Jack

HungryBetty: This can be the most exciting, educational and important phase of your postOp experience. Don't forsake your long term goals for short sighted mistakes that solve no problems and change none of the issues important for successful postOp life style. If this were a broken leg, would you be trying to walk on it already? Don't jamb up the system by inventing new mistakes in eating behavior based on erroneous concepts. Take time to learn the steps you need to follow to achieve your goal. Consult your surgeon or nutritionist at once to go over the exact program they want you to follow. Ask them for explanation and the answers to the questions you propose here.

re: "REAL HUNGER PAINS!" how are these different from "imaginary hunger pains"? No Bandster has ever died from 'hunger pains'. These typically decrease markedly after the first 2 or 3 weeks. Your belly is used to being stretched out maximum full. Now the mechanoreceptors in the stomach wall don't know what to do. This will get better. At least mine did. re: "feeling port" At first I could only feel a lump by directly palpating into the incision region. As I lost layers of fat, like a snow drift melting away, gradually my port became more obvious. And there is considerable variation in how and where the ports are located. Ask your doc the next visit you make to his office. cheers in your journey

Actual physical pain that doesn't fade away rapidly is indicator your doc should be contacted. There is a host of possibilities that can not be determined without face to face exam by your doctor. May be something, may be nothing. Go find out and let us know.

Water to the body is like oil to the engine. Especially when our metabolism shifts into a "fat burn" phase. Conversion of stored glycogen in the fat cells of all those old extra cheese burgers and brownies around our waists...requires processing with extra H20 for the process to proceed. Also, the changes in our digestive tract are much supported with adequate WATER...not other forms of liquid which all require some form of physiological conversion from whatever it is, to just water. The detoxification process and the increased demands on gall bladder producing bile which is essential in fat conversion to energy, requires water. Later phases of normo life will require adequate water. Not so much as during active reduction from Morbid Obesity though. Often even now 6.5 years postOp, I find when I think I'm hungry, it really is "thirst" that is the signal. Drink plenty of water to help your system function properly.

Usually within 10-14 days gut sounds decrease in volume from 'alarming' to 'muted'. Don't confuse a little belly barking with worrisome clinical issues. And the noisy stomach does NOT mean you are hungry necessarily. If there is actual PAIN consult your doctor. Otherwise, enjoy the symphony. It's temporary.

Typically Bandsters get 'odd' sensations from the BIG changes in their digestive plumbing as well as the alteration in the mechanical action by the stomach now unencumbered by being over fed too much of the time. And there will be actual bowel gas changes as other digestive processes begin to alter from what was their 'normal cycle' for so long. Keep reading. Stay hydrated. Unless there is actual physical PAIN there isn't much to worry about. Start a journal. Tape measure yourself and get photographs you can compare months from now. It takes a while to learn that not all stomach/bowel sensations mean it's time to eat. cheers on your journey

It seems to me part of our confusion about "eating" and "a meal" etc is related to old concepts of "full" and "why do we eat". I was raised in the school of thought that one had to eat "until FULL" and that it all had to be eaten regardless of what it was. Strict application of depression era poverty induced economic necessity. With little thought to the consequences, my own habits over the next 20 years nearly always included "eating till FULL" which is an ever increasing goal...as we train to stuff more down, we become capable to eating more without observing or being aware of those physiologic hints that "we are no longer hungry". It was graduate school where I actually had to study the term "satiety". There is far more to it than the simplistic dictionary word game. "Sweet spot" is a vaguely defined term, I have taken to mean "able to eat normo sized meals and remain sated for a normo amount of time without need to attempt to make myself 'full'". Normo snacking is not the same as normo meals. I believe the notion 'sweet spot' is mistaken for the notion that one can expect to NOT be hungry-ever. The nature of acquiring the appreciation of the role such complicated concepts as "appetite" and "becoming hungry" are overlooked and ignored. Carrying some binkie at all times to suckle fluids or compulsively seek out the latest version of approved granola bar is not indication of 'sweet spot' IMHO. Observe how your normo sized friends eat, how they respond to becoming hungry, and most importantly, how they respond to becoming NOT hungry. The survey I did of a couple dozen normo friends, was they don't use the word "full" as often as they use the word "not hungry anymore" so they stop eating. For me, THAT is the 'sweet spot'. Not spending most of the day yearning for food, or beating ourselves for what we've eaten, is the 'sweet spot'. What is the difference between your new car, all dirty needing a wash, and the same car, washed and polished? THAT is example of a 'sweet spot' IMHO. It is a phase we eventual recognize. Some get to it sooner than others.

those of us with the old antique "4cc" Band..... yes, that .1cc can make a tremendous difference. Typically I hover between total fill of 1.5~1.6 with forays into the 1.7 or 1.8 range fraught with all the signs of being too tight.<br /><br />And consider the BIG difference in the size of the Os regardless of which size Band you have. How much the fill % is of the total Band volume is only one way of looking at the overall controlling metric.<br /><br />It's hard to lose weight eating unhealthy food that played such a large role in our shuffle to Morbid Obesity in the first place. <br /><br />When I'm "too tight" one of the first issues is being unable to eat dense Proteins, which leads to other eating issues.<br />And "too tight" leads to other symptoms: PB, swallowing...sometimes Water and therefore hydration can be at risk, night reflux symptoms, a variety of burning or vaguely choking sensations, and so forth.<br /><br />Find that sweet spot in LIFE!!!!

