Hi everyone, I'm 7 days out and doing good except for 1 thing, I'm still on clear liquids until Thursday. . . i'm doing really well with this clear liquid thing even though i would LOVE to inhale some REAL FOOD but i always imagine how much pain that would bring on! :scared0: Did anyone else start feeling stupid or dizzy or something after a week of clear liquids? Things are actually starting to move that shouldn't be moving. . . like my grandfather clock, the base looks like it's moving, or my 125 gallon aquarium looks like it's moving. . . call it hallucinations or food deprivation. . . don't know. . . anyone else? I'm not on any meds at all so i know it's not that. . . let me know what y'all did with this problem if anything? Should i increase the liquids more? Everything is sugar free that im taking in like sf popsicles, sf welches crystal to flavor my water, decaf tea, sf jello. . . . they have a little calorie content . . . I think that maybe i'm getting maybe 400 calories in a day. . . . . Thanks

Edited January 5, 201016 yr by thinoneday

Just don't drive yet!!! It's a process.

Silly question from a newbie!!!:scared0: I am post op day two vertical gastrectomy doing fine with proteins and sipping liquid (which is taking a lot of practice...I am a gulper). My husband came in after work tonight and made a sandwhich with doritoes. I put one of those doritoes in my mouth and chewed and chewed. And It tasted so good! I then spit it out and rinsed my mouth. Has anyone else found themselves going down this path....and what is your advice for me? There is so much happening to me now. I know I could never swallow it, because of what it might do to my new stomach. How much of a fool am I for even letting it get into my mouth? Any advice and or scolding will be appreciated!:001_rolleyes:

Everyone on here is a bit different. But as for me, I have had a lot of trouble giving up the foods I love and to follow the 6 week post op plan. Part of the problem is every day I want something different with regards to food and I've developed an aversion to the whey Protein in general b/c I can't seem to get a BM and I feel like it is stopping me up some, or that it was. And I do get huge cravings. But the thing is, can't eat much of nothing anyway.

But there is no getting around it, the first weeks are tough and tough and tough so you just gotta do whatever you gotta do to get through it. I'm sure what you did will do no long term damage.

But the thing is, we do have problems with food, that is generally how most of us got in this mess. SO going cold turkey to change your whole diet is omg not so easy.

As you progress you just have to find ways to make the guidelines work for you and to listen to your body and keep it functioning right.

Believe me, we all tempt ourselves occasionally, I read one person would take a bite of steak early out and just chew it and spit it out, desparate for some flavor and chewing! Please be careful doing this though, early out think of your stomach and its healing...don't compromise it. Get back on the program and put something in your mouth allowed and time will pass and you can have a healthy new life.

Silly question from a newbie!!!:thumbup: I am post op day two vertical gastrectomy doing fine with Proteins and sipping liquid (which is taking a lot of practice...I am a gulper). My husband came in after work tonight and made a sandwhich with doritoes. I put one of those doritoes in my mouth and chewed and chewed. And It tasted so good! I then spit it out and rinsed my mouth. Has anyone else found themselves going down this path....and what is your advice for me? There is so much happening to me now. I know I could never swallow it, because of what it might do to my new stomach. How much of a fool am I for even letting it get into my mouth? Any advice and or scolding will be appreciated!:scared0:

OK, here's your scolding. STOP DOING THAT.

If you forget and swallow, it could be a very costly and painful mistake.

But you are not alone...others have done that too. Just try to distract yourself when you are hungry...maybe best to not be in the same room when your favorite foods are being eaten by others....whatever works for you...just know that we all support you and want you to be safe and successful.

I have memory loss, feeling stupid in general and had massive dizzy/blacking out spells. Turns out the dizzy spells are unrelated to surgery as I went and got myself labrynthitus (swelling in the inner ear) so it all adds to the VSG fun...still love my ((sleeve)) though

I wonder if this is why my doc doesn't do an all-liquid pre-op diet and advances through the post-op food stages pretty quickly-about a week between each.

Im on day 11 so into the protein shakes and creme of chicken soup, yum! After my first week I felt light headed, hungry at times and not as much energy as I would like. Seems day 10 I perked up. hmm, not sure what's that's about..I know I have been thru major trama to my body. everything is having to catch up. Of course our calorie intake is a drastic difference. With all that the body will react. I won't forcce anything but listen to my body when the time comes to advance a little further on the journey. I know it's going to take patients.

I haven't gotten my sleeve yet but wanted to throw in my 2cents on some of the previous post. As I recall carbs have a lot to do with taking oxygen to the brain so maybe that might be why you feel a little stupid. Forgive me if that isn't exact, it's been 5 years since nursing school. Also for the person having trouble with Whey protein try goat's milk/cheese. We try not to eat cow's products around here but goat's milk is very good for you and easy for your body to process.

It can take a long time for the anesthesia to get out of your system..especiallly if you are a slow metabolizer...easily affected by

medicine...in any case I was slurring my speech for about a week and a half after surgery...i would slur sometimes it was weird but probably a side effect of the surgery meds and the pain killers after ...even when I wasn't taking them anymore...don't worry just rest up....Seaview

I forget names more now......I never once thought it may be connected to anything related to "The Sleeve" is it?

You STILL may not be getting enough carbs. There's a lot of debate (apparently even among doctors) about carb restriction post-sleeve. I'll tell you what my nutritionist said, but of course you should always check with your own doctor.

YOU NEED CARBS. If you look at your food, you may find that you're eating almost entirely Protein, or that your carbs are spread WAAAAAY out. Without carbs, you won't be able to maintain enough blood sugar to be healthy.

Some symptoms of hypoglycemia can include:

• Nausea -- doesn't this suck? You're not eating enough, so your body makes you... feel like not eating anything at all!
  
• Mental confusion -- you read this same sentence how many times?
  
• Sluggishness -- it's literally hard to pick up your feet when walking
  
• Fatigue (sleepiness) at odd times/hours
  
• Irritability -- I WANT SOME BREAD, DAMMIT!
  
• Chills -- I don't get this, but I get...
  
• Flushes -- isn't it weird that the same cause (hypoglycemia) can cause you to feel both hot AND cold? Ick.
  
• Generally icky.
  

My nutritionist gave me a few recommendations:

1. Quit counting carbs. She said I'd still lose PLENTY of weight on 80-100 g of carbs/day, as long as the carbs are good carbs -- whole grains, fruits, vegetables, you know the drill.
   
2. Try to incorporate some carbs with your protein. Apparently digesting carbs and protein together slows down the digestion of the carbs and prevents your blood sugar from spiking and then crashing.
   
3. When in doubt, pure apple juice (for clear liquids) is a good "instant pick-me-up" (and, if you feel better 30 minutes after having some apple juice, you can be pretty sure it was low carbs!). On full liquids, apparently skim milk is God's Gift to Food, since it contains both protein AND carbs, and is good for both a quick burst of energy as well as a long-term source of fuel.