Help! I don't know what my new tummy is trying to tell me

Jenny A. · August 30, 2011

Hi Everyone! So I was sleeved last Thursday and am about 4 days out. At first, I didn't want anything except liquids and the surgeon said that was fine. But the last day and a half or so, my tummy's been making these weird rumbly sounds and it feels like a combination of gas/hunger pain. I tried expelling some gas (sorry for the tmi!) but it was still doing it. So then I tried eating a bit of a small, mashed up turkey meatball (low fat high Protein ). I made it about 3 tiny bites before my stomach shot sharp pains at me telling me it didn't want anymore.

How do I communicate with my new stomach? Was I hungry? Is it just gas? Is it just talking to me? Any experienced sleevers willing to give me some advice on how to understand my sleeve?

Driver Deb · August 30, 2011

Hi Everyone! So I was sleeved last Thursday and am about 4 days out. At first, I didn't want anything except liquids and the surgeon said that was fine. But the last day and a half or so, my tummy's been making these weird rumbly sounds and it feels like a combination of gas/hunger pain. I tried expelling some gas (sorry for the tmi!) but it was still doing it. So then I tried eating a bit of a small, mashed up turkey meatball (low fat high Protein ). I made it about 3 tiny bites before my stomach shot sharp pains at me telling me it didn't want anymore.

How do I communicate with my new stomach? Was I hungry? Is it just gas? Is it just talking to me? Any experienced sleevers willing to give me some advice on how to understand my sleeve?

I'm not sleeved yet, but I think it is way to early for mashed meat. Maybe try something soft like yogurt or Soup.

Jenny A. · August 30, 2011

Hi Fluffy Chick, thanks! My doctor doesn't have a strict set of post-op guidelines. He told me to stick with soft "slippery" Proteins the first month. Although, now that I think about it, I guess mashed meatball might not have been what he had in mind... I'll take your suggestion and try some Soup next. Thanks!!

Golden · August 30, 2011

I agree, definitely too soon for meat. Anything that gives you sharp pains at this point is a no-no.

At this point, your stomach probably isn't doing a great job of communicating with you at all because it's so traumatized! Nerves have been cut and it will take time to get proper full signals, or any signal really. At four days out, I would chalk it up to shock/gas/healing gurgles rather than hunger. But if you're sure it's hunger, I would check and make sure you're on a good PPI - acid can make your feel hungry when you're not - and then ask your doctor what you're allowed to have. Request a list of foods and drinks you're allowed if they didn't give you one and then stick to it - you don't want to risk hurting yourself!

I'm 14 weeks out and just feel like I'm actually starting to understand my new stomach. There's some trial and error to be expected, just don't push too hard. If it helps at all, this was my schedule, which I've found to be pretty similar to many people here:

Week 1: I was on Clear Liquids (Water, crystal light, diluted fruit juice, chicken broth and jello) for the first week after surgery.

Week 2: Started full liquids, which is typically defined as anything that can go through a straw (milk, cream Soups, Protein shakes, yogurt - often the latter two can be thinned with Water in the beginning).

Week 3: Purees (same stuff as week two but adding some pureed Soups like lentil or potato, thinned refried Beans, well blended). Purees for two weeks.

Week 5: Soft foods, which is where ground meat started (soft boiled or runny scrambled eggs, refried Beans with melted cheese, maybe some soft white fish, mashed banana, ground meat, spoonful of smooth peanut butter). Two weeks of that.

Week 7-8: I was finally allowed a more "normal" type diet, although some things like raw veggies, fruits and nuts had to wait a while longer, until week 12 or so.

GOOD LUCK, you'll do great! :rolleyes:

Jenny A. · August 30, 2011

I agree, definitely too soon for meat. Anything that gives you sharp pains at this point is a no-no.

At this point, your stomach probably isn't doing a great job of communicating with you at all because it's so traumatized! Nerves have been cut and it will take time to get proper full signals, or any signal really. At four days out, I would chalk it up to shock/gas/healing gurgles rather than hunger. But if you're sure it's hunger, I would check and make sure you're on a good PPI - acid can make your feel hungry when you're not - and then ask your doctor what you're allowed to have. Request a list of foods and drinks you're allowed if they didn't give you one and then stick to it - you don't want to risk hurting yourself!

