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I am addicted to one thing only food. I could care less about drugs, alcohol, gambling, just food and I believe it is all in the brain.

What are "pokies"? I think my personality is more obsessive than addictive. I abused alcohol in college, but never was "addicted". As soon as I 'fessed up to myself that I didn't like the taste of alcohol and only drank so that I wouldn't have to be "responsible" for my amorous advances to others, I quit. Plus I much preferred spending what precious little extra I had on food. And whichever person was the object of my desire at the time. That's my other bad addiction... The current object of my affections, reciprocated or not. Luckily the current object reciprocates... :eek:

Why is the alcohol so important to you that you arent willing to give it up? You need to figure out if life is as important to you. The alcohol is consuming you as much as you are consuming IT.

Whatever you decide, I think it needs to be done under medical supervision. Suddenly stopping meds/alcohol can be dangerous. 2mgs. of Xanax is quite a bit if you really have only been taking it for a short time. I hope you are being very honest with your medical providers regarding your med. and alcohol consumption. Congratulations on your weight loss! :eek:

The appointment was really straight forward honestly. She mainly asked about my weight loss history, what diets I've tried, any current medical conditions, any mental health issues, any addictions to drugs or alcohol etc. I do have anxiety and depression and she said that was okay. Her advice was to make sure whatever I said during the meeting that I also put that on the test. The test was kind of like a personality test but you could easily identify the questions that would throw up red flags, like anything to do with suicide for example. I was worried about it but passed with flying colors. Just be honest and consistent and you'll be fine! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Good to hear from all the May sleevers. Weight loss has slowed "a lot!" Im sure it's my fault as I have ebb having alcohol regularly. I still work out at least 3x a week, avoid carbs, and NO soda. But, I know that my weight loss would be better if I would just stay on track. Unfortunately, I am still a regular Watson with a life that involves not being on a diet 24/7. Still working at it though, SW 205, CW 153....

** Mandatory Disclaimer: This is my experience and I neither recommend nor advise against drinking to anyone who chooses to read this. The choice to drink or not to drink is yours, and yours alone, and any consequences or benefits you encounter are also yours and yours alone. ** So pre-wls I drank, and post-wls I still do. I was never (nor am I now) a drinker because I needed something to help me unwind or relax or take my mind off things. I drink because I'm having a dinner that calls for it, or I'm with friends/family and a good time is being had (or about to be had, lol). I guess I'm more of a binge drinker...? Had my first drink (1/4 of a glass of red wine) at around 4-5 weeks. The past couple weeks aside (as I'm consciously laying off the alcohol for a couple more weeks as a PPI-wean-off experiment), and not counting alcohol-laden vacations, I probably have 1 day every couple of weeks where I'll drink maybe 5-6-7 drinks over the course of the evening. And maybe 1/2 a glass of wine with dinner one or 2 days a week. My choice of liquor though is a lot lower sugar than it used to be. The dryest of red wines, vodka sodas, skinny mojitos, straight tequila. Once in a while I'll drink a sugar-laden something or other, but the sugar doesn't sit well with me, so I need to be mindful of that. In terms of volume, I drank waaaaaay more pre-wls. This is likely because I get pretty drunk pretty fast now. I do however, sober up really quickly. Which I think is pretty awesome. For those who have previously experienced the need for assistance in walking out of establishments after a night out, you can vouch for this as an honest-to-goodness super-power. With that said, so long as I feel like my drinking (or any habit, really) is not negatively impacting my physical or mental health, my relationships, work, financial state, or any other important aspect in my life, then its all good. Each one of us should strive to know ourselves and acknowledge what we are capable and not capable of. It would be good to learn our limits so we can stay within them. P.S. I recently admitted that I went beyond a personal-vice limit myself (smoking), and am addressing that issue now. Work in progress... ** Read Mandatory Disclaimer Above **

