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You won't know till you try. I drink vodka cocktails and rum cocktails, but whiskey is my drink of choice. Alcohol does not affect me any different than before surgery....I can still outdrink a football team. But I rarely drink anymore because all those calories are just not worth the teeny buzz I get. So many people talk about how alcohol affects them so strong postop and I was really looking forward to being a lightweight. Bummer for me. I would, however, recommend testing the waters in the safety of your own home. If your sleeve does reject the alcohol or you do get sloppy drunk, you may not want to be in a public venue when it happens!

My guess is that in theory, the carafate will coat the incision line as if it were an ulcer, thus protecting it from the stomach acid and helping it heal. I've just never heard of it used that way. But who knows, you may have a cutting edge surgeon.

See my post above. Carafate does nothing for acid.

Carafate is used to treat ulcers. It forms a protective barrier to help ulcers heal. It is not a PPI or antacid. It does nothing to reduce acid. Not sure why your surgeon has you on it unless you have ulcers or taking other Meds (like steroids or NSAIDS) that put you at risk for an ulcer. You can try taking omeprazole (Prilosec), famotidine, ranitidine, or even just Rolaids or maalox to see if they help,with your hunger. Just don't take them at the same time as your carafate or they won't absorb well.

Double dislike. BTW, thanks for the win, we really needed it!

I've got a cabinet full of tramadol, hydro, oxy, Valium and Xanax. Most of them are long expired, but they probably still work. And I'm getting my gallbladder removed on Wednesday so I'm sure they'll prescribe another big bottle of something. It's probably safe to say I'm not addicted to pain meds. I just never got the appeal....maybe I'm doing it wrong. . Although the Valium and Xanax are nice when I just need to turn myself "off" and get a much needed good night's sleep. But I'm curious...are you drug seeking for yourself or to spike your daughter's beverages? I guess either would work.

Ironically, the one and only person who gave me sh it about surgery is a friend that thinks all surgeries are too drastic. She has uterine polyps and precancerous cervical cells. She bleeds almost every day. But she will not have a hysterectomy. There is no talking sense to her because she is right, everyone else is wrong, and she feels fine.

Like wannaBthinsoon, I have been totally open and honest about my surgery. And while I haven't actually sat down and suggested WLS to anyone or even talked anyone into it, I do know of 3 people that had WLS because of my success. They approached me and I answered any questions they had. One had VSG with my surgeon, one went to a different Mexico surgeon, and one went through their insurance and had bypass in the U.S. I currently have 2 clients asking lots of questions and are considering VSG for themselves. They were thrilled TO hear about a WLS Option that wasn't bypass or lapband. Another friend is looking to revise her band to VSG. My PCP and OB/Gyn have also given my surgeon's info to some of their patients who don't have insurance that covers for WLS. Not sure how many, if any, have gone through with it.

I was planning on excercise and sex to be my transfer addictions but neither really worked out for me As for booze, yes, you will be able to drink again. I treat it like any other carb and indulge in moderation. Personally, I can't tolerate beer or other carbonated drinks at all, but ice cold Apple Crown Royal goes down just fine! Oh yea, and a Bloody Mary counts as a veggie.

No one tried to talk me out of it. Everyone that knows me knows I am a resourceful, intelligent person and they know I make smart decisions. My parents and other family members have been going to Mexico for medical and dental care for years, so they don't have any ignorant, misinformed prejudices. My friends were jealous I got to spend a few sunny days in TJ in the middle of winter. My PCP and OB/Gyn are both so impressed with my experience and outcome that they are now recommending my surgeon to their patients that don't have insurance that covers WLS.

As far as I'm concerned GENEPRO isn't really Protein. There are absolutely no third party studies or analyses that support the manufacturer's claims. There are no unbiased studies that indicate pre and post protein serum levels that would quantify the absorption rate and efficiency. No analysis of individual amino acids to indicate whether it is a complete protein or not. Basically They start out with whey protein, but the molecule is then so altered, it is really no longer a protein molecule. They play around a lot with the hydrogen. It doesn't take much to change what something is when you start adding and removing atoms. For example, the oxygen we breath is made of 2 oxygen molecules. Remove one of them, add two hydrogen molecules and you have Water. Add one more hydrogen and you have hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen, water and hydrogen are not interchangeable even though they differ by just 1-2 molecules. Now let's look at this company's other products....."miracle" weight loss and male enhancement supplements. Not a lot of credibility there. You're better off sticking with "real" protein supplements with decades of scientific proof that they are providing proper nutrition. But be careful not to chug down a high Protein shake in too short of time. Our intestines can only absorb 10-20g of whey protein per hour. Other types of protein are absorbed even slower. Any excesses protein is converted to glucose, so you might as well be drinking sugar water.

