Most of my life has revolved around my weight problem, starting from when I was in pre-school in the 1960s. Obesity has played a role in all of my life issues. Now, finally, all the pieces are in place for me to have bariatric surgery. I am scheduled for a Roux en Y on April 17. I am struggling with these issues - can you answer these questions, please? Thanks!!

Will I feel hungry after surgery?

What will recovery be like? How much pain?

What about head hunger and anxiety?

My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace?

Will I experience hunger, ever?

Will I enjoy food, ever?

Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever?

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?

Will I feel full enough to be satisfied?

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally?

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again?

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery?

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily?

Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?
How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary?

 

Will I feel hungry after surgery?
I didn't, but everyone is different.

What will recovery be like? How much pain?
I only had discomfort when trying to stand up straight....again, everyone is different.

What about head hunger and anxiety?

Head hunger reared it's ugly head about 5-6 months out. I think for most this is "our" problem and if we don't learn copping techniques then it will be our same life long battle.

My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace?

Will I experience hunger, ever?
I am rarely hungry but the head hunger is a *****!

Will I enjoy food, ever?

I don't enjoy food like I used to. For me, there isn't much pleasure in eating something yummy and only getting a few bites of it.

Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever?
You will learn to eat when it's time, not because your hungry.

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?

If you eat too much you will most likely vomit it up.
I eat the measured amounts recommended and stop at that. I don't eat until full ( I have though and like i said, I vomited._.

Will I feel full enough to be satisfied?
Everything changes after surgery.

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally?

Nothing! It is what it is and there is nothing we can do to help the damage we have done to our bodies from years of abuse. Plastics is about it. sad but true.

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again?

Again, you will most likely vomit if your lucky...lol If not you will have nausea and or a horrible pain in your chest then you will have wished you could vomit to make it go away.

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery?

They don't operate on your brain, just your stomach.

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily?

You should NEVER eat and drink at the same time. This is life long.

Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?
How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary?

You can eat whatever you want, it is your choice to make good or bad decisions. This is the hard part. This is not a fix to our issues with food. Having surgery will not stop you from grabbing for the sweet/ fried foods. You have to make those decisions yourself.

Hope this helped some. =) Good luck on your journey!

Will I feel hungry after surgery?
I AM ONLY 4 DAYS POST-OP AND i HAVENT YET FELT HUNGRY, BUT AGAIN I AM ONLY 4 DAYS OUT
What will recovery be like? How much pain?
MY RECOVERY HASNT BEEN TOO BAD. i HAVE EXPERIENCED GAS BUBBLES WHICH THEY SAY IS NORMAL FROM THE GAST THEY USE TO BLOW UP YOUR STOMACH TO SEE BETTER. MY PAIN IS PRETTY MINIMAL, MAINLY WHEN STANDING UP STRAIGHT OR TRYING TO LAY ON MY LEFT SIDE WHICH SEEMS TO BE WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE GAS IS STILL SITTING.
What about head hunger and anxiety?
I HAVENT HAD HEAD HUNGER BUT I THINK ITS SIMPLY CAUSE I KNOW I CANT HAVE IT AND THAT IF I DO ITS GOING TO MAKE ME SICK! IT WAS HARD YESTERDAY SMELLING SUBWAY THAT MY DAUGHTER AND HUSBAND HAD FOR DINNER. THEY STILL HAVE TO EAT SO THAT DOESNT UPSET ME THE SMELL WAS INCREDIBLE THOUGH.
My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace?
I CANNOT ANSWER THIS ONE DIDNT GO THROUGH IT PERSONALLY
Will I experience hunger, ever?
I HAVE BEEN TOLD YOU DO EVENTUALLY THROUGH TIME EXPERIENCE HUNGER ESPECIALLY IF YOU GET OFF TRACK AND STOP YOUR VITAMINS AND PROTEIN SHAKES AND ARENT EATING REGUALRLY
Will I enjoy food, ever?
I BELIEVE WE WILL ENJOY FOOD AND IT WILL BE MORE FULFILLING TO US CAUSE WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR TIME TO ENJOY THE TASTES AND FLAVORS OVER JUST THAT INITIAL BITE AND TASTE THEN JUST TAKING THE REST IN AND FILLING OUR STOMACHS AS FAST AS WE CAN
Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever?

