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Janine & All my LBT Friends - hope you find this helpful! How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks (preferable NOT) 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? More than once by my defination. 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider HUGS to EVERYONE!

I had a friend who was an alcoholic - would drink as he was throwing up and crapping himself through all the alcohol. She had absolutely no place having that surgery without extensive counseling. it is hard to say, but honestly. At that size something is far more wrong than a basal addiction to food, or being a bit lazy or your metabolism is sluggish. Did not see the episode, I watch very little TV, but is sounds so sad

Many people actually find their tastes change after their bypass anyway and a lot of foods become too sweet for their tastes. It becomes a lot easier to avoid the sugars to begin with than it is with the band because the band doesn't take away the cravings one bit. The truth is there is no way of knowing if you will be a dumper until the surgery is done. I am not a dumper but the sugar alcohol substitutes make me sick, which is also common. You're also more likely to dump on liquids because they go right through you and overwhelm your intestines quickly, which is the whole basis of dumping. So a smaller amount of liquid sugar may cause dumping while a larger amount of sugar bound in fruit may not. There are variables. The glycemic index of a food, which is a measure of how quickly the sugar in something is released into your body, is really useful if you a dumper. Raw carrots and cooked carrots have essentially the same amount of sugar in them except cooked carrots release their sugar very quickly and can cause sugars to spike. Same with boiled vs. mashed potatoes. Steer away from foods that release their sugars quickly and that can help in the dumping situation.

Just checking in, thought I'd share my experience thus far... RNY surgery with hiatal hernia repair was May 11 at 1pm. I don't recall waking up until about 8pm... then the next thing I know it's 6am May 12. I was very tired/sleepy throughout May 12. My foley catheter was removed about 10am May 12 and I was waking and getting up to pee about every hour and a half. Apparently, the fluid drip I was on was quite a lot. I managed to eat a sugar-free popsicle, have a few bites of sugar-free jello, and a few sips of broth that day. My belly felt like I'd done a 1000 sit-ups! I was able to walk the hall about three times. Received dilaudid once and norco three times throughout the day. Also had an upper GI done: drank a little contrast while they took pictures... all good, no leaks. Sleep, sleep, sleep. May 13 I woke still feeling woozy, tired, and belly was still painful, but not too bad if I didn't move. Felt slightly more awake as the day went on. Had a SF popsicle and some SF jello. Still peeing every hour and a half! Went home about 1pm. Slept through most of the day, waking only for bathroom use and sips of clear protein drink (Protein2O from Costco.) Took total of four doses of norco throughout the whole day and managed a BM in the evening. Today, May 14, I feel alive again! Sipping Isopure coconut-flavored protein water with Crystal Light lemonade added, not bad. Took a norco this morning but that will likely be my last one. Belly only feels like I did 100 sit-ups now instead of 1000. Been wearing a "binder" since May 12 and have decided to wear it for at least the first week, though I was given no instructions about it. A few other comments about my journey thus far: have been using infant's simethicone antigas drops every six hours as instructed. Occasionally pass gas, occasionally burp. NO nausea at all during this entire experience, YAY! Was asked by the curious Nurse Practitioner if I drink alcohol much (I don't) because the anesthetic had such a surprisingly long effect on me. Apparently my body just isn't used to depressants and didn't clear it very quickly. And I'm not too worried about getting in an appropriate amount of liquids yet because just one look at my hands shows that I'm still full of the IV fluids they were pumping into me, LOL. Feeling optimistic!! (EDIT: Don't know why that QUOTE box is there at the beginning of my post.)