I'm 14 weeks out and just feel like I'm actually starting to understand my new stomach. There's some trial and error to be expected, just don't push too hard. If it helps at all, this was my schedule, which I've found to be pretty similar to many people here:

Week 1: I was on Clear Liquids (Water, crystal light, diluted fruit juice, chicken broth and jello) for the first week after surgery.

Week 2: Started full liquids, which is typically defined as anything that can go through a straw (milk, cream Soups, Protein shakes, yogurt - often the latter two can be thinned with Water in the beginning).

Week 3: Purees (same stuff as week two but adding some pureed soups like lentil or potato, thinned refried Beans, well blended). Purees for two weeks.

Week 5: Soft foods, which is where ground meat started (soft boiled or runny scrambled eggs, refried Beans with melted cheese, maybe some soft white fish, mashed banana, ground meat, spoonful of smooth peanut butter). Two weeks of that.

Week 7-8: I was finally allowed a more "normal" type diet, although some things like raw veggies, fruits and nuts had to wait a while longer, until week 12 or so.

GOOD LUCK, you'll do great!

Thanks so much Golden! This is really helpful advice!!! I like the eating plan that you listed, and it seems really easy to follow. I'm going to show this to my surgeon on Friday when I have my first pot-op appointment with him and get his ok to follow these guidelines (I can't imagine he'd have any problems with it).

As for the rumbly tummy, I guess I ruled out acid because I've been on prilosec every day, but maybe it's like you suggested and related to gas/healing/shock.

I definitely want to recover well and not to anything to damage my new sleeve, so I'll just take it a lot easier here on out!! I guess I was so excited I got a little ahead of myself

Thanks again for all the excellent information, it's been really helpful!!!

NewPath4Me · August 30, 2011

Hi Jenny. I was sleeved a day after you and have those gurgling sounds all the time whenever I drink something, too. I think it's because we have such limited space in our stomachs, even more so now because we're still swollen, and when we drink something, our stomach may be expelling the air inside to make room for the liquid, but I don't think it's hunger.

It has become a little easier in the last day or so for me, but we're only less than a week out from surgery, so we're going to find a lot of new things out about our new stomachs. Best advice I can give is follow the diet given to you by your doctor/nutritionist, sip your liquids during this phase of the journey, don't sip too much at a time because you might fill up the sleeve too much and become uncomfortable (I'm still learning where my comfort level is) and follow your doctor's orders to the letter! Everyone on this site is different and has had different experiences, but only your doctor knows your situation and your body and what's best for you, so if you have any questions or concerns, call them. And of course, be patient. It's going to take a while for us to get to our new "normal", but from everything I've read on here, it's definitely worth it and we'll get the best results if we follow the rules given by our doctor/nutritionist.

Good luck!

Raine · August 30, 2011

I think its a combination of your stomach getting used to being smaller and healing and just in general all around pissed at you lol. The first two weeks my tummy talked to me A LOT! To the point of my hubby looking at me like are you all right. It rumbled when I didn't eat, it rumbled when I did eat . It just seemed to be the course for about two weeks. It still rumbles and makes those gurgling noises sometimes now and I am 4 months out.

GreginMI · August 30, 2011

DIdn't the surgeon give you a list of do's and don'ts for food? You can't have anything but full liquids 4 days out! Wow, call your surgeon's office and ask them for a list of appropriate foods for the phases you'll be going through. Didn't you have a nutritional class before your surgery?

Jenny A. · August 30, 2011

DIdn't the surgeon give you a list of do's and don'ts for food? You can't have anything but full liquids 4 days out! Wow, call your surgeon's office and ask them for a list of appropriate foods for the phases you'll be going through. Didn't you have a nutritional class before your surgery?

Hi GreginMI,

The instructions that I got from my surgeon are as follows:

"For the first month following surgery, make sure to drink at least 2liters of fluids/day and get between 60-80 grams of Protein from soft vegetarian sources, eggs, fish and seafood."

This is followed by a list of acceptable foods (i.e. cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, eggs, Beans, veggies burgers, yogurt, Soups, fish, rice, egg noodles, etc.) Of course he also told me to avoid foods high in sugars, fats, and alcohol.

At the hospital he told me just to try things as I felt like it, but to really push and prioritize liquids, especially for the first three weeks. Some surgeons are like this I've been told. He's one of the best in the country and has own reasons for not having his patients follow a staged plan, I'm sure. There are quite a few people on this site who have used him and have nothing but the highest praises for him. Incidentally, he also doesn't make his patients do a pre-op diet. The only thing I had to do was a clear liquid diet and drink Colyte 1 day before surgery.

