Question:
Why can I eat 10oz and still not feel full?

I am 4 1/2 weeks post op from open RNY surgery. I have eaten very little up until now. Nothing but childs size yogurts and instant oatmeal. I have lost a total of 35 pounds so far. Last night I felt like eating (I've been so weak lately). I decided to have a half of a banana. Went down fine...still not full, so I ate the other half...still not feeling full. This confused me so I wanted to see what would make me full. I cooked a pack of Coliflower and Cheese sauce from Birdseye which was 10oz big. I figured I could only eat a little. I waited an hour after the banana. I ate at a moderate pace but was able to finish the whole thing and STILL not feel full! No pain...nothing. I have never thrown up anything since the surgery, although I did get naucious and "dry heave" a few times...but no food comes up. I tried to bring the coliflower up and NOTHING came back up! I just gave up and didnt try to eat anymore, but cried myself to sleep. What is going on? Im not sure if I had a total disconnect of my stomach during the surgery and think maybe if not, then its open and I have full use of my stomach again? Is that possible? I'm scared. If I did this all for nothing I'll die! I see my surgeon tomorrow for my 1 month check up and will ask him, but has anyone else experienced this? I was really looking forward to only being able to eat a few bites. I havent done anything to "stretch" my pouch and have kept my intake to a minimum up until last night. Anyone else have this happen to them?    — Jennifer J. (posted on January 30, 2003)

January 30, 2003
I'll repeat myself... Since this subject seemed to be TABOO prior to my surgery. I never heard of anyone having this problem... etc. etc... OK>... When I had my surgery I wasnt given any post op eating instructions... liquids etc; All information I had came from this board; soooooooo when I cam home from the hospital and ate 1/2 cup of jello I 'freaked' out... Came on line, and was told... if your not throwing up your not overeating... Ok... so I continued to eat 1/2 cup of pureed stuff until I saw my surgeon the next week. I told him I was eating 1/2 cup.... He was surprized I could eat 1/2 cup of anything; but assumed that since I wasnt throwing up; I wasnt overeating..... Fast forward 5 months... I continued to eat the 1/2 cup; until one day I at more... seemed I could 'eat' more... panic! No one else in my group could... I tried the famous cottage cheese test on myself - stoped after eating 1-1/2 cups of cottage cheese... and called my surgeon... HE FINALLY ran tests. Seems my stoma (that in normal RNY shrink after surgery) mine didnt. The Upper GI showed NO POUCH FUNCTION. The food drops directly from my espogus into my intestines... this allows YOU to overeat. PERIOD> I found NO information on it and finally talked to someone at the Bariatric Assocition.. They informed me that surgeons have been aware of 'this problem' for years; have been unsucessful in 'fixing' it and when the 1% of their patients 'get it' they revert them to 'diet and excerise'. The leading doctor in the US 'consulted' with my doctor and told me "to drink as much water before eating as possible' DUH!!! I have been living with this for 2 years now, and its driving me NUTS. Granted, the malabortion part of the RNY will continue to work - YOU WILL LOOSE WEIGHT - but you will have to 'diet'. I have yet to get my head under control.. to its a constant battle. IF I had know then what I know now I would 'insist' my surgeon 'fix it' or I would sue. One obtion my surgeon suggested - then backed out was changing me into a DS... might be an obtion for you. good luck
   — star .

January 30, 2003
First of all, no need for the dramatics "if I did this all for nothing I'll die"...I think all of us get concerned the first time we find that we can eat more than a few bites of something and are convinced that we stretched the pouch and spoiled the surgery and it will certainly fail for us...Now, a few things....as time goes by the pouch does stretch and it is supposed to! That is normal...we cannot survive eating baby bites and just an ounce or two of food. Doesn't happen. And depending on the consistency of what you eat, you will be able to eat varying amounts of food. Cooked cauliflower turns to water and does not fill the pouch for long. That 10 oz of cauliflower probably reduced to just a few ounces. Now try eating 10 ounces of cooked chicken and I will guarantee you that you will not be able to eat much of it. And don't TRY to make yourself throwup, be grateful that you are not one that does throw up. Throwing up is not a good thing. When you see your doctor ask if you are transected. If you are then you do not have a disconnect and full use of your old tummy, and have nothing to worry about. Hang in there. Your fine.
   — Cindy R.

