Clueless_girl

On 3/29/2024 at 6:14 PM, ShoppGirl said:

Night before last I learned that crustless quiche is super easy to make and In the muffin tin it’s perfect little portions.

Ooh i LOVE quiche! I would love to see the recipe for this!

Yeah i'm 4 mths post op from the modified duodenal switch and I have struggled with Water nausea and issues with water tasting gross/weird to me. I feel like my taste buds have changed a bit after surgery and I can't stand the taste of water filtered from the tap anymore. I am trying to find a bottled water than I can tolerate, but isn't too expensive. Thankfully I tried gatorade zero and that has helped me, but I am STILL struggling to drink 30+ ounces a day. Have you tried flavoring your water? I just got gatorade zero powder to cut down on the extra plastic and to try to drink more water. Hopefully that does the trick!

On 3/29/2024 at 8:50 AM, kampeh said:

Good morning!
I'm 10 months and 19 days Post Op (Gastric Bypass) after the 8 Month i started eating more than 8oz per meal to feel satisfied, I'm literally eating almost a normal plate of food and now I'm worried that my pouch stretched.
Is this normal? Right now I'm not gaining weight (thankfully) but I'm scared i might mess my surgery up later on.


Thanks in advance for your replies!

I'm almost 4 months post op from the MDS and I've been asking myself that question, "am I overeating", on and off for the past 2 months. I've been able to figure out 2 body cues so far: feeling full to me is a pain in a specific part of my chest and feeling hungry is a intense pain in my abdomen. But other than trying to avoid those, I feel like I spend a lot of time grazing or snacking.

Because of my morbid curiousity, I weigh myself pretty much every day. I didn't experience the "3 wk stall", but my weight has bounced around a bit. Dealing with pain and nausea has made me lose both pounds and inches, which scares me more than it makes me happy. The stress of school made that worse recently, in 4 days I lost 6 lbs. At my last follow up, my dr and dietician said to slow down my weight loss by adding in some carbs. I have been doing that for the last 2 weeks and I've been able to gain/maintain a range of 2-3 pounds, so I agree with @SleeveToBypass2023's advice about the rice and such.

On 1/18/2024 at 11:10 AM, Arendiva said:

At my largest I was size 24. I'm currently size 18 and I still have things in my wardrobe that are size 16. Once I shrink beyond that I will either have to buy new clothes, go to a tailor and have my current clothes altered or rock out baggy clothes until my weight stabilizes. I'm trying to have a no buy year for 2024 so my plan for this calendar year is to make due with belts, tailoring , baggy clothes and dresses until next January, with the exception of underwear and bras which I refuse to wear incorrect sizes for.

I'm choosing to go through all of my old clothes too because: 1. this grad student is too broke to go shopping and 2. I have been holding on to them for the day I could fit in them again. I have never had my clothes tailored before and just kind of hand sewed them myself, not that I'm very good at it. I'm still a few months out from post op so I'm in this limbo of finding some things I can fit again and trying to make due with what I have.

I was using safety pins to hold up my shorts and tying back my t-shirts, but the shirts are getting to where I think I need to alter them because the legs are so wide it kind of looks ridiculous. But I'm also paranoid about adjusting the waist because what if I need it bigger later? So I was thinking of just tucking in the extra fabric somehow instead of removing it. Of course I don't know if this will look ridiculous either.. How are you handling this issue?

On 2/21/2024 at 11:16 AM, AmberFL said:

Hi All!

Lately, I have been receiving attention for my weight loss, mostly positive. People have been asking me how I lost the weight. I prefer to keep my surgery private and only a select few know about it because I do not want to hear negative comments. When people ask how I did it, I say, "Thank you! I have been following a low carb diet, walking every day, and not drinking alcohol." Recently, someone commented on how quickly I lost the weight on this diet, and for a moment, I worried that they might be thinking I was using drugs. LOL

Does anyone use different excuse?

I have been struggling with how to tell my family and friends about my surgery. It's not even because they would judge me, it's kind of the opposite.

My brother was super skinny until about late high school and then struggled with weight gain and loss for years. Then 6 yrs ago he got the gastric sleeve and after seeing the results, my parents immediately looked at me and said I should do the same. I have always been bigger and curvier than everyone in our family, which is hard to ignore when you're an Asian girl (I'm not stereotyping here. They are all under 5'5 and the largest cup size is a B). While it has hurt me, it also pushed me to find a version of myself that I can accept and be happy with.