Pat, funny you should mention alcoholism. I've been sober for 19 years. Addicted to food and shopping, but not using alcohol anymore. I have been comparing this in my mind to alcoholism and recovery. The lapband is my antibuse. Right now I am in detox. After my banding I will be in rehab. Once I can eat solids, I will be out of rehab and into the scary real world. Thank God for my antibuse, because if I use my "drug" I'll get really sick! If I start eating around my band it means I stopped taking my antibuse so that I could fall off the wagon intentionally. This board is my meeting. You guys are my support group. Jaime, I'm glad you shared what you did. I wasn't thinking it would be so hard right away. I'm still on the pre-op. It's not being hungry that bothers me. That passes. It's the emptiness. I feel empty. When I feel stuffed then I am a little numbed. I remember telling a co-worker a long time ago, "I don't care what happens during the day. As long as I can go home, sit in my chair and eat my Oreos and Diet Coke, I'll be happy." I had a very stressful job, but I got through the day by thinking of the moment that I would sit in my comfy chair, all alone, with my stack of cookies and my huge Diet Coke. That would make everything all right. Is there a section on this board that deals specifically with sharing these kinds of issues?

I am definitely on the moderation band wagon. I eat pizza and wings and drink alcohol and have cake and bagels and ice cream cones in the summer. I eat crap from convenience stores and fast food places. But I do so in moderation while eating healthy, bariatric friendly food 80% of the time. Too much sugar or fried food or alcohol or coffee will give me gastritis and carbonation is impossible. But I didn't do any of these things until I was under my goal weight. And although I don't track or count or measure my food I am mindful of what I do eat and how it affects my weight. I get 60-80g of Protein everyday, at least 80oz of fluids, I take my daily Vitamins and I have my bloodwork checked regularly. If I pop even one pound above my bounce range I go back to strict protein and veggies or even the preop liquid diet until I am back down. You should also know that after a years or two your restriction will lessen and you will not be able to rely on your sleeve for portion control. Anyone can learn how to eat around their sleeve and if you don't address and change your eating habits early on then you WILL regain. You will likely have a harder time than your wife because of her malabsorption I have a couple friends that have had bypass and if I ate like they do I would be right back where I started. There are many ways to be successful after WLS..... VSGAnn and I are nearly identical in our starting weights/heights, final goal weight and maintenance success. But the details of our success are different in a lot of ways. And I'm sure there are a hundred other versions of success out there. But there are also a hundred ways to fail. There are common denominators in the successes and failures, and only you can figure out what works for you if you decide to have surgery. In the end, postop life is about choices, not rules.

Welcome, Katie! My program allows alcohol after all procedures, but discourages the consumption of liquid calories in general. So depending on how often you have those business dinners (I used to fly from IAD to SFO every single week), liquid calories may or may not be an issue for you. I don't have personal experience with lap band or gastric balloon, but the feedback I got from my program indicates that almost everyone who gets a lap-band gets it removed, sometimes with permanent damage left behind. Regarding the balloon, not many have had it, but everyone who has had it at my hospital has regained their weight rapidly as soon as it was removed. I haven't heard about any sports or activity-related restrictions as a result of any type of surgery, but you won't be able to gulp water after most surgery types. RNY gastric bypass is considered reversible. My surgeon has successfully reversed it, but has only had one patient (of several thousand) that needed reversal.

thank you!! my husband had bypass scheduled for the same day as me, but insurance denied him a few days ago. There was much confusion from both the surgeon's office and the insurance company. We think some information wasn't submitted correctly from the surgeon's office. Our insurance sent us a letter stating that the dr's office needed to state that my husband did not have a substance abuse disorder nor had he been in treatment for the past year. Then our dr's office called and said that my husband's last alcoholic drink was in January and that was too recent. At that point, his surgery was cancelled. Just to clarify: my husband used to have a nightcap before bedtime - that's as close as he has ever been to a "substance." It's almost laughable - except his surgery was denied. We are both going to my pre-op appointment on Tuesday for more answers. Hopefully it will be a quick fix. We are disappointed but hoping that he will get his approval soon.

