Fat Chance
I'm just starting this journal 5 weeks gastric bypass post operative. My journey so far has had it's ups and downs. My first two weeks after surgery were easy breezy. I thought everything would go well since I had such an easy start. I quickly found out that adding food a little at a time was a challenge. When I reached my 4th week post-op, I was so excited because cheese and crackers were on the menu. The thought of tasting something wonderful and chewing instead of drinking food was exhilarating! I fixed myself a small portion of saltines and low fat cheese. OH YUM!!! Eating those cheese and crackers for lunch was pure heaven. They were so good I ate more. It wasn't long before the pure Hell began.
I knew all about dumping syndrome. I knew it was more than just losing your cookies. That it sometimes involved and included other dreadful symptoms....like dizziness, pain, sweating, feeling like death warmed over and more. From my research I believed that these symptoms could last up to 2 hours. Within an hour after eating too many crackers , not pulverizing them to a baby food consistency, and scarfing them down like I had been on Survivor eating nothing but coconuts. It started with stomach pain....and remained just a stomach pain and feeling of overeating. I went to bed that night with a garbage can by my bed, just in case I upchucked during the night. I made it through the night but still felt stuffed the next morning. I knew those cheese and crackers ere STUCK. I hoped drinking something would make them push on through were they belonged. I took my vitamins and morning medications and within minute felt like I was dying. I waited a fe hours and nothing improved. Is this dumping syndrome or was I going to have to have something pushed down my throat into my itty bitty stomach to unclog the crackers????
I called mu surgeon. He returned my call within a half hour. This delightful young man was so calm and supportive as he spoke to me on the phone. After telling him what, how much and how fast I ate the cheese and crackers, he gently told me that they would eventually work their way through the dime size hole and into my intestines. He told me to try drinking lukewarm Camomile tea. I followed his advice and immediately after the tea, my stomach gave up it's contents. Not just once...several times throughout the day. By that evening I felt brave enough to try a sugar fee Popsicle. My dumping syndrome was over. I felt like a wet rag...worn to a frazzle. I went to bed that night promising to follow the eating instructions I had been given. No distraction while eating, chew your food, small plates and utensils, chew 30 times, put fork down and wait in between each bite, savor the food, chew your food, take your time, be aware of felling full, chew your food, stop eating when full...etc...etc
This journal entry are my experiences for the first 4 weeks post-op. Next entry will bring me up to date at 6 weeks post-op.
I knew all about dumping syndrome. I knew it was more than just losing your cookies. That it sometimes involved and included other dreadful symptoms....like dizziness, pain, sweating, feeling like death warmed over and more. From my research I believed that these symptoms could last up to 2 hours. Within an hour after eating too many crackers , not pulverizing them to a baby food consistency, and scarfing them down like I had been on Survivor eating nothing but coconuts. It started with stomach pain....and remained just a stomach pain and feeling of overeating. I went to bed that night with a garbage can by my bed, just in case I upchucked during the night. I made it through the night but still felt stuffed the next morning. I knew those cheese and crackers ere STUCK. I hoped drinking something would make them push on through were they belonged. I took my vitamins and morning medications and within minute felt like I was dying. I waited a fe hours and nothing improved. Is this dumping syndrome or was I going to have to have something pushed down my throat into my itty bitty stomach to unclog the crackers????
I called mu surgeon. He returned my call within a half hour. This delightful young man was so calm and supportive as he spoke to me on the phone. After telling him what, how much and how fast I ate the cheese and crackers, he gently told me that they would eventually work their way through the dime size hole and into my intestines. He told me to try drinking lukewarm Camomile tea. I followed his advice and immediately after the tea, my stomach gave up it's contents. Not just once...several times throughout the day. By that evening I felt brave enough to try a sugar fee Popsicle. My dumping syndrome was over. I felt like a wet rag...worn to a frazzle. I went to bed that night promising to follow the eating instructions I had been given. No distraction while eating, chew your food, small plates and utensils, chew 30 times, put fork down and wait in between each bite, savor the food, chew your food, take your time, be aware of felling full, chew your food, stop eating when full...etc...etc
This journal entry are my experiences for the first 4 weeks post-op. Next entry will bring me up to date at 6 weeks post-op.
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