Oddly enough my existing health problems (which are mostly the known side effects that occur from wls) stem from a blood disorder from birth and I don't suffer from the common issues from obesity like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. Having dealt with a number of specialists and doctors over the years without any real solutions, I eventually decided to consider bariatric surgery this year. I planned on telling them about it after I had recovered, but it has been rough and I am still undergoing further tests and treatment. My brother gained a lot of his weight back while my sister has pushed herself and lost weight- both about the same amount that I have lost in a few months. I don't want either to feel shame or resentment towards me, not that I can control that.

It looks like I may have to go back into the hospital a 3rd time and get my gall bladder removed. How awful would it be if I lied and said that is the reason behind my weight loss? My family knows that I have been dealing with stomach problems and pain for years. I'm also losing weight much faster than the doctors expected due to this, in addition to nausea, and we're trying to figure how to slow it down. I HATE attention and it's getting harder to try and hide how different I look. Any advice or motivational speech from anyone would be greatly appreciated! 🙂

On 6/8/2023 at 11:44 PM, Deep6 said:

I had my surgery a few days ago and generally feel good. My appetite is a little "off" which I guess is good, since I'm subsisting on a clear liquid diet and just added Protein Drinks per the surgeon's office. I have had difficulty sleeping for a long time; I used to attribute it to stress, but I retired several years ago and live a pretty stress-free life. I did my usual cocktail of Diazepam plus Mirtazapine which usually puts me down (the Mirtazapine is the one that usually kicks hard- I often don't want to get up and am groggy so I typically take 1/2 a 7.5 mg dose). It's ok for now because I'm not teaching the semester and can make appointments later in the morning or afternoon.

But, here's the kicker: I did my usual dosing and still could not fall asleep last night. I find it hard to believe that my metabolic system has changed this quickly after surgery. Which prompts me to ask: among those of you who suffer from insomnia, what do you use that does not leave you groggy in the morning?

tia

Deep6

PS: dumb admin question but how do I change my avatar box to read post-op rather than pre-op now that I've just had the surgery? Thanks again!

I have had insomnia since I was a kid and have to change sleep meds every few years. Oh and I have anxiety/ocd and ADHD. I was on an extended release form of ambien prior to surgery and just like you, I found that it stopped working. I had to add alprazolam to it to sleep through the night, but that's not great long term. My therapist said because of the absorption rate, going back to the highest dose of ambien should fix that.

Unfortunately I still struggled to sleep more than 3 hrs unless I added the alprazolam again. But I recently tried alcohol free zzzquil in its place and it does the trick! I started with a 15ml dose and I'm adjusting down from that, because it was a little hard to wake up the first time but I wasn't groggy at all. Hopefully this works for you too or gets you closer to something that does!

8 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

Thanks so much for your reply. I’m sorry to hear you are struggling a bit but glad you are tolorating at least some real foods and getting your Protein in. I am trying low carb recipes each day and have found a few that are good for me. I just have to sift through the super high fat ones that I’m guessing won’t be ideal post op. I won’t get into specifics since you are limited in what you’re eating right now. I’m kinda shocked that you are still dealing with nausea and abdominal pain at four months. I know everyone’s body is differnt but Do they act like that is common for recovery? Is the Vitamin deficiency related to the surgery?

I don't think I'm a common case but malabsorption of Vitamins is expected of all bariatric patients. I've been dealing with random abdominal pain for years, alongside the gluten sensitivity so now my surgeon is looking at removing my gall bladder.

But I know a few patients will have a rough recovery like mine and IV nutrition will help them tremendously. I am able to eat and the bruising I have from every lab/blood draw is taking longer and longer to disappear (making me look like I'm a drug addict 🤣), so I don't want to go that route.

Oh but feel free to talk about the recipes/issues you're having with low carb food, it's not a trigger for me and I could always use ideas to adapt!

On 9/29/2023 at 8:23 PM, catwoman7 said:

I changed mine a few times as I met them - 200, then 175, then 150. I never dreamed I'd make it to 150, but my surgeon didn't bat an eye when I originally said "200", because I never thought I'd make it there, either.

It looks like we're the same height and I had the goal weight of 150 too. How did you know or decide to change your goal?

