Two weeks in and I feel horrible all the time.

[aryn123 0]

I am two weeks into my post op phase and I feel just awful all the time. I can't keep almost any food down and drinking anything, including Water and Protein, hurts my chest so bad I want to cry. I feel like I am slowly starving and am dizzy and shaking a lot. The only food I could even a little bit keep down is sauteed kale or mashed potatoes. Anything else I try I either throw it up or feel like it's stuck in my throat and I'm choking. And the heartburn is terrible on some days too. My surgeon said it's because I am eating too fast, but I am literally not eating almost anything. The other day it took me almost 3 hours to get down 2oz of applesauce and then I had debilitating heartburn the rest of the day. I don't know how much slower I could have eaten.

Has anyone else done through this? I feel hopeless and sick all the time and can barely get through work. I just want to feel normal again. I have lost a significant amount of weight already, but I am starting to feel like this was all a giant mistake. I really can't go back to the hospital and back on the IV because I can't miss any more work, but I feel like I am actually starving sometimes.

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@aryn123 Don't worry about eating anything right now - concentrate on getting in your fluids and Protein shakes. You are most likely dehydrated and will not feel better until you are drinking at least 64 ozs of fluids. Why don't you go back to shakes and liquids for now. Be sure to take your PPI and anti-nausea meds. Walk frequently and sip slowly. Try different temps - sometimes warm is easier than cold. Try some hot broth or tea or sugar free popsicles. Do whatever you can to get in your Protein and fluids.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I felt very much the same and it turned out that I had a slight stricture. Absolutely no big deal -- in fact, I chose NOT to have it corrected.

I stayed on liquids' (protein' drinks!) for three weeks and then went to pureed' for two. It was slow moving, but at week three I was doing fine on just my shakes' and some greek yogurt, hummus, refried Beans and other really loose foods.

Concentrate on protein' and liquids. Gatorade 50/50 with Water was a HUGE help for me, too.

You will get there!!

[aryn123 0]

I will try some different liquids. I am just hungry now (I wasn't for the first week and a half) so I want to try and actually eat something of substance. I feel really good when I (rarely) am able to get food down but that has only been like, twice. I have a follow up appointment in two weeks and so I will bring it up then too.

I am just having a hard time even with liquids. More than a mouthful gives me chest/esophagus pains. My Protein shakes are gross warm and so I find myself having to run to the fridge to refill my tiny cup with an oz of shake every 30 minutes.

Thank you for the advice and I will keep trying.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I will try some different liquids. I am just hungry now (I wasn't for the first week and a half) so I want to try and actually eat something of substance. I feel really good when I (rarely) am able to get food down but that has only been like, twice. I have a follow up appointment in two weeks and so I will bring it up then too.

I am just having a hard time even with liquids. More than a mouthful gives me chest/esophagus pains. My Protein shakes are gross warm and so I find myself having to run to the fridge to refill my tiny cup with an oz of shake every 30 minutes.

Thank you for the advice and I will keep trying.

I blended my refrigerated protein' shake' with ice and then poured it in an insulated tumbler and just sipped on it. It was a slushy consistency and small sips went down ok. Helped with my liquid' intake, too.

[kimini 175]

My surgeon also cleared me a two weeks for solid food, and I learned something very quickly: just because I was cleared for food did not mean I should yet. Your body will let you know what it's ready for and when.

You can get your Protein in (much more easily, I might add) though Protein shakes right now. You could also try mixing Protein with pudding. If you want the sensation of food, then have some mashed potatoes or whatever soft foods your stomach can handle right now. You should see a tiny bit of improvement every day. It's a slow process, but just hang in there! It will be okay!

[JamieLogical 8,684]

I had the chest pain (constricting esophagus) with every teeny tiny sip in my early weeks post-op to. You really do just need to take tiny sips. Aim for one ounce of Water every 15 minutes, so only 1/2 cup per hour. Also, try marching in place as you are sipping. Strange as it sounds, that helped me some. The good news is, that muscle spasm/constriction thing only lasted a little over two weeks for me, so hopefully you are nearing the end of it.

As for the heart burn, are you taking a PPI? If so would your surgeon consider upping your dose? I was on 40mg of Omeprazole daily for the first two months post-op.

[Pamcake40 11]

PPI?

[JamieLogical 8,684]

PPI?

Proton pump inhibitor. It's a form of medicine that prevents the creation of stomach acid. You should have received a prescription for it post-op.

