Has my VSG journey been out of the norm?

Hi All,

First off, I'm SO glad this site & forum are here & for so many VSG'rs that are willing to share their experiences. This is my first post on OH & I've just hit my two week Post Op today & am feeling pretty good thus far other than a few concerns that other Sleever's might be able to help me put to rest.

I had the VSG surgery on Wed 10-29-14 thought I'd breeze thru it but ended up staying in the hospital for a full week after surgery due to swelling & esophageal spasms which caused me not to be able to drink enough liquids to keep myself hydrated. My potassium also dropped to a low level at 2.5 (minimum is 3.5) so I was given eight bags of potassium over a few days to get me back to a normal range so as to avoid cardiac risks. So after all of that was dealt with I felt pretty good overall, not a lot of pain from the incisions or major discomfort with spasms at this point with liquids but soft foods can set off spasms at times but nothing I can't handle til the swelling completely resolves.

So the day of discharge 11-4-14 & was instructed that I could move onto soft high protein foods in quarter cup serving meals...no problem, great news I was soooo looking forward to anything but broth & tea!haha

Well...here's my major concern...after eating my quarter cup meals I found I wanted more to eat & could easily eat a cup or more in a sitting. I did this a few times in the past week without any discomfort or nausea so I just figured my sleeve must be doing well & might be a bit larger than most so I didn't think anything of it.

Well now I fear I could have possibly done some kind of damage to my sleeve because I've rethought my decision to overeat & realize I should have never gone past the quarter cup meals this soon out. I've also been experiencing some slight discomfort again when drinking liquids & this has made me rethink those few times I ate more than I should have this soon. So my question is has anyone else done this too? Am I the only one that thought I could keep doing things my way?

I am also at a stall as I haven't lost any weight for three or four days after losing 25lbs Pre Op & am afraid I've messed myself up by overeating the recommended amount...anyone else been where I'm at?

I understand we will all hit stalls & plateaus but at only two weeks I thought I'd be dropping a bit each day for sure with what little I've been eating in calories even with over doing it a few times on the approved diet in comparison to life before the sleeve. Sure hope I'm not the only one that has felt this way, or pushed my limits with intakes & that the small amount of overeating I did hasn't hurt my chances of long term success.

How did you get past the urge to eat more than the measured amounts during this healing phase? Did anyone else have an appetite like mine...not a ravenous appetite but still not satisfied with a quarter cup serving? Is that in my head or am I truly hungry? Still learning but hope to get it right & not make the same mistakes again.

Thanks for any input you may have & Best of Luck to All who share this journey :)

The hunger thing - are you taking a PPI such as prilosec or nexium?  Stomach acid often presents itself as hunger and taking a PPI will mitigate that.  

Yes Thanks, I am on 40mg Protonix for 90 days & was taking it in the morning but tonight I switched to taking it at bedtime in hopes.it will cut that acid down eventuly during the day. I possibly could be confusing the bubbling & slight burning in my stomach for hunger instead of acid so hope that cuts my feelings of the unknown down soon. Thanks for the reply, every bit I can learn helps...Deb:)

Hi,

I'm glad your post op issues have lessened and you are on the way to healing. I'm also glad you came here to post your question. Whenever someone posts asking questions about overeating (especially very early out) some people can be, how can I say, overbearing.

So, let me try to make my point without coming across like a judgmental ass! You need to stop eating over your prescribed amount NOW. You have a stomach that is swollen and healing and a staple line that has not yet fully healed.Should you pu**** to far you could cause damage - even a leak perhaps. Most leaks happen AFTER you've been released from the hospital during the first 4 weeks. So beware. Your physician prescribed a set amount for a very good reason. I want you to be SAFE.

Now for the urge to eat more. The way that you describe it is "...the urge to eat..." That right there tells me your desire to eat has nothing to do with actual hunger. I bet, like me, you like that full feeling (maybe not Thanksgiving full, but that I know I've eaten and I'm very satisfied feeling). That's a whole emotional trip you'll have to work through. I remember sitting there after eating my first 1/4 cup of soft protein thinking, "Where is that restriction everyone keeps writing about? I don't feel ANYTHING!"

