Search the Community

When I asked my NP about these she said she has asked several companies to send her the research with proof that they really do absorb through the skin and not one has yet to send it. So do your research. She said it mustn’t be simple that it absorbs through skin otherwise things like hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes we use on our hands (and she says she uses a ton of all day) would be absorbed into our bodies and that sorta made sense.

I have wine on occasion with no problem. Not very often though, maybe twice a month? (except when I was on that cruise in Nov; we had wine every night with dinner! lol) With alcohol I try to watch for both calories and impaired judgement -- i.e. I've heard many people say that they end up eating more at dinner when they have alcohol before or with the meal. At support group someone mentioned that they enjoy a glass of wine before dinner when they eat out with friends because they are tight and it relaxes them enough that they don't have problems with anything getting stuck. I'm not tight enough to have had anything get stuck anyway, so I can't corroborate.

I am a slow loser due to alcohol consumption. I am now limiting my intake to 4 drinks a week, mostly staying away from week days.

@@brilemons, I came across some information today, in the Big Book on gastric Sleeve that states the folowing about alcohol intake and the sleeve: (All this said, I think a sip will be okay. ) Alcohol and the Vertical SleeveWhat about alcohol? It’s not an essential nutrient. Moderate consumption of red wine may have some benefits for your heart. It may raise your levels of healthy HDL cholesterol and help protect your blood vessels against damage.29 Alcohol also helps you relax. However, drinking alcoholic beverages can throw off your weight loss and cause health problems. Calories, Alcohol, and Your WeightAlcoholic beverages are high in calories. Each gram of alcohol has seven calories, and that’s not even counting the carbohydrates that are in some alcoholic beverages. A 5-ounce serving of wine has 130 calories; an 8-ounce cup has 200 calories, or about twice as many as a glass of juice. A 1.4-ounce shot of vodka has 103 calories, or nearly 600 calories in an 8-ounce cup. A 12-ounce can of beer contains 164 calories. Drinking alcohol can cause you to take in more calories than you wanted to. Beyond the calories in the alcoholic beverage, the alcohol relaxes you so much that it makes you lose your inhibition. That means that you’re less able to resist high-calorie foods and more likely to give in to temptations. You’re also more likely to eat without planning for it or writing it down. Drinking alcohol may not be worth it after the sleeve because you don’t want to work so hard to lose weight and then end up taking in way more calories than you wanted just because your judgment isn’t good. Other Concerns with Alcoholic BeveragesAlcohol, even in moderation, can cause problems in addition to interfering with weight loss:30 It can make your blood sugar levels spike. It interferes with memory. It can increase blood pressure. It can damage your liver. Alcohol Metabolism and the SleeveYou may be more susceptible to the effects of alcohol after the sleeve gastrectomy than you were before it. Your blood alcohol content may get to higher levels than before, and alcohol can stay in your system for longer than it did before the sleeve. Although not all studies have found that the sleeve changes your alcohol metabolism,32 it is best, based on current knowledge, to avoid alcohol with the sleeve. Source: 2013. Alex Brecher & Natalie Stein, The BIG Book on the GASTRIC SLEEVE: Everything You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Live Well with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.

I feel like we had the exact same psych eval. I went home from my appointment so bummed out. I was told I need to seek outpatient therapy for coping with anxiety, and to abstain from alcohol for at 3 months before they will revisit my case. I honestly drink a few drinks a couple times per YEAR, like on holidays like New Years and 4th of July., but my mother is also an alcoholic so that pretty much means I am too. I've also been diagnosed with GAD (general anxiety disorder) and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) well over 10 years ago, and have been medicated since. (Prozac only- no benzodiazepines)...now he tells me I'm bipolar according to my testing, and questions. So frustrating!! I totally understand what you are going through!

From my understanding of how the lap-band works is that it creates a pouch and food 'hangs out' awhile after you eat. Sounds like the positioning is ok. While the food is hanging out it sounds like your LES (lower esophageal sphincter) is relaxing and opening and that is causing reflux. The LES is suppose to stay closed unless you are laying down and then it automatically relaxes and opens up which is why you don't lay down or recline after eating. For people with GERD for whatever reason the LES muscle is weak and opens up when it's not suppose to causing food/acid to push back up the esophagus. Your GERD is most likely not caused by the band but aggrevated by it for sure. Maybe try a different medication? Also caffeine, nicotine, chocolate, spicy foods, alcohol makes it worse. I usually deal with the neck up but have a lot of clients who have GERD. Hope this helps!!

