countrysongbird

Ok, so here’s a strange line of thought: Hunger is great! <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> I know it sounds so crazy, but after being banded for a month (1<SUP>st</SUP> fill on 6/24) and starting to have a few foods now, the other night I couldn’t sleep…I was tossing and turning, and wishing for sleep when my stomach started to really hurt…I was really feeling uncomfortable. <o:p></o:p> I laid there for a few minutes thinking, “hmm, this doesn’t feel good,” I am ashamed to say it took me about a good two minutes before it hit me – “This is hunger!” <o:p></o:p> Now I know that many of you have posted about being hungry and the worries that go along with that so I wanted to post these thoughts and happenings that have transpired within myself in regard to hunger over the last few days. <o:p></o:p> For years of on again-off again diets every night when I got in bed I considered the day a general success if I did not go to bed feeling full. Translation: I did not eat myself out of house and home before bed! <o:p></o:p> I was thinking of this the other night when I started having hunger pains…I laughed in spite of myself and thought, “Well, I guess this was a good day!” And then something remarkable happened – the next day, I was driving down the road, and again this pain hit my stomach – hunger again! I looked at the clock; it read <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Minute="35" Hour="12">12:35pm</st1:time>…huh, how about that? Lunch time! Its lunch time and I am hungry – just like I am supposed to be! <o:p></o:p> I had a little breakthrough there driving down the road. A couple of things occurred to me: 1. I’m not sure that I have ever (EVER) really felt hunger a day in my life. 2. It is perfectly normal – did you catch that word – normal – to be hungry at lunch time, and at breakfast, and at dinner. Being hungry at the appropriate times is a sign that my body is working exactly the way it is supposed to – imagine that! <o:p></o:p> Now I have been on every diet known to man. I have fasted, I have done every program available, and I have been on liquid diets, and yet this new hunger that I am feeling took me by surprise, and it occurs to me that for years I have starved my body for hours throughout the day, never really feeling this sort of gnawing discomfort in my gut because my body was not functioning the way it was meant to. My body was very used to not having anything to eat or drink from morning until late afternoon, and then being overfed until bedtime. My body knew no reprieve from running on dry… <o:p></o:p> Only now, with the lap band, with directions that I must follow from my Dr. that I MUST have liquids all day, that I MUST eat small meals throughout the day, that I MUST listen to what my body says when I do eat…only now, have I experienced the most normal basic bodily need – hunger. I think it is a beautiful thing, a reaffirmation that I am on the road to doing many more “normal” things. <o:p></o:p> I do not fear my hunger, I am embracing it as proof that my body has begun to actually communicate with me its needs and I in turn am listening and responding conscientiously. <o:p></o:p> Hunger is a good thing!:biggrin2:

You sound just like I did 10 years ago when I went on slim fast... and then 5 years ago on slim fast... You sound just like I did 3 years ago when I went on NutriSystem (taking the guess work out of food)... You sound just like I did 1 year ago when I went on MediFast (another similar liquid diet)... I was so down, so determined that this would be the answer for me...if I could only take food out of the equation all would be well... I kicked butt on MediFast...14 pounds the first two weeks...10 pounds the next two weeks...and so on...I KNEW I had found my way! There was no food to worry about, no chance of failure...it was heaven... For about 3 months... What happened? Family Vacation It was so easy to talk myself into it, we were on the road, stopping to eat, enjoying amusement parks, and the food that goes along with them... And the whole time I was telling myself, this is one week, and I am being really careful, I am being smart with my choices...and in truth I really was - I wasn't overeating, or binging, or getting up in the middle of the night and shoving food in my face, I was just having a "normal" week on vacation. And to be truthful, it wasn't even a full week, I stuck to the plan for three days of my trip, determined to not fall victim to food... What caused the slip was something really simple. We were on the road and out longer than I had expected. I did not have a shake pkg with me and due to lack of nutrition, etc, I nearly passed out when we stopped and got out of the car. My husband was worried and said he had had enough and I was going to eat something, or he was taking me to the hospital and have them feed me through a tube! I gave in and ate, and then continued to eat throughout the remainder of the trip. I did not blame my husband, in truth, it felt good to say "ok, I'll eat something"...and then something else...and something else... By the time I returned home after about four days of normal eating, I had gained back every ounce I had lost except for about 9 pounds. The shock that it had come back so fast really got me down...I was mad at myself and felt that nothing would ever work for me...so I ate, and then ate some more (because I could) and before you know it, four months after starting MediFast I was 20 pounds heavier than I was before I started it. That was it...that was how I came to this place of being banded...I knew that I had the "want to" what I finally came to realize I needed was a safety net of sorts, something to keep me from going crazy and eating everything in sight...I just finally realized that I can never take food out of my life, it is always going to be there, but I knew without a shadow of doubt that I did not want to be in this same place, a year from now, 2 years from now, ten years from now... I thought for years that I could do this on my own...what I failed to see through all those attempts was that there is no more shame in using a tool such as the lap band than there is in believing that you must be policed by a liquid diet that will punish your body over time. I believe that you should ask yourself hard questions, and that you should look at your current and past diets with a realistic frame of mind...do not be hard on yourself, just be honest...can you do this for the rest of you life? Without fail? If you do slip will the guilt drive you further down the wrong road? I hope you achieve your goals no matter what path you take...we are all traveling this road together regardless of our mode of transportation...best of luck to you.