However, I tend to find it easier to have stricter guidelines to follow, which is why I plan to discuss the plan Golden laid out above when I meet with my surgeon on Friday. To be honest though, aside from the one attempt at the meatball, I have been sticking to a strictly clear liquid diet, simply because I didn't feel like eating anyway. Right now, clear liquids are about all that I can seem to consume comfortably, and sometimes if I accidentally take too big a sip even the liquids make my tummy hurt.

Sorry, I guess this is a really long answer to your question. But maybe it makes more sense now? Anyway, ever since my adventures in meatball land I've gone right back to clear liquids and am doing ok here for the time being

Thanks everyone for your advice and concern!! I think I'm on the right track now thanks to everyone's input. I have to say, this is such a great site!

Jenny A. · August 30, 2011

Hi Jenny. I was sleeved a day after you and have those gurgling sounds all the time whenever I drink something, too. I think it's because we have such limited space in our stomachs, even more so now because we're still swollen, and when we drink something, our stomach may be expelling the air inside to make room for the liquid, but I don't think it's hunger.

It has become a little easier in the last day or so for me, but we're only less than a week out from surgery, so we're going to find a lot of new things out about our new stomachs. Best advice I can give is follow the diet given to you by your doctor/nutritionist, sip your liquids during this phase of the journey, don't sip too much at a time because you might fill up the sleeve too much and become uncomfortable (I'm still learning where my comfort level is) and follow your doctor's orders to the letter! Everyone on this site is different and has had different experiences, but only your doctor knows your situation and your body and what's best for you, so if you have any questions or concerns, call them. And of course, be patient. It's going to take a while for us to get to our new "normal", but from everything I've read on here, it's definitely worth it and we'll get the best results if we follow the rules given by our doctor/nutritionist.

Good luck!

Thanks so much!!! This is really good advice I think I'm on the right track now thanks to all of your helpful guidance. Let's rock our sleeves together!!! Yay!!!

NewPath4Me · August 30, 2011

Hi GreginMI,

The instructions that I got from my surgeon are as follows:

"For the first month following surgery, make sure to drink at least 2liters of fluids/day and get between 60-80 grams of Protein from soft vegetarian sources, eggs, fish and seafood."

This is followed by a list of acceptable foods (i.e. cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, eggs, Beans, veggies burgers, yogurt, Soups, fish, rice, egg noodles, etc.) Of course he also told me to avoid foods high in sugars, fats, and alcohol.

At the hospital he told me just to try things as I felt like it, but to really push and prioritize liquids, especially for the first three weeks. Some surgeons are like this I've been told. He's one of the best in the country and has own reasons for not having his patients follow a staged plan, I'm sure. There are quite a few people on this site who have used him and have nothing but the highest praises for him. Incidentally, he also doesn't make his patients do a pre-op diet. The only thing I had to do was a clear liquid diet and drink Colyte 1 day before surgery.

However, I tend to find it easier to have stricter guidelines to follow, which is why I plan to discuss the plan Golden laid out above when I meet with my surgeon on Friday. To be honest though, aside from the one attempt at the meatball, I have been sticking to a strictly clear liquid diet, simply because I didn't feel like eating anyway. Right now, Clear Liquids are about all that I can seem to consume comfortably, and sometimes if I accidentally take too big a sip even the liquids make my tummy hurt.

Sorry, I guess this is a really long answer to your question. But maybe it makes more sense now? Anyway, ever since my adventures in meatball land I've gone right back to clear liquids and am doing ok here for the time being

Thanks everyone for your advice and concern!! I think I'm on the right track now thanks to everyone's input. I have to say, this is such a great site!

Hi again, Jenny. Your post listing the pre and post-op diet/nutrition instructions you received from your physician shows exactly how different the information we are given can be. My diet instructions are pretty much identical to Golden's and, like you, I work best with strict instructions and am able to follow my orders without any problems so far. I did have to do a 10 day pre-op liquid diet - maybe because my BMI was too high or there was too much fat around my abdominal area - but I'm glad I did it because it definitely helped prepare me for the post-op liquid requirements I now have to follow. You sound like you have a great head on your shoulders and are looking at doing what's best for you and I'm sure you'll be a great success!! Bring on week #2!

Stacy