What kind of doctor recommends alcohol and soda to a post bariatric surgery patient?! I would seriously have concerns. I was warned that it is possible to lose too must weight. Of course, some people never lose as much as they would have liked so it is not across the board. I did have a friend who has Gastric Bypass who lost more than she wanted to and she consistently upped her calorie intake until she got back to where she wanted to be, but she didn't eat crap food. Keep in mind, that it is normal for people to gain 10-15 pounds within five years. My doctor said not to worry if I felt like I got a little too skinny because my sleeve would stretch a little over time and I would gain some weight.

you're what we call a "lightweight", so you're not going to lose nearly as fast as someone who starts out at over 300 lbs. You are doing just fine - at least in the weight loss dept. you're NOT doing fine in the drinking dept - and I"m glad you said you're going to try to cut it out. Like someone else said, my surgeon didn't allow drinking for the first year after surgery - and even now, we're only supposed to drink occasionally - and maybe just a glass of wine or two (or the equivalent) the few times when we DO drink. Alcoholism isn't uncommon among bariatric patients because of transfer addiction, so watch it...

The bigger reason they don't want you to drink is because lots of us have "addictive" personalities.... WLS has a high rate of transferring that addiction of food to something else.... like alcohol. Some its gambling, Sex..... They don't want to replace one with another. Lots of people can't handle drinking anymore. I for one can only drink one glass of wine. I never drink beer, soda, club soda, tonic.... or anything carbonated. So sorry about your Uncle...

December 10, 2016 ====================================== Ok so here I am, 8 months later - still pre-surgery. I've got everything done. Been wearing my CPAP every night since September. Mental health evals done. Been attending monthly support meetings. All done. Except.... the weight loss. I'm stuck. No matter what I eat, I'm stuck at 12 lbs gone. I'm supposed to be down another 5 - 7 lbs before they will even schedule me with the surgeon. Then it's another 4-6 weeks before surgery depending on insurance, etc. 5lbs should be so easy. why am I having so much trouble? This is the last step. I really thought I'd be post-op by now, the only thing holding me back is ME. I think the most frustrating thing is that I have been eating fairly well, just too much of it. I eat lots of Protein, water/tea, veggies, fruits. I eat very few processed carbs, cut out coffee and alcohol a while ago, but I'm stuck. I think I'm going to have to be extremely strict the next 10 days (my next appt). They told me back in September (when I was the same weight I am now), that if I could get to within 5lbs of my doc's presurgery goal (which is about 5lbs less than I am now) they would let me meet with the surgeon after my October appt. So they set me up with the program coordinator for October (the one who decides if you get to see the surgeon). I maintained for October. They tried again for November. I maintained again. I'm back to meeting with the dietitian for December. I could have easily been post op but because of my lack of willpower, here i am. Into the new year now. On a positive note, at least I don't have to worry about recovery during the holidays. With the kids, family, hosting parties etc - I wasn't looking forward to that. And I'll still have 4months or so before Summer to lose some of this excess weight. Not as long as I'd hoped, but maybe I'll be one of those people that drops like 60lbs in 4 months. That would be nice. I'm just so ready for this change. So why am I holding myself back?

I didn't see the Oprah show but i have seen a few research articles about how we are at risk or replacing one addiction with another. For the first year after banding I didn't drink any alcohol because I didn't want to waste calories. Then I went through a few months of bad drinking on my own where I felt very alone. Now I've pulled myself together and am back at goal weight and am verging on anorexia to stay at goal weight. It is one addiction or another

I would love to hear from others who struggle with eating too much sugar and how you manage that. For now, I'm sticking with abstaining from eating desserts, but I continue to hope for achieving the ability to eat sweets in moderation. I'm wondering if anyone has found it possible to do so, but in light of having been a person who has a long history of sweets being a slippery slope- have some, want more and more and more. It has every feature of alcoholism, but the substance is desserts, not alcohol.