On 3/22/2024 at 3:51 PM, ShoppGirl said:

For DS. which if I’m understanding correctly you can just have a little more fat than SAD, what carbs can you have. Like can you have fruits and veggies. Obviously not potatoes but what about zucchini or strawberries. Stuff like that. I’m thinking if I have to limit fhaf idk it sounds really hard.

I'm almost 4 months post from the ds so I'm no means an expert, but I've been sensitive/intolerant to gluten for the last like 7 yrs so I can chime in about food restrictions. Having to find substitutions for food you know and love is ROUGH, more so when you're sick or recovering. I've had problems with nausea, abdominal pain, and Vitamin deficiency during my recovery so my dietician is still having me focus on Protein with a little soft cooked, non-starchy vegetables (I really miss eating fruit). I have ADHD so eating the same thing for more than like 2 meals is almost impossible.

However, there are a lot of other people who are dealing with low carb and bariatric diets so finding suggestions and recipes isn't hard. Unfortunately that also means it takes a lot of research and trial and error to find what works for you specifically. There are a lot of different alternatives for gluten free/low carb/no sugar/etc. products available online that are a bit pricey, but might also be a good option for what you want/crave too.

On 3/19/2024 at 8:10 PM, ChunkCat said:

My partner is Chinese and their family ALWAYS did this when we lived close to them!! They'd discuss their weight right at the dinner table, comment on how they needed to lose weight and were getting fat, then pass the dishes over for them to finish and send the leftovers home with us! Made me SOOOO pissed off. 🤣

Those close to me noticed first. My doctors were almost in tears that the surgery has been working so well! It was really sweet to see. I take pictures once a month on the 1st of the month and take measurements then too, because I wanted to be able to track for myself what was changing. It was really cool to see how my posture has changed. I keep taking pics in the same outfit and it is so weird to see the shirt getting longer even though I know the shirt isn't getting longer. LOL

I saw my family at Christmas. They live several states away. I recently sent them a full body pic and they were shocked and excited for me because it was pretty clear I've lost weight and my shape is changing. Today I passed my 50% mark towards my goal weight!! I've officially lost 76 lbs since my highest weight (320) and 63 lbs since my surgery weight (307). It just feels so unreal to me...

I almost took a picture the other day (a mirror selfie no less), bc on camera it seemed like I looked the same even though I could tell it wasn't. But I instead opted for trying on some outfits I wore a few months ago and I swear the shirts are longer besides being baggier.

I've slowly dug in the closet and tried on some clothes I haven't seen in years. Being able to fit into them was great of course, but also made me mad 😤! The fact that I can fit into both, a dress I wore 5 yrs ago and one I wore over 12 yrs ago when they're different sizes and materials is just crazy?!

On 2/25/2024 at 7:57 AM, FifiLux said:

Hi all,

I did a search through the forum but couldn't find a situation that was similar as already got my gall bladder removed years ago and not a recent post-op.

Is it 'normal' to suffer frequent, as in every few days for a few hours at a time, abdominal pain even 8 months after surgery? I get it on both sides at times, other times just one side.

It was so bad last night on my right side that I couldn't lie on my stomach, which is my preferred way to fall asleep, as it was uncomfortable. I am not sure if it is usual or a side effect of all the issues I had post-op (leak, pancreatitis, infection, abscesses, allergic reaction to meds). I didn't want to go to the hospital if it is a normal occurrence following sleeve surgery that I just am expected to take a painkiller for, also I am terrified of being kept in hospital again.

I'm sorry and i think i may experience abdominal pain similar to yours even prior to surgery. I ofc haven't found someone to correctly diagnose it yet. But i use salonpas (u can find them at walmart) and place them wherever i feel the pain, sometimes drinking hot tea helps too (i imagine i'm burning the pain away), and finally holding a boiling hot water bottle (the old school like rubber bladders) wrapped in a towel and putting that wherever i feel the pain. I sleep with it too. I've found all those things more helpful than just taking meds.

On 3/2/2024 at 12:16 PM, Tracyringo said:

I had revision to rny 4 years ago in May. I have horrible bouts of abdominal pain that has sent me to hospital several times... 2 CT scans, 2 egd and a colonoscopy later...no answers.. I don't see how it can be gas trapped but at this point I don't care what it is I am tired of these bouts that come on whenever out of the blue. It is debilitating. The pain is the worst! I need help.

