WLS complications

noelweibel
noelweibel Posts: 9 Member
in Motivation and Support
I had gastric bypass June 10, 2015. Everything seemed fine except extreme nausea. Now I cant hardly eat without serious stomach problems. I have lost 107 pounds which im thankful for but does anyone else have issues like this. Any foods easier then others? What kind of exercise do you do ? Any help would be great. Thanks

Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Do you have a medical team to follow up with? You want to rule out bigger problems like scarring.

    I stayed with my medical team for regular follow ups for a full year after surgery.

    In the meantime here are the things that worked for me.

    - eat very slowly and as soon as you feel full-ish stop eating.
    - Don't drink and eat at the same time. Don't drink for thirty minutes before you eat or afterwards.
    - Treat your little stomach like a six month old baby. Introduce new soft foods gradually. If it doesn't like something, wait a few weeks and try again.
    - If a food does not go down well try a different texture. For instance soft breads are hardest for me. But if I toast then I am fine.
    - Food intolerances are highly individual so you are going to have to figure it out yourself one food at a time.
    - If I was not hitting my protein target for the day I would finish my day with a protein shake (sipped ever so slowly!)
    - I have very few food intolerances, about eighteen months since surgery now.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    For exercise I do what I enjoy. Are you cleared for core exercises yet? When I was VLCD I was quite wobbly so I took things very slow. If you are not getting at least 1200 calories daily hold off on any vigorous activity.
  • noelweibel
    noelweibel Posts: 9 Member
    my surgeon pretty much wrote me off after he got paid by insurance so no with him ive had no real follow up. he wont return my calls. so ive started relying on my primary and GI Dr. He believes I may have contracted a bacterial infection from surgery and my surgeon didnt catch it. so far i cant eat bread, tortillas, rice, oatmeal, eggs, chicken, red meat, milk, sugary things like ice cream or kool aid. i can eat up to about a 1/4 cup at a sitting but my stomach knows within 10 mins if it doesnt like it . it feels like i just swallowed a boulder and it comes right back up or i have diarrhea. I can no longer tolerate protein shakes of any type. I know im not getting my protein or water intake. im 7 months out and still cant figure this out. I was cleared for exercise at 6 weeks but im so weak and need to be near a bathroom. im going to try walking tomorrow. i dont get anywhere near 1200 calories.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Your list of foods looks pretty familiar. Sugar can cause dumping. Bread took the longest for me to get used to.
    • Have a water bottle with you at all times and drink (sip) when you aren't eating. Stop drinking thirty minutes before you start eating. Don't drink for thirty minutes after.
    • Get yourself some pure whey protein powder, no sugar.
    • Try pureed foods of all kinds, and try sometimes with protein powder added.
    • Try pureed vegetable soups.
    • Try Greek yogurt and Kefir, your first doses measured with a shot glass.

    Work through the easiest foods first and gradually add in other foods, once every couple weeks. First meats are going to be minced.

    Please relax about the exercise. You aren't getting enough calories in to support it.
  • noelweibel
    noelweibel Posts: 9 Member
    Update: I did a lot of research and realized that I felt a lot better going vegetarian so that is what I have. I eliminated all meat products from my diet including eggs and milk. I still don't use bread of any type or tortillas. I can eat oatmeal now in small amounts and rice as well but I usually eat quinoa instead. I can not do any protein shakes especially whey protein. They make me vomit. Now I get my protein from all plant sources like beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, seitan, alternative meat sources, almond,soy, and cashew milk, and vegan cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream. None of this I have to puree and it stays down just fine. I have always kept water with me. I drink anywhere from 8 to 12 cups of water a day. I've always done Kefir even before surgery because I have had stomach issues all my life. I'm 7 months out so I'm way past the puree mince stage. I have also been exercising now for a couple weeks. I walk, do body weight exercises, and yoga plus meditate every day. Exercise is necessary. It builds muscle mass which helps you burn calories faster and maintain weight loss. Thanks for the help. I think I have figured out what I really needed.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    It sounds like your stomach has the worst time with protein. I'm glad you got it figured out.

    Don't get me wrong about the exercise. Workouts are my favourite thing now. I was worried as you were exhausted and simply not getting enough food in. Trying to exercise on top of all that would be...awful. But now that you are eating enough, that's fine.

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