Nobody said anything about giving up certain fruit FOREVER!!!

Last night I was at my first bariatric support group meeting as a post-op, and we played "bariatric bingo" as part of the meeting.  This gave them the opportunity to talk about why compliance is so important and to talk about strictures and blockages and stuff.  During the bingo game, the topic of fruit came up, because someone mentioned that you could never eat apple skin, grapes, plums, or anything else with a "skin" on it after surgery because of the possibility of clogging your stoma.  When asked how long this restriction lasts, the coordinator and nurse said "forever."  What?!  I can never eat an apple again without peeling it first?!  This never came up in all of my pre-op classes.  I thought it was just for the first few months because skins are hard to digest.  Is this common knowledge that I somehow missed during all of my research and book reading and ObesityHelp stalking??  I mean, I guess it's not a HUGE deal if I have to peel apples before eating them, but I was just surprised...

Has anyone else heard this rule?

(I was super thankful for my bariatric team when a girl at my table, who had surgery somewhere else, mentioned that she'd never been told about B12, had never heard of what a stricture is, and was told by her surgeon to eat primarily blended up rice as her post-op diet.  Eek!)

I've met 100's RNY post ops at support groups, OH function in Costa Mesa, etc. I've only had one post op say they had an issue with skins on fruit.  Some people will peel hard fruits, but most just chew them well.  I'lve been eating about 5-6 apples a week for months now. I don't peel them, and have no issues, just have to chew well. DAVE

You won't be able to eat the apple skin early on, but as said, most people can eat fruit skins if they chew them very well. I am just over a year out and I have eaten apple slices with skin. The only "problem" I have with them is they are very filling to me and I can only eat about 1/4 - 1/2 an apple. A good snack is a couple apple slices with some plain greek yogurt mixed with splenda and cinnamon!

I have been eating apples with the skin on since I was 2 months out. I do not have any issues. I had issues with grapes for about 3 months, then I was fine with them. The skin is the part of the fruit with the most vitamins, so there is no way I am skipping the skin.

WHAT!?!?!? Both the NURSE and the COORDINATOR said I can't eat fruit with skins?!?!?!? I hope my stoma doesn't get wind of this news because I had some delicious grapes with skin just this afternoon. I also had some really great cherries last week, and had fresh peaches and plums all summer long.

Seriously though, you'll need work up to them,and just like all other foods...chew well.

Kat

PS: I'm gong to live dangerously, a Pear in on the menu for tomorrow

Haha, you're too funny!

I eat apples, not the whole thing mind you but about half.  They are just fine for me. I think I began to eat them at about my three month mark.  My issue is there are a lot of good vitamins and amino acids in fruits that I think are good for us.  It's not like I'm eating a ton of it or anything, but a good apple with some cheese or peanut butter makes for a tasty meal for me.  I enjoy this much more than my old days where I'd stuff my face with chocolate bars and other sweets that had not one ounce of goodness for me.

I was only warned about grape skins for early on. I eat whole apples and nuke them in the microwave with parmesan cheese on them and love it!

I'm not a physician but I do feel that I am qualified to comment because I have had the surgery and personally know many others that have as well.    Drs and RNY patients will take both sides of this issue.    I personally try to avoid seeds, nuts, skins, popcorn hulls, corn, etc. because of diverticulitis.  I had issues with diverticulitis prior to surgery so do not regularly eat things that will upset my digestive system.  I threw up regularly with the band because of things getting stuck even though I chewed well.  There were times even water would spew out with little notice.  

I am 9 months post op  RNY and have only had  a couple of incidents from dry meat.   I've had chicken salad with pecans and grape halves, as well as,  apple (with the peel) salad with no complications.  I just don't make a habit of it because of my other issues.  I love to toast a good hearty whole grain bread.  (The kind with lots of seeds.)  It is a rare treat. 

I did take a friend to the hospital with a blockage.   She thought she may have a blockage but was able to eat and drink fluids so decided she needed to be more diligent in taking her Nexium.  Being that she was several years post op she felt she knew her body well enough to self diagnose.  She was eating popcorn at the movies and had to excuse herself.  I went looking for her and when I found her in the bathroom she said, "Let us be off to the hospital."    

The Dr said that a piece of meat was partially lodged in an ulceration just above the stoma.   The popcorn hulls completed the blockage.  It was a blessing in disguise as the ulcer was found and treated.  The Dr showed us what he retrieved and to be honest I don't remember it looking very big but that was before my WLS days so my concept of the size would be different then and now.         

My friend had a similar experience just under a year post op.  She was craving a PBJ so bad that she decided it would be her lunch.  She loaded white bread with regular P.B. and grape jelly.   The stomach was still full come dinner but she wanted to eat so had some grapes and apple slices with a bit more P.B.    Later she guzzled protein powder mixed with 4 ounces of milk.  She bent over to untie her shoes and the liquid  shot out of her mouth.  She couldn't stop dry heaves causing a panic attack.  Her husband took her to the hospital.  She was admitted and the Dr had to dislodge the food.  She can eat anything she wants in moderation but will not touch a doughy type bread.  She laughs as she says that most people are afraid of snakes and such, whereas, she is terrified of doughy bread products.  

Thus I have my own thoughts on certain types of food getting lodged.  I think these foods eaten in moderate amounts will normally pass through when chewed well but can lodge if one has eaten meat or bread that hasn't left the pouch.  She is the  only person I know that this has happened to and it has so happened to her twice. 

 

 

Thanks for your reply; I figured it would be trial and error, since really anything can block the stoma if not chewed enough...silly bariatric team had us all looking at each other like "whaaaat?" Haha!