Question:
Now I'm worried - I'm able to drink as I did pre-op, and as for eating...

...I was able to eat about 1/3 of a cup of soft/pureed food this morning before i was full. I keep reading all these posts from people who say they can't drink liquids the way they did pre-op (i.e. they have to take little sips): not me! I can drink the way I did pre-op - it's not like i guzzled the fluids, I just drank normal swallows, and still can. And as for food - someone answered a question of mine by saying she can only manage 2 tbsp. of food at a time, and she's 2 1/2 weeks out. I'm 8 DAYS POST-OP, and was able to manage about 1/3 cup of food this morning before i felt full! Someone who's been out a year said she (at the stage I'm at) could eat no more than an egg-sized portion, and someone else said they could only eat half an egg. I HAD AN ENTIRE SCRAMBLED EGG WITH ABOUT 1/4 C. BEANS ADDED IN!!!!!! Someone please help, because now I'm freaking out! Is there something wrong with me? Is my pouch larger than most people? (OPEN RNY 7/7/03, 227.6/215.8/133).    — sweetmana (posted on July 16, 2003)

July 16, 2003
First things first... RELAX! Don't worry that you have a large pouch. Everyone's pouch size is different and in the long run, it really doesn't matter. You WILL lose weight using your tool the right way. I never had the "full" feeling my first few weeks post-op when on soft foods. It passes through your stoma very quickly during the soft food stage. Now, I am 9 weeks post op and fill up VERY quickly and have lost 55 lbs. You will succeed. God bless you!
   — Happy I.

July 16, 2003
Don't Freak out. You are very lucky to be able to eat like you are. Keep in mind- how long it took you to eat the egg and beans. If your meal lasted over 30 minutes, it is quite possible the first few bites of food had already exited your pouch before the last few bites were introduced. When I was 4 weeks post op- I ate an entire 4oz can of tuna and was soooo worried I had totally messed up the whole surgery- later it dawned on me that It took me an hour to eat those four oz's- I didn't realize how much time had gone by because I didn't sit down to eat- I was running around w/ my kids, chewing and chewing, and lost track of time. Also, I eat better some days than others. For example, when I was three weeks post op- I ate eggs with no trouble - now at just over 4 months out- I have a hard time tolerating them. Some things I was eating early post-op don't feel as good as they did in the early days. I just make sure that everything I eat is a good food choice. Even if your surgeon left your pouch a bit roomier your surgery will still work. Ask your surgeon about the size of your pouch if you are concerned. Another positive note is that you felt full on a lot less food compared to pre-op. Hang in there and try not to stress out. We all worry sometimes in early post op days especially about stretching our pouch or doing something wrong. As long as you are making good food choices and following your doctors plan- you will do wonderfully! One thing I have learned in my journey is to not compare your weight loss or food tolerances with other post-ops because everyone is different. I kept reading and hearing from others that bread and rice were definite no no's because they would swell and cause discomfort in your pouch. I can actually tolerate both in moderation. I do try to avoid carbs so I only eat those things every now and then. I wish you all the best- the days ahead of you will be filled with learning experiences and excitement as the scales start moving down. Keep up the good habits!
   — lyndaleigh

July 16, 2003
Pouches come in all sizes and therefore different pouch sizes can tolerate different amounts of food. I've heard of pouch sizes varying from 1/2 an oz to 6 oz. Ask your surgeon what size yours is. 1 scrambled egg with a little bit of beans may be just right for you. Good choice in fact! And the fact that you can actually eat at 8 days post-op, consider yourself lucky. some post-ops are still on liquids at this stage and not tolerating that well either. Also, the previous poster was correct-how long is it taking you to eat that egg? If its more than 20 minutes or so, your just filling up space as its emptying out...
   — Cindy R.

July 17, 2003
My son's experience has shown me that all pouches are indeed different, like the other posters said. Also, remember that since you're only 8 days out, your "feelings of fullness" may not be fully developed. That happened to my son, too. He was actually able to eat more at 1-2 weeks out than he could after 4-5 weeks, when those feelings were fully developed. He worried that he had messed something up, but he's doing great now, has lost 75 lbs since surgery on May 5, and is feeling wonderful. He's settled himself into a good diet routine of mainly protein foods and some protein supplements. The best thing to do is try to stick with the portion sizes recommended by your surgeon or nutritionist. Everything will fall into place for you, I'm sure. Best of luck.
   — Carlita