tell me what life is like after you are all healed up pls!

Thanks Apple - sounds like a perfectly good reason to down a glass of wine before dinner - or any time! Now I'm wondering if it's worse when I'm tired/stressed at the end of the day. I'll have to watch for that.
Mama

I have not heard of anybody left with shoulder tip pain after about 8 weeks. Now I am not sure if that is because it just goes away or that they have learnt other signs they are full and stop now before that point. I think it also might not sure on this have something to do with being tense when you eat as those who have had a glass of wine before dinner never had this problem. so again it might not even be a full trigger, it might just be scared of the new tummy and once you relax more over time the muscles dont tense up and trigger that nerve under the diafram. This is the one that gets pressed and thus triggers shoulder tip pain. It is not imaginary pain at all so do not think I am saying calm down it will go away hehehe it is a tensing of muscles. Again just a couple of theories that have been said to me about this over the last year and it had gone away for all those who mentioned it.

applesauce

I'm now 5 weeks post surgery, starting to feel pretty good and eating most things. A lot of the time after eating I get left shoulder tip pain that lasts for at least 30 mins. It's much worse if I eat too much or too fast. Can I look forward to this going by 3 months post op?

The good news is that I have NO tightness or pain in my chest or tummy, no nausea - no anything except an aching shoulder.

Mama

he better cough up.....cos he's in trouble ..........

hehe

No Bella. I have an appointment on 29th April and will be pinning him to the floor and threatening to do something nasty if he doesn't give me a date then. Stay tuned!!!

Janey

Janey

Watch out...Jill may have a 4b2 for you too !....hehe

I was sooo glad to get the one she gave me....even though my head still hurts a bit...she sure packs a swing !

Do you have a booked date for surgery yet .....or is it just sometime in the next 2 months ?

~hugs~

Such an excellent question Bella. I was wondering the same thing so I have had my mind put at rest too.
I never vomited much with the band (unless I had a blockage) but always managed to just eat that bit too much and get a really uncomfortable feeling. This was a couple of years down the track though.
The sleeve seems to be the better of the two in preventing overeating. Yippeee.
Luckily I am still in the habit of serving myself smaller serves to start with but I am unfortunately finding now that the lapband is gone that I am going back for seconds. Bad Girl Janey!! *Smacks hand* Hurry up 2 months, I want my sleeve now.

Janey

cool thanks gals

thats 3 yes's so far.......(one of them was a 4B2 !! yay Jill))

i guess those leftovers are looking safe post op......whew !

super thanks for the good news

and Jill...... I misssss you !!..... The Townsville get togethers aren't quite what they used to be !!!...hehe....and as usual you seem to say things in a way that makes sense to me.....i hope those Perth peoples are looking after you !


Bella :)

Bella - YES YES YES a 4B2 around the head!!!! hehe

Mate, you may overeat once post op but you won't do it again - it is such an uncomfortable feeling and as some will say will make them vomit (I haven't been sick but I know some have).
It's pretty hard to describe the feeling really but its not nice - you soon learn to know how much you can eat.

As for the leftovers - they just won't fit in. After I eat dinner at night - that's me gone for the night...I can have a coffee about 2 hours later. I don't know if I eat too much or not but I can never eat dessert and sometimes the MOTH will ask me if I'd like the coffee or tea just after my meal but I can't fit it in. I can't seem to eat as much in the morning as I do at night.

As for your comment 'To me this op is about behaviour modification and retraining......but its also about not having to diet (am i wrong !) for ever ' - well this is how I see it 3 months down the track(the longer sleevers may have other opinions) - because you can't fit much in you eat healthy, protein first then the vege and then carbs - I try to eat protein at every meal. Okay there will be the odd chocolate, chips or perhaps dessert but basically because we are trying to lose the weight and get down to our goal weights we have to watch what we eat until we get there and then perhaps relax a little bit when our weight settles ie Nicole and Steph. But at some point our weight could stall like some sleevers have and then we have to go back to the healthy eating plan and exercising to kick start us again to achieve our goals.
Well that's how I imagine how it is Bella - others will probably have different views. We all seem to have plateaus (even a few weeks out) then it starts falling off again and yet we don't seem to do anything different - I think it's all a bit of a game and we all have to play it at some stage or other - it's fun though and much better having a tiny tummy!!!!
Don't worry sweetpea - you will get there - you are just having lots of pre-op thoughts!!!! (as we all do)
Hugs and kisses Jill

Both the male of the species and I get the runny nose when full. VERY annoying. Both of us can eat more than faddingaway. I would say 2 tablespoons of pata salad a sauasage and a couple of cherry tomatos. We would IF we had not been nibbling on stuff finish that. But sausages tend to be something eaten at a bbq which means a bit of dip and a chip or two has found its way into my mouth along with a glass of wine so when dinner comes along I am back to what faddingaway can eat hehehe. the male of the species digests food faster than I so he could have nibbled on his olives and bit of cheese in the couple of hours before and been able to finish the dinner.

