Sleeve Too Big

[Debrry 32]

So I need an opinion. A close friend of mine is a gastric surgeon, I went to her when my journey began. Long story short she did not take my insurance and referred me to another surgeon. After surgery she has been a great reference anytime of day with any question she has been there to help. So I expressed to her that I have not had any problems, healing well, getting all Protein in, Water in, but expressed to her that I haven't had any restriction with food. She said oh you wait until you have something more substantial like chicken! So I am 4 weeks out this Monday, and I was around my friend today. During our time together I whipped out an apple and sat there eating it. I have never had any problems with anything that I have eaten, never foamed, never vomited, only felt full and stopped eating. So I got done my apple and she said to me, "there isn't anyway you should have been able to eat the whole apple 4 weeks out!" So after our long talk she believes my doctor did not use a small enough "bougie" I asked if I should say something to my doctor? She suggested yes but what good would that do now?? He cant fix anything now! So now what? I went through all of this to find out my pouch is bigger than normal??

I'm down 11 pounds since 1/21/13

[delta_girl 931]

At 4 weeks out you are still healing. I can recall a few times that I was scared to death because I could eat more than I thought I should somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks. That changed. I'm almost 5 months out now and I eat less than I did earlier on. Don't panic. Measure your food and pay very close attention to how you feel when you eat. Getting "full" is not the goal. Just eat until you are satisfied. You never need to get full again. That is not a beneficial sensation.

[misplaced_vol 16]

I had the same thing as you. I asked just a few weeks ago at my 6 week post op visit and was told that my surgeon doesn't do cookie cutter sizing. He makes everyone's stomaches different sizes. I was told to not worry about it because he had great success doing it this way.

[Takingcontrol 467]

Holy crap...now your scaring me cause you sound just like me!! :-/

[delta_girl 931]

I had the same thing as you. I asked just a few weeks ago at my 6 week post op visit and was told that my surgeon doesn't do cookie cutter sizing. He makes everyone's stomaches different sizes. I was told to not worry about it because he had great success doing it this way.

This sounds a bit like the conversation I had with my surgeon about bougie sizes. He asked why I wanted to know, then when I told him because I had read about it here, he said that bougie size has nothing to do with what size your sleeve will be. It just helps them "see" when they are doing the surgery to determine how they will proceed. After hundreds and hundreds of vsg surgeries, I would guess that they can look when they are viewing your anatomy, take into consideration your height and the shape of your stomach, and determine what will be the safest, yet most effective seal size for you sleeve.

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

Are you cleared to eat an apple skin and all at 4 weeks post op?

Did your dr. friend not question you eating an apple at only 4 weeks?

[Imjustmee 44]

Are you cleared to eat an apple skin and all at 4 weeks post op?

Did your dr. friend not question you eating an apple at only 4 weeks?

That's kind of what I was thinking at a month out I was still on mushies. So glad that stage is behind me.

[boatdays 18]

I can't eat fruit with skins for 3 months.

[Sleeved&Hopeful 182]

You ate an entire apple at 4 weeks out? I don't want to freak you out because you are newly sleeved but I'm one year out and I cannot eat an entire apple in one sitting. Maybe 1/2 for a snack and 1/2 later. Your friend is a surgeon and knows what she is talking about. If I were you, I'd go to her and have her give you a barium swallow x ray and have her look at your sleeve. Get her expert opinion on this.

[Debrry 32]

Ok I knew I would get questioned about the apple skin.. I'm having plumbing problems, in the hospital last week and I need "fiber foods". Last week I quartered the apple and ate the innards but this time I did not have a knife, I was starving, in public, and just ate it... But chewed well... No problems whatsoever. I know bad choice but better than any other alternative I had available.

I'm just sad because I have home through all this and found out its not normal.

[Debrry 32]

You ate an entire apple at 4 weeks out? I don't want to freak you out because you are newly sleeved but I'm one year out and I cannot eat an entire apple in one sitting. Maybe 1/2 for a snack and 1/2 later. Your friend is a surgeon and knows what she is talking about. If I were you' date=' I'd go to her and have her give you a barium swallow x ray and have her look at your sleeve. Get her expert opinion on this.[/quote']

I'm more concerned than freaked out! Why me?

What my friend suggested was for me to change to more substantial foods. I gave her MFP app and she went through my diary. She said if I'm hungry every 2 hours instead of a Protein Shake for Breakfast (slider food) for me to have turkey sausage. She said that would maybe hold me 3 hours rather than the 2 hours. So basically she wants me to have more dense foods...

So I discussed this with my hubby last night and he said, you have been questioning why you were able to eat so much and other people with the surgery have so much more restriction since the beginning!

[Sleeved&Hopeful 182]

I agree with the denser foods idea. When I eat chicken, it keeps me full for hours. Or turkey sausage is a great idea. I really think you should have your friend give you a barium swallow x ray and find out what she thinks about your sleeve size. Here's some good news: even people with large VSG stomachs can lose weight just fine. There are studies to prove it. My concern for you is several years from now as the sleeve is done healing. How much will you be able to eat then? There are some studies that show really large sleeves have higher % regain . I am positive you are going to lose plenty of weight. Heck, you will probably be able to keep it off. ESPECIALLY if you eat dense Proteins. I just think it's not fair that you will have to fight harder to keep the weight off than someone with a smaller, properly done sleeve.

But first of all--maybe the apple was a fluke. Have you tried to eat chicken or beef or eggs? Try to eat something like that and see how much you can eat in ounces. 2 ounces--3 ounces--4 ounces? If you are somewhere in that range, your sleeve is probably fine.

[ladiJ 83]

Just my two cents worth,

I would not panic yet as I swear my sleeve feels like it changes size according to the food, the time of day, the stars etc.....I may have trouble choking down an egg in the am but can eat 3oz turkey burger at noon without pause. I have been a slow loser, average around 2.5 pounds a week these last almost 11 weeks BUT it has been without hunger or feeling deprived....it is almost effortless (other than to keep healthy foods stocked rather than junk, and I have had some of that too) Now I ask you, when have you been able to effortlessly lose weight like that before? Don't worry about the size of your sleeve, just follow the rules of Protein first, then veggie, then starch,drink that Water and you will lose.

[LindaS 316]

I agree with Ladi J in that what I can eat changes depending on the day/food/star alignment....

If I eat Protein first, I am able to keep my food limited. If I try eating something else first (like an apple), I can eat more.

[TheGamer 406]

How much I can eat depends on what I'm eating. If I chewed a smallish apple to applesauce consistency, I could probably eat it all. It's mostly Water and then just a little Fiber. I know I ate a small thing of grapes yesterday (was craving sweets), probably 1/2 c of them over 20m and it was no issue at all. Conversely, I can have 2oz deli meat with a bit of Laughing Cow cheese before I am F-U-L-L.

If you're being really careful with what you're eating and how fast you're eating, I can see not having issues. I, however, was not that person. I'm still not that person. Sometimes food tastes too good not to just... eat it

If you're really concerned, then definitely go to a doctor and get checked out, but I don't know that I'd consider my surgery wrecked over an apple.