Ok, I have had a rough few days - again. Vomited Saturday from 3 bites of deli turkey (didn't do anything to keep it moist). Vomited Sunday after eating chicken breast cooked in crockpot (again, wasn't moist enough I guess) and again tonight from deli ham. This time I did have the ham pretty moist with some Laughing Cow cheese, but honestly I knew 2 bites in that it wasn't going to work. Did I stop though? No. I had 2 more bites and then threw it away and tried some hummus because I couldn't possibly have had enough food, but after only a bite I knew it was too late. The thing is, I keep seeing I need to be increasing my calories (still getting in only 500-600 each day) and I just don't have any idea how to do that if I can't keep solid foods down. (Thursday will be 7 weeks post-op.) Combined with some crazy abdomen pain last night, I googled it (bad idea I know) and scared myself deciding I could have an internal hernia. So, I don't need to be scared into seeing the dr. I know I can do that (though my doc is out of town, her partner is great) - and trust me if I ever get that kind of abdomen pain again, I will absolutely go to the ER. But I guess what I am trying to figure out is how normal this vomiting thing is after eating meat at this stage? I am hoping you all say it is totally normal at 7 weeks and it will get better but in the meantime, any suggestions to get more food in? I have been successful with slider foods (yogurt, pudding, hummus, etc.) and oddly pimento cheese goes down very well (essentially a pureed food really). And I can do shakes but just feel like I should be progressing with foods by now. Help!

I had my surgery May 11 and was doing great with every food I tried. 2 weeks ago my pouch decided differently now. I also started throwing up, I don't know if it is that 1 bite to many or too dry of food, I do know I chew enough because I silently count to 30-40 with every bite. So anyway this week I've been drinking the shakes again and homemade soups. Oh yeah with the shakes I can only stomach the pre-made ones, the smell of the others makes me gag. My surgeon and dietitian said the first year is all a learning process. After throwing up my poor pouch gets angry and it hurts a bit, almost kinda crampy. But I'm not really concerned and spoke to my professionals today on the phone. I hope this helps you a bit.

Edited July 22, 201511 yr by carrie1968

I had the same issues with food getting stuck. I am now almost 6 months out (next week) and I still have to be very careful to make sure my food is moist enough, and to chew VERY well or It will get stuck and I have to throw it up. First of all, I have not been able to eat deli meet at all - no matter what kind or what I put on it, it gets stuck - just like I still can't eat any meat that has a casing on it such as sausage unless I can peel the casing off. I can't eat corn or any other vegi with a tough outer casing. My nut says that I may never be able to eat these foods again because it seems that my pouch is sensative to them and they either get stuck or I throw them up. I have to stick with whoe meats that I cook (make sure not to overcook or I have to put something on it to moisten it) - But I am still drinking 2 shakes a day to make sure that I get in my Protein. I love black Beans, kidney beans, white beans, or really any type of bean that I can get a lot of protein from and you can basically add them to anything in place of your meat - They are easier for me to eat and I feel full after eating them.

It is a learning process, so you will have to figure out what works best for you and your body - try new things, you might find something new that you will like better and will be better for you than deli meat anyway!

I had a problem keeping food down when I hit my 2 month mark. It turned out to be a stricture. Since the stricture was fixed I was much better. I will tell you this though you have to listen when your body starts letting you know its full. Even if its after two bites stop. I freaked out about that too, but what I do is I'll stop after the 2 or 3 bites and wait and concentrate on how my stomach feels. If I feel full I stop and give the rest of my food to my dogs. I usually eat again a few hours later if I'm hungry. My doc had my keep a food journal for awhile so I could see what foods made me sick, it helps. She also said it's better to eat more frequently then to eat too much. I know....how in the world is 4 bites too much right. Well with an egg size pouch sometime 4 bites is too much with solid foods. I don't have a problen with deli meats at all, but dry meats don't stay down sometimes. I would suggest keeping a food journal and taking it with you when you see your doctor. It helps them too; to identify patterns and see if you might need to be check for a stricture. Just a suggestion...hope it's helpful.

That is helpful! Thanks!