I have not yet had surgery either but the journey thus far has taught me a lot about myself. Despite my issues with the psych doc I chose to do the evaluation, he said a lot that opened my eyes to my habits and tendencies. Knowing more about me has made my prayers different. Having friends and family who are supportive prayer warriors who don't care what I think and will tell me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear is a huge plus for me on this journey. I have also been introduced to food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous and though I've only been to one meeting so far, it was an extremely eye opening experience. I try to live by the serinity prayer and the Lord's prayer. It's funny, I started putting g those prayers together 20 some years ago as a child when u went to support a family member in alcoholics anonymous. I didn't fully understand their power until recently and they are a great comfort for me.

Avoid the temptation to drink alcohol and carbonated beverages, have fun!

My NUT said that dumping syndrome Is caused because the part of the intestines that are bypassed, that first section, is responsible for absorbing sugar and fats. Not all sugars, but like sugar used in things commercially and table sugar and baked goods and the alcohols made from them. If it has sugar listed as an ingredient pass on it same for any sweetener ending in -ilitol like malitol, xylitol, etc. they all will cause dumping syndrome, because it doesn't belong there and the body doesn't know how to process it, so it treats it as a dangerous substance and tries to flush it out by flooding your intestines with extra water to move it on out. Over time-somewhere between yr 1 and 2, your body will adapt and be able to process sugar again, but only in little amounts like in something like ketchup, but you may never be able to eat ice cream or cake again except for 1 bite. Same with greasy foods. Things sweetened with sucralose(Splenda) or fructose get absorbed in a different place in the intestinal line, so you can safely eat things sweetened with these sweeteners, because the area where they are absorbed was not bypassed.

I'm four days "removed" and last night my parents waltz in with all these Christmas goodies and put them in front of me like its no big deal. My brother is aghast at all the pastries and cookies and they, who have never bought so much junk before, seem carefree and "innocent" I just smiled and walked upstairs to my room. Funny thing is, while I wasn't physically hungry, I could see how head hunger and bad habits can easily lead you down the wrong path. So for me, I think isolation and reflection this holiday season is going to be my M.O. Some people may think its the cowards way out, but I wouldn't drink in front of an alcoholic, but I also wouldn't expect them to expect me to change my life for their issues. With food, I feel the same. Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat cake!" This holiday, I will concur.

I've enjoyed all of your posts and comments. You are an inspiration and a true success story. You not only lost weight and got your mindset back you also overcame alcohol abuse. It by itself is a huge pat on the back! I'm so sorry about your friend. You look great and I hope to have a similar mind set down the road about life in general and not live in the now. Congrats to you. Heather

Hey guys! Great news. I saw my surgeon and he says I’m doing great-except the alcohol of course. So, last appointment he told be to cook and I’ve been cooking ever since. Lots of Protein and veggies in my foods. I keep forgetting to take photos. So, my exercise is great as usual and he said I’m only 6 lbs off my 6 month goal. Also, please remember that this is my journey. I’m not perfect and that’s the point! This is my place to document what I’m going through, good and bad. My blood work was perfect as well. I’m super great with my vitamins, not drinking with meals, etc. 

When I quit smoking I went through almost a year of depression and anxiety. Finally, my body became adjusted to the intense change I had put it through by breaking an addiction. I fully expect to face the same problems with weight loss. If it were easy to break an addiction, everyone would just toss their cigarettes, drugs, alcohol and chocolate cake and take up knitting! Even if you can mentally adjust it takes many months, even years, for your body chemistry to calm down. I would not be surprised to hear that there is an increase in chemical imbalance after weight surgery but I have not found any legitimate studies that indicate an increase in suicide. Can you please provide a link to these studies that you mention? Otherwise, it seems a bit irresponsible to drop a subject line like that on a message board like this.