Oh, and no - I don't get nauseous w/ hospital smells... well sure, those hospital smells (!), but the smell of isopropyl alcohol will raise my blood pressure. I associate that smell with needles, and although I'm a little more desensitized to them now with the surgery & fills, there was a point in time where that smell was enough to get me light headed (because I strongly associate that smell with a particularly bad experience I had once, when a needle broke off in my arm during a blood draw, and I managed to douse the walls, nurse and myself before they could cover it & then work on getting the needle out... I never realized before then that the blood continues to come out even if the little tube isn't hooked up... I always thought the needle was just "there", but the tube somehow formed a vaccuum and SUCKED the blood out... silly ,but I was a kid... quite traumatic at the time, and sent me on my downward spiral of hating needles). BTW, since I'm bored at work, did I ever tell you guys that I had spinal meningitis? I had it when I was a newborn. Actually I was born a little over 2 months premature, and diagnosed when I was about 2 weeks old, so I had it before I should have even been born. They had to run something like 20 IVs in the fluid sac around my spine & brain, and do a LOT of spinal taps... enough that at one point they told my mom they couldn't do any for whatever amount of time, because I didn't have enough fluid to tap. My mom used to be as bad about needles as I am, but sitting with me through all of that cured her REAL quick!

Volly, Alcohol is fattening! Did you know there are like 600 calories in a long island ice tea? You can do what you want, but if you're going to drink, don't mix it with any kind of sweet fruit juice. Beer is really fattening. Go online and read the calorie content of these types of things so you can plan it in your day. For breakfast I almost always have a protein bar or a protein shake. I am having trouble getting enough protein because I am just not hungry anymore. Late night snacks for me are sugar free fudgcicles or sugar free popcicles. I hope some other people in here give you some better ideas. There was a thread in here asking the ages of everyone, and it seems like there were quite a few young people posting.

Jon, thanks for that post. That's exactly my problem - addiction, in many different forms. I've been to hundreds (literally) of Overeaters Anonymous meetings which used to be part of my regular life till I moved to Vegas. OA meetings in California are great places for support and help with food addictions. I was able to attend a different amazing meeting every night, but then I moved to Vegas. Vegas meetings are few and far between, and they never really got off the ground like in California; probably because Vegas has so many GA, AA, NA, CA, DA (Gamblers, Narcotics, Alcoholics, Cocaine, Debtors, etc.) So OA meetings are small and completely different here. In California, the meetings are actually focused on food addictions, but the meetings here are just sessions where people vent about their day without ever correlating the issues to food. It's a shame, I'd love a good OA meeting here. So thanks for making me NOT give up. I'm gonna keep on keeping on. Sue, you aren't the first person who I've heard about "oops, nicked ya." Not funny at all. One girl had her stomach accidentally cut during band surgery, then her surgeon fixed the cut and put the band OVER the cut! She ended up in really bad shape and had her band removed by a US surgeon. She even knew something went wrong in surgery, but the doc said everything went fine; the "oops nick" didn't even reflect in the Operating Report.

You can eat them but you need to be careful. I would consider both of these to be slider foods i.e foods that go down easily which the band does not limit you from eating. Whilst nuts are good for you they are still high in fat and calories so should only be consumed in small quantities. Alcohol can be consumed but again it is full of empty calories. You may find that it affects you quicker as well as you won't have as much food in your stomach to help slow down its affects.My practice encourages a glass of wine over other types of alcohol as wine does supposedly have some health benefits.

Hi, I just want to say thank you to countrygirl, you gave me some perspective. I don't post reply very often, but when I get the chance it's usually just to re-state how frustrated and upset I am with myself and the band. I really thought I was going to lose more weight I have lost 26 lbs since Dec. 18, 2006 (half that from pre op diet) !'ve had about 5 fills, 2 of them very aggressive. I'm 20, never got a chance to be a thin teen and I desperately want to feel confident before I get into my 30's and have kids. It's on my mind everyday. I have such a hard time being away at college. If The band did its part and let me eat less, then I would work with it and eat small amounts. I go to the gym frequently and take hikes with friends. I drink alcohol twice a week, beer mainly. I eat 100 times better than any 20 year old girl I know and am still double their size because of my metabolism. It's upsetting, I jsut cannot fail at this.. I'm too afraid of living my life as a fat person, 20 years is long enough.. I need to see a light at the end of this tunnel.. is there anyone who has had a similar story? Does it just kick in one day?

