Problem...I have to see a Gastroenterologist!
 

I have a problem alright...for about a week I have been unable to tolerate any food that wasn't a "soft" food. If I tried to eat say chicken or deli turkey or veggies even well cooked, I have sever pain and nausea...I haven't always thrown up but sometimes I have. My surgeon's nurse told me he wants me to see a Gastroenterologist to rule out the constriction of the pouch's exit. There is a chance I am just not chewing enough or putting too much in there which is making me sick but I could eat these foods and these amounts without pain not more then a week ago.

Also, with all the upheaval in my life right now, I wonder if this isn't somewhat emotional. All my life during emotional upset, I would get a pain in my esophagus. I don't know, I think I would rather it be physical...at least I could see the Gastroenterologist and get that fixed! ;)

Anyway, I am a bit freaked out and writing this has calmed me down. Thanks for listening.

Angela

:hug: I hope all goes well!

Oh Ange!
 

I was worried when you responded to my thread? Dang it! I'll be thinking about you. You have been awfullyquiet bluebird girl. I miss your chatter!! Let us know what's going on.

Hugs!!

relax. yeah, i know that's a hard thing to do. the gastro will stick a tube down your throat [and you'll be napping throughout] and take a look-see. and then you'll be awake.

there can be a lot of reasons for this - from just having a 'twitchy tummy' [i had one - good heavens, for 6 weeks!!!!!] to what my surgeon called 'pouch-filling issues' which was a nice way of saying i might be eating too fast or too much at a time or not chewing well enough. and, of course, you could indeed have a blockage or stricture - so go see the gastro. [BTW, i managed to have a blockage after 9 months - oh good heavens - i threw up for 30 hours straight!!!!! gastro had to insert a tube and pop out the wad of 'vegetable matter' that had gotten wedged in the outlet. sorry if that's TMI!!!!]

now, about the 'twitchy tummy' i had for 6 weeks - it started a couple weeks after surgery, when i was starting to eat deli turkey [BTW, this was about the time that i discovered that chicken and i WERE NOT FRIENDS!!!!! more about that in a minute]. and i tossed a couple of times a day for about 6 weeks. my surgeon checked me out and said that, for some people, this happens - it comes on suddenly, lasts 4-6 weeks, and then stops just as suddenly.

he was right. now, having said that, GO SEE THE GASTRO TO BE SURE!!!!

now, about the chicken comment above. there's a prevailing wisdom that gastric bypass patients fall into two categories: those who can tolerate red meat, and those who can tolerate chicken and turkey. it's RARE for the two groups to mix!!!!

for the LONGEST TIME, it was easy for me to eat beef, lamb, pork, but even a couple of bites of chicken sent me running to the bathroom. even now, i can eat dark meat chicken, if it's cooked with a sauce of some sort [and even sloshing some wine into the pan is enough!], and i can SOMETIMES eat chicken breast if it's freshly cooked and not dry. can't eat white meat chicken as a leftover.

ALL THIS TO SAY, experiment. experiment. experiment. if something doesn't sit right, give it a rest for a couple of weeks, and then try it again. as you heal, things will change. honest!

stay calm. you're doing fine.

When you experience physical symptoms under stress, this rarely means that the pains are entirely experienced in the brain. Rather stress aggravates physical symptoms and existing conditions (stress aggravates cancer too, and no one would consider it an emotional or imagined illness).

The digestive system is very susceptible to stress, because the natural "flight or fight" response (stress prepares a person or animal to go into self-defense mode), is to shut down "non-essential" systems and even to purge the system (vomitting or diahrrea), literally making the critter lighter and in better shape for running or fighting (kangaroos often even abort their fetuses or joeys). Even if purging doesn't occur, blood flow to the digestive system is reduced until the stress is over (because the blood flow is directed to "more important" systems like the heart and brain).

Your doctor may suggest drugs or treatments that address the stress, the physical symptoms, or a combination of the two. But remember that stress causes real physical symptoms, you're not imagining them, and they very likely will show up on tests. Your emotions are just part of the equation.

Hang in there
 

The best part about the Upper GI is that you will not remeber it! Hope all works out well and keep us in the loop.