I totally feel your pain! I already had problems with random, really bad abdominal pain that no one could diagnose prior to surgery. Then after surgery i had 6 weeks of constant, severve abdominal pain and nausea. After i went in for my first followup, i got sent to the hospital to do my labs, a CT scan of my chest and ultrasound of my gall bladder.

It turns out my potassium levels were critical and i had to be admitted to start iv (6 bags) in addition to the huge pills. After an overnight stay i was discharged the next evening with a week worth of extra pills. But then after i finished them, i was finally able to keep food down and the pain practically disappeared! It still hurts now and then, but mostly now i have to deal with painful bloating and Water nausea. So maybe have your potassium levels looked at?

On 3/9/2024 at 1:53 PM, Lily2024 said:

I've lost over 60 lbs since I started this journey, 26 since surgery, and I've gotten very few comments. That surprised me until I realized the same things everyone else has posted: People are nervous to bring it up, not sure if it's appropriate, etc. I see it in their faces though, it's definitely noticeable, but I tend to just forge ahead as if nothing has changed and most people just go with that.

My husband comments regularly, he loves the changes and even more, he loves the change in my self esteem.

Oh we had our surgeries about the same time and i had to stay for an extra day too due to complications. Congrats on 60 lbs!

Well i'm asian and while asians are known to be pretty quiet, when it comes to weight- they don't hesitate to comment. Whether it's your family, friend of the family, distant relative, or someone they've seen a few times at the store. They call you over for dinner and when you've finished, they tell you you're fat and pack up all the leftovers for you to take home. (Say no all you want, it's gonna happen anyway). That being said it's kind of concerning that they haven't said anything at all.

I don't go out much so it's mostly dr's visits and they've noticed and said something right away. So i have a weird sample size. But i have to see i dont really take any comments to heart, i just wanted to see if anyone could tell and it's kind of a mixed bag atm..

12 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

it was probably 3 or 4 months for me, but I started out at over 300 lbs. It was probably more like five months before a LOT of people started noticing. But then at that weight, I just looked huge no matter what - people wouldn't necessarily notice a 40 or 50 lb difference (plus I also wore baggy clothes at that weight, so that probably factored in, too)

I used to wear a lot of long skirts and fitted tops, then my wardrobe descended into tshirts and shorts that my brother or bf outgrew. Did you notice the baggy clothes seemed longer after you lost weight? Idk if it's because I'm wearing men's sizes/clothes or I'm just overthinking it.

22 hours ago, Arabesque said:

First was at week 5. I had returned to work in a new area where an old work friend was based. I’d lost a good 10kgs (22 odd lbs) so noticeable. She’d known me from thin to obese & up & down so knew of my battles. She hugged me in welcome on my first day & then whispered I was looking good. I told her a few days later. She offered no judgement just good wishes. Everyone in that section knew I’d recently had a surgery but not what. Most presumed it was a ‘female surgery’ (it was a largely male section) & I didn’t correct them. I remember her reaction so well because on the last day of my contract (about 8 weeks later), they organised a farewell/thank you morning tea for me. Lots of sticky Buns, cakes, etc. She whisperered she’d made sure there was some cheese & crudités so I could have a little bite of something & not feel uncomfortable. Such a considerate thing to do & all without fuss.

Can’t recall who was last to notice I was losing weight.

Sometimes people don’t say anything because they’re unsure how you’ll react or don’t want you to think they watching how successful you are or will be. Or if the don’t know worry you are unwell & again don’t want to broach the subject with you. So they say nothing. Your boyfriend is likely trying to be super supportive & nothing more.

Depending on how much you were when you started, it can take a little while to really notice a change. For me, that 10kgs was almost a dress size, but because I wore a lot of loose, or elastic waisted clothing, my loss was sort of hidden.

Gave you been taking photos or taking body measurements (weekly or monthly)? Sometimes the changes can be seen more easily that way than just in a mirror (body dysmorphia can blind us to the truth sometimes) or when pulling on your pants (until they fall down of course 😉).

Congratulations on your loss so far.