January 30, 2003
Hi, I am 11 weeks postop and have lost 51 lbs. At 3 weeks, I really noticed I never felt full on anything (I even ate pizza and did not feel full) and I also do not dump. I saw my surgeon at 4 weeks, he ordered an upper GI. Results were that I did not have staple line disruption and pouch size was ok, but I do have a large stoma. He told me that will shrink in time, to not worry. He told me to eat 5-6 mini meals a day and drink my water inbetween the meals. I have pretty much stuck to that, so hence I have lost weight. But recently in the last couple weeks, I have been "testing" my stoma, and find I sure can eat alot of food, granted, not as much as I could before surgery, but alot more than an 11 week postop should. For instance, I had a meal of shrimp cocktail, lobster tail and steamed veggies, that is alot of food. The other night I had not eaten for several hours and by the time my husband made a frozen pizza for him and kids, I scarfed down 2 1/2 small slices and felt nothing. So it seems my stoma has not gotten smaller and maybe I will be stuck with a large stoma (which is called pouch function failure) forever. I cried a few days, feeling sorry for myself, then I decided I have the shortened intestines and the small pouch, so I will pretend and play like I feel full. I find also if I continue to eat those 5-6 mini meals, I don't get that ravenous hunger so I don't overeat. I have lost 4 lbs this week, so something is working. For people like me, you have to work harder to make this work, it is a choice every day I awake to make a conscious effort to eat like a gastric bypass patient. I am not perfect, and it doesn't help that I don't dump either, so I really have no tools except my mind to lose this weight. Because of the surgery, if I do it the right way, the weight does come off. I have to say, this is the first diet I have ever been on that I see results every week. I am still glad I had the surgery and I will have to put my dreams of this being easy behind me. Let's fight the good fight, we will win or "lose" if you know what I mean.
   — DarlinIYQ

January 30, 2003
I agree with Cindy Rubin. Most veggies turn to water going down and if you chew it well enough, cauliflower is one of them. Do not worry, you will be fine. We all go through this.
   — Regina C.

January 30, 2003
im almost 2 weeks post op and I havent felt full at all when eatin I can also eat anything so far..Sugar makes me feel pukie so I dont bother with it..I was also lookin forward to eatin a few bites n feelin full but I guess Im not goin to be that lucky..
   — christine S.

January 30, 2003
hi, i'm about 11 weeks out and i can eat a 8 or 9oz lean cusine. the whole thing , chicken veggies and the rice. they are low in calories so i'm not so worried about that but the ounces are up there compaired to my dr. saying eat a third of a cup and that's it so i'm a little scared and confused to. i'm courios to what answers you'll get but that large stoma thing has me scared. my weight lass seems slow to me also. open distal rny 11/12/02 -43lbs
   — kimberly T.

January 31, 2003
Well - to update my question, I saw my surgeon today. I explained everything and asked if I was transceted. Turns out I'm not. He just put a staple line in. He said it is very, very rare that the staple line failed, but there is a 1% chance of it happening. He is sending me for tests on Tuesday...another Upper GI Endoscopy and Barium Swallow ultrasound. He said for me to continue to keep my meals "light" and not try to "measure my stomach" by myself again until he finds out whats going on. He agreed about The Cauliflower thing being full of water and said its possible its nothing, but was also concerned that I havent gone to the bathroom without the help of a laxitive since I've been home - which I do about every 5 days when my stomach starts cramping. I guess we'll see. If anyone has any info about the staple line problem, I would love to hear your story and learn more about it and what they do to fix it. Thank you all for all your responses.
   — Jennifer J.