Hi there,

I feel like I'm unattached and not in tune with my stomach. I don't know what hungry feels like and I don't know what comfortable or full feel like. What do they feel like for you? I am on full liquids until Monday. I get all of my Protein in, but probably not enough Clear Liquids. Sometimes I drink my shakes over an almost 2-hr period of time. Sometimes I feel a twisting feeling in my stomach, but it is not usually when I am drinking. I get the hiccups, but not always when drinking. I even wake up with them, so I can't take that as a "stop eating" sign. If I only ate until comfortable, I probably wouldn't eat much. I am very compliant and am doing what I think I'm supposed to be doing, but I am confused. My stomach feels like it's going to growl sometimes, but it turns into nothing..or maybe a burp. My chest hurts when I lie down still. I take levsin but am not sure if it is helping. Oh, and randomly, a Vitamin won't go all the way down. I have to cough it up and try again. These aren't even the big Calcium caplets, but the small Bs. That's all I can think of. Looking for how things feel for you. Would love to get to know some of you. Thanks

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This all sounds normal to me. Your stomach and esophagus are very swollen in the beginning and you are healing so there are going to be a lot of weird sensations and noises. Remember that when they cut out 80% of your stomach, they also damages all the nerves in there, so things you are "feeling" will be all mixed up. What you have to do is trust in your program. Sip, sip, sip. Get your water and protein in. Move through the food stages as outlined. Eat on a timer and measure your food. Do NOT rely on signals from your stomach to tell you when or how much to eat. It will take a while for everything to heal up in there and then you will have to learn all the new signals your stomach will be sending. But for right now, eat on a schedule and measure what you are eating/drinking to make sure you get enough, but not too much.

I'm less than a week out from surgery. I am not sure if I know what hungry feels like either. Frankly, I wasn't too sure before the surgery either. I still have "head hunger" where I feel I should be eating but it's greatly reduced since the surgery. I'm on full liquids now. I did have a slip where I had a thicker cauliflower-Protein puree rather than making a thinner cauliflower-protein Soup. I found out really fast what full is like. In three teaspoons, I was done and understood what other posters mean when they talk about "restriction". Clear Liquids and thin full drinks, I can handle with no problem.

I do chewable and liquid Vitamins. I tried one regular-size pill capsule and it was horrible. I couldn't choke it back up but I could feel it sitting there in my stomach. If I have to take a capsule or hard pill again anytime soon, I'm definitely opening the capsule or grinding the pill.

You should ask your doctor about the Levsin and the chest pain. I was told to call if I had any chest pain post-op.

Thanks! I did call about the chest pain. They said it was all normal. My pills are sometimes getting stuck in my throat. That's why I can cough them up. I would love to find a Calcium chewable that does not contain the sugar alcohols.

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Early post op I sipped and sipped, was more thirsty than hungry.

In the past 2 weeks I have been experiencing real hunger, hunger pangs. Every 2-3 hours.

I am in 5th week post op.

NUT advised to up my Proteins, and ensure I eat Snacks in between.

So, the real hunger for me is like a feeling that I could eat a whole cow, bit painful and strong sensation.

I had a couple of head hungers, these were thoughts "gee, it would be nice to have some ice cream" or "I wouldn't mind munching on something"

Feeling full for me is: "I can't finish it, I've had enough" type of feeling. If I push it, I then feel tired and uncomfortable.

Hence, I don't push it. Tried it twice and paid for it.

As for my pills, mainly chewable BN Multi, bit B12 spray, small capsules etc

I tried once crushing a Multivit, tasted horrible and was uncomfortable to swallow, even crushed. Gonsky!

I have to take my thyroid med each morning, but it is very small, oblong shape and slippery, so no problem with it.

@@autymn

Glad your chest pains are the normal variety!

As for Calcium chewable, have you googled it, or is there a liquid Calcium ?

I take my calcium Capsules, they are bigger in size. I now can take them. I didn't in my first 2 weeks post op.

Good luck!

@@JamieLogical

Thank you!

Fantastic answer. I forgot re post op nerve damage.

I too went through little burps, hiccoughs, weird feelings, funny oesophagus etc

The whole healing process is a complete new experience for me .....

Well, I had my surgery in 3/23. On my good days, it's pretty much what @ mentioned. I do have bad days where everything seems to go to hell and I question everything. Too late for that now. Lol. I had my first follow up today and the surgeon said it was all normal from the chest pains, hiccups, one minute loving a particular food, then having the smell make me nauseas the next. Out of everything he said to me, the thing that really helped to ease my mind/fears is that as long as I'm trying to get in my water and protein, I'm still moving in the right direction and everything else will fall into place.

@@autymn You should be okay with regular calcium pills in a couple of days if you aren't right now. That leave of swelling doesn't last much past a week or two. Some people cut their calcium pills in half to make them a little more manageable.

I am fine with the calcium pills; they are just huge and scary. It's the smaller, grittier pills that I have a problem with. I did cut the calcium pills in half my first couple of days home, and they were very sharp and could probably have done some damage. For my Multivitamin, I take Flintstones.

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Eat a bunch of sugar free Popsicle

Craig Martinez

Austin, Texas

What will that do? I eat one each evening.

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