[pattyb_d]

Hi all, I found this forum when I was released from the hospital and am really hoping you don't turn me away.

Dr's found a mass in my stomach that they knew had to come out and were pretty positive was cancer. They turned me onto Cancer support groups, ran their tests, and did a Semi Laproscopic Subtotal Gastrectomy at 11:11 on 11-11-11 good luck right? Well my good luck was no cancer.

Bad luck, No support. I was on General diet by my Dr's before my release 8 days after surgery, Cancer support group kicked me out o so politely, my Nut at the Hospital just said eat 1/2 cup every 2 hours, I had to push my surgeon to even agree to the multi vit's that the NUT suggested.

Lurking and reading this website has been my only support for which I am very gratefull. But I have more questions

Am I risking my life being on a general diet? What follow up do I need with Dr's? What blood work does your Dr's do and how often? While I am thankful for the weightloss for health reasons (diabetes and stroke run in my family) I am scared 30 lbs in 2.5 months of this ongoing, 11 lbs since surgery is to fast to much? Who do I turn to for a Dr to follow with? My internal medicine or what specialty do you have for a dr? Is there a chewable iron pill? I am exhausted 17 days from surgery, yes I was sick and on TPN pic line nutrician prior to surgery, did this contribute to my exhaustion? Literally eating and holding down the couch is all I am good for right now. I am used to working up to 110 hour weeks helping Hospice clients or 50 hour weeks helping stroke recovery/handicapped etc clients. I want my life back. Any ideas when I can expect to start that road? When did you all start working out?

Sorry for so much but you all seem so great to each other I am praying you will help me too.

Thanks for listening
P

[Iteacheagles]

Wow, that is some scary stuff, I really cant help you except to tell you to follow up with your primary care doctor and ask them for suggestions.
As far as your diet is concerned I am almost 11 weeks out and I can only eat between half a cup and a cup 3 times a day. but do what your doctor says. Hopefully some of the others will be able to help you more

[not quite Barbie]

Wow, congrats on the "no cancer" part. We're a very friendly group here, about the only thing we "kick" anybody out for is being non-supportive and flaming. So settle right in.

You're quite different than most of us in that you DON'T want to lose weight, but you've got the new "plumbing" so to speak and now have to figure out how to live with it. I'm assuming that the surgeons didn't reroute any of your intestines so you would be like a person who has had the sleeve gastrectomy done. You would still have the pyloris valve at the bottom of what used to be your stomach which helps hold the food in. If these asumptions are wrong, please correct me.

So a few quick answers:

General diet - I take this to mean you're "allowed" to eat anything? You need to concentrate right now on getting enough protein. You should be trying for 60 to 80 grams a day, and that's hard to do when you have so little room. I would think that you are also having trouble with "general" foods since your surgery was so recent. Most of us work through a progression - fluids, puree, soft foods, regular. You might want to try that if you're having problems getting food in.

Since you don't need to lose weight, don't worry about the fat content of the proteins you are eating. In fact, you might want to consider doing milk shakes (if you can tolerate) and other high fat foods to try to keep your weight up - but make sure your goal is getting enough protein. You WILL be dropping weight fast for awhile and you don't have much to spare.

I use Flintstone chewable multi vitamins. Two a day. Don't know about chewable iron.

I would suggest you try to find a gastroenterologist, or see if there's a bariatric clinic nearby that can help. We have a doctor on this site who helps us a lot and I'm sure she'll be by to give some advice.

Welcome aboard!

[merrynail]

I have chewable iron it's with c. I got mine through my doctors office. I'm glad no cancer. That's great! And your lucky about not needing to lose weight. I'm surprised they haven't given you any instructions on eating, but I would think talking to at least a nutritonist would help. Good luck. and welcome to the forum.

