JillianMarie

Thanks I appreciate it! I tried calling my surgeon about this and haven't been able to reach him, and i called my general internist earlier and only reached the office voicemail system. I may take your advice and have a shake before bed, or switch up my eating patterns and only do solids early in the day and after 5:00pm or so switch to yogurts, shakes, and puddings, things that go down easily. And maybe for the time being prop myself up with a few more pillows at night, i just find it very hard to sleep when I am nearly sitting up, it is much easier to sleep laying on my side with one pillow under my head, but that is what is causing the food to come back up

So give it an hour time-frame from drinking total around meals? That makes sense. That is also a good idea when you are with people, people won't look at you like you are crazy or trying to starve yourself! I'm at a healthy weight now and don't want to only be able to "pick" at tiny bites when I'm in public because I get comments from people thinking that I have an eating disorder. I usually can avoid those comments by choosing the higher calorie foods instead of only veggies and very low calorie foods, and choosing to have a few bites of dessert. It gets people off my case. Pretty annoying to say the least though!!

I have been taking Prevacid for the past few weeks and it seemed to work well until recently, the acid has kicked up a bit, and my Doctor wrote me an RX for Nexium. I am going to fill it and try it once but my insurance only covers it partially and it is an expensive medication to fill. I still swear by the cherry flavored Rolaids chews when my acid is acting up bigtime. They seem to work almost instantly for me, absorbing the acid and give me a big dose of calcium at the same time. Also, depending on whether or not you are limiting carbs, a few saltine crackers absorb stomach acid VERY well, just like a sponge in water. If my stomach is upset and I feel acid bothering me, i'll much on some saltines and chew a couple Rolaids chews and it soothes my stomach within 5 minutes.

I did tell them i had mitral valve prolapse prior to surgery, and i also have something called dysautonomia. It is usually genetic but overlooked and misdiagnosed because of the huge variety of symptoms it can cause. I was misdiagnosed with panic attacks at the age of 10 and wasn't correctly diagnosed until the age of 21 when i found a specialist. It usually goes hand in hand with mitral valve prolapse. People who have it live for years or decades with it without knowing they have it because most Doctors do not even know of the condition. I just happen to live in Huntsville, AL, about 90 minutes North of Birmingham where the Mitral Valve and Dysautonomia Center is, where the very few specialists in the country happen to be for the disease, and was diagnosed there. I don't think Dr. Almanza knows the details about either condition, and although I think he is a good Doctor when it comes to performing these surgeries, it was almost like a shop getting people in and out of the surgery center because there were so many people being operated on. They operate on you and move you out as soon as possible to get the next people in. They do so many surgeries they literally don't have time to sit down and talk with you one on one about individual needs or problems. Or at least in my case i felt they didn't. I agree that the liquid consumption is probably having a great deal with moving food through my sleeve so quickly. I tried steamed broccoli for the second time last night, the first time was several days ago and it was very filling so i tried it again, however i didn't have anything to drink with it this time. I ate a little too fast maybe, and because i didn't drink anything i got the "slimies". Haven't had that happen in a while. What was odd, is I didn't get nauseous of felt like i was going to throw up, i just started sliming. As the food moved down it went away. So it must have a lot to do with my Fluid intake. Being in the 100+ degree heat index of Alabama and high humidity really makes me much more thirsty, i see it being easier to drink less once fall rolls around and cooler, drier air moves in. I have not had much to drink today, and have had a 3 yogurts mixed with steel cut oats and a 2 oz stick of beef Jerky, which to most of you may be a lot but for me is very little by this time of day. It actually has very slowly moved through my sleeve because i have not been drinking. But again, I've been sitting at the computer indoors all day in air conditioning and have not gotten thirsty.

