Full stomach removed

Hi Gangster gran,

Thanks for getting in touch with the online community. My name is Sarah, one of the Cancer information Nurses on the Macmillan support line.

I am sorry to hear you are struggling with eating following surgery, 3 weeks ago.  Managing your diet and meals after surgery can be difficult and everyone’s experiences can be different.

Many people can experience a poor appetite during the first few weeks after surgery. The Oesophageal Patients Association has a leaflet about life after surgery you may find helpful. Page 8 has some suggestions about how to develop an appetite.

Initially taste can be affected, leaving food and drink tasting unpleasant. Trying different foods or highly seasoned or marinated food can help.

It can be a bit of trial and error and talking with others about their experiences can help. I can see you have joined our stomach cancer forum and hope you are finding it supportive. The Oesophageal Patients association also have an online community.

If you are continuing to struggle, then you may wish to speak to your clinical nurse at the hospital for support. They will have access to your notes and can be specific about anything else which may help.

I hope this information helps. Please feel free to get back in touch if you want more information or support.

Best wishes,

Sarah

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

Ref/ SS / HK

Hi thank you for reply, I've been trying different foods an had been managing to eat a little more than I was,is it normal for me to get as tired as I am and is it normal to have a feeling of being empty

Dear Gangster Gran,

Thank you for getting back in touch and welcome back to the Online Community. I’m Kerry one of the Cancer Information Nurses here on the Macmillan Support Line.

I hope you found the information and links that my colleague Sarah provided helpful.

It’s great to hear that you have been managing to eat a little more than you were since your surgery.

Having stomach surgery, is a major operation. Most people can feel quite weak or lack strength for some time after, the length of time can vary from person to person.

Please reach out to your cancer doctor, your cancer nurse specialist, or your GP if this has continued for more than a few weeks.

Your doctor may want to do a blood test, when you have your stomach removed you can no longer absorb a vital vitamin called B12 from foods which plays an essential role in forming red blood cells.

Having a low amount of red blood cells is called anaemia. One of the side effects of anaemia is extreme fatigue and lack of energy. Your doctor may want to assess you for this and may prescribe B12 supplement if you aren’t already having them or increase the dose or timeframe in which you have them if possible.

You mentioned that you feel empty, I’m unsure if you mean that you feel empty as in hungry i.e., not feeling full.

When the stomach is removed you can get something called Dumping syndrome which is where food is emptied too quickly into the small intestines the symptoms of this can cause hunger, weakness, low blood sugar etc which may describe some of the symptoms you are experiencing.

Here at Macmillan, we don’t have access to the NHS or your medical records therefore I am unable to say for certain the causes of your symptoms, I would recommend you discuss this further with your hospital cancer team or your GP as soon as possible.

If your symptoms worsen in the meantime, please do reach out to 111 if needed for further assessment.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions, please get in touch again. You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email or contact us through Webchat

Best wishes

Kerry

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

Ref KHa/KG