How to expand my sleeve a bit? It's too tight!

[baby_angel 2]

I am about a month out and have a 36 bougie over stiched. So it's basically a 34. Even after I requested the doc to make my sleeve a bit bigger I feel it's too small. I have had some problem with throwing up a couple of times. even liquids take time and feel a discomfort when drinking. I am afraid i am not able to get my full protien at this time.

Can anyone suggest how I can naturally relax and expand my sleeve so i can comfortably eat and drink without feeling pain and discomfort. Thanks

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Your sleeve will relax over time. You are so new out, you should not be able to hold more than a tablespoon or two of food at one time, nor will you be able to do much more than sip sip sip liquids right now.

I can't tell you how to feel but I am grateful for my super tight tummy. Eating in bulk was what put me here in the first place and now, at almost 16 months out, I am so glad that I can only eat 2-4oz at any one time. I still vomit from time to time if I eat something too firm, eat too big of a bite, eat too fast or take one bite too many.

What is your capacity? What did you doctor tell you to expect your capacity to be?

Bougie size and sleeve size doesn't really vary that much. My sleeve is about the same as yours at a 36. See the picture.

Edited September 5, 2014 by LipstickLady

[baby_angel 2]

I am acutally not sure whay my capacity is at this time since it's only been a month. I can barely eat 3 spoonful at a time. And i really don't like to vomit. I want to live a healthy life. That was the whole point of getting this surgery.

I am still looking for some tips to relax and expand my sotmach a bit?

I don't like to just eat 2 or 3 spoonful only to find out that I am hungry after 1 hour. My job is hectic and I don't have time to eat every hour.

My goal is to eat normal 3 meals a day and maybe 1 snack. That is something I can live with.

[bikrchk 1,313]

The Dr's surgical technique has more impact than bougie size, or so I'm told. It will relax some over time, but if it's really too small or you have a stricture or whatever, I think the only ting you can do is have your surgeon stretch it. I think they can do it like they do an EGD, but you should talk to a professional if it's that big a problem.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Good luck to you.

[sophie'sChoice 269]

I'm not the expert by any means but it may be possible that you are not totally healed as of yet and may still have some swelling at this point? Good luck.

[marfar7 1,533]

I agree with the fact that over time, everyones stomach relaxes, no matter how big ur bougie was. I'm 13 mths out and long for the days when I could take 4 bites and be full.

Ur only a month out. I was still on liquids for 4 weeks, soft for 4 weeks. U can't really tell how much you'll be able to hold till ur eating solid food. And u still have swelling from the surgery.

Totally normal to only eat a couple bites. I got hungry within 90 mins after a meal. Always had to eat something. That will change once ur able to eat a little more.

So thankful that even after 13 mths, I'm still only able to eat a small amt. Good luck to u!

[baby_angel 2]

yes. that is a big possibilty. I really need to be patient and give it couple more weeks or even a few months. Everyone who is 6+ months out says they are able to eat a lot more than when they intially started out. So, maybe I should that is as an addeded advantage to loose the extra weight for the next 5 or 6 months.

[baby_angel 2]

Thanks Marci for your encoraging words!! I mean dont get me wrong I still have about 75 pounds to loose. I have been a slow looser so far but doing okay with it. My goal is to loose 7 to 9 pounds a month until I get to goal. In fact I don't mind taking a full year to loose the weight.

[butterfyeffect 257]

My surgeon did the over-stitch thing too. They are dissolvable stitches, and I could literally tell when they dissolved. I went from only being able to eat 2-3 bites, to eating 1/4-1/2 cup at a time. It was around 2 1/2-3 months for me. But my advice, like everyone else's, is to not wish these first months of weight loss away. I am 4 months out, and my loss has already slowed to 0.5-1 pound per week. Not that I'm complaining, I wouldn't be losing anything if it weren't for my sleeve, so I am grateful. But sometimes I miss the days when 2 or 3 bites filled me up!

[playlikeworldchamps 595]

take advantage of this time to lose weight. trust me in time you can eat a lot more! I am 18 months out and had a slice of pizza and 3 oz chicken parm for dinner tonight (I just did 20 mile spin class though).

at only a month, the swelling hasn't even gone down completely yet! even if he could, your surgeon won't even try to "make it stretch" until you are much further out unless it's a stricture and it sound in your case you can eat just not a lot

I had the same problem. I had to graze a bit in the beginning.

[baby_angel 2]

Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support !!

It has really been a learning curve for me. Honestly, going into this surgery I only knew I wanted to loose weight for good health and also to look and feel good. I have learned so much just being a month out now from this forum.

[It's all new 453]

What you have described sounds quite normal at your stage. In fact, I think I could not finish an entire egg (without any additional food) until 6 months. At your stage I was stuck at appx 400 calories per day as getting liquids in was also quite difficult. I think your goal of three meals is appropriate... and at about 12-18 months past surgery you are likely to attain it. In the meantime, use shakes to increase calories. You won't be able to get your calories or Protein sufficiently thru solid food for a while yet. It's true regardless the size of your sleeve as the swelling lasts for so many months. I wish you the best! You can do it with careful planning and it is SO worth the effort.

[Butterflyhigh 504]

There are really no tips or tricks to relaxing your sleeve. It's not going to relax. It is incredibly swollen right now...red, irritated, swollen, healing. Only time will allow you to eat more.

Around week seven I could tell the swelling had gone down. Suddenly I could eat more quantity, albiet still a very small amount. I can't tell too much of a difference between weeks seven to week thirteen.

Also...you may want to double check with your nut about the three meals + one snack per day. Most doctors orders I've observed are for six small meals per day. It is very challenging for me to eat that many times per day but I notice I feel SO much better physically if I can do that.

Good luck! Keep reading. You'll learn a lot from these forums.

[johnsydney 65]

My sleeve is about 250ml think that's about 8/9oz in US. I am on soft stage at present, I am worried that I can eat a little more than that though. Everything tastes the same to me as before surgery. I can tolerate any Protein Drinks, Vitamins, any food as long as it's soft, haven't tried anything that isn't soft yet. Can drink heaps of fluids without any feelings of restriction pressure. From what I've read my experience appears to be much more plain sailing than many others, I'm just worried it's all a bit too easy and I'm getting too much in given that I'm only four weeks out and my sleeve will relax a bit more and make it easier to eat / drink. Does the game really change when you get to solids ? I wish I could only get sips of fluids in and a couple of spoons of food :-(