[Utleyshair 4]

I feel/felt the exact same way. I am 5 weeks now, and I feel just slightly better. If I eat I feel REALLY sick to my stomach. If I don't eat I get heart burn-horrifically- and feel really sick to my stomach. If I eat or drink I get heart burn. Nothing tastes even remotely like it used too, and I can't find anything at all yummy that can be my "go to" food. I am hoping that I just have not healed enough in 5 weeks. I feel nauseous all day-everyday too, so trying to eat and (especially drink) is a HUGE challenge. Did I mention I sit in my professional office belching deeply through out the afternoon-yea, real nice! I am sure people are chatting about it among themselves. I thought I had done my research on this surgery and everything I would be going through, but seems I missed a lot. I just PRAY-seriously sit down and I PRAY-that I heal quickly! My goal currently now-to be able to drink Water normally like I used to. The food I don't care so much about. I have a complete aversion to food-but boy am I thirsty!!! (BTW I am 42 pounds down in 5 weeks)

Edited October 11, 2016 by Utleyshair

[aryn123 0]

@@Utleyshair I am at 4 weeks now. And it's still really hard going. I have taken to drinking unsweetened ice tea or lemon Water because plain Water makes me feel gross for some reason. And I can barely get one of my Protein drinks down in a day. But something surprising that I have been able to eat (and am almost getting sick of) is taco salad. Seasoned meat, lettuce, shredded cheese, a couple crunched up tortilla chips, salsa, and melted nacho cheese to make it go down easier. It takes me forever to eat it, but it's working. French onion Soup (without the cheese and bread on top) has also been a lifesaver.

I have also noticed that the less I eat throughout the day, the less tolerant my body is of food. Last week, I had a full taco salad from taco bell (it took me 5 hours to eat the whole thing, but whatever) and then some Soup when I got home and it was no problem. I still had to take it slow, but it all went down. Then the next day, I was super busy cleaning and running around and by 6pm, the only thing I had that day was about 20 oz of iced tea. So then when I decided to eat, I only got a spoonful of applesauce down before I promptly threw it up. So I've noticed how nauseous and gross I feel when I eat is directly related to whether I have been eating little bits throughout the day. Which I hope passes soon because it's really hard to literally be eating all day long when I have a job.

And yeah, I have been having the same issue with taste, which looking at it from a "I'm getting healthy and changing my lifestyle" perspective, it's great. But it's still a little disappointing when I just want to have an oero or an M&M and it tastes like dirt.

My mom introduced me to this thermos tumblr (http://reduceeveryday.com/collections/cold/products/cold-1-vacuum-tumbler-24oz) and it's been amazing. It keeps whatever I put in it cold ALL DAY without any ice in it even. So if you are sick of drinking room temperature liquids because it takes 8 hours to drink your glass of water, I recommend getting this.

Edited October 11, 2016 by aryn123

[Noname22 175]

It will get better, just trust the process and stay on course. You will be feeling better than you ever have in no time.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

Taco salad, M&Ms, and oreos at 4 weeks out... I am just going to slowly back away from this thread....

[aryn123 0]

Taco salad, M&Ms, and oreos at 4 weeks out... I am just going to slowly back away from this thread....

Yeah, hi. I had ONE m&m and when I am literally puking up almost every really healthy food I try and a fricken taco salad actually goes down, I am going to eat it rather than feel sick and nauseous all the time. Thanks for your really judgmental input though.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

Taco salad, M&Ms, and oreos at 4 weeks out... I am just going to slowly back away from this thread....

Yeah, hi. I had ONE m&m and when I am literally puking up almost every really healthy food I try and a fricken taco salad actually goes down, I am going to eat it rather than feel sick and nauseous all the time. Thanks for your really judgmental input though.

I get that you are desperate to find foods you can keep down, but for you to learn that you can't keep down M&Ms and Oreos, you have to have at least tried them and at 4 weeks out, that seems ill advised. I actually had 3 Oreos for Breakfast this morning! But I am also over two years out. At 4 weeks, I wasn't even on solid foods yet!

I was instructed not to have fibrous vegetables (ie: lettuce) or any crunchy foods (ie: taco shells) for three full months post-op.

Have you spoken to your surgeon about the difficulties you are having keeping appropriate foods down? Has he/she ok-ed you to try some of these less advisable options?

I'm really not trying to be judgy. I am concerned for your healing and also concerned that the message you are sending to newly sleeved people is that taco salad and M&Ms are okay at 4 weeks post-op. Most people aren't in the desperate situation you are, but may see this and take it as a "green light" to eat things they really shouldn't be eating so soon post-op.