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CONSTANTLY BE MEASURING YOUR FOOD. WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PREVENT THE DUMPING SYNDROME.
Will I feel full enough to be satisfied?

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally?
SHRINKING ALL THE SKIN MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE BUT MY PLAN IS TO STAY ACTIVE AND EXERCISE TO TONE UP YOUR SELF AS WELL AND HELP LOSE MORE WEIGHT.
Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again?

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery?
THE FIRST NIGHT I WAS HOME I CRIED CAUSE I COULDNT GET COMFORTABLE AND THATS TYPICALLY NOT ME.....COULD IT JUST BEEN FUSTRATION OR EMOTIONS IM UNSURE
Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily?
FROM MY NUTRITION CLASSES AND CONSULTATIONS WITH THE DOCTORS AND NURSES I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION YOU ARE TO ALWAYS STOP DRINKING 1/2 HOUR BEFORE YOU EAT. YOU NEED TO ABSORB ALL YOUR PROTEIN FIRST AND WATER RESTICTS THAT BY MAKING YOU FEEL FULL WITHOUT ALL YOUR PROTEIN ABSORPTION.
Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?
How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary?
NOT THAT I SUGGEST THIS BUT I DID READ SOMETHING ABOUT A 3 BITE RULE THAT IF YOU JUST ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING YOUA RE TO TAKE NO MORE THAN 3 BITES FROM IT AND BE SATISFIED. I CAN UNDERSTAND WANTING SWEET CAUSE CHEESECAKE IS A TERRIBLE PROBLEM FOR ME. TAKING YOUR TIME IS VERY IMPORTANT SO THAT YOU ARE MAKING SURE YOU DONT GET ANYTHING STUCK. YOUR STOMACH IS SMALL AND JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF CHICKEN THAT ISNT CHEWED TOO WELL CAN REALLY HURT YOU AND MAKE YOU SICK.

 I can only answer these from MY experience (NOW 8+ YEARS), which was with the Lapband, but I think a lot of WLS experiences are the same . . .

Will I feel hungry after surgery? 
Of course. If you don't eat, eventually you will feel hungry.

What about head hunger and anxiety? 
This a tough one. You will have to learn the difference between actual physical hunger and head hunger.

My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace? 
If food has always been your "go-to guy" for stress and emotional issues, it probably still will be.

Will I experience hunger, ever? 
Yep. Like I said - if you neglect to eat, you WILL feel hungry.

Will I enjoy food, ever? 
Unless something is drastically wrong, yes!

Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever? 
You may find that you won't have a "time to eat" anymore. If your family eats dinner at 6 and you're not hungry at 6, you don't eat at 6.

Will I feel full enough to be satisfied? 
You should be. You will need to learn to recognize the satiety signs.

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally? 
Depending on your age, level of obesity, etc. there may be little that you can do for skin sag. It is doubtful that your skin will ever reach what cold be called a "normal" appearance. Once it's stretched out, it cannot get back to normal.

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery? 
*I* didn't.  In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily? 
When I reached maintenance level, it was not such a big deal to drink while eating, But while in the losing stage, it is a really good habit to follow!

 

Will I feel hungry after surgery?   Not really.  Never  the uncontrollable , ravenous , wolf-like hunger of pre op . What will recovery be like? How much pain?  Surgery's  like being hit with a mack truck .  A day later Ure walking ,  going to the bathroom normally on Ur own , starving for food , kvteching w Ur visitors and walking walking  walking .   Also showering independently  , gossipping with Ur roomates etc...  What about head hunger and anxiety? Ecch head hungers a ***** .  Most of us have cravings , regrets ( seesawing with happiness and elation )  , tears , and anxiety post op .  It all  goes away after six weeks or so .  THEN there is the heavenly  honeymoon period of descending sizes lol My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace?  You will find a new life .  Scratch most post WLS  people - their main regret is not doing it SOONER .   its kind of like heroin addiction  - 3 days of hellish withdrawal  , 6weeks or so of MENTAL cravings and withdrawal  ,  getting Ur butt kicked when U DO succumb by Ur suregry  ... and eventually LEARNING to cope other , healthier ways .   Will I experience hunger, ever?  of course  Will I enjoy food, ever? of course lol Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever? of course lol How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?   who CARES !!  your  life will finally be about more than food!!  Will I feel full enough to be satisfied? YES! What can I do to help the skin shrink normally?  Exercise  daily , sweat out toxins , expose Ur skin tothe sun and use 2 %  salicylic acid scrub every time U wash . Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again? NO  Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery? yes but in a good way .  I think it accelerates personal growth .  I think most of our lives are FAR improved . Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily? drink forst then eat .   Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?   I  dump and i hate sweets now .  How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary?  yep U CAN eat fast like a pig if U like .  Then U end up sitting twiddling Ur thumbs  while everyone eats around u . Ure going to want to eat slow  and chew a lot ...  it helps U fit in and  helps U feel full and get all the nutrition out of the food .  After a year you wont even REMEMBER the way U used to eat .                ((()))))) good luck Hun
Message:		Yo