Well, basically i end up drinking within 30 minutes of meals because i am always thirsty. That may be my downfall. I have constant dry mouth. When i wake up i have to get something to drink and when i eat i feel as if i can't even get anything down without drinking with it because my mouth is so dry. I certainly don't want to wash food through the sleeve, but i don't want to go thirsty or get dehydrated at the same time. I have mitral valve prolapse and a condition which results in low blood volume, requiring me to drink large quantities of liquids throughout the day to keep my blood pressure from dropping too low and keep me from fainting. So it is very difficult for me to space out time around meals and not drink around those times, i get very very thirsty, especially in the heat and humidity of Alabama. It is almost easier for me to just replace food with Protein shakes if i was to do that. It may be that i have been washing food through my sleeve this whole time by drinking too much around and with my food causing me to be able to eat more that normal.

Terrie- I know that i am drinking over 64 oz a day of calorie free beverages, however I am not sure of the exact amount. I drink 2 16 oz bottles of diet peach tea a day, usually a mug of coffee sweetened with splenda and skim milk, about 32 oz of crystal light, and about 2 cans of diet coke. I take medications that cause dry mouth and I am ALWAYS thirsty, so I seem to be drinking on something all the time.

The coordinator with Dr. Almanza checked and said that he said he is pretty sure he used a 32 bougie. He said to give it 4 months and if I feel that i am still not getting the restriction that i need to come back down for an endoscope to see what's going on. I'm going to try the 5 day pouch test now, and see if getting off carbs helps. It seems that I didn't have this issue with hunger or being able to eat a lot until i started eating a lot of carbs again. I may need to retrain my sleeve what it felt like to be fed after surgery, but i'll probably have to get the insulin and cravings down in order to do that.

I had surgery on May 17th. They said they used a 34 I believe. I emailed the coordinator at my surgeons office this morning and told her my concerns, and she said she would speak with Dr. Almanza and get back with me, it might take a day or two. I definitely had the restriction for the first few weeks, i was actually extremely worried at that point because i could hardly even get Jello down, just a few bites and i was full. It was hard to get my liquids down. I know that things get easier as healing goes on, but they should NOT get this easy! I hope to hear back from them soon. It is amazing to hear what everyone here is eating and how little of it- if i did that with the foods i eat i would have no problem at all!!

Your right. And just a little over a week ago i tried a salad for the first time, and the lettuce filled me up so well that i had to take such small bites that the salad lasted me two meals. Now it just goes straight through just like everything else. I'm really aggravated as nothing seems to stick through and my newly "thin" thighs are starting to regain their fullness and my pants are getting tight again. This does not seem right at all. I'm not eating the wrong foods. And i'm not going beyond the point of being full. I'm no longer sliming or getting naueous and have not vomited. I will contact my surgeons office and see what they say. Although i got a good price, $5500 out of pocket is a lot of money to pay for something that doesn't work.

I asked my Dr. for a 32 and he said he would use a 34 on me. I believe he used something more along the lines of a 40 because i am able to eat more that just about anyone on this forum and i am 7 weeks out. I can eat a full chicken breast and half cup of steamed veggies, or 2 carbmaster yougurts before i feel full, and liquid foods go straight through me, i have no limit on how much i can consume of them. I am amazed when i hear that some can only eat 1/4 cup of cottage cheese or dense protein, when that leaves me starving if i eat only that much. At 3 weeks out, i would have been stuffed at that amount. But now that the swelling has gone down, i can fit just about anything in, so I am weary about what size bougie my Dr. truely used on me, and quite frankly am a bit aggravated and depressed about it because i feel like i should not be able to eat nearly as much as i can this early on. I feel almost as if i need to have the surgery performed all over again.