I cruise Pinterest for craft ideas. I love painting with alcohol ink on washers and make necklaces- just type in alcohol ink washer necklace and you'll see. It's so much fun and cheap. You can mix the colors like paint so you don't have to go crazy buying too many supplies. I'll post some pics when I pull them out for the craft fair next week. You have to seal them with acrylic seller though. Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 179.8 GW 135

Hello Everyone, GREAT Thread! I was banded May 21,09. I had my first fill today not much pain at all. My Dr. asked that I lie on my back and left both legs a bit as if I was doing crunches for my lower body, I did and she felt with her hands for the pot. She swabbed me with alcohol to clean the area. I closed my eyes because I am very afraid of needles. Small prick. Dr. says she put 5cc in I had my eyes shut the whole time. Not much restriction at first. My stomach growls a bit. I had Water and a yogurt, some Peanut Butter, I was hungry.

I was banded on May 6th, and had my first fill yesterday (June 4th). I was pretty nervous going into it, mostly from not knowing what to expect. The woman was really nice though, and walked me through everything. She asked me some questions about my diet, how hungry I get, etc. Then she checked my chart and saw that I had 4cc's from surgery in a 14cc band. She decided that she was going to put 1.5cc's into it at this time. She asked me if I wanted lidocaine, and I told her I wasn't sure, what was the difference? She said if I got the lidocaine I was going to feel a bee sting, and then I wouldn't feel anything she did after that, or anything else right there for about an hour. I'll admit, I'm a big baby, and didn't want the bee sting. I asked her if I didn't want it, what would it feel like. She said well, it will feel a little like I'm taking blood. You're going to feel a push, it will be in and out, and then you'll be done. I finally decided to go without the lidocaine. I pulled my shirt up, and she put a pillow behind my back to make me "bend" more backwards, it kinda felt like I was looking upside down. I put my arms behind my head and didn't really watch her. She felt for my port, and said that it was right on top, and she wasn't going to have any trouble finding it. She swabbed me with some alcohol, and then said, ok...here goes the pressure. She said I'm going to check that there is 4cc's in there, yep, there is. I'm going to add 1.55cc's. Ok...you're going to feel a slight pull...and then...well...that's it. I was done. She was in and out in less than 45 seconds. She stuck a band-aid on me...and that's it. I was given a cup of Water, told to drink it, and that when I was ready, I could go. Could not have gone any better I don't think. I built it up in my head so much that I afterwards I couldn't believe it. Love my pre-op care, my surgery team, and now my post-op care. They've been wonderful. David

My liver wasn't fatty because of alcohol LOL it was fatty because of fat! But it's better now! I was very obese and I'm sure that's why he put me on the diet; all surgeons are just a little bit different! :tt2:

You just pay for items that you use out of the fridge, 2 bottles of Water a day are free and sodas are $2. So not terrible...the alcohol is pricey, but we don't drink . When I get released from the hospital we are going to go to Walmart to get stuff so it will be cheaper. I plan on picking up a few extra gatorades and my mom will get Snacks and drinks. We could have walked there today...but we were EXHAUSTED and practically collapsed in the hotel beds for 3 hour naps.