 Will I feel hungry after surgery? 
It will be five years in October and I have never once been hungry since surgery.

What will recovery be like? How much pain? 
I had a little pain and just used the pain pump the first day.  When I came home there was a sore spot on my left side for a few weeks.  That is the largest incision where they put the stapler.

 

What about head hunger and anxiety? 
I always found a substitute that was healthy.  For example, I have a Gelato, Jr ice cream maker with a built in compressor.  It takes 20 minutes to turn my 8 ounce protein drink into two big bowls of ice cream.  I learned a lot of Muffin in a Minute recipes.  They can be made into almost any muffin, cake or pastry taste.

My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace? 
Knowing that I had a tool that could help me lose all the weight and keep it off really helped.  I also found support from my local group, from a psychologist, and from the online boards.  Whenever I craved food, I always found an excellent substitute that I could eat.

Will I experience hunger, ever? 
Some people say that they do.  I never have.

Will I enjoy food, ever? 
I really enjoy food much more than before.  Have you ever heard that people enjoy sex more when they can no longer have a baby?  I enjoy food now and know that I can eat it and never have to be fat again. 

Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever? 
I still enjoy my meals.  I have no hunger, but like the taste of food and the pleasure of sharing a meal with others.

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full? 

I have learned the amount that I can eat.  If I eat too much I get hiccups, or sneeze, or a runny nose.  Those are all signs that I need to put the fork down.  If I eat past my warning sign, I will probably vomit.

Will I feel full enough to be satisfied? 
I never feel satisfied or unsatisfied.  I just enjoy a meal and stop when my pouch is full. 

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally? 
I started on exfoliaters and cellulite removal creams immediately.  I did a lot of weight lifting machines at the gym.  I do water aerobics several times a week.  I spend a lot of time walking and also do line dancing.  I was 59 when I had surgery.  I do not have loose skin.  By building a lot of muscle under the skin, my skin looks much smoother and firmer than the skin of many younger women who have never been obese.  People told me I was wasting my time and money and that sagging skin could not be prevented.  I am glad that I did not listen.

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again? 
You learn to eat at the pace that you can handle.  If you go too fast you vomit and quickly learn that is not pleasant.

Do you become more emotionally vulnerable after Bariatric surgery? 
Before surgery we were asked to read a book, The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery by Cynthia L. Alexander.   We also had to attend a workshop on emotional issues after surgery.  Often a meek person becomes assertive after losing their weight. Many people end up divorced, have affairs, start gambling, drinking or take up other addictive behaviors.  Emotional eating does not go away.  I found myself needing help at different times.  There is help available.  Ask your surgeon for suggestions if you need help.

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily? 
I eat personally do not follow that rule.

Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)? 

I get most of my sweet fix from things that are good for me, like Quest Protein bars.  I do eat regular sweets but very little as they just don’t appeal to me that much anymore.  I do not dump.

How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary? 
It is strange sometimes to be eating so much less and so much more slowly than others.  Very few people know about my surgery and think I am just a picky eater.  I get doggy bags and have two more meals at home from any restaurant meal.

Every one is different.  Here are my answers....

Will I feel hungry after surgery?  I did not feel hunger....I would sometimes get weak and shakey if I forgot to eat.

What will recovery be like? How much pain?  I had a good deal of pain on the left side....I also had to return to work 8 days after surgery (long story).   Eating took a long time to figure out and I "got stuck" a lot.  
 
What about head hunger and anxiety? I did some mourning about loosing my ability to "self medicate" with food.  My personality type is to deal with what is and move on....so I did.

My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this? It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace?   Everyone is different....you will have to find your own way on this one!