Serously you can over eat a teaspoon or two and feel pretty ikky and do it a LOT to start with. But eating until it hurts you do not do that often *LOL* because it really feels vile. You might do it once on purpose as in you really like something and push yourself. But I doubt you would push yourself that hard again on purpose. It only ever happens again by accident. You learnt to look for the signs tho well before it gets to that stage. The runny nose, feeling a tad uncomfortable etc. But to be honest that you just ate christmas dinner feeling is something I felt every single day for 3 months drove me nuts. Made me mega sleepy after food as well. I have eaten to the point of feeling yuck better to throw up on plenty of occasions that doesnt bother me, but rarely happens these days. The really vile sick sick feeling for really over eating I can say I have felt that only once in the last 6 or so months.

applesauce

Oh you won't over eat, maybe once but won't again I am sure.And that extra sliver is too much as is the tea spoon more, measure your food out till you know how much 1/4 cup is , you can always have those extra tea spoons if there is room,
My nose runs when I am full. What a sign hey! but with out fail a couple of minutes after eating off it goes , oh and the burps if eat too fast.
But I dished up , say yesterday for lunch for example . 1 table spoon coleslaw, 1 tbl pasta salad, 1 tiny tomato, 1 aspargus spear, 1/2 sm sausage about 2 inches long(the smallest one there) 1/2 rissole ..
I ate the coleslaw and pasta salad, 1/2 of the sausgae portion ,1/2 of the rissloe too ,the asparagus and 1/2 of the tommy tomoto and was full as a goog really wanted the other half of tomoto but no way was it going in ,lol and of cause the nose started not long after,
I have been out and had fried rice that I love and still have a go at , but back to story So I had my 1tbl spoon of fried rice and tiny bit of prawn omlete and the rice got stuck and ate too much of it too proberly and we were out at a club and wow that chucky feeling came over me and I was looking for the loo sign ,I just made it there for a chuck , the rice does it too me , now I smother it in the sauce of what ever I have with it But I only have 1 tbl spoon and that is all, never 1 tble spoons and hubby refuses to let me have any when he is there with me, But I love fried rice and just have to have a mouth full , if you know what I mean
get your self a plate size about bread and butter plate and use this as your dinnner plate , you will be surprised how little you eat and are fulll at , it still amazes me `2 months post op
drinking, I can only drink just less than 1/2 cup in one go , then have to wait to have some more, say about 20 minutes but cant do 1/2 cup again that soon lol

Okay..... I am dying to ask this and will probably keel over with embarrassment cos im sure i will get really simple answers back to what seems to be a huge worry on my mind....but ack.....next week i will be on a chopping board in my scrundies and everything splayed out for all and sundry......soooooo i guess this is a warm up embarrassment.

Many of you have said that if you eat too much Post-op...even if its a sliver or half a tsp too much ...your body tells you in many different individual ways ....some of you feel nauseous, others need to poop or go to the toot, others suffer uncomfortable feelings in the throat and chest and feel like the excess food/liquid is sitting in the throat, others have pain, or feel bloated, dizzy, achy etc etc etc.......

Pre-op.......for those of us who overate....as in portion sizes.....as opposed to grazing......im not a grazer & I dont eat a lot of junk food but when i do eat junk food and other food - mainly at evening meal.....i eat too big.......you will understand what i mean when i say that sometimes after a big meal you feel one of more of the above after affects....some you dont feel .....BUT ..... you carry on eating and perhaps have a large dessert or 2nd helping regardless of the discomfit ..

