time to shine

Hi Iv rang up and got appt next week

Portions are small if OH puts it out it’s bigger but I always eat same amount and leave loads anyway I don’t eat extra even if he’s put more than I have on so much waste lol

Trying to teach myself to chew chew chew and cut small bites I will see if I can remember when talking to someone at same time! I’m adding gravy and seem to do ok with chvolled tinned tomatoes

Yeah chicken is hard for me I’m ok with minced beef just not much of it lol

Thanks I will try chicken thighs Iv got a few protein shakes just for mornings to up my protein a bit I will look into smoothies to actually do you make your own? Or buy them

I got my B12 yesterday I had forgot all about it in December then I wasn’t well and also no appts u til now but glad I have it done. Yeah trying really hard to get all meds in I have to take so many i take like 15 a day of different meds and it’s hard on my tum sometimes and run out of time to get them all in as not meant to take all together but sometimes I have to. Thanks for reply and for suggestions ? xx

Me, I am up north though. This is a great forum and anyone will answer your questions. You are welcome to message me on here if its personal. Congratulations on your surgery.

Hey sunmerseeker! I was wondering why when I eat I don’t feel any “fullness” in my stomach per se, I just feel a really tight painful feeling in my chest between the breast area. Is this normal? The pain also comes up my neck sometimes. Why does this happen did you experience this? When does it go away. And for how long will it be painful to eat?

thanks !!

Lots of nerves are cut during the surgery so messages either don’t get through or feel different until you’re fully healed (about 8 weeks). It’s why it’s important to stick to our plans, portion size recommendations, to eat/drink slowly & listen to our bodies carefully.
When they do return you’ll be more conscious of them & may find they are different to what you knew. For example, you’ll discover your signals for real hunger vs head hunger are different (no cravings for a specific food, flavour or texture, & I feel restless) with real hunger). Some people sneeze or their nose runs when they’re close to feeling full or had enough.
The tightness across your upper chest (makes me want to thump my chest to alleviate it - it doesn’t) is your restriction. This usually doesn’t kick in until you’re on solid food & your nerves are more fully healed. Yours may have started early. It’s usually your signal you’ve eaten too much &/or too quickly. Remember your tummy is quite small now, it doesn’t extend as low down in your abdomen & it doesn’t take much to fill it. Sometimes certain foods can set it off too if they sit more heavily in your tummy. It’s considered a benefit of the surgery. It can fade in intensity over time (years) & we also get better at understanding how much we can eat & so don’t feel it as often which really is the goal.
All the best.

Hi Miaaaagirl, As @Arabesque said. Your tiny stomach is full and the remainder sits painfully in your gullet. It still happens to me when I forget and eat too much or too quick. I love, love, love my restriction. Occasionally I will struggle with it for hours and be unable to drink while it passes. TMI. Then I have two choices, suffer it or make myself vomit. If I vomit the only thing that comes up is foamy watery liquid, we call this the foamies. I get immediate relief then.
I have never had the old belly busting full to the brim feeling of old. Just the middle of the chest, damn I did it again feeling.

I’d be ringing my surgeon & requesting/demanding an appointment @timetoshine. Five months without any checks seems crazy to me. I’d had several appointments by then. Make a list of questions to ask them like your exhaustion, sickness, small portions.
Out of curiosity how big are your portions? Are you eating slowly, taking small bites? Eating too much, too quickly & foods that are too coarse are renown for upsetting your tummy e.g. the foamies & then brining up what you ate. Keeping foods moist with sauces & gravies can help.
Is there a reason you haven’t had your B12 shot yet or just life being too busy? I’d get that soon too as it will help with your exhaustion. Establish a routine with your daily med taking. It is essential not to miss your vitamins with bypass because of the malabsorption issues.
Dense foods can cause issues for people. Chicken breast & steak tend to be the more difficult ones. How do you go with other cuts of meat like minced beef or minced chicken? Chicken thighs are more tender than breast too. Do you have a dietician? I’d ask them for some suggestions as to what you can eat to get more protein in. I relied a lot on high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drinks/ smoothies to push my protein up.
It can take some people longer than others for everything to settle & to work out all your new tummy/digestive system’s quirks.