I was type 2, BMI 47.5 and had been on HIGH dose insulin shots twice a day for 15 years. I was having all sorts of co-morbidity health catastrophes beginning to hit me. One drastic matter was "diabetic retinopathy". At one point vision in one eye was down to 20/400. That's legally blind. And that's what it finally took for the rational part of my brain to kick into action. 11 months postOp I took my last shot. Yes I have orals to take, but A1c went down down down to around 6.6 for quite some time. I had sleep apnea and had been on CPAP for 10 long breezy years too. Good bye nose hose at 10 months post op. Yes, make sure you coordinate your meds with new blood realities. Along with other changes in my life and special retinal therapy, my vision has returned to 20/25 in the blind eye....so I ~CAN~ see my way to the postOp Bandster Way of Life. And be prepared for something WONDERFUL!!!!!! cheers on your journey....

Little things can make a big difference in how we think we feel. What helped me was to review why I chose to take this route.....after so many decades of being Morbidly Obese I was more fed up with being over fed I was excited to have some new experiences. And looking back the time goes a whole lot faster than you think, when you are looking forward. The old quote "One day at at time" served me very well. Don't give up. Don't give in. You can do this. cheers on your journey

re: 6" subway I have one now & then if circumstances conspire against another choice. Usually it makes at least 2 meals even now 6 1/2+ years postOp. It took about 2 years postOp to get to where I was even interested in giving one a try. As a preOp total bread freak, I just don't care for that much bread, even their own stuff. It'll do if necessary. And Subway in general to me, while the franchise has some great nutritional choices, doesn't appeal much. I have a buddy with severe food allergies, and Subway is his kitchen of choice while on the road. To me, it's rather like a nurses station full of things good for me but that I don't really care for.

There's a jillion possible causes for such a problem. It does seem that many men do report an improvement in many areas of physiological as well as psychological functioning in the course of losing 50 or 100 #. Meds change, hormonal output changes, a world of differences; which causes what improvement remains difficult to scientifically prove.

Cheers for great success on your Lapband journey

I was surprised to learn how often my own previous Stampede to Bingeville was actually because of unrecognized hunger and sometimes even THIRST!!!

Damn.Blonde : great questions!!! I was a bread freak my whole life too. Fortunately my Band changed my affliction. I am no longer obsessed with bread, and often go whole weeks without eating any! I don't miss it, nor Pasta & other such carboindulgent dishes. In all my own fretting and obsessing over such questions about my fixation on food, I had never considered resolution of such anxiety had such an obvious potential resolution. Our tastes change. And once I learned the difference between 'hunger' and 'non-hunger' satisfaction with and enjoyment of my new Bandster life style improved. Cheers on your journey.

FFK: You bring some most eloquent points to the discussion. By succeeding at continuation of our bad eating habits some of us have a perverse notion we continue to be in some kind of control. There are a lot of tools professionals have to help us actually lose a significant portion of our excess. Our new postOp comfort zone must be adjusted along with abnormal eating behavior to achieve our goal. What can we do to help you change your eating behavior?

you got some solid lines and an interesting delivery. cheers on your journey

Another anatomical way to look at this: The 3 layered arteries are basically types of muscles that are stimulated by the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system. When stimulated, the sympathetic impulse is to contract, which the artery walls do, RAISING blood pressure....especially good for those 'fight or flight' situations where arousal in general is important and we have to outrun the bear. The 2 layer venous system is under the control of the parasympathetic side of the ANS. When stimulated, the parasympathectically innervated muscles RELAX...and BP falls....which if far enough results in the fainting described above. Not generally a really big deal....unless that bear catches up with us.

I think my own "Bandster Hell" was the sudden realization I had to train my own brain to recognize the insane drive to always feel "full" regardless of what or how much I ate. That 'full' sense is the biggest mistake of my entire eating career. "Full" is an illusion that 1) never lasts very long; 2) only occurs after eating WAY more than needed; 3) was a non-physiological sensation that replaced the Normo sense of "satiety". My advise is to actively and intensely seek out what the cues are in recognizing the difference between "hunger" and "not hunger"; forget this 'full' nonsense as it is the wrong trail IMHO. Yes, measure your intake. Get smaller dishes just for YOU. Train yourself to eat ONLY the amount your meal plan allows. Keep track of what you eat daily. Measure yourself and take photos for your own journal. Focus on your goal, not on how hard the trail may seem to be. Overeating in the attempt to feel 'full' every moment of every day is/was the very heart of my own Morbid Obesity. One of the unexpected pleasures of postOp life, is discovering the wonderful sensations that arrive with becoming aware of different stages of 'becoming hungry'. My own habit was to avoid any hint of being hungry, and the only way to do such was to 'stay full'....which we can not do without dire consequences. Make your choice....you can either change your eating behavior and achieve your weight goal, or you can continue old bad habits that did not serve ANY of us well. Every day every meal we have opportunity to change our behavior. The Bandster Hell would have us believe a magic switch will shut off all our bad eating habits of a lifetime. We have to train our brain to be in charge of our belly.