Hi guys just checking for the day. Work wasn't that bad in some ways I got to leave at 4:00 instead of 5pm so that was a plus. My boss ask when I thought Dr H might do surgery and said she isn't sure if she can give me time off before September. So I lied like any good employee would and told her it's most likely have to to be in the next 4-6 wks. He was afraid that it may cause problems if it wasn't. I should be ashamed of myself but I'm not. She doesn't have to know the whole truth. I can't wait for Billie and him to get back so I can find out if she has heard anything from my insurance company. Wes (my son) and I ate steak tonight. I wasn't going to eat corn on the cob with him but to be honest I did and I ate a piece of garlic toast. Go ahead and yell at me. I know it's bad but it did taste good. I guess I'll be on the treadmill later. I am having a lot of trouble being good now that I know my band isn't where it should be. Any suggestions? I also drank Diet Pepsi and it didn't hurt like I thought it would. I'd like to say it didn't taste good but it did. I can' t wait to get this band issue fixed I'm starting to get thoughts of crazy thinking going on. I guess I'll have to use my A.A. thinking to help me again. Just for tonight I won't eat anything else bad. By the way I am a recovering alcoholic. It's been 19 years since I drank. But my eating is beginning to have the same behavior and feelings as I had when I drank.. Sorry I'm so wierd guys I'll stop for now.

I'm 3 yrs out, down 130 lbs and maintaining!! I lost 40 pre op on my own. I think this was key for me. As it helped prove to myself that I was ready and could do this long term. Like most above, I followed the program to the letter for probably a solid year. That really helped me totally changed my eating habits and it's "just how I eat now" so I don't think I'm on a diet. I exercised as soon as possible. Walking shot distances at first and adding distance and speed gradually. Now I do 8-10 miles a day 5-6x weekly at a pretty fast pace. Exercise too is just now part of my life. I need it to maintain and feel good. I still track everything, Eat protein first, drink all my water, alcohol only on rare occasions and then one is plenty, and I'm still and hopefully permanently off pop. I also control the food that enters my house. So I don't keep junk food in the house. I know that isn't realistic for all. But really nobody living in your house is gonna die without junk food. The result, if I need a snack or mental eating...it's still a healthy choice. I don't deprive or avoid any food group or type. If I want pizza I get it, I make sure it's my favorite (no point eating bad anything) I have a small piece or two and move on. The great thing is a small amount always satisfies me so I don't have to feel guilty. And guilt free pizza tastes soooo much better. I always say.... the second bit doesn't taste any better than first. (Really think about that) So often one bit of something "bad" takes care of my craving. I hope this helps a newbie if I can do it anyone can!!!! Best wishes all

I am still feeling ok. I have had some Soup today and a Protein shake. My mouth is REALLY DRY even though I keep sipping Water. I would recommend y'all get some mints or candies to suck on. My dr said gum is not so good the first few days as it can cause air/gas. On the ride home from the hospital I was feeling kind of nauesous (sp?). The hospital had given me some alcohol strips to smell which definitely helped. The dr had given me a prescription for some anti-nausea pills but I left them at home. I wish I had taken 1 with me to the hospital. I took 1 when I came home and haven't felt sick since. In the hospital I started doing the deep breathes to clear my lungs of the anthesia right away. I really think it helps because I didn't feel groggy in the afternoon. It's good to hear everyone is doing well so far. I will keep you posted...