Post-op ....Is the after affects of eating that sliver or tsp too much strong/hard/smack you in the face enough to help you retrain yourself to flip on your stop switch ? Dont get me wrong......i realise the sleeve is a tool only ---- and its gotta be a good tool gauging by all the wonderful results everyone on here has & i will be doing my bit to help this tool do its job.......BUT i would like to know if the after effects are big enough lesson learned that a person wont push through that discomfit and carry on eating ? I mean will it hurt or smack me around the head with a 4b2 ?...will i never go there again ?

To me this op is about behaviour modification and retraining......but its also about not having to diet (am i wrong !) for ever ...just healthy eating with the occasion bad yet sooo good treat...( i call that living/eating normally & is what i hope/plan to achieve)....i know that Pre-OP....if there are leftovers......i have some natural empathy with starving children in Ethiopia and eat them on their behalf....i physically cannot leave leftovers untouched until the next meal they are intended for..........and it would be cool if the after effects of overeating Post-OP are 4b2's

Im expecting lots of yes's ....so dont disappoint me ...hehe

~hugs and kisses~

Quote :

I do get hungry, but it's nothing like the hunger I used to feel before the op, and it's very easily satisfied.

that is exactly what I was hoping to hear, thankyou!

Hi
I saw this exercise belt the other day that holds 2 bottles of water in in. Had to have one as when I have water with me I drink it easier, if you know what I mean, anyway it is like a bum bag and the bottles sit on your hips.If I were still nursing I would use it I really don't think that they would get in the way.Got it at a sports shop they were out the front in a bargin bin .Just a thought

Hi everyone
Rice Cake, I know it's hard for you at work, but try and keep a little bottle of water on you and sip at it whenever you can. You seriously do not want to dry out and have to have that drip! Or maybe you do, so you can have a rest! LOL
Mobius, don't worry - the tiny tummy you are left with will definitely sort out your portion control. Me, and most of us on this forum, have had the same problem with eating too much and believe me, if it works for me, it will work for you.
I do get hungry, but it's nothing like the hunger I used to feel before the op, and it's very easily satisfied.
There's nothing I can't eat now, about 8 months out, although there are some things that fill me up more easily than others (eg canned tuna or salmon) and others that I need to make sure I chew up really well (stir fried vegies, lumps of meat). Generally though, I just have to remember not to eat too fast (a major problem for me, and a bad habit that has been resurfacing more lately), and to chew everything up well (but nowhere near as much as I had to just a few months ago).
Best wishes
Chris

sophia wrote:

Hi there,
I have another question related to this... after the first 3 months, are you able to drink water quickly, or do you still need to take 30 mins to drink half a cup or so?

That is what I am really missing right now - being able to have a huge drink of water!!!
Sophia

OMG, tell me about it. I am back at work and was run off my feet. Missed afternoon tea, couldn't drink with dinner and had the whole of about 500ml of water and I seriously sweated out 600ml cause it's been so hot. I just want to have a huge drink and go to bed, I am dead tired but I need fluid, I feel crap at the moment, it's hot and I aint done a pee since er, about 12 hours ago! This always happens when I go back to work. It is so frustrating. At this stage I can only cope with this 3 days a week so can't be spending too much $$ as I can't work my casual shifts. just doing my part time ones.

I NEED WATER! I start drooling at the sight of bags of IV fluids and drips! I so want to just hook up to one!!!!

There is still a transition time between about 3 months and 6 months where you will be eating smaller amounts and drinking smaller amounts. It will gradually increase over that time frame. You are about where you will stay at about 6 months or so. I can drink down a glass of water no problems now but was still sipping at 3 months. someof it is the healing process some of it is caution. You tend to take it easy on that new tummy for a while. I was able to eat anything and everything by about 6 or 7 weeks. My husband had not a good time with red meat that was tough. It had to be tender for him until about 6 or 8 months out. so you can give a time frame but every bodies body is different and it can take a few days weeks or even months for the odd food to settle well with some people. I just know of only one person more than a year out with any food problems and that is only to fresh white bread, it doesnt sit right with her. But compaire that to other weight loss surgery and all the foods people have problems with it is a tiny thing to have a problem with for just one person.

applesauce

Sophia I am 3 months sleeved and I can drink more than sips now - probably half a cup at a time now at least - still a bit scared to try the whole cup but everyone is different from what I read on the forum.

