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Hi everyone. Well, I had my first appointment with the surgeon on April 18 and all went well and quickly, which surprised me. The surgeon knows, and we discussed briefly, that I was diagnosed with NASH last year. He was non-plussed and said that would improve with weight loss, mentioned nothing about it posing a problem during or after surgery. However, a co-worker of my husband had the banding done, is having to have it re-done (whatever that means), and he told my husband yesterday that his surgeon told him that if he found a fatty liver that he would terminate the surgery. So then I went online to read about NAFLD and NASH (which is what I have) and gastric sleeve surgery. Confusing confusing confusing information..... A couple of research papers said it helps and doesn't pose too many complications unless the person has cirrhosis and/or portal hypertension. As of my biopsy last year I have neither of those. But other articles, etc say that the liver will "Shred" or "Tear" and bruise due to it's larger size due to the fat. There wasn't any mention by my liver specialist, nor was it in the copies of the biopsy results, that stated my liver was enlarged. BUT... which of the information is true??? Will my liver shred or tear if it's fatty and they try to do this surgery, or.....???? Anyone else have fatty liver, and if so... what was your experience?

I would stay away from chewable vitamins as they tend to have sugar alcohols in them (look for ingredients ending in -itol; e.g. xylitol). I tried some post-op and they caused diarrhea and smelly gas, and they hurt my stomach.

In the months leading up to MGB surgery I gave up caffeine, alcohol, sugar/desserts, artificial sweeteners, coffee and sodas. I had some killer migraines for awhile but then they went away and I haven't had any issues post-surgery (2.5 weeks). Do you think the changes in your diet could be a factor?

I think you should tell whoever you feel comfortable telling, but people can be jealous or just straight up rude. I am a very open person so I told dad, mom, in-laws, and sisters. My husband was the first one who I expressed my interest in getting the surgery and he has been very supportive and my inlaws. However, my dad and his wife were a bit weird when I first told them I was considering it. My father thought I was nuts and his wife made a comment about how some people look sick and turn into alcoholics. Then weeks later I find out my father is looking into the same surgery. Funny !! My sisters are unsupportive and think it's ridiculous, but somehow I could care less I am doing this for me and I just need to keep reminding myself of that.

Ulcers, or gall bladder because then you have a food/alcohol excuse for social gatherings 'oh no thanks since that gall bladder surgery I just can't tolerate xyz food' and 'lucky me it is helping me shed a few pounds'.

I am 31, single, with a BMI of 35.88... Does anyone have any ideas as far as a good "cover story" to tell my friends, coworkers, or colleagues in regards to being off work for a week or two to have surgery? I was thinking something along the lines of abdominal surgery or a female type of surgery so it is somewhat consistent with the sleeve surgery and side effects I will actually be having. I do not want a lot of people to know that I had this surgery so I would prefer to keep it to myself but it will be somewhat difficult since I am the type of person who has never been shy or closed off about my own personal life. I live a very social type lifestyle involving weekly gatherings with friends where alcohol is always present. For the last few years or so, after I have any type of alcoholic drink, my face and neck turn bright red from what is (seemingly) an allergy to alcohol so I can most definitely use that as my story as to why I will be not drinking for a year, per my doctor's orders. Can anyone help think of a good surgery that is non-bariatric but would be a good cover story to be vague about if people were to ask? I know it probably would be best to just be truthful with friends but I would prefer to keep this to myself as it will be my own journey and I do not want the judgement or ridicule from others especially since I am in a smaller California town where a lot of people talk/gossip. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm in the same boat (lol no pun intended). I'm being sleeved hopefully late May, I'm traveling to DR June 19th. Surgeon said I will be fine to travel! I did some research and many people have traveled right after surgery. I think the 2 months will be more than enough to travel. I'm not going to over eat, get plenty of water and avoid alcohol. Maybe a sip of champagne (it's a family wedding lol). But I should be healed enough for the pool and have energy Sent from my SM-G920V using BariatricPal mobile app