Blackberry! I was the original person who mentioned reading.. it's in Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies on pg. 133. Basically it's a chapter on "Knowing what you can eat for the first few months." Toward the end of the chapter, it has a "warning" like a little sidenote: For at least the first one to two months after surgery, you should not have any of the following foods or beverages, because they can cause stomach irritation and discomfort. Then there is a bullet list with alcohol, caffeinated beverages, carbonated beverages, citrus juices, etc.... One of the bullets is "Sugar and other sugar sweeteners, including the following: dextrin, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glactose, lactose, maltose, mannitol, polyol, sorghum, sucrose, turbinado. I took this to mean what is says. Any kind of sugar can be irritable to the stomach as you're healing. Which I was saying to the original poster who wanted to know why sugar free? So underneath this list it says, "There is a big difference between "sugar-free" and "no sugar added." You may be very sensitive to any sweetness following surgery. "No sugar added" may sound harmless, but a "No-sugar added" food or drink may have a high natural sugar content, and it can make you nauseated. Proceed with caution." Then on the bottom of the page, there's a big block with different sugar substitutes, mentions aspartame, splenda, etc... I hope this helps!

I waited until I was 6 weeks out. Alcohol can be a major stomach irritant, and since you are on liquids it's highly likely to affect you much faster than it would if you could eat real food. I would definately follow ALL of the rules to the letter for the first 6 weeks after surgery. It's supposed to be the healing phase, and you don't want anything to go against your healing.

I was going to wait until next month when we are 18 months post-op but I thought it might be good to do a check in before the end of the year and also because this is our first holiday season fully healed and I know there is a lot of food temptation at this time of year. How is everyone doing? I have exceeded my own personal expectations, and it seems like I am actually going to make my goal well before 2 years, which I am going to revise pretty soon for a stretch goal of 165 I think. After going so long not eating lots of stuff, I find it very easy to pass things up. Holiday candy doesn't appeal to me. Alcohol doesn't interest me. Even when I get a drink I usually only have one sip and I am bored.

Hi Walter, I haven't had my surgery yet, so you can take this with a grain of salt if you wish. The odds of you losing weight (and keeping it off) the so-called "natural" way is almost zero. A lot of people say you have a less than 5% chance of keeping the weight off non-surgically, but I've read other studies were the odds were worse than that - 0.015% for women, and for men it's closer to 0.001% (sorry, I can't find the study now, but I'll try to look for it). The human body, for whatever reason, will fight you tooth and nail to stay fat, if you are obese. The best book I've read so far about this is by Dr. Robert Lustig, called Fat Chance. If you prefer YouTube, my favourite videos about all things related to bariatric surgery are by Dr. Matthew Weiner. He explains things very well. You might also want to watch this HBO special, called The Weight of the Nation. If you want to see the effects of how bariatric surgery can help obese people, there's a great series out of the UK also on YouTube called Fat Doctor which focuses on real people struggling with obesity, and doesn't have the Jerry Springer-like feel of some of the U.S.-based shows. You say you are worried about the surgery, but honestly, for most people, the odds of anything happening to you are about the same as having gall bladder surgery or an appendectomy. And those are pretty routine surgeries. But remember - if you stay the weight that you are, any surgery will be a risk, as it is for all people who struggle with obesity. You listed quite a number of conditions that you suffer from -- two questions to ask yourself is, 1) do you want to keep suffering from them and know that they will only get worse with time? and 2) what odds are better for you, in terms of being around for your family - staying morbidly obese, or having the surgery and be given a real chance to not only lose weight, but to keep it off? Sorry to be blunt, but there it is. Is this a big decision? Of course it is. Could there be complications? Yes, but that's true of any surgery. However, I think most people who have had the surgery will say it was the best decision they ever made, and that they wish they had done it sooner. For whatever reason, sleeve or bypass (not lapband, which few surgeons do anymore do to low success rates and other problems) "resets" the body in many ways - within 24 hours to a few weeks to a few months after surgery, people may no longer be diabetic, get off high blood pressure or cholesterol meds, have no hunger to fight against (some forever, but most regain some sort of hunger pangs within a year and a half of surgery), and there can be major changes to your metabolism. Your taste buds will probably change, and you may find that certain foods that you used to like will no longer appeal to you after you've had surgery. Of course, there can be some negative side effects too, like food restrictions and gerd and dumping syndrome, needing gall bladder surgery, some depression (immediately after surgery, but I haven't come across any long-term stats about that), and sometimes addiction transfer (for example, changing your food addiction to something like alcohol addiction). I would really recommend to write down a list of all your concerns and talk about them with your surgeon. Finding a therapist would probably also help. I don't know where you are (I'm assuming the U.S.) so if you have insurance I'm sure you'll have to jump through a few hoops in order to qualify for the surgery, but that can be a good thing, as it gives you time to deal with your fears/concerns before having the surgery. Whenever I get worried about anything, my motto is: think of the solution, not the problem. I find it really helps to get my mind out of the self-defeating loop that will make the problem seem bigger than it is. In this case, I think educating yourself about the surgery, about anesthesia, etc. will help you feel better (or not) about having the surgery done. Good luck.

