What does the pouch feel like?

Just wondering what to expect with my new lil stomach... when you first have surgery, and they start with liquids.. can you feel it when it hit's bottom? When you start with food, does it feel like a normal stomach, or does it feel like it's sitting high under your ribs or something? Just stuff going thru my mind today Thanks, Dale ps:  I have a surgery time! I go in at 8:30 on Tues. Nov. 27.  Should be in surgery within an hour or so they said

My personal experience was that I could feel EVERY INCH of my GI tract for about a month after surgery.  Not so much that I could feel it just sitting around, but when I ingested anything, I could feel it move from the mouth, down the esophagus, into the pouch, sit....empty out to the intestine, then to the colon where I usually lost track of it until a couple days later.... I eventually got used to it and I'm not near as sensitive anymore, but I can still track hot/cold stuff all the way down.  As long as you aren't eating the wrong things...like big huge hard foods....it's not a painful experience, just bizarre.

Dale, I had the lap r-n-y done back in Sept. The stomach doesn't really feel any different - all I can say is that I know when I get full. Be prepared - it's real easy to put more on your plate than your going to be able to eat. When they say you will only be able to eat 1/4 cup of food there right. Hang in there - it's worth it. I have lost 75 lbs in just over three months (Pre-op til now).

Dale I think Danny has it right....but the first few days...I felt full, even when I didn;t eat...everything is swoll..and nothing tastes good...an unusual experience for me, at least... side note...I remember asking my doc...what size is my new stomach...he said..."about the size of a small salt shaker" ok So I asked ...What size was my stomach before the operation... he said.... "about the size of a plastic grocery bag"...I quit asking questions We are waiting for  you Good luck russ

With the Lap band it felt like i could hear the food or liquids pass through my system, kinda like listening to water running through plumbing.......or maybe it was the lortabs......LOL Good luck Dale.....hope all goes well......Jeff

Dale, It doesn't start any higher, it's the top section of your original stomach.  Unlike most people I've read I was hungry soon after surgery.   I can;t say if it was mental or physical.  I can tell you I sure feel when I'm full!  Don't even think about taking that last bite after the pouch tells you it's full.  Or else it's coming back out!  It feels like a regular stomach in most ways.  You'll get the the same signals of full & empty. It will take a few days for your GI tract to get fully restarted.  As soon as I entered phase II I ate some activia yogurt to help my GI tract.  The gas seemed to decrease greatly after eating the active culture yogurt.  I was pleasantly surprised how quickly the soreness went away.  Mark

Good question!  I think that this is the biggest thing I had to get used to post-op. The first month or more was really weird. All that head-hunger still haunting you and nothing you can do about it. Very frustrating!  Then there's the flip-flops my new pouch did anytime somethig entered it. Not painful.. but weird.  You'll have to measure your quantities because your sense of fullness doesn't work like it did before... especially in the first monthor so post-op.  After being 4 months out now, I can honestly say that from my standpoint, eating is not nearly as enjoyable anymore. It is for survival and nutrition almost exclusively. There are days when I like to eat snacks of fruit and nuts etc., but for the most part those days are few. The feelings of being satisfied for many hours after loading up are gone forever for me. I have to put something about every 3 hours or I start to feel weak. It doesn't stay with you long, and you can't hold much, so make sure you make good food choices.  Lastly, the feeling of being full is way different than pre-op. It's a feeling way up high in your abdomen... and in a very small region rather than the huge belly like before. It's a feeling of tightness and discomfort rather than a feeling of satiety.

Thanks guys, that's kind of what I was expecting ..

The thing that brought it to mind was taking a cold drink after fasting for my pre-admission testing yesterday.  Granted my stomach is going to be pretty distended at this size, but I felt that ice cold drink all the way down.. and almost felt the 'splash' clear down by my belly button.. LOL.. then I got to thinking.. I wonder where the top really of it really is now? Is it clear up where it hurts when I have gas bubbles?  Will I now feel a chilly splash under the bottom of my ribs? LOL.  I'm sure I"m up to  a whole world of new sensations.. some not so good.. some just different.  One friend told me the biggest problem was learning what 'full ' felt like. Like you said Triple Beast, he said it's higher.. and a feeling of tightness, instead of satisfaction. Here comes the emotional part... will I miss being satisfied? Will I feel satisfied? Will I just be irritated that eat something good, and it doesn't satisfy? Don't get me wrong, no second thoughts.. just thoughts.  I still hate that I put myself in a position where I must choose to 'eat to live', and maybe not be able to enjoy food as much.. but hey, that's waht got me here, and it's  a difference I'm willing to make to change my life. Dale

I'm not satisfied like before surgery. I eat to live now. That's the sacrifice I had to make to live. The benefits are greater than the losses. You will see!

triple you hit it right on the nail .That is the best way to explain it !