Okay I am REALLY concerned. If I eat only low carb, high Protein foods, i am able to eat quite a bit more than any of you, and comfortably with no pain, pressure or nausea. Today i had a subway salad with turkey breast and sliced cheese- ate the whole thing in 10 minutes, no problem whatsoever. For a snack, 2 string cheese. Later, 2 carbmaster yogurts. dinner, a large grilled chicken breast with 1 cup of steamed broccoli and a small side salad. Snack- 20 mini pretzels with salsa and a mug of fat free sugar free hot chocolate. I remain hungry and have a constant appetite. My stomach growles easily and if i eat a very small portion of something (1/4 cup or so) i am left literally starving afterwards. The first few weeks after surgery this wasn't an issue. A few bites and i was done for, stuffed. But now i can eat anything and even lean protein i can eat more than anyone on here and I am not stuffing myself, i am eating until i feel comfortably full then i stop. I feel like my surgery either was not performed accurately on me or my stomach has stretched (which shouldn't happen after this surgery). I'm very worried and don't know what to do right now. I don't want to regain all the weight that i lost, i had hit my goal weight but i am slowly regaining now that it is taking normal amounts of food to feel satisfied. I'm not sure what I should do at this point, I'm an advocate of this surgery, and loved how i felt when i could eat a small cup of cottage cheese and be full off of it, but now it seems that nothing fills me up. Why would that be? This is the strangest thing? My doctor did say that i had the largest stomach he had ever removed in over 1200 surgeries he had every performed, and that it was extremely elastic. It could be that it still had elasticity and that it remained stretchy and has stretched out some since surgery, I don't know. I'm really depressed and bummed out. I've been buying high protein, low carb foods, staying active, taking my Vitamins, but am amazed at how little everyone is eating compared to me. It is almost as if i need to have the surgery performed all over again! :thumbup1:

I am trying to configure a list of foods that are slider foods (digest easily and can be overeaten in a short amount of time with no difficulty), and a list of foods that can only be tolerated in small amounts and leave a good deal of satiety. Can anyone give me examples of their sliders and their "winner foods"? I'm still at the testing stage of what works for me and my weight is starting to creep back up due to the wrong food choices. Also, can anyone tell me when it might be safe to eat cooked can green Beans, or cooked broccoli? I have been missing my veggies and know that If i could have a meal out of steamed broccoli and grilled chicken i would be a happy camper!! :001_tongue:

This happened to me twice. Not from eating carbs, but from high sugar AND high fat foods. I normally never eat those foods even pre-surgery. I believe once was a piece of my dad's birthday cake and once was a cream filled dougnut that a lady brought to the office and i just couldn't help myself- and i also knew that i would pay the price when i took that bite- and i did suffer from it. Since those incidences i stay away from things that are dense in sugar and fat. But I, like you, am a Cheesecake Factory Sucker!!!

Has anyone found that chips and crackers are particularly easy to eat large amounts of? I went on a 15 hour roadtrip to Michigan with my family, and one of our bad habits is snacking while we are in the car. I ate a whole box of Cheese-Its on the way. Granted, the following days i ate very healthy and cut down a lot, but that box of cheese-its just slid down like it was nothing at all. I can do the same thing with chips and Cookies. What are the most filling meat or Protein sources to you all? One thing i have found that is VERY filling- Peanut Butter. Although i know it is calorie dense and high in fat, 2 tablespoons (1 serving) keeps me full for hours and keeps my blood sugar up. It is also a good source of protein and healthy fat that is essential for hair, skin and nails. And God knows i need help with my hair loss.

It is strange how different foods affect us! I went to Applebees tonight for a dinner to celebrate 2 friends birthday's and it was a large group of us, we were there about 3 hours. I ordered a oriental chicken salad that had grilled chicken with sugar snap peas and slivered almonds. It is very hard for me to eat salad, i used to just shovel it in but now have to take very small bites. But I picked at that salad over the course of the 3 hours and ended up finishing the whole thing! However had i ordered chips and spinach dip like several of them did before dinner, i would have been able to eat a full order of the chips and dip in about 10 minutes. I do like how the salad slows me down and i get the sensation that i need to stop and wait before i eat more, and the chicken helps satisfy my eppetite. I think i'll start adding a lot more veggies to my menu!

Has anyone gone through this cycle where you started regaining weight and you had to change your food/eating to get back on track? I want to turn this problem around ASAP! Any advice greatly appreciated!!

