Sleeve Sizes

First topic message reminder :

I was just wondering after reading everyone's stories - is there a standard size sleeve.

I read people saying that they can eat a piece of toast etc and I can't fathom fitting that in my tiny tummy.

Do we all have the same size sleeve do you think or will I be able to fit more in down the track???

Aw thanks :oops:
BTW - I didn't ask for the appointment that early - they just gave it to me.
Three surgeries? Oh, I probably should know that, but I do get mixed up with who's had what! And with so many different threads, I never know where to look, either! LOL
We need to find something that will stop that hungry hormone in its tracks, don't we? This was supposed to do it...
I hope you find out what's happening, when you finally do go back.
And how can I be hungry again myself, just an hour or so after Optifast? Maybe it's not real hunger...think I'll try a cup of tea and see if that helps.
Bye for now, cheesy (watch out for that macaroni)
Chris

Oh, boy, I would have been chasing it up ages ago, Hayley - I got my post op appointment before I even went into the hospital - for 3 weeks afterwards!
Maybe they just didn't know what to do with your alien body, once they discovered how cheesy it was in there - obviously the reason for the hunger.
Chris

:lol!: :lol!: :lol!:
Gee, we have people from everywhere on this forum, don't we?
I've seen your pics, and you don't look like an alien to me, Hayley - but I guess I'll just have to take your word for it.
Are you going to tell us about your home planet?
Chris

Thanks guys, I knew that I could rely on you both making me feel better and putting things in perspective.
I'm sorry you're having such a bad time with hunger, Hayley and Fadding Away, but hopefully the doc can help you next week, FA.
Chris

Well I asked my Dr today what size "bougie" he uses and it was a 32Fr which is the smallest available which he showed me as being the size of a man's thumb but twice as long - that freaked me out a bit but at least I can now get a better idea of what's going on inside!!!

I started getting a lot more hungry as I started to heal which was about 3 weeks for me. Once I was on pureed food I found I quickly had to thicken up what I was eating or I became hungry too often. I stilll get hungry but not starving like I use to and I am satisfied after eating.

I find that I need to have something about every 3 hours so I plan my day with eg: a weetbix for breaky, 2 cruskits at morning tea, about 150 ml of leftovers for lunch, a fruit snack pack or some crackers and dip for afternoon tea, a small plate of whatever we are having for dinner, some custard or low cal dessert and 100ml milk for supper.

I find that if I eat small and often I am better off as I am not just grabbing for the first thing I can find and I am not trying to overfill at one meal.

I have probably pushed the quantity about twice and I just bought up the last little bit that didn't want to fit in.

My aim is to think like a thin person and stop when I am satisfied.

Sue

Like I said, I don't know how big mine is, but things are starting to go down now - and today I've actually felt hungry - twice! Stop it - I don't like it any more!
Chris

Dr Daoud in Brisbane uses a 36 gauge bougie for my operation. After the swelling goes down the tube will have an entrance and tube will be about 2 cm in width.

Sue

vomiting is not nice , but ya right Chris better to than feel like crap for hours
Fadding Away

Oh, I hate vomiting too, but would rather do it and feel better than not do it and feel like crap all night. Having said that, I also try to avoid it - especially at this early stage after the op.
The day after the op, about 2 days later, and twice at home with blockages I've done it so far - and felt better for it each time.
It'd be a lot easier if it was just a "PB" as the banders say (productive burp), but it hasn't been.
Chris

I am completely the opposite Applesauce - I will do everything I can not to vomit.... have had 2 times in the last week where I have had the watery mouth like just before you are going to be sick and I have swallowed and swallowed abotu a thousand times to stop it - which surprisingly worked!!!

Both my husband and I had the bougie inserted and stapled around as he did the endoscope BEFORE the surgery rather than weeks before as I requested it as I both hate needles and with MS being put to sleep is not the smartest thing. He just auto did that for male of the species as well.
I have heard the cottage cheese thingie before, most say just weigh what is left in the container. I am not sure pouring water in would give you the correct measurment as it is differnt volume per weight.
Eyes bigger than the belly tho as I said before the difference for full and bursting here it wants to come back is less than 2 dessert spoons at the most. You can imagine if you are yabbering away while eating and not paying attention how easy it is to accidently scoff down that extra to much. I make my cut off point lower in public *LOL* I do not projectil vomit or anything horrible but I have always been somebody who vomits easily the surgery has not changed that. Being over full I will let myself be sick BUT I do try and avoid getting over full, and it is not something that happens a lot now. Keep me away from the gnochhi hehehehe love that stuff

applesauce

I was be interested to see what he says, Im seeing my dr on monday so i will ask the same question

Nicole

I have been reading on some american sites about how the procedure is performed and this is basically what they say:

- in order to make the tube a "bougie" in inserted down your throat until it reaches through to your stomach, the surgeon then uses this as a guide to make the staple line therefore forming our new stomachs. The common size "bougie" used is a 32 FR (10.67mm) however there is mention that the size range can vary between a 32Fr-64Fr.

It would be interesting to see what the common practice is in Australia and whether we all have the same-ish size tiny tummies......

I will post my answer when I see my surgeon on Wednesday if anyone is interested.

I am really suprised you can fit that much in Hayley especially that soon out. I can push it and eat a tad more say 220ml- 250ml but trust me the result is it all coming back up. It is like I really over ate to the max and I actually get pains in my stomach. Pasta is my weakness and you have to see the difference between 200ml and 250ml to see just how easy it is to slip from okay to ralph *LOL*


applesauce

My doctor told me how to do a reasonable test to measure the size of ones sleeved stomach. I have also read it on another web page as well. Get a tub of cottage cheese or you can also use rice custard as long as it's same consistency as cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is best as it sits a bit more solid. Get the tub of cottage cheese and eat as much as you can comfortably and without drinking with it to wash it down in a 10 - 15 minute period. Eat straight from the tub and then when you are comfortably full get a measuring jug of water say measure out 300mls and fill up the gap in the tub of cottage cheese you just ate from and then make sure the water is level with where you ate the cottage cheese and then subtract the amount of water it took from the 300mls of measured water and that should give you a reasonable guide to the size of your sleeved stomach. i did this early on when first sleeved and then again recently and my stomach is still the same size of approx 160mls. it sound complicated but really it's not and a very interesting experiment if nothing else. it certainly gives you a whole new visual of your capacity if nothing else.

Cheers
from
Karin

Most people end up with between 200 and 250ml in Australia. tho it was 6 months before I could fit 200ml comfortably before then I found the forme yoghurt at 175ml a perfect fit. I have to agree for the first 3 months I doubt it was much more than 100ml tho might have been closer to 150ml towards the end of that time frame. The male of the species fits in about a desert spoon less than me and is 2 weeks behind me. BUT if it is something like icecream milk yoghurt etc he can fit in more as it goes though him where it doesnt me. I am restricted fluid wise as well to 200ml at a guzzel until that empties while once again the male of the species can guzzel down drinks with ease. I do think this had a lot to do with the makeup of our stomachs before surgery I had a very slow empting one before surgery his drained like their was no plug in it hehehehe


applesauce