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I don’t know that I was ever forbidden from chewing gum. I certainly don’t swallow it like I used to pre-surgery.

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I've chewed sugarless gum the whole time. Just cut back a lot immediately pre & post op. Definitely been a lifesaver for me as far as a replacement for sweets (of sorts). Haven't had any issues w/gas either. But everyone is different, so there's always that to consider.

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I chewed gum right away but didn’t swallow it. I think some of the theory is it can trigger hunger hormones. For example, it can trick your vagus nerve into thinking you’re eating and pancreatic enzymes increase. Don’t know if it is significant though. Just don’t swallow the gum!


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2 hours ago, KateBruin said:

For example, it can trick your vagus nerve into thinking you’re eating and pancreatic enzymes increase.

I agree that's definitely something to keep in mind. Chewing does start the digestive process and sometimes makes your tummy a little cranky when nothing turns up to "satisfy" it after a little while. Can definitely increase head-hunger issues in that way too. But mostly, for me, it has been a huge help with dry mouth from my meds (water doesn't always cut it) and like I said, just some flavor when you feel like you need something sweet. I found this Trident flavor Blueberry-Lime (something like that). I'm not really a lime person, but strangely this helped immediately post-op with minor bouts of nausea after taking meds/vitamins. I'm a little embarrassed to admit (at my age) that I have also become somewhat addicted to the Berry/Lemon Swedish Fish flavor. It's sugarless but doesn't taste like it. It's better than eating chocolate cake at any rate, lol...

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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