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Posted 6/7/2011 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,
I'm 6 days post op and wondering if I should be concerned that I can't eat very much at once. I know for sure I'm not eating very much at all! I can barely make it through a whole yoplait yogurt and a few graham crackers. Reassurance this is ok would put me at ease! Thanks all of you, you've been wonderful!!!! ;-)
Posted 6/7/2011 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Dee, I was not even eating any foods at day 6. It was day 7 that I was allowed to eat and it was very little amounts at a time. Don't get discouraged.....your appetite will pick up.

Mine picked up a few weeks after surgery and I now feel hungry ALL THE TIME. UGH, I hate it. I have gained 10 pounds too and I am very upset about that...BUT, people comment that I look great and healthy, not fat. I am 5'5" and weight 156. YIKES.....seems fat to me.

Don't force yourself to eat....eat small amounts.....stop eating when you 1st start feeling full, and WALK, walk, walk, alot. That seemed to help my food to go down quicker. I have never walked in my life for exercise and I am now walking 3 to 6 miles a day and I have actually found that I like walking.

You have an ileostomy, right?
Posted 6/7/2011 6:37 PM (GMT 0)
Protein is super important for helping healing and strength. Hubby had no appetite either right after the sugery. I managed to get him to drink the slimfast chocolate shakes...I use the powdered type and put one of their scoops in 8 oz of milk and it is 15 grams of protein. Two of those in a day gives an important 30 grams of protein and may help you out for a few weeks to supplement the little you are eating.
Posted 6/7/2011 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Don't worry about it yet! You've juuust had major surgery, the appetite takes a while to bounce back! If it stays a problem for a while, ask about appetite stimulants. You don't want to go too long without good nutrition, or nothing will heal up.
Posted 6/7/2011 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
My appetite was all over the place after surgery. Some days I hardly felt like eating anything and other days I ate quite a bit. about a month after surgery I had a strange episode where I completely lost my appetite. It took me two hours to eat an egg one day... I felt so nauseated. My surgeon still wasn't sure why that happened, but slowly my appetite came back. Now it is completely back to normal, though I do tend to feel full faster than I use to. I also used protein whey powder to make shakes to keep my protein levels up when I didn't feel like eating much. Even with no appetite, I could manage to get those down.
Posted 6/8/2011 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you ladies very much!!!!! yup loop ileo! ok kinda sounds normal not being able to eat enough at 1st. Just wanted to make sure I don't want to be malnourished! Eating tuna, chicken, hamburger small quantities probably not enough though I think I'm drinking enough 6 plus glasses water and whatever else luquids I drink just definitely feel out of sorts in the whole gut stomach area!! I know I sound silly it's to be expected I just had surgery there duh!!!! I've started b12 vitamins and am drinking electrolite water so I hope that helps ;-)
Posted 6/8/2011 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
Any medications or pills you always want to be sure are quickly absorbed. No time release/slow release or enteric coated from what I have read due to the faster transit time. Hubby had a stubborn toe infection recently and we kept reminding the podiatrist Dr of the above.
Posted 6/8/2011 6:18 AM (GMT 0)
I'm right with u. Thurs will b 2 weeks post op. My appetite is very lil. N have to force myself to drink so I dnt get dehydrated. I'm loosing weight but it's a good thing for me cuz I'm over weight. I eat lil meals thru out the day 5-6. Ex. A English muffin for breakfast. A plain turkey sandwich for lunch. Crakers n v 8 juice snack. 1 plain hot dog4 dinner. N sum fruit for snack. Seems to do the trick. How is ur pain? Mine is still pretty bad:(
Posted 6/8/2011 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry to hear your still in alot of pain :-( I'm a little sore depending how I move time is our best friend right now!! I'll say a prayer for the both of us to fly right over the healing hump of this!!! Hopefully in few weeks both of our progress will be huge!! ;-) take care and keep posting!
Posted 6/9/2011 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Dee: just coming in to agree that what you are experiencing is completely normal for where you are in the process. The advice to stop when you first feel full is very good! Walking will help keep the digestive process moving. If you are tolerating yogurt well, consider trying some Greek style. It's denser and much higher in protein for the same amount of regular yogurt.

