Question:
I'm 5 weeks out and can't eat anything!
I had the LAP/RNY and my doc has me on 6 weeks of liquids. I have stuck to the plan for the most part but I have also tried to cheat on occasion. Everytime I try to eat solid food, it feels like it gets stuck in my throat and it feels like I can't breath. I try to chew it up really good but doesn't seem to work. All meats make me throw up. I see people on here eating regular foods at 3 and 4 weeks post-op. I'm afraid that when my doc does allow me to eat solid foods, I won't be able to. Any suggestions? — purpletb (posted on November 6, 2001)
November 6, 2001
Hi. I fortunately did not have that problem but do know some who did. You
may need to have the stoma widened a little if you are eating slowely and
chewing alot and eating soft foods it should be going down ok. Meats at 5
wks may be too soon though and you should be sticking to soft foods. Good
luck. Call your surgeon though. Every surgeon has a different post op
plan and yours sounds kind of strict at 6 wks of liquid!
— Jaykay B.
November 6, 2001
Perhaps you have a stricture. Contact your surgeon and tell him, even if
you have to tell him you cheated.
— [Anonymous]
November 6, 2001
Okay I am also 5 weeks out,have tried to cheat and totally puked. Don't
feel bad (I mean, you know!)
Anyway, I tried to eat a hardboiled egg the other night (chewed it really
well) and couldn't hold it down and then had a stomach ache and nausea the
whole rest of the night. I get that with even some of the really soft
things I eat such as yogurt. I am supposed to start some solids next week,
but I feel like you. Am I going to really be able to handle it by then? I
don't guess this helps, except to tell you that I'm in the same boat!
(43.5 lbs. down in 35 days !!)
— Jennifer H.
November 6, 2001
I was the same after trying soft food and even some liquids. I had a upper
GI and everything was fine. I got the best advice from the x-ray tech. He
said that it maybe weeks or longer before I could try those type of foods
and to just listen to my body and not force anything to soon. Well it was
terrific advise, I went back to the creamed soups etc.. and the vomiting
stopped except when I forget to take extra caution with the first bite.
Habbits are a very hard thing to break. Remember our bodies have gone
through MAJOR surgery. Take care and go slow you have a lifetime now to
try all those other foods. Taryn
— taryncarrol
November 6, 2001
This question and some of the answers puzzle me. You have post op
instructions to only be on liquids, right? You're cheating and advancing
your diet before you are supposed to and you're wondering WHY you can't
handle it? Did you ever think there may be a reason to the restrictions?
Also, "next week" you get to advance your diet but you've already
been eating meats? Maybe the reason you and the others who answered won't
be able to advance your diet as your surgeon recommends is that you didn't
follow his instructions in the first place and let your stomach/pouch rest
as ordered. While, I don't claim to be perfect, this is one area that I
followed my doctor's instructions to the letter and I have had absolutely
no problems and was ready for each stage of food when the time was right.
— [Anonymous]
November 6, 2001
Well...I think the anonymous poster wants a pat on the back...but I have to
tell you that it is obvious from this site that many doctors have many
different schedules for starting foods. Obviously you should follow these
guidelines the best you can. But...I don't think your problem is that you
haven't been on total liquids for 6 weeks. Maybe meat is advanced for you
at this stage. My surgeon let's us start it at 6 weeks, but I had problems
and he said it could be over 3 months until I could tolerate. But...I
think the one earlier poster may have something here...if everything solid
gets stuck and makes you throw up, it's likely you have a stricture. Don't
wait too long to ask your doctor to have this checked out. For me, it took
me about 2 weeks of throwing up daily before I addressed the problem. By
then my nutrition was suffering, and when I finally had the endoscopic
dilation I was afraid to try foods for fear of throwing up again. So...if
you continue feeling bad whenever you eat, even if you are going beyond the
guidelines, say something to your surgeon. Best of luck.
— Tracy L.
November 7, 2001
My doctor wanted me to add new foods about a month after surgery and slowly
keep adding. I could not tolerate barely any solid foods until 4 months.
I am 6 months post op now and can eat most anything. It took awhile but
hang in there.
— Tanya T.
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