Addiction gets such a bad rap societally. It is one of the most difficult things to recover from, yet it is so socially stigmatized that we don’t often talk about it freely. Food addiction is the most difficult addiction, in my opinion. Think about it: what other addiction do you have to wear on your sleeve? Alcoholics can drink to excess without anyone being the wiser. Pain pill addictions go unnoticed for years. Even people with addictions to cocaine, methamphetamines, and other hard drugs can go unnoticed for years. Gambling and sex addicts also go freely into society everyday without anyone raising as much as an eyebrow. In addition to having to “wear their addictions on their sleeves,” - food addicts can’t ever have the luxury of quitting “cold turkey.” We can’t quit food. In OA they say, with drug and alcohol addiction recovery- you slay the dragon, with food addiction recovery- you still have to take it for a walk three times a day. This is why understanding why we eat vs. just focusing on what we eat is so paramount in re-establishing a healthy relationship with food. If you’d like to take my free online course that helps you with this very concept, click here. Author Laura McKowen talks about the concept of the “pregnancy principle,” when people are recovering from alcohol addiction. She talks about the idea that when a woman is pregnant it is societally acceptable to say “no” at any time. A woman can go to a party for a mere 15 minutes and say “hey I’m really tired, I think I am going to go home now,” and everyone responds with “of course, you need the rest,” or “you are caring for two now- you have to listen to your body.” So why can’t one treat themselves with the same courtesy when recovering from food addiction. If you are at a party that has a bunch of triggering foods, a co-worker’s birthday party, a potluck, a restaurant where everyone has decided to order dessert- why does it feel so unacceptable to say “hey guys thanks for the great time, but I’m going to head home now.” This is much in part due to inherent shame surrounding addiction. One feels that they should just be able to be like everyone else. Yet study after study has shown there are key genetic factors that often play into overeating, food addiction, and obesity. We shouldn’t have to have another person inside of us to give ourselves permission to take care of ourselves. Aren’t you enough? Whether you are in the beginning stages of your weight loss surgery, or 6 years post- this month, try to look at your recovery the same way a pregnant woman looks at taking care of herself. If you know something is going to be too triggering, not fun, exhausting, mentally draining- either bow out politely, or go for a short period of time and excuse yourself when you’re no longer feeling it. If you are interested in receiving more free weight loss help with the psychological part of recovery, please check out my free course here.

Addiction gets such a bad rap societally. It is one of the most difficult things to recover from, yet it is so socially stigmatized that we don’t often talk about it freely. Food addiction is the most difficult addiction, in my opinion. Think about it: what other addiction do you have to wear on your sleeve? Alcoholics can drink to excess without anyone being the wiser. Pain pill addictions go unnoticed for years. Even people with addictions to cocaine, methamphetamines, and other hard drugs can go unnoticed for years. Gambling and sex addicts also go freely into society everyday without anyone raising as much as an eyebrow. In addition to having to “wear their addictions on their sleeves,” - food addicts can’t ever have the luxury of quitting “cold turkey.” We can’t quit food. In OA they say, with drug and alcohol addiction recovery- you slay the dragon, with food addiction recovery- you still have to take it for a walk three times a day. This is why understanding why we eat vs. just focusing on what we eat is so paramount in re-establishing a healthy relationship with food. If you’d like to take my free online course that helps you with this very concept, click here. Author Laura McKowen talks about the concept of the “pregnancy principle,” when people are recovering from alcohol addiction. She talks about the idea that when a woman is pregnant it is societally acceptable to say “no” at any time. A woman can go to a party for a mere 15 minutes and say “hey I’m really tired, I think I am going to go home now,” and everyone responds with “of course, you need the rest,” or “you are caring for two now- you have to listen to your body.” So why can’t one treat themselves with the same courtesy when recovering from food addiction. If you are at a party that has a bunch of triggering foods, a co-worker’s birthday party, a potluck, a restaurant where everyone has decided to order dessert- why does it feel so unacceptable to say “hey guys thanks for the great time, but I’m going to head home now.” This is much in part due to inherent shame surrounding addiction. One feels that they should just be able to be like everyone else. Yet study after study has shown there are key genetic factors that often play into overeating, food addiction, and obesity. We shouldn’t have to have another person inside of us to give ourselves permission to take care of ourselves. Aren’t you enough? Whether you are in the beginning stages of your weight loss surgery, or 6 years post- this month, try to look at your recovery the same way a pregnant woman looks at taking care of herself. If you know something is going to be too triggering, not fun, exhausting, mentally draining- either bow out politely, or go for a short period of time and excuse yourself when you’re no longer feeling it. If you are interested in receiving more free weight loss help with the psychological part of recovery, please check out my free course here.

I was able to have scrambled eggs, chopped lean meats, low fst cheese and homemade salsa yesterday. The carbs in protein shakes isnt that bad. Your body has to have some carbs for energy and to function. The biggest thing you want to watch is the sugar alcohol grams. Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

4 months before surgery I gave up the following: 1. Alcohol 2. Carbonated beverages 3. Sweets/desserts 4. Coffee (caf & decaf) and caffeinated drinks 5. Artificial sweeteners, which don't help you lose weight, just the opposite in fact I focused on high quality protein and vegetables. I did not have any "food funerals" as I've eaten lots of yummy things throughout my life so I haven't been deprived. And in the future I may be able to eat some of those things again in much smaller portion sizes, assuming they don't cause me to binge or get off track. I lost 30 lbs pre-op and 8 lbs since surgery on 4/10/17. I'm so happy I did this as it has curbed cravings and I had no withdrawal headaches after surgery. Good luck!