Merry Christmas! Cindy: I know what you mean about not seeing yourself the way everyone else does. In my thin years, I always thought I was fat. Now that I actually am fat, I never quite saw myself as big as I really am. I also realized today that we have only 2 small mirrors in our house. Not surprising really -- but a real eye-opener as to how our inner thoughts can creep into our outer actions and environment when we don't even realize it! I guess maybe the mirror count in my house will be a testament to how successful I am! LOL! Audree: I didn't eat too much this weekend either, though I did drink my share of wine! Seeing as how I'm off alcohol for at least the next 6 weeks, there was no way I was missing out! Hi to Rose and Ted too! Maria

I have one suture site that won't heal up. I thought I had caused it because of wearing an underwire bra. It was all pussy and I would drain clean it with alcohol each morning and night. then I got to going around braless~not pretty at this stage~ anyway, got the infection cleared up and in cleaning the site yesterday it is still open! 5 weeks post op. Well, looking in I think I see a blue thread. I tried to get it up to the surface with tweesers, but no luck. I guess I will go to the Dr. on Monday? Has anyone else had this happen? What did you do? Of course I had to discover this on the weekend. Is there anything that will disolve the stitch? All my other wounds are healing nicely. Just the one under the left boobie is a problem.

those who eat well are also foodies - unless you are strictly bound to meat & potatoes or cafeteria eating I like anything sweet - so as not to taste the alcohol is my deal!

Bariatric patients should embrace both of these powerful tools to enjoy long term post surgery success, with food and lifestyle choices, that are faced with well into the future. The Importance of Behavior Modification and the Role of Personal Accountability As a bariatric patient care professional, I encourage the following mindset with patients from all surgery time frames and life situations: Lifelong commitment to pursuing a healthier lifestyle, Compliance to the recommendations of behavior modification, and Addressing and grappling with the challenges that are life long Self-awareness and personal accountability are two areas that are not so obvious when assessing one’s own role in the struggle with obesity. We are aware of genetics, family history, medical co-morbid conditions and life stress that impact each patient’s history of their own struggle with being obese. So how do patients obtain the necessary tools to support the physical presence of bariatric surgery? Through engaging in a solution to the past disappointments of weight loss efforts that are already so familiar. Many patients report the path to insight and reflection often reveals mental justifications, old bargaining behaviors and frustrations that fuel negativity and inappropriate attachments to and uses of food. Although it is easy to lay blame for many things in life, self-deception only facilitates the repetitive cycle of anger and disappointment. In the professional arena, we often discuss the addictive quality of food and how food has a parallel function in the same manner that other behaviors do, i.e. shopping, drugs and alcohol, sex, gambling and the like. The need for emotional escape and mental distance can encourage us to use food as “anesthesia”, a way of shutting down and shutting out the world around us. We are careful to watch for those cross-addictive behaviors following bariatric surgery and recommend supportive resources across the board. These services provide a safe and secure way to investigate and discuss personal issues that are relevant and central to the patient’s path to success following surgery. The role of a supportive aftercare program or community of patients, even individual therapy, is a vital component to future success and and be a valuable tool on the road to recovery, helping to smooth the transition and adaptation to new food related behaviors and lifestyle choices. The ability for patient’s to share a parallel experience and be able to “relate” to a certain stage of recovery, or a certain type of struggle with others, will provide an opportunity for engagement and bonding with others. On a therapeutic level, individual counseling can expand one’s degree of awareness and promote a greater sense of personal accountability, once the roots of old behaviors and attitudes have been identified and deciphered. A patient can then restructure their responses to daily challenges that may have been inadequate prior to surgery. As patients walk the road of recovery from obesity, while engaging in physical as well as emotional healing, the element of discovery and pride is tangible and even contagious. Patients will enjoy improved health, greater energy and a strong positive attitude of self worth; what follows can be a heightened sense of calm, balance and overall peace of mind. Once personal discoveries have been made, individually or in a group setting, bariatric patients can feel a greater sense of control in planning the path in front of them. Commitment and compliance are two key elements that promote post surgery success. As patients employ newfound tools and wisdom on a consistent basis, quality of life can be infinitely better as well as profoundly rewarding.