i would avoid "sugar free" anything & definitely wouldn't eat splenda... http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/08/23/splenda-part-one.aspx Please note that I do not advise using Splenda. Nearly three years ago I posted an article describing the dangers of Splenda (sucralose). Why not use Splenda? Well, research in animals has shown that sucralose can cause many problems. Nearly every month we receive a report from someone who has had an adverse reaction to Splenda, and you can see many of them posted on our site. Reduced growth rate in newborns and adults at levels above 500 mg/kg.day Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia (at levels abofe 1500 mg/kd/day Decreased thyroxine levels (thyroid function) (According to McNeil, since this only occurred on male rats and no abnormalities were observed with the thyroid tissue, this was considered insignificant.) Mineral losses (magnesium and phosphorus) McNeil stated that these patterns were variable and at times not dose related so they were not significant. Decreased urination Enlarged colon (The FDA Final Rule states cecal enlargement is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and is not significant.) Enlarged liver and brain (McNeil stated these were insignificant due to a lack of a dose response.) Shrunken ovaries Shrunken thymus aboe 3 grams per day Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.) Increased adrenal cortical hemorrhagic degeneration (McNeil stated that this is a variable finding common in aged rats and not toxicologically significant.) Increased cataracts (McNeil stated that cataracts were discovered upon microscopic sections of the eye tissue and that this was not as accurate as in-life ophthalmological examinations and did not reveal any treatment- related ocular findings. Abnormal liver cells (The FDA Final Rule states that this was only marginal and probably not treatment related due to the severity of the lesion was not contaminant with the dosage.) McNeil concluded that all of these findings could be explained by reasons other than sucralose toxicity and were insignificant. This seems to be a pattern in all of McNeil"s study conclusions. I find it suspect that for every single adverse finding in the animal studies, McNeil always has some rationale that renders it "insignificant." Their downplaying every harmful finding makes it seem as if they are more interested in making sucralose appear safe than making sure that the people are not harmed. The FDA concluded that most of these findings had no toxicological significance and those that did such as the decrease in thymus weight and the decreased red blood cells, would not be a problem because they occurred at doses of sucralose much higher than what people would consume.. As a physician, I beg to differ. I believe that these findings are not of no significance." Many of these are symptoms of serious pathology. ----------- most sugar free stuff has aspartame in it... http://www.naturalnews.com/026849_aspartame_drug_diet.html The aspartame horror began in 1981 due to Donald Rumsfeld, as head of the G.D. Searle pharmaceutical company, when he used his political clout to put a known carcinogen on the market to poison a nation all in the name of money. In a Washington Post article of December 12, 2001 about Donald Rumsfeld, there was a one liner that was so incredibly relevant. That sentence was: "He could be swilling Diet Coke with the secure knowledge that if not for his turnaround of Big Pharma giant G.D.Searle & Co. and successful touting of the sweetener aspartame, the beverage would not be possible". If Donald Rumsfeld had never been born think of how many millions of people the world over would not suffer headaches and dizziness. Thousands blind from the free methyl alcohol in aspartame would have sight, and there would be much fewer cases of optic neuritis and macular degeneration. Millions suffering seizures would live normal lives and wouldn`t be taking anti-seizure medication that won`t work because aspartame interacts with drugs and vaccines. Think of the runner, Flo Jo, who drank Diet Coke and died of a grand mal seizure. She, no doubt, would still be alive. Brain fog and memory loss, skyrocketing symptoms of aspartame disease, would not be epidemic. Millions suffer insomnia because of the depletion of serotonin. Think of Heath Ledger. He took that horrible drug, Ambian CR for sleep, which makes your optic nerve and face swell and gives you horrible headaches. Plus, he drank Diet Coke and took other drugs and died of polypharmacy. Since aspartame has been proven to be a multi potential carcinogen, would Farrah Fawcett still be alive? Consider the constant plague of fallen athletes. Aspartame triggers an irregular heart rhythm and interacts with all cardiac medication. It damages the cardiac conduction system and causes sudden death. Thousands of athletes have fallen. Doctors H.J. Roberts and Russell Blaylock wrote these alerts: http://www.wnho.net/aspartame msg scd.htm and http://www.wnho.net/aspartame and arrhythmias.htm Epidemiological studies should be done on MS and lupus because of their link to aspartame use. Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from aspartame induced multiple sclerosis and lupus, and if not warned in time could lose their lives as many have. Hospice nurses have reported Alzheimer`s disease in 30 year olds as it skyrockets from Rumsfeld`s plague. Think of Michael Jackson, a former Diet Pepsi spokesman. He developed lupus, then came the drugs, then came the serious joint pain, and then he died of cardiac arrest which aspartame causes. As the phenylalanine in aspartame deletes serotonin, it triggers all kinds of psychiatric and behavioral problems. The mental hospitals are full of patients who are nothing but aspartame victims. If Donald Rumsfeld had never been born, the revoked petition for approval of aspartame would have been signed by FDA commissioner Jere Goyan and the mental hospitals would house probably 50% less victims. Jere Goyan would never have been fired at 3:00 AM by the Reagan transition Team to over-rule the Board of Inquiry. Instead, FDA commissioner Jere Goyan would have signed the revoked petition into law. See: http:/www.mpwhi.com/fda petition1.doc. The FDA today would still be Big Pharma`s adversary instead of being their "hooker". If aspartame had not been approved, Lou Gehrig`s Disease, Parkinson`s and other neuro-degenerative diseases would not be knocking off the public in record numbers. Michael Fox, a Diet Pepsi spokesman, would never have gotten Parkinson`s at age 30. He would probably still be making movies, young and healthy. Aspartame interacts with L-dopa and other Parkinson drugs. Parcopa has aspartame in it and the pharmaceutical company refuses to remove it. One has to take a deep breath when you think how heartless it is that there is not even a warning for pregnant women. Aspartame triggers every kind of birth defect from autism and Tourettes` Syndrome to cleft palate. Aspartame is an abortifacient (a drug that induces abortion). As an example, out of 9 pregnancies, 8 were lost and the one that survived is schizophrenic. Multiply that all over the world due to Rumsfeld`s Plague. ADD and ADHD would be rare instead of rampant. It`s normal for young girls to look forward to marriage and children. Yet, many sip on diet soda or use aspartame products not realizing that aspartame is an endocrine disrupting agent, stimulating prolactin, which is a pituitary hormone that stimulates milk production at childbirth, changes the menstrual flow and causes infertility. Many go through life never knowing why they couldn`t have children. Aspartame even destroys marriages because it causes male sexual dysfunction and ruins female response. Aspartame causes every type of blood disorder from a low blood platelet count to leukemia. Because aspartame can precipitate diabetes the disease is epidemic. To make matters worse, it can simulate and aggravate diabetic retinopathy and neuopathy, destroy the optic nerve, cause diabetics to go into convulsions and interact with insulin. Diabetics lose limbs from the free methyl alcohol; professional organizations like the American Diabetes Association push and defend this poison because they take money from the manufactures. How many millions would not have diabetes if Rumsfeld had never been born? Aspartame (NutraSweet/Equal/Spoonful/E951/Candere/Benevia, etc) and MSG, another one of Ajinomoto`s horrors, are responsible for the epidemic of obesity the world over. Why? Because aspartame makes you crave carbohydrates and causes great toxicity to the liver. http:/www.mpwhi.com/ aspartame makes you fatter.htm The FDA report lists 92 symptoms from unconsciousness and coma to shortness of breath and shock. Medical texts list even more: "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic", www.sunsetpress.com by H.J. Roberts, M.D., and "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D., www.russellblaylockmd.com. There is simply no end to the horrors triggered by this literal addictive, excitoneurotoxic, genetically engineered carcinogenic drug. This chemical poison is so deadly that Dr. Bill Deagle, www.nutrimedical.com , a noted Virologist once said it was worse than depleted uranium because it is found everywhere in food. The formaldehyde converted from the free methyl alcohol embalms living tissue and damages DNA according to the Trocho Study done in Barcelona in 1998. Even with this devastating study showing how serious a chemical poison aspartame is, the FDA has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to it. With Monsanto attorney Michael