Where does your food sit?

I currently have a lap band and am looking to revise to a sleeve or bypass.  One of my major concerns is where the food sits when you have a sleeve? With my band when I eat, the food sits high in the stomach and kinda feels like the food is sitting behind my breast bone.  The food slowly drains down to where it would be normally and then travels on from there.  So my question for those with a sleeve or a revision do you feel a difference from your original stomach's location keeping food vs after the surgery feeling like it's sitting elsewhere.  If you over eat where do you feel pain from that?   

The reason I'm asking is the feeling of food sitting on top of my band has always personally bothered me and lead to me eating softer foods which are not good for me.  So it's important for me to know what to expect from a revision.

Hello,

For me, eating feels just like it did pre-sleeve. No difference there. As far as overeating, it also feels the same - just takes a LOT less food to get there. I don't really feel pain if I overindulge but that super discomfort of fullness that I would get when I had my whole stomach.

Only once in 7 months has food felt "stuck" to me, and that's when I ate waaaaaay too much, too fast. I got foamies and had to go throw up because it felt like the food just wasn't going down.

Thank for for the thoughtful response.  I'm am used to sliming or foaming and finding a place to deposit my lunch, not because I ate too much but because the little plastic demon decided it didn't like something it liked the day before.  Thanks again for taking the time to share. 

The food sits in the stomach, nothing different then before I had the sleeve! I have no pains from that unless I eat too fast.

Thanks for the response!

I had that f***ing band for 10 years and am well acquainted with where the food "sits," usually with its buddies, pain and nausea. Post VSG, food sits where it's supposed to sit, in your stomach. It feels like pre-band eating except that you can't eat much at a time.

The RNYers have to answer the food-position question if you're considering that option too.

Good luck!

psychoticparrot

Thanks for the reply and the comment about the fracking band, stupid contraption must come out of me, I've had mine 8 long years.  I'm really happy to hear food feels like it's sitting where it should.  I never minded eating less but I have always hated food in my chest.  

I too had the band. Now, my stomach feels like it did pre-band. I can eat, just a lot less. If I overeat, it doesn't cause that severe pain it used to with the band. 

I love my sleeve. Good luck with the decision.

So, I may be the odd man on this thread. My stomach is quite different from my pre sleeve stomach. Here is why:

1. I have never once felt physically full in the same manner in which I did pre sleeve. I think it may be because I was a heavy volume eater and ate to over full quite regularly. I liked to feel full. My new "oops I ate a bit too much feeling is like there is a pressure behind my collar bones in my throat just below the Adam's apple. 
2. Overeating has caused me distress, but not pain. It feels like a pressure built up against that same place in my throat, but very strong. I don't vomit, but I've had the foamies (slimies) and have had food just pop back up. This has happened only a few times in over 4 years and after eating mindlessly. It's very easy to avoid by eating mindfully. This situation has only ever happened when I was not paying attention to my eating.

I find that using different strategies to gauge satiety work better than relying on my sleeve. I eat weighed and measured portions. I eat much more slowly than I did prior to VSG. I put my fork down and ask myself half way through a meal if I am satisfied? Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no. Once I know how I'm really feeling half way through a meal I make a choice to stop or eat a little more. When I do this I NEVER EVER feel overly full or as if I have an altered stomach. I feel completely normal as I did before VSG when I ate in a healthy fashion. 

VSG is probably the best thing I've done for my health since becoming a non smoker. I'd do it again in a heart beat! Everyone I can think of on this board who has had a revision can't believe the difference in how they feel on a daily basis. I know a couple who never got to goal with the band, but made goal in short order once sleeved. 

Best of luck making your decision. 

Thanks for your reply, I keep hearing people love their sleeves.  I'm really looking forward to my discussion on Monday with my doc to find out what path we'll take.  Thanks again for sharing your experience.