I am in the mood for a grade-A pity party and you're all invited!

Some of you know that I'm 3.5 months post-op and got cleared for solid foods at 6 weeks. My formerly cast-iron stomach is now made of blown glass (thanks for the visual, @Frustr8) and can't tolerate much of anything, especially anything that looks or feels like solid food. I decided a couple of weeks ago to give up on solids for now and stick with mushy foods, like soups and yogurt. I thought I'd try solids again in July.

About 3 weeks ago my surgeon sent me to get an upper GI done to see if he could figure out why I was having so much trouble with solids. I had a follow-up with him yesterday to discuss the results. My esophogus doesn't work! I've never even heard of that! Apparently, the muscles in your esophogus are supposed to contract in a coordinated, rhythmic pattern to push and guide food down to your stomach. Instead of getting coordinated ballroom dancers, my muscles are more like the lanky guy that looks like a spider on a hot plate. The muscles just randomly contract all over the place and do nothing to help the food get to the stomach. So, when I've felt like the food was backed up to the back of my throat, it really was. That was why I was miserable for 2 hours after eating anything solid. My esophogus "tube" literally got stuffed and didn't empty. I've also got severe acid reflux which he thinks can make the esophogus even worse, besides the possibility of acid erosion and increased chances of esophogeal cancer.

So for now, he told me to stick with mushy foods until I see him again in September. At that point, he'll run some more tests and decide if I need a sleeve-to-bypass conversion. It wouldn't help the esophogus muscle contractions per se, but by lessening the chances of acid erosion it would keep the esophogus from getting any worse. He doesn't know when or if I will ever be able to handle real, solid foods like beef or chicken. Fortunately, I can eat ground meats if they are in a liquid, but absolutely nothing without liquid. Fish is fine since it was always on the mushy-food list, but 1 oz. max. And, absolutely no breads, rice, etc. as they would be easily stuck.

I guess I never noticed the problem because I always drank so much with meals that I would just wash the food down. The doc doesn't want me doing that though, probably because that makes it so much easier to overeat. Anyway, he says he's never seen anything like this in the thousands of surgeries that he's performed. Lucky me! WAAAAAAH!

OK, rant over. Feeling better now Thanks for "listening"!

Edited June 13, 20188 yr by Orchids&Dragons

10 minutes ago, foxcblue said:

I’m sorry you’re going through this! I hope you’re able to find some support/relief soon.

Thanks so much!

Good lord, that sounds rough. Though I am curious - did you have an upper GI series before surgery? I thought it was a surgical prerequisite, and I'm kind of surprised they didn't see it then. I don't mean at all to put doubts in your head about your surgeon, but between flat-out saying he doesn't think there's anything that can be done and essentially putting you off two months before seeing you again... More expert opinion is needed, and maybe a little querying about what was seen on that original GI study.

9 hours ago, sideeye said:

Good lord, that sounds rough. Though I am curious - did you have an upper GI series before surgery? I thought it was a surgical prerequisite, and I'm kind of surprised they didn't see it then. I don't mean at all to put doubts in your head about your surgeon, but between flat-out saying he doesn't think there's anything that can be done and essentially putting you off two months before seeing you again... More expert opinion is needed, and maybe a little querying about what was seen on that original GI study.

No, there wasn't one. I was asked if I had reflux or acid problems, but I said no. I had always had the proverbial cast-iron stomach. Absolutely nothing bothered it. My mom used to joke that I could drink hydrochloric acid and it wouldn't bother me

And, really, now that I'm back to soups and yogurts (can't really handle even mushy foods) I'm feeling so much better. I'm sleeping, I've started to get more energy, etc. I think I was really making myself much worse trying to eat solids. So for right now, I'm good with how it's going. Pity-party is officially over

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by Orchids&Dragons

3 hours ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

And, really, now that I'm back to Soups and yogurts (can't really handle even mushy foods) I'm feeling so much better. I'm sleeping, I've started to get more energy, etc. I think I was really making myself much worse trying to eat solids. So for right now, I'm good with how it's going. Pity-party is officially over

So glad that things are turning around, even if it's just coping with your situation. Glad you are sleeping, and higher energy! Keep thinking positively.

3 minutes ago, AshAsh1 said:

So glad that things are turning around, even if it's just coping with your situation. Glad you are sleeping, and higher energy! Keep thinking positively.

Thanks, Ash. Yes, it's amazing how sleeping through the night will improve your attitude! Even if one is married to a werewolf!

I'm so sorry to hear this. ((hugs)) And at last! Some explanations and a bit of sleep and maybe the stress will start to reside too! Again, huge hugs and bless your heart.