Taylor now appointed as Deputy Commissioner to the FDA by Obama, it`s nothing more than Monsanto`s Washington Branch Office. Even before the Ramazzini Studies showing aspartame to be a multi-potential carcinogen, the FDA knew it. Their own toxicologist, Dr. Adrian Gross, even admitted that it violated the Delaney Amendment because of the brain tumors and brain cancer. Therefore, no allowable daily intake ever should have been able to be established. Aspartame caused all types of tumors from mammary, uterine, ovarian, pancreatic and thyroid to testicular and pituitary. Dr. Alemany, who did the Trocho Study, commented that aspartame could kill 200 million people. When you damage DNA you can destroy humanity. Dr. James Bowen told the FDA over 20 years ago that aspartame is mass poisoning the American public and likewise in more than 70 countries of the world. No wonder it`s called "Rumsfeld`s Plague". Big Pharma knows all about aspartame and they add it to drugs, including the ones used to treat the problems caused by aspartame. Big Pharma has made America a fascist government. People are so sick from aspartame and yet they keep selling these dangerous pharmaceuticals at outrageous prices. Dr. H.J. Roberts said in one of his books that you have to consider aspartame with killing children. We are talking about a drug that changes brain chemistry. Today children are medicated instead of educated. Death and disability is what Donald Rumsfeld has heaped on consumers just to make money. Think of the death of Charles Fleming who used to drink about 10 diet sodas a day. Then he used creatine on top of this, which interacts, and is considered the actual cause of death. Yet his wife, Diane Fleming, remains in a prison in Virginia convicted of his death, despite being the very one who tried to get her husband to stop using these dangerous products containing aspartame in the first place. The list never ends. At least six American Airlines` pilots, who were heavy users of aspartame, have died with one in flight drinking a Diet Coke. When American Airlines was written about removing aspartame they said, "leave the flying to us". Pilots too are sick and dying on aspartame, and when you fly your life is in the hands of the pilot. There was a case with a Delta pilot that died from esophageal cancer and had a history of consuming huge quantities of diet sodas. This was brought to the attention of the Delta management that refused the pilot`s wife`s request to alert other pilots. Then there`s the Persian Gulf where diet sodas sat on pallets daily in temperatures in the 100 to 120 degree range for as long as 9 weeks at a time before the soldiers drank them all day long. Remember, aspartame converts to formaldehyde at 86 degrees; it interacts with vaccines and damages the mitochondria or life of the cell, and the whole molecule breaks down to a brain tumor agent. There`s a book out there called, "Rumsfeld, His Rise, Fall and Catastrophic Legacy", by Andrew Cockburn that will substantiate all of this. And fittingly, Rumsfeld appropriately lives in a place called Mount Misery. In the video, "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World", which you can view at www.healthtalkhawaii.com, attorney James Turner explains how Rumsfeld got his poison marketed for human consumption. To learn about how the CDC investigation was covered up - The Rumsfeld-Pepsi-Nixon Connection, go to http://www.sweetremedy.tv/pages/rumsfeld2.html or view it in its entirety at www.healthtalkhawaii.com. For over a quarter of a century there has been mass poisoning of the public in over 100 countries of the world by aspartame because Donald Rumsfeld, as he put it, "called in his markers". The aspartame industry has paid front groups and professional organizations to defend them and push it on the very people it can cause the most harm to. A suit was filed against the American Diabetes Association in 2004 for racketeering but they got out of it. The hands of physicians are tied. Most are clueless that a patient is using aspartame, and the drugs used to treat the aspartame problem will probably interact and may even contain aspartame. This is the world that Donald Rumsfeld is responsible for! Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/026849_aspartame_drug_diet.html#ixzz25VCzXW8t

I totally get what your saying! my mom was on the phone with me yesterday telling me that it was cruel and unusually punishment not to get the kids a basket and please just run out and get one! o_0. My children were fine I let them go across to the store and buy two Cadbury eggs each. I am a addict I cannot have that in my house. My mom doesn't understand, even though she is a recovering alcoholic.. I'm sorry that happened to you and I know how hard it is to take something away from your kids when they already have it..