Question:
how do u tell if it gas bubble or are u full

hello , i am 2 weeks post -op and doing good but i have a question for ya'll . how do u tell when ur full or it just a gas bubble ? cause i get a pain right at my sterm and it hurts real bad but i can't tell which it is . can anyone help me out .    — lizzie72 (posted on April 8, 2004)

April 8, 2004
Elizabeth-- This early on, take any pain or discomfort as a strong indication to stop drinking or eating. It is much better to be safe, particularly when the pouch is most succeptible to stretching.
   — SteveColarossi

April 8, 2004
Just to be safe, measure EVERYTHING. At this early stage everything is still healing and can be quite sore. If you measure everything you put in your mouth, starting with one ounce at a time, then you should be safe. This worked perfectly for me. I started out with 1/2 ounce meals several times a day, sipping water all along but measuring it too. Good luck.
   — Vicki H.

April 8, 2004
YOu are over full if you get that feeling the docotr advised me I should stop before getting that feeling because if you do not you can make your eating ability more Which will not help you
   — Rosemary L.

April 8, 2004
When I was just starting out, one thing that I did (that might help you), is after eating/chewing a couple of bites, I would "take a break" and try to evaluate if I was still "stomach" hungry or was I getting into "head" hungry. If I was still "stomach" hungry, then I would eat a few more bites and re-evaluate. If it was getting into "head" hungry, then I would make myself stop. This has helped me understand that the eating that I am doing is for the stomach and not the head. If you are hurting at all, then you have gone into "head" hungry eating....hope this helps! danette
   — Danette C.

April 9, 2004
That early in the game you probably won't feel full - you will feel pain and then you've eaten too much. My doctor told me to limit myself to 3 bites per meal in the beginning. It worked really well because I didn't have any of the symptoms that you are describing and I didn't dump. Good luck!
   — Etta M.

April 9, 2004
That pain in your stomach means you're full. You should try to stop eating before you get to that point, though it takes some getting used to in the beginning. Eat slow and evaluate whether you're *really* still hungry. Stop at the sigh.
   — sandsonik

April 10, 2004
Hi, if you have that much pain then you have definitely over eaten. Just as others have posted you're suppose to stop before getting that far....I know that it sounds easier to say then it is to do it...I am 10 months out and still can not tell when I am full, I am only down 54lbs and my meals are below the 1000 calories a day that I am allowed, my body has always marched to a different beat before the surgery so why should it have changed now and be normal... I found out that I have a large hernia that needs to be removed only they want to wait until I'm 18months out so I can get my TT done at the same time. I wonder if the hernia would have anything to do with the plateau I've had for 3 months... Good Luck and God Bless.. Deborah
   — Deborah