Just another company out of countless others trying to sell a new product for profit. Not better or worse than other advertisement. I don't know if you're overreacting. I'd like to see a lot of existing advertisements gone myself (out of the pure egoistic reason that it gets on my nerves) so I hear you. From another perspective I don't see why you're so worked up about this particular advertisement. It's just one single more questionable product that is advertised to maximize profit. Advertisement is not about ethics or responsibility. Otherwise we wouldn't have advertisement that promotes tobacco, alcohol, big gas guzzling cars, foods that come out of factory farming etc. - It's about profit and money only. What I consider much worse is when products are advertised as "healthy" when in fact they're anything but.

I lost 30 lbs pre-surgery. I gave up sweets, alcohol, carbonated beverages, and coffee 3+ months before surgery, and focused on healthy eating (protein & veggies). This helped with withdrawal headaches, fatigue, and cravings after surgery. It also helped me to begin training myself to the WLS lifestyle.

Had my first drink last night. Ordered a mojito. WAY to sugary. Any ideas on something else?

Over the last 2 months since being referred to RNY by my PCP, I've slowly changed from being a food consumer addict to a food controlling addict. Or weight loss addict. Awesome [emoji52] I've been so obsessed with a self made goal before surgery. I've lost 36 pounds in 2 months by sticking to my dr monitored diet + exercising and hate the idea of not losing a total of 60 before surgery. I didn't have a weight loss goal by my surgeon so this is all self induced. Lol. My fear is - an addict has mental punishments for themselves that will make it easy to get so down over one mistake that you give up and take the easy road. For me, being a food consumer addict is a heck of a lot easier than food control/weight loss addict. I journal a lot to try to sort through my own brain. I just fear I will fail in some way that I will turn back to food. It's like I can't just be normal. I have to be in control of something. Anyone else go through this concern? My back story if you're interested: My sister and I were raised by a drug/alcohol addict and a control/cleanly addict. We both knew what the signs of addiction were and we both chose to monitor our food addictions closely, though not perfectly. The recognition of being an addict lead to extreme measures to not turn into "them"... which meant we ended up becoming more like an addict haha. I became an anorexic in high school because I guess weighing 158 pounds was super obese in my eyes (if I only knew what obesity really was). Then when I was found out, I transitioned to a binge and purger. When I moved out of my parents home and half way across the US with my fiancé - away from anyone we knew. I could only afford junk like ramen and rice. Mac and cheese and bread. I got pregnant and married within 2 months and that was the end of my body as we knew it. Anyway, after a move across states again and 2nd pregnancy, I ended up being diagnosed with severe Health complications and was put on a dr monitored diet in 2012. From 2012 - 2014 I went from weighing 287 to 225. In 2014 I became pregnant again (through 2 forms of birth control so yes it was truly a surprise) and my dr told me to eat what I felt I wanted because I was so high risk, he only wanted me listening to my body. I took that too literally and let my cravings for meat and mayo get the better of me. My baby was born in 2015 and my high pregnancy weight was 320. I got down to 298 when I delivered and then quickly rose to 328 and stayed there. 2 years later I'm on another dr monitored diet, exercising regularly, and have weekly weight loss goals for myself. I've lost 36 pounds and have a goal of 24 more before surgery. I think about food/weight all day and know that can't be healthy but I'm just not sure how else to make certain I don't give up or fail. HW: 328 (02/22/17) SW: TBD CW: 292

So you can fake drinking...I was married to an alcoholic and I faked it when we were with friends. I was my own bartender, the life of the party chatting up people, getting their drinks. I made fake drinks with a slice of lemon and whatnot in my glass but it had pretty much zero alcohol, and if someone else made one, I would carry it around awhile and then dump it out in the bathroom. I had to drive home. Or say you have an ulcer and can't drink alcohol. Honestly do you want to not drink? Or are you lamenting aimlessly and want permission?