Will I experience hunger, ever? I don't expereince hunger like I did.  Instead I feel hollow....I don't always recognize the feeling and then I eventually get dizzy and shakey. 

Will I enjoy food, ever?  I have a complicated relationaship with food now.  My stomach is very picky and many foods just plain hurt.  I don't get pleasure from eating.  I seem to be in the minority though on this one.

Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever?  Everyone is different...see above!

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?  I hurt and then puke....so I stop long before that.  I weigh and measure almost everything becuase my "full-meter" no longers works.

Will I feel full enough to be satisfied?  I do 

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally? Nothing  :)

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again?   Hard to tell....I don't have that

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery?   Some people do....I don't tend to approach problems like that so I was ok

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily?  You can....but you should not as that is one of the quickest ways to regain weight....your choice!

Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?  I have a reaction (some call it dumping) that is quite unpleasant if I eat sweets.  I have found that one bite of something sweet won't cause that but most often I just don't have sweets as the carbs are just a trigger that causes cravings!

 
How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary?
I guess I never took that long to eat a meal.


Good Luck!!!  

I chose a different surgery, the Duodenal Switch (DS). Since I think it's important to research ALL forms of WLs before choosing one, I'm going to answer your questions from my perspective, as an 8-year post-op DSer.

Hungry after surgry? Yes, but in a completely different way than I did pre-op. Pre-op, I was ALWAYS hungry. There was no such thing as getting full and satisfied---my satiety mechanism was broken, or non-existant. My DS fixed that---now I have what I think must be 'normal' hunger. I get hungry 3-4 timies a day, I eat a small, 'normal' amount, and am full and satisfied for a few hours. Then I do the same thing again. (*grin*)

Recovery---wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected---and I had my DS done 'open', rather than lap. I was able to go shopping about ten days post-op, but I got tired quickly. Once I got home, the only pain meds I had was one Aleve a day, and I was taking that more for my arthritis than for my surgical pain. (Please note: with a DS, NSAIDs are okay. They are NOT okay after the RNY.)

I really didn't have any head hunger---possibly for the first time in my LIFE. See what I said above about finally having 'normal' hunger. My biggest problem was the first two weeks, on the pureed stage. I wanted to CHEW something SO bad!

You may think you're permanently filling in with concrete the ability to self-medicate yourself with food---but over time, you will once again be able to eat far more food than you actually need. Surgery can't fix this---I suggest counseling. It's nothing to be ashamed of, and you'd be surprised how many people are in therapy---and I don't just mean with food issues.

Some people swear they never experience hunger after WLS. I have the occassional day when I'm not hungry---and those days SUCK. Why? Because whethr I feel like eating or not, it's something I have to do. My new anatomy requires regular feeding, and my stomach doesn't tolerate the pills I take for times a day if it doesn't have some food to go along with them. Eating without appetite is---sort of disgusting.

I've enjoyed food from the moment I was cleared to eat it.

See above---I get hungry at the appropriate times.

I know when to stop eating because my new stomach actually gets full and sends the appropriate signals to my brain. I simply don't know what happens to a pouch, though. (I really like having a much smaller but still fully-functional STOMACH.)

Satisfied? I am, but again, I don't have a pouch.

There's nothing you can do to affect how your skin shrinks. It shrinks "normally" on its own---but that doesn't mean that it will shrink as much as you want it to. This is out of your control. So many factors play a part---your age, your genetics, how long you've been fat, whether you've previously lost and regained, whether you've ever been a smoker or a drinker,etc. Just relax and let go of this one---what happens, happens. If you think you'll have more excess skin than you can be happy with, start saving for plastics.

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again? Some people do, some don't. YMMV.

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery?  I didn't, but from reading here, I can say with certainty that some people do. We store hormones in our fat, and as that fat breaks down, those hormones get dumped back into our bloodstream. Same thing happens when we lose weight "the old-fashioned way", but after WLS it's happening VERY FAST.

With the RNY's pouc-and-stoma combo, you're not supposed to EVER eat and drink at the same time. That said, I know some people do---and some people say this leads to regain. Again, I have a fully-functional stomach, complete with pylorus, and I do eat and drink at the same time. Early out, I drank very little with my meals, because it made me gt full too fast and I couldn't eat all the protin I needed. Now, eating enough protein isn't an issue, and I drink normally with meals.

