Am I hungry?

efan82 · May 23, 2008

I had surgery on May 19. I keep having rumblings in my stomach and I am having a hard time figuring out if it is from hunger or gas. It is happenening a lot. I know I am taking in less, but these happen a lot and I kind of have a hunger feeling. Anyone know what I am talking about?

OpenHrtOpenMind · May 23, 2008

I know exactly what you are talking about!!! 4 days after surgery I was asking myself the same thing! For me, hunger reared it's ugly head way before I was expecting it to I actually had a follow up the next day & talked to my Dr about it. She said everyone is so different that it was certainly possible. She suggested I try some cottage cheese or maybe a scrambled egg ( was currently on full liquids). Sure enough the next day, I tried some cottage cheese when this new "mystery" feeling surfaced, & it promptly dissipated after eating it (slowly of coarse). I could only liken the whole scenario like my body had this brand new language that I had no translator for. I really had what "hungry" feels like down before surgery hoping this would help post op, only to find that "hungry" felt a bit different. Just listen to your body, work with your Dr, & start to learn (or perhaps re-learn) what your new stomach is trying to tell you :blushing:

efan82 · May 23, 2008

Thank you so much for your help. I was really hoping that it was gas. I didn't want tobe hungry this soon.

OpenHrtOpenMind · May 23, 2008

I don't blame you! I was expected a full week to maybe 1.5 week reprieve!! It could still be gas though too. You might try some Gas X, wait a bit (15-20 minutes) & if it still persists, it probably is hunger :blushing:

Just look at it this way, hunger is our body's way of telling us that it needs some more energy & I'm totally okay with it taking it from my right hip, or thigh, or any 'ol place there's too much junk in my trunk!! LOL :thumbup:

flyaway · May 23, 2008

I know exactly what you are talking about!!! 4 days after surgery I was asking myself the same thing! For me, hunger reared it's ugly head way before I was expecting it to I actually had a follow up the next day & talked to my Dr about it. She said everyone is so different that it was certainly possible. She suggested I try some cottage cheese or maybe a scrambled egg ( was currently on full liquids). Sure enough the next day, I tried some cottage cheese when this new "mystery" feeling surfaced, & it promptly dissipated after eating it (slowly of coarse). I could only liken the whole scenario like my body had this brand new language that I had no translator for. I really had what "hungry" feels like down before surgery hoping this would help post op, only to find that "hungry" felt a bit different. Just listen to your body, work with your Dr, & start to learn (or perhaps re-learn) what your new stomach is trying to tell you :cool2:

Me too!!! that is so funny, I was telling my husband "I can't tell if I'm hungry" I have the rumblings, but cannot decipher them yet. I think you're right - it'll take time to figure out this new stomach and time for my brain to catch up!

marineliebe · May 23, 2008

i'm having the same issues! it seems like half the time it is actual hunger, and half the time its gas. my gas has been really bad tho. and it seems like its even worse after i eat. anyone else had this? sometimes i stand up when i eat (broth with a spoon, or sip on a Protein shake) and that helps a little. but honestly i'm starting to worry if this is what its always going to feel like when i eat? am I always going to have those "bubble" like feelings of gas when stuff goes down? its like bad indegestion which hurts in my chest. anyone else expeariencing this?

chrissieny · May 23, 2008

well, i'm only a week out, but i did have bad indigestion and bad gas to start off with. after a few days that went away. gas x, walking, and a heating pad on your back may be a help. the heating pad definitely got the gas moving on out for me. i hope you start feeling better soon!

efan82 · May 24, 2008

Its good to see others have the same thing. I have only had one small BM since surgery. I don't feel bad, like I need to, but I think I should have another one. Anyone have this problem?

flyaway · May 24, 2008

Its good to see others have the same thing. I have only had one small BM since surgery. I don't feel bad, like I need to, but I think I should have another one. Anyone have this problem?

ok, this is gross, but I have only had diarrhea - not run of the mill either - atomic! Is that normal?

efan82 · May 24, 2008

Flyaway, when were you banded? My one BM was watery. My brother was banded 5 mos. ago and said his bowels have not been the same since. Mine have varied since I had my gall bladder out a little over a year ago.

chrissieny · May 24, 2008

ok, so i agree, this is gross also. but i was constipated the first four days. then on day five i only had diarrhea, all day long. today makes one week and i'm back to normal. but doctors have said that it's completely normal to have crazy changes in bowel movements. even diarrhea lasting up to a week is ok, they usually recommend immodium for that though. but soon you should have about 1-3 movements a day.

flyaway · May 24, 2008

Flyaway, when were you banded? My one BM was watery. My brother was banded 5 mos. ago and said his bowels have not been the same since. Mine have varied since I had my gall bladder out a little over a year ago.

I was banded on May 19th. I thought the opposite would happen, but oh man! Hope this doesn't last. I am trying to mix Benefiber with everything.

linesj · May 24, 2008

I used Yogurt to fight the diarrhea. Remember there was antibiotics used during and maybe after surgery. That can often cause major digestive problems. Yogurt has the live cultures that can replant the gut with the correct bacteria needed. It took about a week for me to feel relatively normal. Maybe it was a coincidence, but it is something the proffesionals seem to overlook in discussing "after" problems. I was told immodium as well, which does not cure the problem, but maybe gives your body more time to fix itself. I knew a lady who was in absolute misery for 3 weeks (not a bandster, just after taking antibiotics for something) and lost 16 pounds. Her pharmacist told her to try yogurt and she said it was only 1 day before she felt better.

Enchanted · May 27, 2008

This is a terrific post and an great explanation.

I'm a month post-op and had all of the same things that are described in this thread -- not sure if I was hungry or not -- sure seemed like I *should* be hungry. It gets easier. Around two weeks post-op, swelling from the surgery must have lessened and I could suddenly tell the difference between hungry and those other things I'd been experiencing.

I'm still working on realizing that if I've not eaten recently, I am not necessarily hungry.

Strange bowel sounds are NOT hunger.
Absence of the sensation of 'being full' is NOT hunger.

Not being sure if you are hungry is NOT hunger.

Missing that chewing and crunching sensation is NOT hunger.

Sensation that is satisfied by drinking a liter of Water is NOT hunger.

Suddenly realizing you haven't eaten for X hours is NOT hunger.

Borigmus, eructation, flatulence and belching is NOT hunger.

Intense longing for certain tastes is NOT hunger.

HUNGER is a new sensation most of we Morbidly Obese have to learn to recognize.

If eating a Bandster phase-appropriate amount does not satisfy, what we are attempting to feed is NOT hunger.