Believe me, I know how you feel. I was banded 5/12, and I too had severe pain...although, different than you, mine was at my port site, that happens to be to the left of my belly button... Also, my DR was not much help, and even though I asked for no additional meds, I was treated like I was just looking for pain medicine or something...believe me I was very offended... I don't think that anyone can say what is a normal amount of pain, so I would recomend that you keep asking your dr, you can never be too careful with your health... Like you, I was hurting all the time, getting up and down, going to the bathroom, everything just hurt. It seems awful to say this but my pain lasted for over a month...and I truly did not feel that was normal...but after contacting my dr, I just decided to deal with it, and did the best I could...and guess what??? Two days ago my pain just sort of went away! Wonders of wonders! And this morning I actually rolled over on my left side and was able to sleep without pain. I've been a few days now with only a couple of tylenol, and I am feeling much better... I guess what I'm trying to say is that while I hope that your pain does not last a month, I hope this gives you hope that it will subside - and I hope it happens sooner for you than it did for me, but it will ease up... Good luck to you!

Hello all…I was banded on 5/12 and have been having some problems. I’ve always been able to handle pain pretty well (or so I thought) however, my port site has hurt beyond anything that I ever expected since day one. Now here it is, four weeks later, and the pain has not eased at all. Today when I woke up I had trouble standing straight up. I took Tylenol, but it didn’t help at all. I spent most of the day on the sofa, thinking that the pain would pass, but here it is <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Hour="0" Minute="0">midnight</st1:time>, and I am still hurting quite a bit. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> I don’t mean to sound like a baby – believe me when I say that I’m normally a pretty tough cookie, but I’m starting to feel afraid that something could be wrong. <o:p></o:p> The feeling could sometimes be described as a pulling sensation, but more often than not it’s just painful –constantly painful. After all this time, I still can’t sleep on my right side without a pillow and not on my left side at all. I still can’t really bend at the waist at all or lift my three year old…I just feel useless and helpless… <o:p></o:p> I fear that my family is starting to wonder if I made the right decision with this surgery, and all in all I just feel worn out, in pain, and greatly depressed – a combination that is bringing back all of those food issues I have battled for so long (I haven’t had a fill yet…) <o:p></o:p> I want to succeed on this journey more than words can say, and right now I just feel lost… <o:p></o:p> Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated – thanks so much…

Dr. Nease was my Dr. I was banded on 5/12/08. I liked him and his staff very much from the get-go. I felt he was very personable and he treated me with respect - and that means so much! My one week follow-up (post-op) was not great, but there was some confusion about my appointment date...not the fault of Dr. Nease. On the day of surgery, I actually saw him very little - just a few moments, but just knowing he was going to be there when I was under made me feel calmer...I just felt secure in his ability. I went home the same day...I actually stayed in a hotel overnight because I didn't feel up to a four hour drive. It all happened very fast, but it was ok, I have done ok, and the surgery went fine. Best of luck, and if I can help or answer any questions about the experience I had at Cabell Huntington, just let me know. This is all new to me, but I will offer any support I can.