So I was banded on April 7 th . I had my first fill May 15. I have 2 cc total. I am always hungry. And I feel like I can eat normal portions!! Is this bandster hell !!

Yes. Your band is not filled so the opening(stoma) is wide open. food passes through easily so there's no restriction or stimulation to the vagus nerve. This phase is just like before having the band. For me, until my 3rd fill, I was hungry just like before band but I found I could eat less and feel satisfied for an hour or two. I just ate healthy foods so I didn't gain weight.

Until you get your band adjusted so you feel satisfied for hours, it's just another diet. Good luck.

No, not really. I got the lapband in 4/09 and had it removed 4/13. I had my band filled a 5 most the time I had it. In my experience Bandster hell is when you eat and the food sits on top of your port or gets stuck making you feel like you are choking and often have to vomit the food in your esophagus back out so u can breathe. This happened to me whenever I ate white meat chicken, and most bread. I quickly learned the foods to avoid. Also, it got so uncomfortable sitting and sleeping with my band. I did loose weight but It was too uncomfortable for me to live with. I am scheduled for my gastric sleeve surgery on 6/5, I wish u much luck with your band!

Edited May 30, 201412 yr by MyDreamComeTrue

MyDreamComeTrue is projecting her own version of BH. BH is not getting stuck like she described(food cannot sit on your port). The common definition is as I posted and has been for years.

If food gets stuck in your pouch or esophagus, you need to eat slower and chew much more. There may be some foods that don't agree with your band and you'll learn which ones to avoid. If you follow the rules, stuck episodes are few. You can call them your own Bandster hell but it's not the true definition.

Bandster Hell is the period of time between being banded and getting the fill that gives you satiety for 4+ hours. It went on for 3.5 months for me till I got my 3rd fill.

tmf

@@mca98 2muchfun is right. Bandster Hell that you read/hear about on the boards is not what MyDreamComeTrue is describing in her post which is a bit more of her own personal hell with her band.

In the early stages of being banded before your band is filled to the optimal fill level for you to reach that "green zone" "sweet spot" or basically to feel that sense of being satiated or satisfied with a small portion of food and then not hungry for a least 4 hours between meals you are in what we call Bandster Hell.

Your hungry, you can eat what ever you wish, it all passes easily through the stoma of the band and does not stimulate the band to signal your brain to tell you that you are satisfied with just that small portion hence you eat a bit more then you should but maybe not quite as much as you used to before. With each fill you will notice that this amount changes. You may eat less and less and go for longer and longer amount of time before feeling that "hunger".

You have to take the time to access your hunger as well. Is it actual hunger? or is it head hunger? Is it coming from a true need to eat food or is it coming from a more mental emotional reason? Though this time can be rough and you may not lose the amount of weight you want to lose you have to remember that you are still healing inside and out from major surgery even if you feel awesome! This is the time to work on dismantlement all those old habits and building up new ones. Taking the time to identify your hunger signals and where they come from, what motivates you and what is the reason you reach for certain foods vs healthy foods. Why do you overeat..is it because you can or because you are hungry?

All those things are just questions to ask yourself as you go through the phases to getting your fill level right and learning to live with your band. Once you reach that optimal fill level you will understand yourself and your eating habits and your band better and you will be able to work together to avoid things like getting stuck on foods and eating too large of bites or gulping liquids. We all do it and we all learn the hard way the first time and then don't do it again. The best time to learn and practice those band mechanics is now, so by the time your band is tight enough and at it's optimal level for you there won't be a question of taking too large a bite you will know to chew chew chew and not chug down Water though you might do it once you won't do it again

The good news is that Bandster hell doesn't last long and it's only as painful as you make it.

Best of luck to you!!