Wow DeeDee we have a lot in common! I thought that I was the only person on earth that ate more when i was sick. Part of it is hunger, when I'm running a fever despite feeling awful, I truely get hungry. But then i get the head hunger and just the munchies because i am depressed that i am unable to get anything productive done and am just wasting my time laying there. And am usually alone at that. So I fall back into the "food is the only thing that medicates me"" mode. lol. You are very right though about the sleeve being there for you when you need it thogh, and I am ever so grateful. All it takes me is a few days, or a week of changing my eating habits back to healthy food and walking everyday, and I drop those pounds that i gained from the slacking and inactivity. And the sleeve makes it easy because when i put the right foods in my stomach, I don't get hungry. If i eat fruit, oatmeal, and lean meat or chicken, a small amount goes a very long way so i don't feel deprived and can get my calories down easily. For that I am grateful for and I love my sleeve for it. However, I must admit i somewhat miss the days i had a few weeks ago when i had stomach pains that stopped me from eating after taking 2 bites of anything :/ Didn't matter how good something tasted, i wouldn't eat it because i knew it would make me sick! Not anymore!!

I had been losing, then was able to stabilize and maintain with exercise and my busy lifestyle, eating about 1300 calories a day. But the past week I got a cold and ear infection, was running a fever and had body aches and was very fatigued, so i basically laid on the couch the entire week and didn't move. And instead of losing my appetite all together, my appetite actually increased, it usually does when I'm sick for some odd reason unless I'm sick with a stomach bug but that rarely happens. I felt so awful this week that I reached out to comfort foods- and was asking to gain weight from them so it was my fault- I was eating chocolate, chips, crackers, and i had a terrible sore throat for a few days and during those days consumed a whole container of ice cream. I just basically laid on the couch and picked at food slowly all day. It's no wonder I gained weight. I'm putting things back into perspective now that I'm better now and my fever is gone, that I have to get moving again and toss out the junk food!! I am concerned though because I AM able to eat a lot more than i should be able to after having this surgery. I was told that they used a 34 bougie on me, but there could be a chance that he was lying? I don't know!

Haha yes that's me, that was at my sister's college graduation last May. I wasn't holding a trophy I was holding a protein shake LOL. Shouldn't have been in the picture for sure, but I didn't have anywhere to set it down at and didn't want it to spill all over the floor if I set it down!

ah i see, thats why i havent heard anything about the "super sleeve" Thanks again for all your wisdom Tiffykins!

yum that sounds good! We actually have a Russell Stover's factory about 25 minutes away from here where they make the candy and sell everything Russell Stover's makes, including all their sugar free candy. I need stop by and pick some up.

I agree with VegasAngel. the really low portion sizes just didn't do it for me, but if i eat a protein based meal and eat a little more it really makes a huge difference. It feels like a have an entirely different stomach.

Thanks Melisa, i've started taking pictures with my blackberry to force myself to realize what i was doing to myself and it has been enough motivation to get back on track! Im having a real problem with the sweet cravings though!!

Thanks for your input guys! I've found that oatmeal (whole oats, not quick oats) made with splenda, cinnamon, and added Protein powder, is one of the most filling foods i can eat. The combination of the Fiber and protein sits in my stomach a long time and it is a low GI carb (low impact on your insulin levels). I've also found that beef Jerky and pork rinds fill me up easily, maybe because they are high protein with zero carbs. Also, fruit, very very filling. It only takes a couple bites of canteloupe to fill me up. But for some odd reason, if i splurge on something bad like m&ms, i can eat a king size bag with no discomfort whatsoever. It's very odd how the sleeve works. Obviously food choices and self control are the number one key to success! I'm still scared to try my veggies- i dont know why. I feel as if i'll get sick from them. I know i won't truely know until i have tried them, but ive been wanting cooked broccoli for so long, i don't know how much to have and where to stop so that i won't make myself sick. So i just avoid it. I'd like to start incorporating veggies back into my diet so it is balanced again, i just want to do it right!