I had my first fill done last month. It was a miserable experience. I went to a Dr. Lewis in Albuquerque NM. I don't want to sound dramatic, but I am just now emotionally able to talk about this in a public forum. He was touted as a lapband expert...my first instinct, when his assistant slammed the balance bar on the scales at super speed (no way that balance had time to record a weight), and then showed me in to a store room filled with junk and jugs of distilled water, was to walk away. My daughter, who also was banded 2 months before me, had accompanied me. She literally had to push junk out of the way to find a place to sit. The assistant set out an autoclaved needle and 3 way stopcock, a couple of alchohol pads and a multidose vial of saline. I remarked that for the fee being charged, they should have been able to use a new, sterile needle and supplies. No one explained anything even though I said this was my first fill at least twice, and no one seemed at all interested in my records I had brought along. When the "doctor" came in, he didn't introduce himself, didn't acknowledge my daughter, and seemed bumbly and sort of out there. He said I weighed more than I did before I was originally banded (in April, and my clothes and scale told a different story) and told stories on other banded patients that "never lost any weight". He couldn't find my port, stuck me repeatedly, told me that I would know if he missed it when the needle hit my muscle wall and hurt...and God, that was the only thing he had right. All the while, he was mumbling about how on earth he was expected to find a port through all this fat, how doughy and lumpy my fat was, complaining about other patients that were so fat. He said I was so fat I should have had fluoroscopy to locate the port. I told him I had wanted to have fluoroscopy but was assured he was very good with locating the ports with my BMI. He was horribly sarcastic, told me to look around and see if there was a fluoroscope there. I told him I would have had it done under fluoroscopy but didn't know if there was anyone that would do the fill without a local surgeon. I had driven almost 400 miles, had no options for a fill in my home town, and did not want to return without a fill. To make a long story short, he grudgingly wrote an order and sent me to what turned out to be a really good experience. He referred me to El Camino Imaging Center (505-998-3089). I am not the crying kind, but it was all I could do to hold it together. I was humiliated and disgusted with myself, and didn't think I could stand any more degradation. It was a totally different experience. He wasn't even close to where my port actually was, it was easily palpated once they got away from the area he insisted it must be and they used, gee, sterile, new supplies. They actually cleaned the site with betadine, not alcohol pads. They checked the restriction with barium, made me stay and drink water to make sure there wouldn't be any swelling or issues, and treated me with respect. They told me they did band fills frequently, had written protocols on getting the correct restriction, and would do it for any banded patient with an order from their doctor. It doesn't have to be from the surgeon, only the personal physician, and they are very, very professional. The problem was it cost me another $473.00 on top of the money I had prepaid for the quack. In retrospect, it was worth it. And, the company that I had prepaid refunded my money when I told them about the experience. I have no quarrel with that company, they were professional and extremely concerned about the experience, and I continue to thank them for providing an avenue for after care for those of us that don't have access to a local doctor. So, those of you in New Mexico that are floundering around, looking for a fill provider, I truly recommend this imaging center. I strongly advise against anyone ever setting foot in Dr. Ed Lewis's office. My restriction has been excellent. I am still not losing quickly, but it is steady, and I am happy. Thanks for listening.

I awoke to my left side under my breast being sore after surgery,took an alcohol swab and cleaned it,then thought nothing of it until today,I lift my underarm area under my breast to find chaffing and red bruising,with some open wound,this is also like sunburn or something,called Dr office assistant ask was it a incision from surgery, I said, I wasnt aware of any cutting supposr to be goin on in that area. So waiting for Dr to call me. Has anyone else experience this?

Yes! I think its the alcohol itself that causing the burning sensation. I have felt it with other types of liquor, too. Sometimes, I feel nothing and sometimes it stops me cold. I don't drink much as a rule, but have experienced this. I also get this sometimes with salsa or other spicy foods and it never happened before the band. I can feel it hit the band because it burns and is irritable.

I liked the post. You made some great points. I did hear a story about someone through my surgical group who ate a chip the day after surgery who did open her stomach and cause complications. So I don't know that it's 100% accurate what you said. Also in respect to caffine or alcohol... I know there is a medical reason and that is while your new stomach is forming you don't want to cause ulcers. But maybe the length of times can be exagerated sometimes. My NUT said to wait a month while my surgeon said to wait only 2 weeks. Friday is my 2 week mark and I am seeing my surgeon that day. I am excited to have my first coffee on that day and I am doing my part by waiting until then. -Joe M.

I stay away from processed foods, period. The nutritional value is not great, and after a while, you really don't even want that stuff. The longer you eat healthier foods, the more your body craves healthy food, and the processed stuff just doesn't have the same appeal. Realize that processed foods are engineered to keep you coming back. They often appeal to our genetically programed survival taste preferences for sweet, salty, and fat. Food manufacturers know how to manipulate these to get your brain to release dopamine as a pleasure sensation. The release of dopamine and serotonin is the key to addiction to anything, and processed food plays to this. WLS is such a gift. We owe it to ourselves to make every bite as nutritionally dense as possible and to train our brains away from unhealthy choices. You can actually get a release of pleasure chemicals by making a choice for a healthy snack instead of a junkier one - once you train your brain to be happy with a delectable piece of fruit rather than a processed quick fix. I admit that I am always a little worried for folks who ask about going back to unhealthy choices for fear of feeling deprived. This seems like a bit of compromising justification, and is what got us in trouble in the first place. An alcoholic is destined for relapse if they think they can go back to drinking in moderation. Sobriety cannot be compromised. A food addict is playing with fire if they think they can eat addictive foods in moderation. Why even mess around with that? Why not retrain your brain to love the good stuff instead? WLS gives us the tool, but we have to relearn how to eat and how to be happy about healthy food. Personally, I made the decision that I AM NEVER GOING BACK. I am NOT going to regain after all this hard work, and I am NOT going back to the unhealthy eating habits that made me obese. For me, that means I am NOT going back to processed foods in any way, shape, or form. It's just not worth it. A beautiful honey crisp apple is so much better than a bag or bar.

