Apparently many WLS surgeons are keeping it a secret ...

[mattie7632 24]

I'm sure I will feel that way too, it's just not quite what I expected. I'm not disappointed though. And unfortunately, I understand why doctors have to "make the sale" in our mixed up world. Anyway, I'm sure in a few months all I'll be thinking of is weight loss too and when someone asks me, it probably won't occur to me to tell them how starving I was at first!

And that's my point mattie ... you SHOULD have been made aware. But you are definitely right about "making the sale". It is unfortunate, because the truth about the surgery is not so bad, it's just not the "quick fix" that many believe it is.

Having the lapband is different for different people ... fluffy, I rarely feel "physical" hunger ... but, I didn't feel "physical" hunger before the band very often either. I was/am an emotional eater. The band helps me to not binge when I feel an uncomfortable emotion. I have learned through therapy that eating doesn't really stifle the emotion, not really. So, now I brave it out and deal with the emotion without food (95%) of the time now that I am banded. Even without enough knowledge about the band, I am very glad that I have it. For me it has been a life saver!

~Fran

[Dave_NW 92]

My experience has been something I'm still trying to sort out. I'm just over four weeks postop, and haven't yet had my first fill.

Pre-surgery, my hunger was overpowering. I'd get a tremendous gnawing at the pit of my stomach, I'd get lightheaded, I'd get shaky, and I'd feel like if I didn't eat soon, I was going to pass out. I'm sure part of it was a low blood sugar thing, but it was definitely something I needed to pay attention to.

Post-surgery, I've experienced a different kind of hunger. My stomach may be empty, and I know it. It may even growl a bit, but I haven't felt that devastating "if I don't eat in the next two minutes I'm going to die!" feeling I did previously. I acknowledge that I'm hungry, but it's not overwhelming. And within a few bites of eating something, the sensation goes away. After another bit of food, I feel a sense of full at the band location, and I stop eating. I'm good for 3 to 4 hours by doing that, as long as what I've eaten isn't a total slider. if there is any dense Protein in the meal, I'm good to go for awhile.

The thing I haven't sorted out is why the sensation of hunger is different. It seems so odd that everyday feelings would be so different, and that just putting a band in place wouldn't have that much effect. But it has. I did have a hiatal hernia repaired during surgery, and I have not experienced a single bout of reflux since, so I'm wondering if it's related to that.

Anybody have ideas about why things are so different now?

Dave

[andrea0121 28]

Dave, you just explained my pre-op hunger to the letter. Same thing with post-op. As I'm typing my stomach is growling, I certainly feel hungry...I'm trying to drink Water to quiet it up a little bit...but I'm not dyinggggggggggggg. Unfortunately, I only go about 2 hours before starting to get that growling hunger again. It does not take much for the feeling to go away though. I go for my first fill this afternoon so I'm curious to see how that will work for me, maybe I'll be able to go 2.5 hrs instead of 2.

My experience has been something I'm still trying to sort out. I'm just over four weeks postop, and haven't yet had my first fill.

Pre-surgery, my hunger was overpowering. I'd get a tremendous gnawing at the pit of my stomach, I'd get lightheaded, I'd get shaky, and I'd feel like if I didn't eat soon, I was going to pass out. I'm sure part of it was a low blood sugar thing, but it was definitely something I needed to pay attention to.

Post-surgery, I've experienced a different kind of hunger. My stomach may be empty, and I know it. It may even growl a bit, but I haven't felt that devastating "if I don't eat in the next two minutes I'm going to die!" feeling I did previously. I acknowledge that I'm hungry, but it's not overwhelming. And within a few bites of eating something, the sensation goes away. After another bit of food, I feel a sense of full at the band location, and I stop eating. I'm good for 3 to 4 hours by doing that, as long as what I've eaten isn't a total slider. if there is any dense Protein in the meal, I'm good to go for awhile.

The thing I haven't sorted out is why the sensation of hunger is different. It seems so odd that everyday feelings would be so different, and that just putting a band in place wouldn't have that much effect. But it has. I did have a hiatal hernia repaired during surgery, and I have not experienced a single bout of reflux since, so I'm wondering if it's related to that.

Anybody have ideas about why things are so different now?

Dave

[Phranp 46]

My experience has been something I'm still trying to sort out. I'm just over four weeks postop, and haven't yet had my first fill.

Pre-surgery, my hunger was overpowering. I'd get a tremendous gnawing at the pit of my stomach, I'd get lightheaded, I'd get shaky, and I'd feel like if I didn't eat soon, I was going to pass out. I'm sure part of it was a low blood sugar thing, but it was definitely something I needed to pay attention to.

Post-surgery, I've experienced a different kind of hunger. My stomach may be empty, and I know it. It may even growl a bit, but I haven't felt that devastating "if I don't eat in the next two minutes I'm going to die!" feeling I did previously. I acknowledge that I'm hungry, but it's not overwhelming. And within a few bites of eating something, the sensation goes away. After another bit of food, I feel a sense of full at the band location, and I stop eating. I'm good for 3 to 4 hours by doing that, as long as what I've eaten isn't a total slider. if there is any dense Protein in the meal, I'm good to go for awhile.

The thing I haven't sorted out is why the sensation of hunger is different. It seems so odd that everyday feelings would be so different, and that just putting a band in place wouldn't have that much effect. But it has. I did have a hiatal hernia repaired during surgery, and I have not experienced a single bout of reflux since, so I'm wondering if it's related to that.

Anybody have ideas about why things are so different now?

Dave

Dave,

I have read on this forum that the band presses on the vagus nerve which inhibits the hunger hormone "ghrelin". As a result we do not feel hunger the way we did pre-surgery. Some people feel the effects of the pressure on the vagus nerve immediately and for others it takes longer (apparently). But, that's my understanding of how it works. I was on diabetes meds before surgery. Stopped taking meds about 3 months out. No more shaky, lightheaded, nervous feeling when too hungry, good BG numbers (i.e., 86-100). So, I think there may be something to the vagus nerve/ghrelin hormone info.

~F

[Linnielady 4]

This post was the bomb. I couldn't have said it better. All those who think that the band is the be all do all need to rethink their thought process. Its a tool that will help if you let it but you need to become its assistant. Thanks for a wonderful posting. You Rock!!!!

I have read again and again on the post-op forum that newbies are "hungry" and "can eat anything and everything" they could eat BEFORE surgery. YES, THIS IS TRUE. Before you have restriction (via fills that tighten the band and press on the vegus nerve inhibiting the hunger hormone ghrelin) you will be hungry and because you don't have Fluid in your band you do NOT have restriction. So, be forwarned that (once the swelling from surgery goes down) if you want to lose weight AFTER surgery and BEFORE you reach (some) restriction, you are going to have to watch what you eat. And, yes, you will be hungry sometimes. It's called "bandster hell", but don't worry it doesn't last forever and we all get through it.

Also, this is a good time to learn when you are "physically hungry" and when you are "head hungry".

I am amazed at how many people are surprised that they have to participate in reaching their weight loss goal (i.e., changing their diet, being hungry sometimes). The band is a "tool". It only works as hard as you do. I am more surprised that surgeons are not explaining this to their patients BEFORE surgery. What's THAT about??

Hang in there folks, barring complications, this is a great WLS. It can "help" change your life.

As you will learn in the post-op forum, lapband surgery is not for everyone, but many, many people are succeeding with this surgery eveyday. I wish I had done it years sooner.

Knowledge is power folks ... read, read, read. And, read the post-op forum for experiences and information from those in the "know".

Good luck to all of you!