Restriction

Don't worry. It's all different post-op.

Right now, your stomach is too big to have real restriction. You have to eat TONS in order to eat so much that it backs up into your esophagus. In fact, I bet you have never done it because the food starts to leave the stomach while you are still eating so you never get to that point. The worst is when you have to unbutton your pants and you get all sleepy and maybe your stomach hurts a bit.

This will NOT be true post-op. You WILL be able to fill up your stomach and overflow your meal into your esophagus and it WILL be obvious.

Trust me, when you feel like a 10 pound cat is sitting on your chest and/or you have PAIN radiating up into your shoulder, you won't be able to ignore that. When your stomach and esophagus fills up with saliva and you start throwing up your dinner, you will know it!

It doesn't have to happen too many times before you smarten up and learn to listen to the more subtle signals like hiccups and your nose running and, my favorite, just feeling done.  Now some of us are smarter than others and manage to figure this out without a lot of drama but others need that kick in the pants that the pain gives you in order to learn.

Man..."just feeling done" sounds like crazy sorcery. I look forward to learning to recognize and appreciate it. Without too much drama, I hope. :D

That one definitely took a while!

Also - as someone else mentioned - not everyone vomits - I never have and have never felt like it (except the day after surgery).  And I haven't been highly uncomfortable....so, come to think of it, maybe I haven't overdone it much then.... but you will know - just like everyone has said, your body is unique but you will understand it over time.

I am looking forward to this!!!

Me Too!!!

I really hope it is different for me. I suppose I see this surgery like getting a divorce from someone your still madly in love with. So, I hope that food will be something that just does not mean that much to me after surgery. The idea that I will get to the point of being literally "too" full is attractive to me. I have to do something.

first of all,you have never tried to eat with a stomach the size of a small banana and a banana that doesn't stretch hardly any. You have always eaten with a huge,grossly stretched out stomach that can hold QUARTS of food,seriously. the sleeve holds 2 ounces or so,a HUGE difference.

In the beginning,on liquids,you might not feel any restriction. that is why you measure. as you advance thru your phases,your nerve endings will heal and you will find your restriction.

Eating past capacity post sleeve HURTS. You are unlikely to do it very many times. either you have to just suffer till it digests and leaves the sleeve or the sleeve will reject it and you will throw it up. neither option is fun AT ALL.

GL

Thanks for addressing this. I hope that it is very recognizable and I'll be smart enough to listen to my Body!