1. How long did you go before having your first drink? 4 months 2. Have you had any MEDICAL complications with your surgery that were attributed to drinking alcohol? No....but if I drink too much or several days in a row I get a bit of heartburn/gastritis. Same thing happens with coffee. 3. Have you gained back significant weight from drinking alcohol? No 4. Have you developed an alcohol addiction post VSG after having been able to control your drinking before? No. In fact I control my drinking MUCH better than before surgery. I WAS an alcoholic...drank every single day and got plastered every weekend. Now I might have a drink 2-3 times/month.

Yes, I would definitely discuss your lack of restriction with your surgeon. Or better yet, get a second opinion from another doctor. Request an upper GI or scope to assess your sleeve size. This does not sound normal at all. I could barely eat a couple tablespoons of pureed food at 4 weeks postop. And I STILL couldn't eat a whole chicken breast or 3 egg omelet.

So can you eat like a whole chicken breast? A three egg omelet? A 6" subway sandwich? If no, then you have restriction. If yes, then I'd talk to your surgeon to see if he even did the surgery. As for hunger, are you on a PPI or taking antacids? Your hunger could be acid. Or thirst. Are you getting at least 64oz fluids? Getting 60-80g or more of Protein?

I told them I went to Mexico for surgery. "What kind of surgery?" It's called vertical sleeve gastrectomy where they remove 80% of your stomach. I did it to help me lose weight. Easy answer....no big lie.

@@VSGAnn2014 wow! Never thought I'd see the day you were called out as a negative Nancy. That's a term much better suited for me! I've actually been trying real hard to approach things with a more positive attitude. It's a grief therapy thing. That's why I thought I'd come back after a bit of a BP hiatus. But now I see why I left. It's all a bit too dysfunctional and frustrating to be therapeutic. Love ya chica!

Raw Protein, Raw Fit and Spirutein.

Glad you figured out what is going to work best and that your surgeon is flexible enough to work around your schedule. I, too, usually end up scheduling my surgeries around my work. I Had my neck fusion at a University Hospital 5 hours from where I live. I scheduled it when I was already going to be there for a conference. I scheduled my VSG right before Christmas to minimize the days I had to take off work. I'm having my gallbladder removed the day before Thanksgiving to take advantage of the long weekend to recover. Good luck with your new position and surgery!

You're kidding, right? At four weeks your sleeve incision isn't even healed yet. If you had knee surgery would you be wondering why you can't play basketball yet? Be happy and embrace this opportunity to develop new behaviors while you have such tight restriction. Take the time to learn how to eat healthier, not how to eat more. Believe me, one day, months and especially years from now your battle will be that you can eat too much and if you haven't retrained your head, you will lose that battle.

STAY. OFF. THE. scale. Trust the process, stay on plan and you WILL lose weight. Or keep weighing every day and keep obsessing over the scale. Put all your faith in numbers that don't mean anything. Maybe you'll get so frustrated you will start up bad habits and sabotage your chance at success. It happens. I chose the first option and lost over 100% of my excess weight. Didn't need a scale to measure my success. In fact, I don't even OWN a scale.

You ought to scope out restaurants that have tables only and insist on going there next time you "have" to go out with her. Either that or spike her drink with exlax when she goes to the bathroom. Or "accidentally" knock her drink into her lap with your elbow when you slide into the booth. Or tell your husband to go pound sand next time he wants to invite her. Life's too short to spend it with assholes.

So why do you call this person your friend? No friend of mine would ever do something like that to me.

Yes, I avoided breads and other simple carbs while I was losing. But after passing goal over a year ago, I've found the balance of moderation it takes to be able to eat anything I want and still maintain my loss. And as for cranberry sauce....yuck!

@@Elode your post about your mom really touched me. My mom is overweight but not morbidly obese. Regardless, part of my decision to have surgery was based on watching her struggle with her weight all her life. I didn't want to be 72 years old and STILL be on a diet. I love and admire her and she has always expressed the pride and love she has for me. She and my dad were both A little sceptical and concerned when I told them my plans, but they never tried to change my mind (they knew it would have been a waste of time anyways). I explained the findings of all of my research and shared links to the WLS forums I was a member of. They live over 1000 miles from me but I kept them informed of my progress throughout the entire journey. They have been fully supportive of me and are just happy that I am looking at a healthier and probably longer life because of my weight loss. My mom actually just confessed that she is envious of me and my sister who has always been thin. She hopes she comes back in her next life looking like us. What a weird but nice compliment! Along those same lines, I have a "fat friend" that has not been as successful with her lapband as I have with my sleeve. She, too is admittedly jealous but that does not keep her from cheering on my success and being happy for me. So unlike the experience with your relatives, it IS possible to be mature about your feelings and supportive of your friends. You don't HAVE to cut up others in order to feel better about yourself. Their actions are a reflection of THEIR shortcomings, not yours. I hope your mom is able to find a way to live a more comfortable life. You say you don't eat out anymore, but if going to a restaurant in order to spend some quality time with your mom is what it takes then I'd try and make it happen. Find some healthy options for both her and you to share. Let her see that WLS did not change who you are. You are just a thinner version of the loving daughter you have always been.

That's OK, that means more leftover potatoes for me!