I can eat. Panic, right?

Hello,

I am 22 days post op, close to leaving the pureed side of life, and I have found, just from small experimentation that I can eat (without pain) foods that, at first, gave me severe discomfort, such as chicken and taking gulps of liquid (accidental learning experience).  When i went to my first post op appointment with my surgeon, I asked him that if it was because of the liquid/pureed diet that i feel that I can fit more food in that I should be allowed and he said yes.  Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to fit in a lot, but I've noticed that either I can fit in more food than usual or I have absolutely NO fullness cues which frightens me.  I do not want to already have stretched my little pouch already.  That, or my doctor accidentally gave me the VSG (or no surgery at all). LOL. 

Has anybody experienced this???  Feeling like they can eat almost normally (or normal foods, rather) not long after surgery?  Please, help me.  I am terrified and freaking out.  I'm considering just going back to liquids and staying there in hopes to un-stretch my pouch if there has been any stretching. 

Thanks!

Alicia

Some of us DO get to eat "normal" foods right after surgery.  I was allowed soft foods on Day Three and solid foods at 1 week.  I had no disco comfort with anything I ate, including baked buffalo chicken at a week out.  The amount was very small (I think I ate roughly the amount of one chicken nugget), though because contrary to what most folks apparently experience, I could feel fullness  the first week after surgery.

You have NOT stretched your pouch.  It makes me crazy that everyone freaks out over this when the truth is that the pouch is made from the EAST stretchy part of the stomach so the only way to permanently stretch it out would be to significantly overeat on a  regular basis.  When you are eating puréed foods, the food is pretty much just slipping out of the pouch, through the stoma, and into the intestines, so you don't had the CHANCE to feel full (which, personally, I think is more the explanation for the lack of fullness than nerves being cut since my nerves would have been cut, too,  it because I was eating solid food much earlier than others, I felt full sooner than others).

There is absolutely no reason for you to go back to liquids.  Just MEASURE your food and follow your surgeon's plan.  You will be just fine if you do that.

Lora

Thanks, Laura, that is incredibly helpful and helps set my mind at ease.

I think so many of us newbies freak out thinking we've stretched our pouches because we've heard horror stories of people failing the surgery. Not that the surgery failed, but that they messed up along the line and failed it. I'm 2.5 weeks out and I've realized that I can eat more because the swelling from the initial surgery is gone, that the food is liquid and going right through me, etc. But as I eat thicker foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, thicker protein shakes blended with ice, that stuff fills me up FAST! So I think it's a combination of what type of food you're eating as well as personal triggers that will affect how full you feel.

I felt fullness out of surgery and no desire to eat so I can't personally relate to those that don't feel it. Dense protein will help a lot in feeling full. Just follow your plan and measure.

I also was allowed dense protein at one week it was very filling after a couple of bites.

As Lora said you aren't stretching you pouch it takes a lot of overeating repeatedly to do that.

Be sure you are getting in enough liquids thrust is sometimes confused with true hunger.

I am the same as you are except I am only 12 days post op. I have no feeling of fullness, I can get in all my protein and water daily.

I was telling my husband yesterday that I feel like they put me under and cut me but did the wrong surgery or no surgery at all!!!!

I am 18 days post-op, have not had a bit of trouble with anything I have tried, including gulping water (which I am trying not to do).  I am on soft foods for 2 weeks and I have not felt hungry yet, so I measure everything.  If this keeps up it would be great.

Also, I never went through the gassiness that most people seem to have.  A little when I got home, but not much.  So far ~ so good.

I am sitting here being so excited as my new little rescue dog is arriving within the hour!

I was on liquids for a week after surgery.  After a week I went to soft foods.  I never felt full the entire time.  Once I started eating meat I did get full pretty quickly.  I never struggled with my liquids.  i was a little worried something was wrong too as I just had no trouble with liquids after being told i probably would.  First day home I easily got 64 oz of liquids in.  The first time I ate meat though, I felt a big difference.  

You all are so helpful.  I am so grateful that I found this site.

 

Debbie

I have yet to feel the least bit full, ever...I'm 5 weeks post op.  I "eyeball" my portions, and always eat protein first.  It really scares me that I don't feel full.  I chew everything to nearly liquid consistency, however, and I feel like it is all just "slipping" right through the pouch just as soft foods and liquids do!  It really makes you accountable for what you put in your mouth when you do not feel full!