Sweets? Some people with the RNY dump---about 30% of them. Some people dump unpredictably. Eating sweets after the RNY seems to be a slippery slope. One of the real-life RNYers I know figured out she could eat one cookie NOW, and another cookie in an hour, and another cookie an hour after that---and she now weighs mor than she did when she had her RNY 9 years ago.

I eat sweets, in moderation. Pre-op, there was no moderationfor me when it came to sweets. Surgery changed my tastes a bit, and while I still like sweets, they no longer call my name like they did pre-op. I can actually keep a bag of candy in the house for weeks at a time.

Can't advise you on the chewing, etc. because with the DS, I eat just like I always did. No stoma, no need to chew my food to mush.

Please, research ALL forms of WLS before you go under the knife. Look at the DS, the VSG, and the RNY, and be certain you're choosing a WLS you can live happily with FOREVER. It's not impossible to get a do-over, but it's damned risky.

I am 7 weeks out of my VSG surgery.  As I’m sure people have told you, everyone is different and we all respond to surgery slightly differently. Therefore, I will give you my experiences.  I also blog about my WLS journey at http://jfabulous43.wordpress.com/.  You may want to check it out to get some insight into the psychological issues.   

Will I feel hungry after surgery? 
I tend to get hungry about every 3 – 4 hours. 
  What will recovery be like? How much pain?  I spent 2 nights in the hospital and was comfortable until I tried to move.  Because of my sleep apnea my doctor did not give me any pain medication after surgery.  To be honest, I was able to manage just fine without it.  The great thing is that each and every day I felt better.  In fact, my surgeon told me that if I did not wake up feeling better than the day before that I should call him.  The gas pains were the worst and it took about 6 days for those to go away. I wrote a lot more about it in my blog.
  What about head hunger and anxiety?  If you read my blog you will find that I am constantly battling head hunger. I was a compulsive eater before surgery.  One way I try to control it is by not eating anything between my meals.  So even if I get head hunger or want to eat, I tell myself that I can’t eat because it is not time.  I eat four times a day.   The other thing that has helped is Edy’s (or Dryer’s) sugar free popsicles.  If I really need something in my mouth, I eat one of those because the cold feels good and it is only 25 calories.  
  My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self-medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace? 
  This is a very common fear and I know I struggled a lot with it prior to surgery.  It is normal around week 2 after surgery to get buyer’s remorse, but it goes away within a few days.  You will be so excited about the weight falling off that it will be worth it.  Try to remember why you are having the surgery and your goals.  The goal of surgery is not to lose weight, rather it is to enjoy a much better life. To be able to walk without getting tired or to lift you children/grandchildren up off the floor.  Try to focus on why you want to lose the weight and always keep that in the forefront of your mind.  

I’d recommend that you not try to numb yourself, but rather deal with the emotions that caused you to gain weight in the first place.  I was able to find a therapist who specializes in bariatric patients and I started seeing her a month before surgery.  I have a way to go, but I am on the road to recovery.  Will you find peace?  Yes, but only if you work very hard at it.  It will not come automatically.  You will need to deal with the demons inside you before you can find peace.  The surgery does not cure our brain, just our tummy.   
  Will I experience hunger, ever?  Ya. You betcha!
  Will I enjoy food, ever?  I love food.  I’m what you call a foodie.  I still enjoy my food a lot but I find that I am making healthier choices.  Yesterday, I went out to lunch and instead of ordering fatty starches, I ordered broccoli as my side item.  The other day, someone bought pizza for the whole office but I had no desire to eat any.  The old me would have eaten half a pie.  I just ate my planned lunch.  But I must tell you that ABSOLUTLY I enjoy my food and I eat whatever I want. 