That was sweet of her, I hope you guys kept in touch. I mean even if my bf doesn't say anything, I ask him things like if this changed or is that is noticeable, ect. I've already landed myself back in the hospital once due to critically low potassium and the symptoms I had were obvious. So now I'm trying to be more aware so I can spot signs earlier. But yeah I do have to keep in mind that it could seem rude to say something without me bringing it up first. I just saw my therapist and after I said I had surgery, she said I could tell by your collarbones (its a televisit so the view is just to mid shoulder).

You're so right about the body dysmorphia! I'm trying to find a balance between: not being obsessive about how much or quickly I'm losing and remembering to appreciate even the smallest change. I've never really taken pics or measurements even prior to surgery, but I did buy this body fat scale I saw another bariatric patient suggest. I am taking the information with a grain of salt, but it is satisfying to see the numbers trend downwards. Aside from that, it is strange to have to tighten my shorts and be able to wear shirts that are a size smaller.

I don't want to Celebrate too early then hit a stall/weight gain and spiral. But the idea of being able to wear that one dress that's been sitting in my closet?? Talk about a dream come true! Did you go out and strut when you got to that point?

Wow. Maybe the surgeon, nurses, and dieticians didn't go over any of this with me because they were focused on fixing my nausea and pain? But I'm going to have to ask a lot of questions on my next followup in a few weeks.

"Reframing" is the perfect way to put it! Now, how to figure out how to do that 🤔...

I just had surgery right after new year's and I haven't told any of my family yet. I typically see them about once a month and call/text at least 3+ times a week. I'm not sure if it's because I wore pullovers and pants, but they haven't noticed anything different.

On the other hand, my boyfriend knows I had surgery, sees me everyday, and tells me how much/what changed all the time. His co-workers also know (I see them a few times a yr) and they said they could hardly recognize me.

I don't know what to make of this... I'm about 2 months post op and down about 45lbs. Personally I can see a noticeable difference from my waist down, but I think other than that I look about the same. Although shirts are fitting me a bit different.

So I was wondering, who was the first to notice any changes after your surgery and who was the last?

Thank you for the advice! It's weird, a day or 2 after I last replied, the random nausea and intense abdominal pain practically disappeared on its own. Of course now I've been fighting with trying not to eat so fast I make myself sick and getting tired of eating the same thing over and over. Do you actually weigh out your food? I'm avoiding that because it reminds me of all the failed attempts at dieting. I doubt I'm hitting my Protein and Water goals still, but it's been an improvement from the past 6 weeks. You have to stay positive right? Do you actually eat 3 meals or at specific times? I'm still trying to recognize my body cues on that.

Thank you for the detailed information! I do take some of the medications you listed, tried flavoring my Water too. I dodn't know that dehydration could make nausea worse though. I felt fine in the hospital and was able to eat more, but as soon as I left the pain and intense nausea returned. I now have body aches to boot. So i was thinking that hydration and sleep should be my priorites at this point, maybe if i get those fixed i can eat more and feel better? I'm switching from water to electrolytes so add taste and electrolytes. I really don't want to rely on Protein Shakes bc I'd like to be able to eat with my family at some point in the next few months, even if it is just a little bit. Also be be able to go a long walk without feeling like collapsing from fatigue would be nice too. What is a TPN?

I'm 6wks out now and I still have nausea and stomach pain everyday. I can do maybe 24oz of water/gatorade zero a day at most. The nausea isn't limited to food, it affects my Water and Vitamins too. The most I've been able to eat at 1 time is 1.5 greek yogurt cups, the least is like 3 small bites of food the entire day. I'm back in the hospital because my potassium was critically low, they checked to see if my gallbladder was the issue and it's not. They did say recovery is different for everyone but that it is still abnormal that I am having this much trouble eating. It's especially weird bc other than the pain and nausea I feel okay, despite how low my labs have been at each followup.

I guess I was too ambitious in trying to hit water, Protein, and Vitamin goals all at once. But of the 3 you'd say hydration should be the priority over vitamins? I wish someone had tips on how to deal with the stomach pain. I am taking gas x, hyoscyamine, omeprazole, and ondansetron religiously at least 2 times a day. Not to mention reheating a hot water bottle during the day and sleeping with it at night. All of that just so I can get out of bed and walk around.

On 1/24/2024 at 9:34 AM, NCL04321 said:

I had the sleeve and if i eat too fast or take too big of bites it feels like it is stuck in my esophagus. probably because it doesnt all fit in your stomach so it continues up your esophagus. May be an error but you stated your dr said to take 30 minutes to eat and no more. Did you mean no less? Ive never heard about taking longer than a half hour to eat your portioned out food to be bad for us. I usually dont take more than 30 min anyway, im more like 20 min to finish my meal.