It seems like you are doing really well! :)
Posted 6/9/2011 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks run4 (side note I love all of the fun names on here LOL! ;-) I'm thinking physically with the kids we're kind of in the same boat can you tell me when you were able to be more active with the little one? My older child is 4 not quite as physically demanding but my toddler is 18mo so my husband is going back to work 5 weeks post, I don't really expect to lift to much until I'm 8 weeks but bending and such with him u know diaper changes and things was that ok for you!
Thanks Dee
Posted 6/9/2011 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
My youngest is almost 10 months and about 18 pounds. I honestly didn't lift him at all for a complete six weeks. It was extremely challenging emotionally, but I think it was important as it let me heal without risking a hernia. Now I pick him up whenever, but I still don't carry him any more than I need to. The first couple of weeks I could feel a little strain or burning when I carried him for more than a couple of minutes, but that is gone now. I don't (and won't) pick up my four year old at all.

I would think at five weeks you should be able to get on and off the floor fine. That might be the best solution for diaper changes when you have to be home alone.
Posted 6/10/2011 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
Lifeinterrupted-

You might consider getting a hernia prevention belt too once you are healed up and can lift the youngsters again. I do a lot of lifting of education material boxes and backpacks at work in the 20 to 30 pound range (I am a park naturalist) and I put mine on when I have to carry around supplies just as a preventative. Nu-Hope belts makes two styles: one for actual hernias and one more for prevention. I have the prevention one in the cool-comfort fabric which breathes very well. They are designed to fit with the exact appliance you have which is sort of a pain. I had to order one early on for an appliance that I knew I probably wouldn't be sticking with for the long term (a clear one-piece that my nurse had me wearing while I had some incision healing woes). I then had to order another belt once I found the appliance I loved since the flange size was different. This was pricey, but I figured it was worth it to avoid a hernia. Not only do I wear my hernia prevention belt when I lift stuff, but I have also been wearing it for some of my sports like snowboarding and backpacking. I really, really like it. I know it is no guarantee that I won't get a hernia, but I think it helps provide some security. The folks at Nu-Hope are very nice and will walk you through what size to get for your appliance and needs. My insurance covered 80% of the cost too when I ordered it through my supplier, Byram.
Posted 6/10/2011 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
I ordered that same belt for my husband and he started to play golf again last week and has been wearing it when he plays.  Also when doing things around the house that may be more physical I have asked him to be sure to wear it just for some extra protection to hopefully ward off a potential hernia.
Posted 6/10/2011 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
That is good advice!!! Thank you so much for chiming in with that!!! I will definitely looking into that once I am past the 6 week mark, smart to wear on my kids school days and such ;-) I'm gonna check out the website does it sit low and is it low profile?
Thanks again ladies ;-)!!!
Posted 6/10/2011 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I have a low stoma and it works well. Just had to place the opening lower on the belt so that the belt didn't rest where my legs bend. It fits well under all my clothing... can't see it at all. It comes in a 4" wide option and a 6" wide. I had to get the 6" because my flange is larger. The guide on the website is a little confusing. I found it easier to call and the person on the phone helped me figure it out. They then gave me a product number to give to Byram (or whatever place you are ordering from).
Posted 6/10/2011 9:28 AM (GMT 0)
Is the hernia risk because of the stoma or the incision? Just wondering if there's still a risk if surgery was laparoscopic.
Posted 6/10/2011 12:17 PM (GMT 0)
There are two different types of hernias. A perastomal and an incisional. Anyone with a stoma is at risk for the perastomal, though there are some things, like being overweight, that increase the risks.

Not sure about the incisional one if you have had lapro. Do they still make the incision longer under the skin, or do they do everything through those tiny holes? I had an open incision and am at a slightly higher risk for an incisional hernia since I had issues with it healing.
Posted 6/10/2011 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
Oh thank you blueheron for explaining that! I definitely want one my stoma is low also, so that's y I was asking cause I assume it sits lower then at our waist.?
Blueglass I think with lapro your at less risk for incisional but I definitely think it depends how big the holes they cut are....
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