Which brings me to.... the nerves in your stomach were completely severed. You can't feel anything. That's another reason you need to stick to those small portions. You won't know if you've actually over stuffed your sleeve. Once I had my first soft solid (a scrambled egg) I knew what restriction was. At 3 years out I know what it is, too! I really dislike the feeling of over filling my sleeve. It's plain icky and uncomfortable.

You have done a wonderful thing for yourself getting the VSG. I'm so pleased that you were brave enough to ask your question and tell us your story. Stick to your small portions, drink lots and lots of water and your weight loss will kick back in. Give yourself sometime to heal and get comfortable.

Best of luck to you - and I hope I wasn't too judgy on you!

Hi Kairk, No I didn't find your reply judgy at all...you're just telling it straight from your experience & knowledge of life with a VSG three years out & I Thank you. I'm not one to get bent easy...I can appreciate many points of view & even the brassiest of personalities so dont hold back!lol. I am just so grateful to have a place to come to for support & Yes, you are absolutely right, after my mess ups overeating I figured it was in my head because I wanted to feel that old familiar satisfied fullness of I've just enjoyed a meal but it wasnt there with 1/4 cp of cottage.cheese just yet. I will work thru this, I've come too far to screw up now. Some folks never have this chance so I need to embrace this new tool I've been blessed with & get a grip on my health & life again. Thanks for the words of encouragement & good advice...take care & best to you also :)

You are not alone!!  I am 2 days ahead of you and going through the same thing...especially with certain foods!  I made some chili this weekend that, if I do say so myself, was awesome!!  I dish myself up a 3/4 cup serving and most days could eat more.  But...then there's tonight...we went out for dinner and I ordered grilled salmon (4 ounces...put half in a to-go box) and steamed broccoli (could only eat 2 very small pieces).  I don't have any trouble with the "sliders"....yogurt, protein shakes...can do full servings of those.  And....have not lost an ounce since Saturday (I'm actually up .6!!)  How does that happen????

Good that you figured out that you should adhere to the rules...I know that in the long run we will be most thankful that we did!  Good luck!

Oh Wow! We certainly are in the same boat!lol Congrats on your new sleeve too & I certainly don't wish these frustrations on anyone else but its a comfort to know I'm not the only one who pushed limits a bit & has had similar struggles. Yes, we will get thru this & it will all be worth it once we reach goal & look back at the journey! Best if luck to you too & I look forward to hearing  how your doing along the way...take care :)

First, congrats on getting this far. Second. Please do not over eat at this phase. Your stomach was wide open and now has a large suture line. If you over eat and damage that, you could become very sick and even die. Not to be harsh, but I work in the medical field and just seen first hand to this a few weeks ago. That women was on deaths door.

Ok, now that is said. The more I got active post sx, I found that yes, I did feel like I needed more food. Try adding another protein drink in vs over eating. I also have had many stalls. I am building muscle now and loosing more in inches than pounds. Mine was May 27th. Listen to your body and it's needs. Rethink the food as fuel for your body's needs. Best of luck and be safe.

Thank you for being frank with me & telling me what youve seen first hand. I am being way more careful now with measuring my amounts & journaling all I take in & at what time so as not to over eat again or over fill with too much of anything. I guess I thought the no nausea & no discomfort was a sign I was breezing right thru post op...never thought my stomach nerves have been altered & I can't distinguish full, hungry or anything inbetween...but knowing the dangers of messing myself up royally has definitely made me rethink my eating & that being this newly sleeved its crucial I follow the rules & stay mindful of my every bite. Thanks again for taking the time to help encourage me & to share your wisdom with me. I wish you all the best also...take care :)

Oh, what came of the low potassium? I also was low and received while in hospital. But I am still low and they just started me on oral potassium.