This is great information, I drink once or twice a year and since my drinking alcohol is very low for a year; I can do without it! Hey way to go Judith! Thanks SweetPeas

I'm laughing at everyone thinking it's a scam. Please purchase more more life insurance if you're not going to treat your sleep apnea. Would you be complaining this much if the deductible wasn't high? I Agree insurance should cover the equipment. I've been working on this field for 11 years and see it every night on screen. I also see the patients won refuse to wear it come back after a heart attack or stroke and at that point have no choice but to use a form of treatment. I'm not sure what the tech told you but waking up is not the same as your AHI apnea hypopnea index. Insurance won't approve a titration (cpap/bipap) follow up unless you qualify. It would be the same as giving people insulin who don't qualify as truly diabetic. I wouldn't want someone driving around with untreated apnea on the same roads as my daughter and family. Driving while sleep deprived is the same as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Please know that this sleep study is an actual measurable scientific test and the consequences of untreated sleep apnea are very real. Talk to your physician about treatment options that may work for you.

I have to ask -- why do you keep doing all of this to yourself? Your posts are really memorable. Pretty quick after your surgery, you were asking about eating chicken wings while you were watching the Super Bowl. When you were on vacation in New Orleans, you asked about alcohol. A week or so ago, you ate onion rings and they made you sick, and now you are eating too fast and eating bread. I mean absolutely no judgment -- for instance, I'll have a drink or two occasionally now that I am this far along -- but it seems like you go into things knowing that they will produce an undesirable result or discomfort, but you do them anyway. And then you regret it later. Just an observation. Definitely stay away from the bread, though. Nothing good can come from it. Good luck!

My doctor said no alcohol for at least 6 months so I would not personally drink. Maybe they can make you a virgin version of your favorite drink that way you still get the taste and give off the illusion of having a drink if you are not sharing that you had surgery. As for food I was cleared for a regular diet at 8 weeks but was told to introduce foods slowly and also I was eating a very small amount still. About 3 ounces total. I'm now up to about 5 ounces total.

I've lost nearly 80 pounds on a 3 month pre-op effectively on the keto diet. Not something I'd personally want to do on a permanent basis (some of the underlying rationales behind this diet I will keep, such as very low carbs), but no doubts whatsoever it, like the surgery, has/will be an effective tool for my goal of weight loss. Some of the other benefits I've had during this pre-op diet: - Stage 3 liver fibrosis: Significant liver improvement on liver function tests and fibroscan showing dramatic shrinking and softening, all liver function tests normal for first time in 1-2 years. I was heading toward cirrhosis (non-alcoholic), now liver is heading toward being healed. - Type 2 diabetes: hBA1c from 7.9 to 5.7, often times scoring 4.4-4.6 on fasts. I expect my June 1st hBA1c to likely take me off the rest of my diabetes meds. (being taken off 1 of my diabetes meds, Forxiga, immediately on Thursday) - Spinal injury: L5/S1 compression fracture, significantly more pain relief due to losing weight - RHR improved from 90-100 to 50-60 - BP improved from 150-170/110-120 to 110-125/70-90, being taken off one BP meds (hydrochlorothiazide) immediately on Thursday To say the keto diet has been beneficial has been an understatement, especially compared to the crappy RD's demands of liquid pre-op (consisting of just about entirely Glucerna, the crappiest overpriced meal replacement drink you'll ever taste) for 3 months.

Congrats on the wedding. I am a little over 4 weeks out and I can only eat 4 oz and I am full.. but I am still on soft foods. Although there is always good food at a wedding, focus on the good times and dancing and you won't miss the food and alcohol. Have fun

I don't think there's much to learn from this 4 year old blog. It's pretty obvious that one should get rid of their psychological problems before having surgery. Not only do they stand to mess up (counteract) their surgery but complicate any revision if possible. It takes willpower to transition to that, I just find it easy given the health problems I have and the desire to be healthy again drowning out any voices of wanting to eat crap. One has to treat the addition like life and death and take control of it, not to mention change their mindset about food as something of comfort to something only essential for survival. It's not easy for many people, which is why they go down the road of eating crap early on post-op and wind up screwing up their WLS. Hell, how often do we see alcoholics on the verge of their liver being cirrhotic not stop? Sometimes people are just too far gone to help, and certainly some of those people are here, they won't learn, and they're destined for failure. Addicts also tend to lash out when people confront them with the harsh reality of life decisions.

I would be extreamly cautious of alcohol... its irritating to the stomach and you wont know how you are going to tolerate it especially so soon after surgery. I know im a debbie downer lol BUT congrats on your wedding!!!

No liquor! Not a wise idea you may hurt your pouch. My doctor say no alcohol ever. Other doctors say 6 months. But as you probably know it would hit you like a ton of bricks. As far as eating i think thats about it.