I PB a couple times a week. If it's going to happen, it will happen in the first bite or two. Usually too big a bite or not chewing it enough. Also, in the morning I am tighter and also if I have been drinking the night before the next day is tight. I think drinking alcohol causes some swelling or tightness of the stoma. Then sometimes, I feel like I can eat anything no problem. When I PB, it's not too terribly bad. I start to burp and can feel the food stuck and not going down (it's quite uncomfortable). I go to the bathroom and basically spit up/throw up the obstruction. If I am having trouble bringing it up, I take a sip or two of water and that helps bring things up, since the water can't go down either, it's reaction is to come back up. The most important thing is if you feel the food stuck and your burping, get to a bathroom right away, especially if you're around people, you don't want it to happen in front of them. I have sometimes had to spit up in napkins if a bathroom isn't close at hand.

So Wasa.....I would like for you to tell me exactly what it is that Dr. Gonzalez is doing to cause all these erosions. From the information that I have read, it is due to the way we as patients follow the rules. Below is a list of potential things that could cause erosion. I would like everybody to read this because I am not seeing where the doctor is causing the erosions. WE are the ones that are responsible for following the directions. The doctor CANNOT follow us around to make sure we are doing the things that will keep erosion and slippage and other possible complications from happening. You have been slamming Dr. Gonzalez's complication rate.....but what you don't seem to get, is that if somebody has an erosion.....it is not necessarily due to anything that the doctor may have done. If you find somewhere that it says....erosions are completely the doctors fault. Please post.....I would love to see that, but until then....I think this erosion rate discussion is over. Quit trying to discredit the man. He is a good doctor and has a wonderful staff. For some reason, you cannot accept that and you have to just keep stirring the pot! EROSION Erosion can become a problem for a patient if the patient Doesn’t follow the simple guidelines set forth by the doctor. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES You should not consume alcohol, if you consume any alcohol you may cause damage to the stomach at the neck of the band (an ulcer). If you eat spicy food or certain types of medication you may also cause harm to the stomach. If you DON’T protect your stomach while you have gastritis (like eating Tums or any other antacid), this can and usually does cause the acid in your stomach to erode to the band.

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....

Great article! Thanks for sharing this. I use these "tools" of recovery for my eating addiction as well as my alcoholism, which I have maintained for 21 years now. (The sobriety, that is) For eating, it has been since July 2014 that I have been applying these sorts of principles to my everyday life. It really works for me!

clear liquor (i.e., absolute vodka) plus water and crystal light/equivalent is the least harmful - least caloric alcoholic drink you can do since diet pop is out and the other mixers (i.e, fruit/vegetable juice) are high in calories. I will DEARLY MISS my light beers - used to have about 7 or 8 every weekend - of course, that's probably why i got so fat LOL. No beer, i have to think, has contributed to my 25+ pound weight loss since the end of june. You couldn't pay me to drink flat beer. Has to be fresh and cold. Oh well -worth the sacrifice to be thin. Best of luck to you!

I still have an occasional beer from time to time. I am not one that has problems with carbonation. But, I wasn't a big pop drinker before so it hasn't been an issue giving it up with the band. Some people have a horrible time with carbonation. I used to drink a lot of beer when out with people. The difference is now, I don't have it very often and usually 1-2 gets me buzzed. It takes a LOT less alcohol with the band to get me tipsy. The vodka and Crystal Light mixtures are awesome, if you want to drink.

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 6 days post opp today and I was wandering How you guys did with the incisions? I had tape on top of it and today on the shower one came off (with my help). Should I cleaning it whit alcohol or something or cover it again? how should it look like? I had 2 incisions and this is the small one I don't want to imagine the big one.

You know, I don't think my doctor mentioned a time period when I could have alcohol. He just said start off small and try doing it at home first because the way your body will react to it will be different than pre-op. I'm not a big drinker so this isn't an issue for me. However, this time of year for me is very stressful (end of semester grading) and it's usually the time when I do pull out the vodka. I'm a bit hesitant as my stomach is having a few issues with certain foods and I'm not sure if I really want to test it just yet. LOL