Head hunger? Sleeved 1 week ago.

[PearlsB4Wine]

Hi folks! I had my revision from lap band to VSG with hernia repair on March 18. I'm feeling good and healing well, with the exception of a horrible allergic reaction to the steri strips, but that's another story.
I've been a good monkey, by and large, getting in my fluids and my protein. The trouble I'm having is this: at this stage, I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is true hunger, or head hunger. I get tummy rumbles first thing in the morning that disapate after I've gotten something in there, be it water or a shake. The hunger comes off and on throughout the day, but it's something I can ignore, which I couldn't do prior to surgery. Any tips for distinguishing between actual hunger and head hunger? I'm hoping it gets better once I can eat solid food.

 

[Clematis]

My stomach growled loudly non-stop for several weeks post-op. Part of this is b/c I was on clear and then liquids so only about 300 calories a day for the first 20 days, but most of the growling was just what a new sleeve does. I'd try to ignore it this early out.

Sorry about the steri strips. That can be painful. I had trouble with the tape they placed over my eyelids and used to tape the intubation tube in my mouth during surgery. They removed my skin when they removed it and I was a bloody mess, then covered in series of ugly brown scabs.

 

[Clematis]

Oh and congratulations on your new sleeve!

 

[DSRIGGS]

I honestly don't know how VSG folks do it. Restriction alone doesn't work for me as even with a sleeve I can eat a lot and I am hungry 30 minutes after eating.

 

[southernlady]

The line they give you is that they are cutting away the gherlin http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Ghrelin.aspx when they make the sleeve...BULLSHIT!!! While they did cut away a fair amount, you still have some left. They can't cut it ALL out.

But @PearlsB4Wine at this point, your brain is actually getting false signals cause the nerve endings in your sleeve were cut and have to heal. Just stay hydrated and on plan. If it eases when you get something in you, sip all day long, Which you should be doing anyway.

Sorry about the Steri-strips. I am very allergic to all tape, even paper tape. So I feel for you.

 

[aaa]

Regarding the steri-strips reaction. Have you gotten anything for it? I developed contact dermatitis after my gb was removed. It was worse than any surgery I've ever had. Thankfully, this saved me: Prednicarbate Ointment 0.1%.

 

[CaraOC]

The line they give you is that they are cutting away the gherlin http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Ghrelin.aspx when they make the sleeve...BULLSHIT!!! While they did cut away a fair amount, you still have some left. They can't cut it ALL out.

But @PearlsB4Wine at this point, your brain is actually getting false signals cause the nerve endings in your sleeve were cut and have to heal. Just stay hydrated and on plan. If it eases when you get something in you, sip all day long, Which you should be doing anyway.

Sorry about the Steri-strips. I am very allergic to all tape, even paper tape. So I feel for you.

I'm sorry you have this problem with tape. In the premature baby world this issue is huge. There is a new line of products that we now use and are having amazing results with. Let me know should you have any medical interventions planned and I'll send you some. If it's gentle enough to not irritate 1lb babies you should do okay

 

[southernlady]

I'm sorry you have this problem with tape. In the premature baby world this issue is huge. There is a new line of products that we now use and are having amazing results with. Let me know should you have any medical interventions planned and I'll send you some. If it's gentle enough to not irritate 1lb babies you should do okay

I will...none planned as of now. Most of the time, they use the stretchy stuff that sticks to itself NOT to me.
http://bariatricfacts.org/threads/i-will-shortly-be-getting-very-loaded.2090/page-2#post-30436

 

[hilary1617]

I'm sorry you have this problem with tape. In the premature baby world this issue is huge. There is a new line of products that we now use and are having amazing results with. Let me know should you have any medical interventions planned and I'll send you some. If it's gentle enough to not irritate 1lb babies you should do okay

Hi CaraOC, Do you know the brand? I'd love to get some for personal use instead of bandaids and to bring for IVs and blood draws.

 

[CaraOC]

Hi CaraOC, Do you know the brand? I'd love to get some for personal use instead of bandaids and to bring for IVs and blood draws.

I don't believe it's available to purchase. Not sure of the brand. It's weird. I'll look and post it at work. Not something we use for IVs though.

 

[Jo777]

Hi folks! I had my revision from lap band to VSG with hernia repair on March 18. I'm feeling good and healing well, with the exception of a horrible allergic reaction to the steri strips, but that's another story.
I've been a good monkey, by and large, getting in my fluids and my protein. The trouble I'm having is this: at this stage, I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is true hunger, or head hunger. I get tummy rumbles first thing in the morning that disapate after I've gotten something in there, be it water or a shake. The hunger comes off and on throughout the day, but it's something I can ignore, which I couldn't do prior to surgery. Any tips for distinguishing between actual hunger and head hunger? I'm hoping it gets better once I can eat solid food.

I can't tell you which is which.. there's all sorts of things people say "if you are wanting x, y, z then it's head hunger.. I don't necessarily agree with that, sometimes I'm actually hungry and XY or Z sounds really good! You are really early out and not really eating much of anything, and not likely much really solid to boot? You may likely be actually hungry. When I was 2 wks post-op I was just progressing to cottage-cheese.. 1oz of which was a full meal.. so yeah, between 5 mini-meals and a couple protein shakes.. my body maybe got 600 cals at the most. Trust me, it increases and you get to eat like an adult again, (eventually.) My stomach also sounded like a special-effects soundtrack for months.. squeeks, rumblings, sonar calls.. that wasn't related to hunger one bit in my case.

I didn't and still don't feel real true physical hunger unless I've went 5-6+ hrs between meals. Sometimes I go significantly longer, but usually not. I typically always eat when I'm hungry (and often when I'm not ) If I eat higher carb as I have been these last couple years, I do wake up with true hunger but I also get it at appropriate times... I have been on a PPI for many years before surgery, and am on the same dose post-op. Not sure if that makes a diff or not, some say it does? It only takes me a sec to check in with myself and figure out if I'm actually physically hungry or not, but that may be something that you won't be able to distinguish until you are fully healed, and not eating a super-low cal intake.. atm, you are making your body burn your fat, so yeah, chances are pretty good you may feel true hunger. For me, focusing on protein, with fat coming in second, and everything else a distant, distant third.. made any hunger and cravings go away (one of the benefits of keto, basically) until I lost it all.