Stress...

I am having an endoscopy and dilation next Wednesday, the 7th. It is an outpatient procedure, but I will be put under for it. Because of this, I am not allowed to drive home afterwards. So, once again, I need someone to drive me home from the hospital. I am desperate. I have to have this procedure in order to start getting actual calories into me, but they won't even do the procedure if I don't have someone else with me who has a driver's license. I just don't know very many people over here...my support is all over on the other side of the mountains.

Oy...

So, today is NOT GOOD. I definitely have a stricture, and I don't need any camera down my throat to tell me that. I've gotten sick twice in the last two hours, both times from foods I've had before, that worked fine, and that are LIQUID. I had two bites of oatmeal, and got sick. REALLY sick. Usually when I get sick, it's a relatively minor thing. I gag once or twice, the food comes back up, and I get on with my day. Not this time. This time I was praying to the porcelain goddess for nearly ten minutes. Same thing with the one bite of smoothie I tried. I feel drained. And now I'm afraid to try my juice...

More whining...

I vomited again last night after having a bite of fish that my husband was eating...and I've been able to eat the fish before. Yet another indication that things just aren't right in my plumbing.

That's the first time I've gotten sick in about a week...because I've been sticking to baby food, pudding, and oatmeal. The problem that I'm noticing is that I can eat less and less, and I'm really having to force fluids to try to get them down. I'm really hoping that the GI doc I see next Tuesday will be able to help me. Because I'm not getting enough fluids, my weight loss has slowed drastically.

So, today, I have been REALLY pushing fluids...and I've gotten more down today than I had in the past two days combined. I just mixed myself up another bottle, and trying to push more. I weighed in this morning at 268...so I'm down 47 pounds since the surgery.

Have a great holiday weekend, everybody!

Possible solution...

Just got home after seeing my surgeon. He thinks I have a stricture, which means that I've grown too much scar tissue on the incision between the stomach pouch and the intestine, and now the opening is too narrow. That explains why things I could eat before are now giving me problems.

So, I need to be dilated...which means an overnight stay in the hospital. I guess they have to go in and stretch it back out again. I have an appointment with the GI for a consultation next Tuesday; after that, we'll schedule the procedure, she said for the following day. I'll miss a day or two of work...

Hopefully that IS the cause of my problems, and this will solve it.

Blargh...

So, yesterday I had a little bit of a banana and berry smoothie...but I just could not stomach very much of it. Then, for lunch I tried some onion soup...which came back up. After I got home, I had some sugar-free popsicles, which did ok. Then I tried some toddler fruit snacks...which came back up.

This morning I am trying something different. I am drinking some ginger tea, since ginger supposedly soothes the digestive system. I am also eating some oatmeal, which usually works pretty well for me. Hopefully the ginger will keep me feeling all right, as well as getting some fluids in me!

I have my appointment with the surgeon next week...wonder what he'll have to say to all of this?

Ok, ok...

I haven't been posting, because I'm busy, I guess.

I'm still struggling with what I can and can't eat. Here's a list of the foods I can eat so far: peanut butter in small amounts, oatmeal, applesauce, baby food, broth, smoothies, sugar free popsicles, white fish in very small amounts, jam, pudding.

Things that didn't work: olives, cottage cheese, rice pudding, tapioca pudding, yogurt, salad, bread, cheese, pasta, veggies of any kind, cream of wheat, crackers, mashed potatoes, beef, onions, tuna, cereal, cream of wheat.

Things that KINDA work - they make me feel icky, but they stay down: peanuts, almonds, popcorn, whipped cream.

Bananas work as long as they're blended in a smoothie...actually any fruit works as long as it's blended in a smoothie. I actually had a pickle - pureed. I got the taste of it, but not the satisfaction of the chewing.

See the pattern? I am doing ok with things that are basically liquid, no thicker than applesauce. Anything thicker than that makes me feel horrid and comes back up. I'm not struggling with nausea any more, it's just that I react to most foods now and they don't stay down. I'm not getting all my fluids in, either, and I need to do something about that. I'm basically getting by on about 300 calories a day...which is where I was before I saw the surgeon. I have very little desire to ingest food, because I'm afraid of getting sick...but at the same time, I'm TIRED of my limited selection.

I went to the store today and picked up more sugar-free popsicles. Those I really like, and so far I haven't gotten tired of them. At least I'm getting some fluid and a few calories from them! I also got some almond milk, which is similar to soy milk. Hopefully that will agree with me, because that's got some nutrients and protein in it.

I really like the Progresso soups with veggies and noodles...I wonder if I could eat those if I pureed them?

So, as of this morning, I have lost 40 pounds, and it's been five weeks since the surgery. That's awesome, I think!

I've also been struggling with really bad breath, and nothing I do seems to alleviate it. It's just nasty, and that makes me want to eat even less! I honestly think the biggest thing I'm struggling with is the need to chew and swallow. I have this need to chew, swallow, get full, and then get hungry again...and I can't do any of that. I haven't felt hunger since the surgery, and it's very hard to get used to eating nothing but mush. I just want to sink my teeth into something...that's just one of the psychological side effects of this surgery that I wasn't prepared for.

I see the surgeon again in less than a week, and so I can talk to him more then about all of this. I can also ask about when I can begin exercising, because I need to keep up my health during all of this. I don't want to lose all my muscle mass!

I will try to remember to post more often!

Yay!

Well, the doctor's suggestions worked. I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast since Tuesday, and it's working out great. I'm also able to eat peanut butter, peanuts, etc. Those, and soup, are now my basics. I've upped my calorie intake from less than 200 to 800, and I'm feeling so much better! I've got my energy back, and I feel like my old self again.

The only supplement I am currently taking is my multivitamin, because that's what the doc recommended. He wants me over the nausea before I go back to the supplements. That's fine with me!

The funny thing is, now that I'm eating, I'm having trouble with my protein supplements. They taste horrible to me now! I need my protein, so I'm not sure what to do.

Grrr...

STILL struggling with nausea. I've been getting in less than 200 calories a day, NONE of my protein, and NONE of my supplements - and very little of my fluid. Sometimes, I haven't gotten in any calories for several days in a row. I had my post-op with the doc today (officially, I've lost 25 pounds in three weeks, so yay!) and we discussed my problems. He mentioned that I'm having much more trouble than is average after this surgery.

So, here are his suggestions: stop taking all supplements except for my chewable multivitamin. Work really hard on getting in 700 calories a day. Take Reglan if needed. He said to try oatmeal, peanut butter, and nuts. Nuts, especially almonds, are high in fiber and calories, but are stuffed with the good stuff, too, and will be very beneficial in helping me get my calories in. I hadn't even THOUGHT of oatmeal...DUH. He strongly suspects that my nausea and general malaise is because I'm getting so few calories.

So, I got a fatty prescription for Reglan - 40 tablets, with 4 refills - and got some groceries to try to help me get some calories in. I was feeling awful when I got home, and my stomach was gurgling ominously, so I took a Reglan right away. Now it's about 20 minutes later, and I'm starting to feel better. I hope to goodness this is the answer! Now, on to some almonds! Wish me luck...