I had the modified ds and it said pretty much stop eating after 30 mins or you're grazing? But it feels like 30 mins is too fast for me bc i get that feeling you're describing happens even if I've had maybe less than .5oz of anything. I'm 6 wks out from surgery too. Idk if I have gotten the "full" signal yet, just pain or nausea..

On 9/24/2023 at 2:02 PM, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

OMG, ok here's what happened. So last night, for the first time in a year and a half, I was finally in the mood for some ham (lost my liking of pork for a long time). So hubby made a hickory smoked, spiral cut ham. OMG it was AMAZING. I took a tentative bite and it was like a FLAVOR EXPLOSION in my mouth. So delicious!!! I was so excited to actually like it again that I scarfed it down. Like, I ate all 3 ounces of ham in under a minute. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT do that. Ever. Once you have your surgery (especially if it's the bypass) DO NOT EVER EVER EVER scarf your food. Even if you want to. Even if it's the greatest food in the history of all food ever. Do NOT eat it quickly. Go slow and chew it. Pretend you're a train and CHEW CHEW it. About 5 minutes after I finished eating, I was in hell. OMG. The pain, the stuck feeling, the "omg my stomach is gonna burst" feeling, the nausea, the praying to ALL the deities and making bargains and deals and swearing to never do it again...it all started. I was MISERABLE all night. And I DO mean all night. So learn from me, people. NOTHING tastes good enough to make that TERRIBLE behavior even remotely worth it. Be very mindful about what you eat, how fast you eat it, and how much of it you eat. This concludes my TED talk.

Can you describe what the pain was like and where it was? I have had problems with abdominal pain forever and I had really bad pain after my surgery and recovery. I have always taken small bites and I'm a slow eater in general. The doctors said to take 30 minutes to eat and no more, which I have been doing, but I have had pain after eating and even before (not to mention nausea). But today I took about an hour to eat some chicken and I think, fingers crossed, I am okay. Maybe my bites are too small though?

I've had insomnia forever and was on ambien before the surgery. I am a night owl and a grad student so I can go to sleep at 6am and be up sometime after 2pm. But even with ambien and benadryl, I'm lucky if I fall asleep after 10am. Yesterday was worse because I only slept for 2 hours. But I'm not tired at all. Does sleep get better? I'm only 3 weeks out.

I feel awful that you all went through this, but thankful at the same time because now I know I'm not alone. Please tell me if went away after a few weeks! I was so happy to be able to progress to the soft food diet, only to go back to liquids after a few days because the idea of eating made me sick. You'd think I'd be able to hit my fluid goals at least but the closest I've gotten is 48 ounces.

On 5/31/2021 at 9:29 AM, NurseAudge said:

@RLeaT Wow! Your experience is very similar to mine! I had the SADI-S on 4/29/21 so I'm just now out of my first month post-op and it has only been in the past few days that I've started to feel more like myself. I think it was around week 2 ish that I started regretting my decision because of the nausea (better now), constipation (still experiencing that), couldn't get in enough fluids/protein daily (still working on that & even struggling to get in enough calories/day), and that feeling of gas/needing to burp but can't plus just various other reasons. I also can relate to not being able to tolerate the Protein Shakes I bought and also having a gross taste in my mouth that seemed to linger! But now I'm back to feeling glad I did and also realizing it takes time for my body to get used to it. I lost 17 lbs in my first 2 weeks post-op so that was encouraging but now my weight has been stalled for the past week ish. I'm just hoping getting in the Protein, fluids, & calories on a daily basis will become easier and easier and I'll start getting some energy back. So it's encouraging to read your experience and know I'm not alone and also that things have been much better for you lately. Hope all is well. Take care!

So the pain, discomfort and nausea will last a whole month? I have tried all of the meds the surgeons prescribed for those issues and I have to take them religiously everyday for some relief. But I am just now into my 3rd week. Sometimes it happens in the evenings, sometimes it's all day. I even sleep with a hot water bottle to ease the pain. I got the go ahead to go onto the soft diet, but after a few days, the liquid diet is easier to stomach. I don't think I've hit my Protein and Water goals once...