Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Gastroenterology (Expert Forum)
Eating Difficulty after Gastrectomy
This forum is for questions regarding Gastroenterology issues such as Acid Reflux (GERD), Barretts Esophagus, Colitis, Colon/Bowel Disorders, Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis, Digestive Disorders, IBS, Stomach Pain.
 |
Eating Difficulty after Gastrectomy
by Bob J, Nov 25, 2002 12:00AM
Had partial esophogectomy and gastrectomy. Home from hosp.3 wks.It seems that I can eat less now than when I first came home. Lately food comes back up sometimes,not always. Am drinking Ensure 4x daily to supplement my diet. Can't get more than 1/2 cup food down at once. Also how long does stomach take to empty? Any suggestions?
Expert Activity
Related Expert Forums
Related Communities
Crohn
Crohn's Disease
Crohns
Digestive Process
Dry Skin
IBS
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Stomach Ach
Sunburn
Ulcerative Colitis
abdominal pain
bowel
colitis
colon
crohn's
crohns disease
diarrhea
gallbladder
irritable
irritable bowel
large intestine
liver
nausea
pain
rectal bleeding
red skin
redness
stomach ache
stool
ulcerative
Communities
Ask a Doctor Forums
Tools and Applications
Personal Information
Medical Information
Doctors and Partners
How much of your stomach was removed in the gastrectomy? The more they were able to preserve, the better your dietary recovery should be. Over time, the remaining portion of your stomach may expand to accomodate larger meals. The whole healing process takes up to one year, since this is major surgery. I would take it slow and easy initially, and keep a diary of your daily eating habits, any pain or discomfort you feel and under what circumstances, etc., so when you see your docs again you have an accurate account to refer to and discuss with them. It is easy to forget to mention /discuss everything you want to with a doctor without notes and reminders.
I have two post-esophagectomy diets (from two different cancer centers in the city in which I live). Did you talk to a dietician and did the surgeon or hospital give you a written diet to use for the first three or four months following the surgery? They should have. If not, ask for one. If they cannot provide one, post me back, and we will find a way to get a copy of mine to you. If we do so, you shpould review it with your surgeon to get her/his feedback on it.
Good luck. I hope you start to see improvement soon. Three weeks after discharge is not a long time for this type of surgery (I think I still had my J-tube three weeks after discharge), so don't get too discouraged.
Best regards,
Chicken Soup