Mobius - I used to eat a lot portion wise as well. Now that I can only eat small amounts I have the full feeling and in a way its not a full feeling -you just can't possibly eat anymore as you start to feel as if you are going to vomit (Some people do vomit - I haven't yet) and sometimes nauseous etc. so you know you have overeaten and you try to stop before you get to this stage. At the start I found it hard to know when enough is enough but my stomach sort of tells me with a little pain and an uncomfortable feeling - its hard to explain. Also I found at the beginning that my head (head hunger) wanted more when I couldn't eat everything that was on my plate but I seem to have that sorted out with my head now because I tell myself that I can have the rest later or tomorrow for lunch. When I get up in the morning I don't feel hungry just an empty feeling (like Applesauce said). If I do feel like something between meals I always try to have fruit on hand as its the only time I can get fruit in which is healthy.

Applesauce mentioned fatty or fried foods - I can't eat fish and chips or bacon anymore as it goes straight through me but some people can. I was never really a sweets person so I actually haven't had any since being sleeved.

I love my tiny tummy 3 months on and my partner, who was a bit sceptical, is going to see Dr Ahmad the first week of March because he can now see the weight falling off me, and he thinks he will have no problem eating like I am eating now. I have never pushed him into this as it had to be his decision only and he had to be doing it for himself not me. I am a bit scared for him because he does love a big steak, and big meals but there are quite a few men on this forum with awesome results so I take comfort in that.

I hope I have helped with my experience and wish you luck in you decision whatever it maybe.
This forum is so helpful and the people on it are so lovely, helpful and caring.
Jillybean

Hi there,
I have another question related to this... after the first 3 months, are you able to drink water quickly, or do you still need to take 30 mins to drink half a cup or so?

That is what I am really missing right now - being able to have a huge drink of water!!!
Sophia

wow, applesauce, thankyou so much for that post, you have really revved me up a gear towards to surgery!

Caz, I will be thinking of you on Monday, sending out vices for good luck and great results to you mate!

The 3 months are a healing time and everything seems like to much food. After that give or take a month things start to settle down and your stomach settles into its new life. You are left able to eat about 200-250grams of food per meal. This will leave you feeling satisfied for at least a few hours if not 4 or more for the majority of people. some people are like my husband an myself and never experence real hunger since the surgery. We get a strange feeling that we associate with being empty but it is not an urge to eat if that makes sense. A lot of people find that they are put off greasy oily food or over sweet stuff. So do not tend to crave it as much as before surgery. Both my husband and I are now 15 months out from surgery. Typical food is one of those snap in half frozen meals, they fit, but a normal frozen meal is to big. A small sandwhich made at home using small slices of bread fits, but it is more like 1/2 a shop brought sandwhich fitting as they are really large. My husband and I split a main meal when out to dinner and if we wait an hour or so can fit in a spoon or two of dessert. I do not think we have finished a dessert between us yet tho. From what we have seen on the forum there are some who eat a lot less than us but we seem to be about the average. I admit we tend to eat until we are full and could probably stop with a lot less.
If you are a big volume eater this surgery should work a dream for you. those are the ones who tend to see the fastest weight loss. those who where constant grazers tend to lose slower as their habbits hold them back a tad along with the fact that they are not reducing their calorie intake as drasticly as those who had large servings.

Honestly it is the best thing we have done for us and our family, it not only gave us back our lives it saved them.

applesauce

My understanding (and I haven't had my operation yet - I'm being sleeved on Monday) is that you have a much smaller tummy, and therefore are full on a much smaller amount of food.

In fact you CAN'T eat a larger amount as it just won't fit (and from what I've heard, dreadful things happen, like vomiting).

I am a bit like you - hard to stop - but I've been on a pre-op diet and lost over 4KG and have discovered that I can cope quite well with smaller portions. I've just been eating slowly, using chopsticks a lot for my veges, and actually enjoying food rather than 'shoveling' it in. So here's hoping!

Good luck
Caz

I eat alot....ALOT, its not so much that I make bad food choices all the time( some of the time for sure!), more so that my portion sizes are about 3 times as much as my body really needs. This is why I fail on diets, I can eat diet foods and I love vegetables and lean meat and legumes....I just cannot stop at a small quantity of food :(

I quit smoking after years of being happily addicted and it was NOWHERE near as hard as being able to stick to small portions.

does the surgery leave you full on a smaller amount of food for longer? Or is that smaller amount of food processed faster than a "normal" stomach and im likely to be eating as much? Is your appetite decreased as well as your ability to hold large amounts of food?

many thanks for feedback!