Please ask your PCP for the referral to the GI doc asap and don't dic with your surgeon. If for no other reason, than this is something that your internist (PCP) handles coordination of since it involves your total health. Of course, keep the surgeon in the loop, but it's ridic he won't give you an official dx. You need that and deserve it. And he forked up and SHOULD have done the GI series prior to surg. He's probably terrified this will come back to haunt him. You can relay to the GI doc that he doesn't want you to have another EGD right away. But there IS other meds: (things like a GI cocktail, anti-spasmodics and WAY better antacids than OTC drugs in addition to omeprazol. Things that will help soothe the inflammation in the esophagus. And there may even be a specialized diet (on top of the puree or soft diet) that will help that will mean you avoid certain foods that are high acid, or whatevs.

There are special exercise that might help and it is entirely possible that core strengthening might provide a little added help. I second the request for a speech therapy eval.

Hope you feel more relief and get better answers soon!

13 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

I'm so sorry to hear this. ((hugs)) And at last! Some explanations and a bit of sleep and maybe the stress will start to reside too! Again, huge hugs and bless your heart.

Please ask your PCP for the referral to the GI doc asap and don't dic with your surgeon. If for no other reason, than this is something that your internist (PCP) handles coordination of since it involves your total health. Of course, keep the surgeon in the loop, but it's ridic he won't give you an official dx. You need that and deserve it. And he forked up and SHOULD have done the GI series prior to surg. He's probably terrified this will come back to haunt him. You can relay to the GI doc that he doesn't want you to have another EGD right away. But there IS other meds: (things like a GI cocktail, anti-spasmodics and WAY better antacids than OTC drugs in addition to omeprazol. Things that will help soothe the inflammation in the esophagus. And there may even be a specialized diet (on top of the puree or soft diet) that will help that will mean you avoid certain foods that are high acid, or whatevs.

There are special exercise that might help and it is entirely possible that core strengthening might provide a little added help. I second the request for a speech therapy eval.

Hope you feel more relief and get better answers soon!

Thanks, Fluffy! It's good to see you again! I see my PCP in a month and I will discuss this with her. I'll also discuss it next week with the bariatric coordinator at the hospital to determine my best course of action.

I am already avoided spicy or acidic foods because they burn on the way down. And I already do several core-strengthening exercises, so that may be some help.

Thanks for your concern and support, I always appreciate your advice!

2 minutes ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

Thanks, Fluffy! It's good to see you again!

Yeah it is good to see you again, @FluffyChix!

I don’t know if this will help (you probably already tried this) but I chew everything until it is the consistency of puréed food before swallowing. Every bite. It takes forever. As a former lap bander, it’s second nature.

6 minutes ago, Screwballski said:

I don’t know if this will help (you probably already tried this) but I chew everything until it is the consistency of puréed food before swallowing. Every bite. It takes forever. As a former lap bander, it’s second nature.

Thanks, but no, it did't help. I can eat soft veggies that way, but no meats, even fish gets stuck if I have more than a couple of bites. Part of my problem is probably not enough saliva (I'm on diuretics) and that makes it even more difficult. Thanks for your suggestion.

Light bulb moment!!!

I really, really, really didn't want yogurt for dinner again tonight. We had leftover baked chicken from last night and it was soooo calling my name. I knew I couldn't just eat the chicken, but we have grapes, too. Nice, juicy ones. I managed to eat a little bit of chicken, a grape to wash it down, a little bit of chicken, another grape . . . I ate an ounce and a half of chicken!!! In one sitting!!! JOY!!!

I feel so stupid for not figuring this out earlier.

Don’t beat yourself up!!! I’ve found I have to have some sort of sauce/sour cream/smooth consistency or the meat has to be extremely flaky or fatty otherwise I don’t do well either. Plain chicken breast is honestly the worst for me.

And congrats on eating chicken!!!

I had to take a swallow test to determine if I was a candidate for sleeve. Turns out I’m not. I had acid reflux and esophagus muscles that would not push the food through. So 8 days ago I had bypass. On full liquids still, soups, yogurt, etc. but, so far, so good. Sleeve-bypass May be your best bet. Good luck!

12 hours ago, boardlady@netptc.net said:

I had to take a swallow test to determine if I was a candidate for sleeve. Turns out I’m not. I had acid reflux and esophagus muscles that would not push the food through. So 8 days ago I had bypass. On full liquids still, Soups, yogurt, etc. but, so far, so good. Sleeve-bypass May be your best bet. Good luck!

Thanks! You're the first person I've heard of with a similar problem!