I was a pretty healthy person up until 2008, when my liver enzymes first became elevated. I had reached my then highest weight of 304, and then managed to get down to 263 through diet and exercise. My enzymes went back to normal. Then I got pregnant in 2010 and after I had my son, my health got worse. I was diagnosed with severe asthma around 2014, and my liver enzymes were elevated again. I started gaining weight steadily until I reached my all time high of 393 with a bmi of 69 (I am 5'3"). Back in January, I had my gallbladder removed.. I mentioned to the surgeon that I would be seeing a liver specialist because my liver enzymes kept getting higher and he did a biopsy while he was in there. The results were not good. I was diagnosed with Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis. The surgeon said my liver looked really bad, and he didn't see me living past 60. I'm an RN and have seen people die of liver failure and it's awful. I was 48 (just turned 49), and I had wanted wls for a long time but our insurance doesn't cover it. What that surgeon said was a wake up call, and so I made the decision to pay for the surgery myself. I wanted a sleeve, but the first bariatric surgeon recommended RNY because of my weight. I had planned to get that, but then COVID happened and they laid off that surgeon so I went to a different one that my cousin had RNY with 10 years ago. He told me about the Loop DS. He said I was a good candidate for it because of my high bmi and since I was self pay. It's still investigational and not covered by insurance. So I decided to do it. I had surgery on July 23rd. I was 368 on surgery day. The surgery went well but I was very nauseated the first few days and vomited old blood just like NovaLuna described. After that, and a kidney stone 11 days post op, recovery has been pretty smooth. I never really had much pain. As of today, I'm 322 pounds, walking every day, and feeling amazing, even though I'm still significantly obese. I was to the point of barely being able to walk anymore, and personal hygiene was hard. I had just been diagnosed with high BP and put on meds in May. I've been off the meds since surgery. I just had my first labs and everything was normal. My liver enzymes are still elevated, but about half of what they were. It's wonderful to be active again and being able to walk with my husband and son, who is a very active boy! I still have a long way to go but I'm so happy I did the surgery and don't regret it one bit! Good luck to you! Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm a recovering alcoholic ... do the meetings often. It is easy to get your head spinning with all the changes. It helps to have a program of recovery in place. There is a forum here with cross-addiction threads HERE.

Started pre-op diet at 276lbs. Surgery was cancelled for another 2 months but I kept calorie counting that whole time so in total I lost 25lbs pre-op in the end. Surgery weight 251 Date of sleeve 17 November 2021 Current weight 220 So that's 31lbs off in 11.5 weeks since surgery. 8lbs in the week of surgery then a long post-op stall that lasted over 3 weeks. I have really found a groove with my eating and am losing a steady 2lbs a week at the minute. I do drink some alcohol every weekend which I know is completely empty calories, but it's something I have chosen to do and factor in. If I stall again or once my rate of loss slows I'll probably stop it again! Hope that helps. I loved reading other people's stats pre-op and I still do really. 😍 Keep asking questions - it's a big decision, a lifelong commitment to being different, and there is such a lot of experience in this group you're absolutely right to use it.

Hello Personally I would NEVER tell someone just because I don't want them to be pissed that I'm not eating chinese food at their party. This is a medical issue and a lifechanging operation that you should keep to yourself if you so choose. If your already so sure she's gonna spill your secret then is she really such a good friend? Tell her your really not feeling well and your sorry but your too sick to eat chinese or drink alcohol. If she's not mature enough to be understanding of your pain/health/feelings then she's probably not mature enough to be going to university Just my two cents Good luck with whatever u choose !