The most likely answer is that you won't be wanting to eat those things very much any way. And we do go through phases even after "solid food". Mostly those are crap items that really are horrid nutritionally, and led to most of us being long term members of the Tribe of the Morbidly Obese. Emotionally we all fear giving up what we perceive as comforts of what we are used to doing. I can eat all/any of those things....but far more often just am not interested. Pasta used to be one of my main staples. Now spaghetti once every month or 2; maybe a bit of pasta salad now & then. It really isn't that appealing a food group once you examine your own palette. And our tastes DO change. pizza, that all time favorite I would eat 3 times a day preOp, now maybe A piece a few times a month. That's plenty. chips? Mostly another compulsive eating and binge item. Couldn't really care less for them now, but might have a few with some Beans & rice at a Mexican restaurant....if I can find some good chips. Never buy them by the bag or have them at home. No sense of loss. chocolate is a fantasy I've never really cared for anyway. Yes I can eat it, and do, maybe 1 or 2 times a month. And not much at that. Gave up brownies etc as they are universally too sweet for me. If you are like other Bandsters, you are going to be too busy being active in your new life to waste much time on Bad Old Eating Habits. I've learned to appreciate salads, Soups, and small portions of hard Protein far in preference. Cheers on your journey

I only had lido on my first 2 fills when I was most nervous. It's really unnecessary for most Bandsters. One stick for the fill is far more comfy than 2 sticks, even after the numbing I've had discomfort. Don't know why, but without a numbing shot, the adjustment needle never is a problem. My older brother gets that same kind of reaction just from having a blood draw....hypovolemic shock they called his situation. He has actually passed out from just seeing a needle. Speaking of "allergic reaction", twice I myself developed a horrid local rash the size & shape of the band aide they put over the port after the fill. I told them about it and no longer get a band aid. It's some weird deal associated only with their tape, never has happened before or with other kinds of commercial band aides.

There are 2 types of Bandster: those who have been stuck, and those who haven't.....yet. The "PB" slime portion may last a few minutes to a few hours, depending on a lot of variables. Papaya does help break down Protein, but I don't think it will help with carbs. My own "first stuck episode" was with triscuits. I thought I was going to die....but a secretary at my Drs office had been banded just a month before me, and helped nurse me through on the phone with good advise. I still can not tolerate triscuits, long a favorite in preBand years. Most often, due to my own 'operator induced eating error' is where getting stuck has occurred. Careful review of others describing this experience leads to a wide range of foods but a fairly short list of eating errors. As part of the educational experience every Bandster needs to learn, I will leave that list to individual research. One point I'd like to make: regardless of postBand time, overeating remains possible whatever name we give it. We Members of the Tribe of Overeaters must train ourselves in whatever discipline it takes to change that behavior. cheers to all in our continuing journey

The biggest problems I have with hard Protein, is the dried/stringy kinds of meat. Also, I have to be VERY careful re-heating in microwave, as a nice piece of steak or chicken (for example) rapidly becomes too altered in some fundamental way, that I can not eat it without PBing, even with cautious tiny nibbles. I don't know what the physical change is, yet it does happen to me. Dry dense protein doesn't work well for me. And I don't eat meat with a lot of lubricating dressings, most of them are far too sweet besides being not actually a food but rather a condiment. Molasses/corn syrup based BBQ sauce tends to make me puke, I was on insulin shots for far too long to enjoy any of that kind of high-carb sugar bomb. Mainly, my desire to eat much in the way of Pasta, pizza etc is pretty much nearly absent. I might eat A piece of pizza once a month, throwing away most of the crust. I can and do eat breads in general....but typically only 1 piece a few times a week. Rice usually isn't a problem if steamed, but again the micro version leads to distress. I can enjoy such as a pasta salad, maybe 3 oz at a time, a few times a month. One continuing issue, that works mostly to my advantage, is to not get TOO hungry in a way that makes me break into eating too rapidly. I can predict a PB episode if I eat too fast. Period. And it is a pure delight to be comfortably satisfied with around 1 cup intake per meal.

Most Bandsters don't seem to have much issue with "too full" their first fill. Discuss with your doctor for his advise. He might do a smaller fill than usual under such circumstance.

re: "How have you dealt with loved ones and birthdays or other celebrations that were historically centered around food?" Notice a subtle shift.....social events even centered around food, NO LONGER require we Members of the Tribe of the Morbidly Obese (MOTMOs) have to continue to OVER eat at such gatherings! If you can not rely on your own changed eating behavior to avoid cake-catastrophe, consider a finely sliced pluot or a small cup of diced Kiwis instead. Delicious, healthy and a new symbol of respect for yourself. Or a small dish of low fat yogurt with fresh OR frozen blueberries! There are times where we are still vulnerable to Old Habits....and there are times when we can find New ways to eat without returning to our Old Dragons of Despair. Cheers on your birthday!