question re fullness

I thinks thats in Austrailia right?  Well it sounds as if they have a different approach or guidelines.  Here in the United States things are a bit different and the instructions we are given are based on the latest research findings.  Use your judgement or go for a second opinion regarding your post op instructions. 

Santos

Love it!  No Australia is Australia and New Zealand is New Zealand - a whole separate country. I realize you mean no disrepect but thats like me asking if the states are in Canada!  And I can assure you that our country is fairly cutting edge when it comes to medical technology.  You can google New Zealand (its at the bottom of the world when you look on the map) and you will find that we are known as a country of innovative entrepreneurs.  Oh and we have lots of sheep and some of the best rugby in the world :)

Lol, I knew I deserved that C in my undergraduate studies (History).  I did horrible, I do not even know a lot about the States in NY.  lol....   I would like to become acquainted with New Zealand, I will look it up... Keep in touch.. 

Santos

I won't contradict your instructions, but will add that I had two weeks of liquids.. and then another week of purees.. When I was cleared for solids at 4 weeks, I could not finish a whole soft boiled egg.

I wouldn't worry over your size, honestly- you have what you have at this point- no need to fret over something you cannot change.. but you can take it slower if you desire. Your stomach may not be sending signals well right now as things are swollen, irritated and all that. When I got onto mushies at week three I def felt a sensation of pressure and fullness after a couple small bites.. I was unable to even eat 1/4C of cottage cheese, more like 1oz plus a bite.. Please take it very slow and easy. 

Well I am only eating the tiniest amounts - maybe 2-3 tablespoons per meal and are trying to make sure its pretty much all protein.  I certainly notice a jump in my energy once I have eaten (slurped!) something.  Only think my surgeon has asked me to avoid is bread.  He has me on purees for 4 weeks and then mushies for a further 4 weeks and suggests that I be careful to try one new thing at a time to see how my new tummy tolerates it.  I should add that I have had zero nausea, foamies etc.,  Perhaps I got lucky?  He was certainly the most serious, concientious man imaginable and he usually specializes in much more techniqically differcult cancer surgeries. 

 
Hearing your whole post op plan sounds a lot more realistic......

Eating and egg is much different than a puree..... a puree is drinkable.....

frisco

I'm from Canada and my surgeons instructions were different to many of the instructions for people who have had surgery in the United States .. my boogie size is 50 which is on the larger size .. my instructions were fluids for 14 days after surgery and then after that I was told to eat anything as long as it was pureed or I chewed it down to a paste.  

I think that feeling of pressure you are experiencing might have to do with eating too fast .. I know I felt that pressure when I ate too fast .. now that I'm almost 6 weeks out I'm still learning to slow it down.  Getting to konw when you're full takes some time .. now I tend to have a burp come up and that's usually my cue that I'm full.

I have cravings as well .. but I find that they're much more manageable and I can totally distract myself now.  Greek yogurt with some apple sauce is a great sweet substitute and even though it's not chocolate it is just as satisfying to me anyway ;)

Good luck!

My surgeon is pretty conservative, although perhaps not so much as Dr. Cirangle, whose opinion/plan/patients I tend to have great respect for.  It sounds like you did your homework in choosing your surgeon and he seems invested in your recovery, so that's good news.

I think one thing to remember is that not only do we have different doctors and different plans, we are not all the same size and neither are our new tummys, despite what size bougie our surgeon's used.  I've definitely been having boughts of nervousness over what/how much I've eaten, but I'm trying to listen to my new tummy to figure this all out.

What I've learned from OH is that you don't want to get to the point where you feel that pressure; you don't ever want to eat until your full because that's part of what got you in trouble in the first place regardless of what stage of healing you're in.  If your surgeon didn't give you some good guidelines as to amounts, read some posts around OH from people you respect and who have great surgeons, listen to the signs your body is giving you, and figure out your own.

As for my experience at this point (I'm a big girl - see my signature)...

I was on full liquids the day after surgery and that lasted for two weeks (yogurt, skim milk, protein shakes, cream soups.  I didn't eat,drink much the first three or four days out.  After that, it would take me about 1 - 1 1/2 hours to drink a Premier protein shake (thin, 11oz) and a half hour to get through 3 oz. of Greek yogurt at that point.

Two weeks later I'm on a pureed diet, but my instructions say that scrambled/soft-boiled eggs, LF cottage cheese, and soft cheese are soft enough to eat as they are during this phase.  Each day I'm adding something new to test it out.  After five days on this phase, I can eat an entire scrambled egg made with 1 tsp of skim milk and a half ounce of melted cheese in a half hour (I started with half of an egg) and I can drink a Premier shake in 1/2 - 1 hour now.  I've been worried that this was too much, but I'm learning to listen to my body.  This morning after breakfast, I experienced that pressure and I realized that I ate breakfast in 15 minutes - too fast!  Next time, I'll slow way down. 

Good luck!

If your doctor released you saying that it's o.k. to start out on purees then I think it's all good.  Afterall, he's the one with the initials "M.D." behind his name.....not us.  I've learned that some people on this website were eating veggie burgers, turkey meatball and other types of solid food at just three weeks out per their doctor's recommendation.  While that may be baffling to me and contrary to what my doctor suggests, I don't get over excited about it because it's what that person's doctor suggested.  Everyone's story is different on here and everyone's surgeon may recommend different things to eat at different stages.  Follow the doctor's orders and your body's warning signs.

BTW.....We are all humans and it's not atypical for us to think of chocolate as well as other foods that we once enjoyed prior to surgery.  I think of eating pizza ALL THE TIME but that doesn't mean that I'm going to go out and eat a slice of pizza.  It's normal to think of things we once enjoyed so don't let anyone tell you differently

from what i have seen on an australian, newzealand board, your whole plan is going to look different from what is given out in america..

I would continue to follow your plan and take advice from your dietician that comes with your program because alot of products available in america just do not happen in new zealand... that includes the protein shakes available here... yours tend to be  more meal like  replacments i think?

but then on a happy note once you get to real food, your meats are all grass fed... and you dont have products fill of high fructost corn syrup to deal with..


when you start to get that pressure in your chest i would definatly stop at that point .. i could only get in a tablespoon or so when i was first out...

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