[nursesrock]

Patty, you lurker you! Welcome, even if you had no intention on being here. Life takes us so many places, doesn't it? Congratulations on a smaller stomach AND being cancer free. A couple of things I'd like to mention. A sleeve gastrectomy (which I've had done electively) is just a tool. We in this position have been given special diets because we want to lose weight. You really have no restrictions other than what your stomach says you have. That being said, know that things like fruits and veggies are sort of useless in terms of giving you good calories and energy. Dense protein and calories will be best for you now. Some of us have issues with iron, vitamins and the such because of malabsorption.....that's less an issue with the surgery you and I have had. Your PCP can determine those issues. It would be a good idea to have a multivitamin daily and B-12 tabs can help with your energy level. So, no.....you aren't risking your life being on a regular diet. Secondly, get moving some to help with your energy level. It may be a slow road but you shouldn't really have a restriction to working and doing what you want unless your body tells you. I STILL have issues with fatigue and I just have to fight through it. Again, protein and higher calorie stuff might help in that way. Your littler stomach will dictate what you'll be able to handle.....milk is still a challenge for me, but that may change. Keep us updated and hang in there. We're all here to help

[Perfesser]

Patty, I don't remember us ever turning anyone away because they didn't have the "right" health conditions. You obviously didn't have your operation for the main reason we all did, but you now have to live with it, and that's what we have to do, too. So welcome!!

Not everything we tell you will make sense from your perspective, because we are doing it for different reasons. Many of the principles will still apply though, so you may have to sort out a bit of chaff to get to the good stuff.

Any questions, don't be afraid to ask. If you think it's a stupid question, ask it in the Stupid Question forum! (See, the guys who put this site together thought of everything! )

Good luck with your new life! That must be a tremendous relief to have a death sentence lifted!!



CT

[DocSanae]

Welcome to the board, thank you for joining us.
(((((HUGS))))) May your journey go well.

First, do you know the exact layout of your present digestive system?
This is going to depend on where exactly the mass was, but if it was in the lower portion of your stomach, I imagine about 1/3 of yoru stomach is intact, with the closed off end connected to the duodenum, and no bypass with your gut, as that would be the standard post op layout for surgery for people like you.
In other words, your new layout will be the same as those who have had cancer surgery. The only difference is that your mass was benign, so you don't have to worry about post op chemotherapy/radiation and post op check ups to watch out for metastases.
As far as the functions of your new layout, and how to eat and such, should be the same as the cancer post ops.
You see, what governs the post op care most is your new layout, not necessarily the original issue that led to surgery.

That said, what I know of 2/3 gastrectomy post ops.
1) You should be aware of supplementing, but not as strictly as RNY post ops, as your stomach is most likely much larger than the RNY pouches, plus, with no bypass, you will have less of a malabsorption issue. The most common post op deficiencies probably is anemia, so be mindful of that.
2) You may experience a type of dumping that depends not on your sugar/fat intake, but rather, what sometimes is referred to as volemic dumping. The change in pressure inside your abdomen, due to the food passing through rapidly into the gut causes the same symptoms as sugar/fat dumping. Some people do experience a sudden sugar level rise then drop with this, as well.
3) Avoid pastas and noodle as much as you can. This is not because of the carb content, but rather, *stringy* stuff seem to get stuck easily when passed into the gut. Your stomach is now much smaller, so the pasta/noodles don't get kneaded and churened enough to turn into a smooth texture so it can melt easily and slide through your gut.
4) Avoid greasy food, you'll probably get heartburns.
5) Avoid spicy food, caffeine and other things that can irritate your pouch, or cause ischemia (reduced blood flow) of your pouch surface, to avoid ulcers.
6) Have blood labs done to check deificiencies at 6 months out. Then, 6 months later, and annually beyond that. That should be good enough.
7) A GI (gastointestinal) dr would be best for you, a GI surgeon rather than an internist at first since you had surgery, then, when s/he relases you to an internist or a PCP with instructions for foods, medication and supplementation as needed, you can continue with the internist/family dr/PCP etc.

Hope this helps.

[pattyb_d]

Thank you thank you thank you!!

You all are just what I was hoping, thank you. All your answers have talked me off the emotional wall. Pretty easy to freak myself out.

As far as my surgery it was RnY, I don't have the valve, duodenum, I don't have specifics beyond that. So dumping was huge issue. Doc you were right on, I couldn't track it to sugar. Thank you.

The vitamin answers, blood work, Dr type all so helpful. Wow, ok now you all have made me cry. That just doesn't happen, lol thank you so much.
Perfessor, your exactly right about the death sentence feeling. Once I got passed that I was floundering.
Nursesrock, the protein has really helped me. Biggest answer you all have given me. Starting to concentrate on protein really helped me start to feel better.
All I can say is thanks again to those that stopped and left messages. You are all very special people.