll have to lose weight but it might not be 5 pounds every week. It may be 8 one week, 2 the next, zero the next and so on.

Boner

J-Mac

Hope you are feeling a little better.  If you are having issues, first, talk to the doc.  You can take the food changes a little slower and see if that helps.  I was not on tuna and crackers for a while.  At week 3, I was still on puree's.  Each docs program is a little different.  Perhaps you are just healing a little slower and it will take a little longer to introduce foods.  Make sure you are sipping enough water and try to get your protein, even if it from shakes.  It is not a race, so just go with it.

If it continues, then worry.  For now, take a step back and let your body heal and get used to the changes.  Strictures (if that is what it is) can be fixed fairly easily.  Eat slowly and chew well.  

Hope each day gets better for you.

Lou