Will I feel hunger when it’s time to eat, ever?  I would really not worry about this.  You will be fine. 
  How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?  In the beginning, while you are on liquids and pureed foods, you may not feel full.  I know I didn’t and I was worried that I might be eating too much.  The surgeon told me to not worry about it because I would feel full after I started eating solids.  The best answer to this question is to eat as much (and no more) than what you and your nutritionist have planned out for your meals.  But, we all experiment with our new stomachs, if you do indulge, your body will not like it and you will have some painful consequences.  You won’t overindulge after a few bad experiences. 
  Will I feel full enough to be satisfied?  I did not think that eating just a few bites of something would satisfy my cravings, but it really does.  I feel full and satisfied. 
  What can I do to help the skin shrink normally?  Excercize!
  Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again?  The one thing I am still learning is how to eat slowly and chew my food.  Sometimes I forget that I had the surgery and chug a bottle of water.  I very promptly vomit and am reminded that I can’t do that.  If you try to scarf down food, you will be uncomfortable and you will learn to slow it down.
  Do you become more emotionally vulnerable after Bariatric surgery?  I’m trying to deal with my emotional issues by seeing my therapist and writing in my blog. 
  Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily?  According to everything I have heard and read, this is a lifelong thing.  I will admit that of all the lifestyle changes I have had to make due to surgery, this one has been the hardest.  I really recommend learning how to chew, eat slowly, and not drink with meals prior to surgery.  It will help you adjust a lot easier. 
  Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?  I’ve never been a sweets/desert eater.  My issue was/is with carbs.  But yes, you should be able to eat sweets. I ate a Hershey’s Kiss the other day. 
  How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary?  It is only awkward if you make it awkward in your mind.  I know this is hard to do at first, but don’t be self-conscious and don’t worry about what others think. Typically, if you are eating with others, there will be some talking and the meal will last over 20 minutes.   

Everyone is different.  No ONE can tell you what it will be like for you, but i will give you answers that happened to me...

Will I feel hungry after surgery?
~Not for the first few months.

What will recovery be like? How much pain?
~I've had MANY surgeries, so this wasn't much worse than any other...lol

What about head hunger and anxiety?
Eventually...and it terrible :( 


Will I experience hunger, ever?
yes

Will I enjoy food, ever?
yes


Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever?
~yes

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?
I got full very easily in the beginning.

Will I feel full enough to be satisfied?
yes

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally?
No clue...just exerceise fromthe start.

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again?
I have.

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery?
VERY

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily?
Yes, you will, but don't ever start, as it is a bad habit to quit. 

Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?
I have some.
 
Also, look into transfer addictions, as they never tell you about this before surgery...

http://fordgrl73180.bodybyvi.com/

"Do you become more emotionally vulnerable after Bariatric surgery?"

Oh my goodness. Absolutely in my case. Check my OH blog (I just had RNY 2/28/12). But it's been a good thing in many ways.

I agree with Diane C. My first night home from the hospital I was in pain from the gas & just could not get comfortable. I was thisclose to crying. (again read my blog on here)

"My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this? It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace?"

I have to tell you: Our eating was not just for the stomach, it was for our brains (meaning emotional eating, food addiction, etc.). So the surgery absolutely affects your whole self, your whole body, including of course your brain & psyche.

Have you found a counselor (psychologist, licensed clinical social worker LCSW, etc.)? Please, do the best thing you could possibly do for yourself: GET INTO COUNSELING NOW. I started 3 weeks before my surgery. It was the BEST thing I've ever done (RNY is second).

As people who eat for psychological reasons, we MUST get help to find out why we overeat, or the WLS surgery won't change the underlying cause for being overweight. I'm going to go to an Overeaters Anonymous meeting near me, in addition to seeing my LCSW once a week. OA is free (they do pass the basket for voluntary contributions though). I'm a recovering alcoholic (25+ years) so I'm familiar with twelve-step programs & I KNOW THEY WORK.

"Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?"

I have no craving whatsoever for sweets. I loved dessert before my surgery. I was never a chocoholic, but I'd have a bite or two every couple of weeks or so. Anything with chocolate in it has repelled me since my surgery! Who knew?

We on OH are here for you! Remember, FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Best wishes! Be FEARLESS!

 It doesn't matter what procedure you're getting, this will give you a good idea what to expect after wls in general -- it's my own personal account after my open DS

Will I feel hungry after surgery? I did not right away.  It was probably 6 months before I did.  But I also get full really fast as well.

What will recovery be like? How much pain? I  did not have much pain.  I only took pain meds for 3 or 4 days after going home and never all I could have had.  Maybe once a day or after I was out and walked too much.

What about head hunger and anxiety? I did not have head hunger for a while.  Probably about 6 months.  But I also find it easier to con troll since surgery.

My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this? It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace?  I would utilize the psychologist in your bariatric center if they have one or find one who specializes in eating disorders.  I did  4 weeks of group counseling with ours on binge eating.  I decided that I would use her again if I felt the need.

