Frustrated and Confused

valley_girl16 · October 24, 2005

I can eat just about anything I want, so here’s what I’m confused about. If food doesn’t pass through the band immediately, then it stays in the upper stomach, right? For me, that creates terrible pain and pressure that comes in waves. If I chew well enough that it goes through, then I can eat almost as much as I did before. If food goes through, how is it that you end up eating a third? My options appear to be two: drop right through or get stuck. I don’t get it.

Plus, I have found that MOST foods go through without a problem—chicken, fish, beef, sausage, pizza, Beans, vegetables, salad, white bread and rolls, etc. I just chew them up, and they drop right through. I can eat almost as much as I want. Isn’t food (ideally, one third the former amount) supposed to stay in the upper stomach without pain so I’m full on much less? Isn’t that the whole point? I’m very frustrated and confused. Can anybody help?

mousecrazy · October 24, 2005

Just off the top of my head, I'm guessing it's not WHAT but HOW MUCH. It is hard to recognize the "soft stop" warning; for me, I feel it sometimes, and ignore it, because the food tastes so good I don't want to stop eating it. Is that happening, do you think? The band is kinda like computers...you get out what you put into them! I get pain if I put too much in...

Just a thought. Hope it helps, Cindy

DeLarla · October 24, 2005

You should call Ortiz with these questions. The fullness we feel now is different than before but you should not be able to eat anywhere near as much as you used to. Our new feeling of full shouldn't be painful (more like pressure, not pain.) Call Ortiz and see if it's time for another fill. Tell him your concerns and he'll figure out what you need.

vinesqueen · October 24, 2005

You might need another fill, but if you take your time, you can probably eat as much as you could before. Do you limit the amount of time you eat? I am told "no more than 20 minutes at a meal." Sure, if you take longer to eat, you can eat more because you don't get full.

You might not be getting a soft stop, or you might not recognize it as a stop.

Some people can eat everything they could before banding. This doesn't mean the band doesn't work, it just means that you can eat the same types of food. Some can, some can't. I seem to be one of those people who can still eat the same foods, just not nearly the same quantity.

Try fixing your plate on a little plate, like a salad plate, a sandwich plater or a saucer. Try measuring out your food, to make sure that you are getting the right sized portion.

And as always, call your doctor with specifics. If you are having pain, call your doctor.

valley_girl16 · October 24, 2005

OK, then what's the difference between feeling "full" and feeling like something is stuck?

I think maybe the pain I'm having is from food getting stuck, which means I'm never getting the "full" feeling y'all keep referring to. That means I need more fill. It's just that 2.2 for a first fill is quite big, and that fill was only two weeks ago. I surely should have felt something . . .

If the band is restricting the way its supposed to, you get this "full" pressured feeling, but not pain, right?

Marimaru · October 24, 2005

It kind of depends on what full feeling you are looking for. You will probably never feel the stuffed, pop the button on the pants full feeling again. Sometimes, I just feel satisfied (ie: not hungry anymore, not really thinking about food), other times, I feel pressure in my chest (but I wouldn't call it pain). The pressure in my chest means that if I try and eat anymore, I'm going to lose my meal. Satisfied means I hit whatever button it is that normal people have that tells them to stop eating, you know?

The food will always be dropping through the band, the idea is just that it drops through slow enough that you feel done before you fill up your WHOLE stomach, just the pouch... if that makes sense. And like Vines said, how long you sit at the table will also have something to do with how much you eat.

Hope this helps.

soonergirl · October 25, 2005

Valley girl,

i came on here tonight looking for an answer to this exact question!!!

I have had three fills - two at the surgi center and then one with my Dr. because the other two weren't doing anything.

This one I FEEL almost every bite of food going down. I CHEW!!!!!!.... and CHEW and then I am with you, when I chew so much, then I can eat more.

I will have to say that I can't eat hardly anything in the morning still, VERY little for lunch and then dinner I can eat more - but many meals are still very uncomfortable as well...... and believe me, I am chewing to the point of nothing else to chew!!!

Is it just me getting used to this thing????

someone help us!!!

Carrie22803 · October 25, 2005

Ok, I went through some of this stuff, too, and was just as worried as y'all if it was working and what was going on. Sometimes it still feels like I can eat a lot with no problems, other times it feels like nothing is going down. The pressure in your chest is when something is either going to get stuck or go through...kinda right on the verge. If the feeling goes away, it went down. If not, it's still there waiting. My doctor told me right after you get a fill, there might be a little swelling so it feels tighter than it actually is. After the swelling goes down, you feel like you can eat more. I have trouble with bready things still, but sometimes it seems ok. It really is like a back and forth thing - part of getting to know your band and how it's working with your body. I've only been banded for 3 months and I am still learning. But I am slowly realizing that it's not going to do everything for you, you have to make sure you don't eat too much or eat the wrong things. I like what the other lady said about time spent at a meal. 20-30 minutes sounds like enough time to chew thouroughly and get your food down, but not eat too much. And the fullness-yeah, it's not like an "I'm so stuffed" kind of thing, it's just a feeling like "I'm done" hard to explain especially since I am so used to ignoring it!!! But you just have to say is it really worth eating 1 more bite??? Really? I hope some of this helped, I know it's confusing, it still confuses me, but I just try to do the best I can and not worry too much. It's there, it's doing it's job, you just have to get used to it/work with it.