Hi all

I need some advice.

I saw my Doc this week who gave me another fill. He asked if I was getting any reflux of any type which I answered as a No as I don't get it. But what I did mention was I get the occasional pain in my left shoulder in the scapula area (see here) and quite often in the chest area just where the (see here) on the joint of the second rib (from the top). He asked when I get this pain and I thought it was generally after I had eaten.

He described to me that sometimes this can happen if the stoma is distended. Does that mean I am eating too much? I know before this fill I could eat quite a lot but I really did restrict myself as I knew how much I should be eating. I did have some restriction from my band too. Note that I have been on a plateau for 6 weeks too.

I had another fill at the last visit and hope that I start feeling a bit fuller a bit quicker. He said I should be aiming to eat a meal in between 20-45 minutes an no longer or shorter. What I am eating I really eat in about 10-15!

Just wondering if anyone can help as far as their experience or advice. I really don't want to be stretching my stoma too much and I need to know when to stop eating or I might just pop!

Oh and I just remembered, is the full feeling like there is stuff still stuck in your throat but you have swallowed it? I don't think it's reflux but this is a feeling I get...

Thanks

Hi peek, I really wish there was some advice I could give you. I don't know what your doctor told you, but I do know that I get some pain and/or soreness when I know I've eaten too much or too fast. I especially have to remember this after the fills.

Pay attention to your doctors advice on how slow to eat, chew and chew some more - oh, and don't forget, pay careful attention to your body signals of when you've had enough food.

Hi peek, I think it may be that you are eating too much and/or eating too quickly. Do you measure your food? Do you stop eating when you are no longer hungry? For me the key is not eating until I am full but eating until I don't feel hunger anymore. It usually takes me 20-30 minutes to eat, depending on what it is.

The full feeling you describe sounds similar to what happens to me when I get stuck. Sometimes I can wait and it will go down, other times I have to PB.

Thanks ladies.

Yes I have to learn to eat slowly. I have mastered the head hunger, I just can't master the hoofing down my food bit. The bites of food I eat are too big as I have to remind myself I have a band! I forget sometimes, but it doesn't take long for my band to get back at me.

At every meal except for Breakfast (since last tuesday) I have been stuck. It's a great experience (not!) , so I have to learn to slow down, take smaller bites and chew some more. Old habits die hard.

Unfortuantely since that fill, I haven't felt restriction (like I did with fill #2). I believe the restriction feeling has just disappeared. I now get the full in the throat feeling, too little too late sometimes. It seems to be the way my body reacts, so I will have to get used to it.

The advice here is always helpful.

Thanks

Kylie, I've seen around here before that if you are experiencing daily stuckness (if that's a word) that you should give your stomach a break for a day or so. The reason is, the more stuck you get the more swollen you get, then the more stuck you get, etc.

Try a day of liquids and slowly go back to solids and see if that will let your swelling to go down some and then experience less stuck feeling.

I was also getting the pain you describe as well as the stuck feeling and daily PBing with everything I ate. I had to have 0.5cc removed from my band as I was too tight. My MD says that the "magic" number for most people is 7cc however I am only at 5 right how after having the unfill. You may be too tight since your fill. If it doesn't get better you may need to contact your MD.