Will I experience hunger, ever? I do.  If I haven't eaten in 3 - 4 hours I will feel hungry.  This did not start until about 6 months post op

Will I enjoy food, ever? I do enjoy food but not the same as before and not the same things.  There are foods that I thought I would never be able to give up, like bread.  But bread, potatoes, pasta just does not sit well in my pouch.  Therefore my interest in eating them has diminished. 

Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever? Probably if you haven't eaten in the last 1  to 1 1/2 hours you will probably be fine.

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full?
In the beginning you need to measure your food and stop even if you don't feel full otherwise it may come back up.  If you feel full before you finish  STOP.  I learned to stop as soon as I felt full because even one bite could put me over the edge.  I have seen some say they hiccup and then know they are full.  If I hiccup it is already too late.  So I learned to stop before that point.

Will I feel full enough to be satisfied? For me,  yes.  I would go out to eat then open the refrigerator as soon as I got home even though I wasn't hungry.  I don't do that any more.  It takes less to be satisfied and I don't have the urge to eat when I'm not hungry as much  any more.  And it is easier to control.

What can I do to help the skin s
shrink normally? PRAY!  Since you were a small girl in the 1960s I am guessing you are close to my age (53),  It's not pretty.  But most can be covered with clothes. 

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again? I have not experienced that.

Do you become more emotionally vulnerable after Bariatric surgery? I do not feel this way.  If anything,  I am less emotional.

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily? This is permanent.  Otherwise liquid will push the food through your pouch quickly allowing you to eat more or get hungry sooner.

Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)? Everyone's threshold for sugars, carbs, fats is different.  I suggest you not test the waters for as long as possible.  If you don't dump then you are more likely to give in to these items and it can slow or stop your loss.

How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary? Not awkward.  You should always chew your food well.  I think a lot of my problem was I inhaled food and never chewed it much.  It''s not temporary but I think it becomes automatic.  If something comes back up because it was not chewed well it becomes a valuable lesson on chewing.

Thanks to all *****plied. I really appreciate the time and effort!!

what i'd like to say is , I suffer from anxiety real bad, pre op and post op ..more so P O ...wls made me have regrets of  having wls, the stress afterwards is unbearable too much of the time almost daily, so that in mind stress kills if you didnt already know that.

Thanks for writingt.  Do you still regret having WLS?  How did/do you end up managing the anxiety?  I would think a little ativan would help.

Will I feel hungry after surgery? You may not have hunger pains. Many of us eat by the clock. When food isn't your main focus it's amazing how busy you get and forget to eat. We get shaky and need protein if we go too long before meals. We don't "growl" or have that constant hunger we did before surgery. for me I haven't been physically hungry since surgery. Head hunger is another story. It's real, we think it's hunger but it's in our head. We eat on a schedule now with a predetermined menu. It's easier and you won't crave food forever.

What will recovery be like? How much pain? My recovery after open RNY was about 5 -7 days. I was driving on day 4 to support group and except like feeling like I had done a million sit ups,
I was fine. (No pain meds after leaving the hopsital so I was ok to drive), Recovery was quick, ok'd for workouts at 5-6 weeks post op. Not much pain at all - uncomfortable not pain.

What about head hunger and anxiety? Head hunger is there. We have to ask ourselves when we think we're hungry why we want to eat. Is it time to or are we just bored and it's habit to eat when we have nothing else to do. For me meals are every 3-4 hours apart and except for a protein snack here and there I only eat when it's meal time - head hunger is just that.

My innocence and naïveté about eating are lost. I am giving up the ability to self medicate. I am now permanently filling in with concrete the hole in which I have buried my head and my problems. Will I regret this?  It will be hard to numb myself. Where will I find peace? Only you know if you'll regret this. Many of us are so ready to lose weight and feel better we'll do anything to get there. It's very smart that you see that you're self medicating. Find another outlet. Hobby, support group, work, volunteer, go out with friends. Stay busy. Don't hang out in the living room with the food channel on and skip checking out the refridgerator contents. Get help for your problems before and after surgery. A good therapist is worth their weight in gold. Address the
issues you have now with eating and food - it won't get any easier later. But it is so worth it. And you will find peace. For me not having food be the be all and end all of my existance was like having an addiction on my shoulders and having that removed. It felt so freeing.

Will I experience hunger, ever? You might. Most don't. I get shaky or know it's meal time by the clock. There is no dying of hunger feeling. Our relationship with food changes from needing to eat to needing nutrition. I know you won't believe this cause I didn't either but food isn't on you mind all the time post op like it is pre op. I planned out lunch at breakfast, snack while I was eating a meal, figuring what I was going to eat when I got home, etc. Now food is good, it's nutrition but it's not the only think I think about. I eat when I have to and I eat what I need to. It's
weird but it does happen and I never thought it would.

Will I enjoy food, ever? I loved food before and I love it now. It's just different. I get excited about a fresh cheese stick - not a whole cheese cake. I enjoy good food, better quality food now. I don't spend a ton on junk food so I have more money to spend on quality good steaks, seafood, fish,
restaurants, etc. When you go out to eat with friends you'll find they actually TALK during the meal and you will too. Not filling up a plate and putting so much focus on food makes the company more enjoyable.

Will I feel hunger when it's time to eat, ever? I see you're worried about hunger alot. You won't die of hunger or starvation. You won't pass out - you will feel like you need some nutrition, you may get shaky and realize it's time to eat, you may look at the clock or go on lunch break at work and realize it's time for a meal. You'll feel after 3 or 4 hours that you need to re energize and a meal will do that.

How will I know when to stop eating? In the beginning, will I feel full after eating? How full? Borderline full (that never stopped me from continuing to eat, before), or is it like gorging after a buffet-full? You can't over eat now in the beginning. It will hurt. Your doc will tell you but I was on 3 tablespoons of food my first meals and was stuffed. NEVER over fill your pouch. when you get that feeling that you're full put the fork down. Not another bite or you'll be sorry. THe pain is horrible and overfilling on a regular basis will wreck any success you've had so far. Teach yourself what full feels like. I still eat a cup of food per meal or a bit more and I'm 10 yrs out.
Will I feel full enough to be satisfied? It's amazing!!!! You feel full, satisfied and the self esteem soars when you realize you can say no to too much food, and walk away from a plate with food still on it. Realizing you only need a small amount to survive and not a whole plate to feel good is key. Moderation in everything works for us and we feel satisfied with the food and our new lifestyles.

What can I do to help the skin shrink normally?Lots of water and lots of exercise. Hydrated skin shrinks back better than dry skin. Exercise helps the muscle under the skin make it look more filled out. Lose slowly - love the plateaus. They give your skin time to shrink back.  

Will I have the starving urge to scarf down the little food I can eat and have uncontrollable hunger ever again? You won't scarf food. You'll eat what you need in a long time period. Stretching out meals makes our brain think we've eaten more. You can eat your 3 tablespoons (or whatever) in
a couple minutes or stretch it out to help you in the long run. and you won't have hunger when you've eaten only a small amount. It's all that fits and you'll learn later it's all we need.

Do you become more emotionally vulnerableafter Bariatric surgery? No. I think it's the other way around. You become self confident-you're changing your life and lifestyle all on your own. YOu're achieving your goals and not being so self conscious. We become outspoken, we have the self confidence to stand up for ourselves and for many of us we finally realize "we're worth it" and we're not afraid to say it.

Will I be unable to eat and drink at the same time forever, or just temporarily? You never eat and drink at the same time - ever. Most of my friends who have regained weight say it all started when they were able to eat and drink again. You can do it but it's the sure fire way to sabatage your success. It's not hard to not do with a little practice. Now I don't even think about it.

Will I ever be able to eat sweets, if I want them (this is not my weakness, although I have many)?
 I love chocolate and still eat it. Again moderation is the key. Most post ops don't dump on sweets so it's not an issue, If you want ONE or a few bites have them. If you can't stop at just one then don't even try. If you can do it ino moderation there's no reason not to have a treat every once in a while.

How awkward is it to chew slowly and take 20 minutes for tiny meals? Is this just temporary? 
It's not awkward to chew alot. If you get something that hasn't been chewed well stuck you'll never do it again. Chewing takes time and makes the meal last longer. It's a way to trick our brain into thinking we've had more. It works and it's not hard to do. You do this forever - although you don't need things chewed as finely when you're farther out. As a newbie chewing is key.

You'll be fine. This is a fantastic opportunity and decision you're making for yourself, For me it still is the best decision I could have ever made. I still have wow moments 10 yrs after surgery.
Good luck to you - 

Jen 10+ yrs post op RNY

 

Jen, thanks so much for yor reply.

my regrets will never change of having wls...i take more vitamin B12 that helps a little with my anxiety but my anxiety is still very bad...