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I find that I tolerate some sugars better than others. A teaspoon or two of brown sugar on Oatmeal - fine. A few drops of liquid agave in a drink? Fine. Alcohol (certain ones) - not an issue if I have one drink ( e.g. 1 glass of wine or 1 cocktail.) A full sugar soda or dessert gives me the sweats and makes me nauseous. Refined white sugar is terrible on my system. Just for good measure - I'm about 20 months out and still losing, but working on building muscle - for me its not about the number on the scale, but how I look at this point. (I can't believe become vain.)

You will still be able to consume alcohol. The volume consumed will be far smaller.

You will be able to drink post op. I had a couple drinks about 6-8 weeks out. Calorie wise, alcohol isn't a good choice though.

I'm 7 1/2 months post-op from my sleeve and 6 days post-op from having my gallbladder removed. I had the same surgeon for both. I did not have a pre-op appointment and there has been no mention of a follow-up. Basically I was there for 6 hours, saw the doctor for 30 seconds and they kicked me out while I was still only half-conscious. lol Needless to say, I didn't get much post-op instruction. The paper I have just says no lifting or submerging my incisions for 2 weeks. I'm wondering what kind of restrictions did you have for a post-sleeve gallbladder surgery? Specifically I'm wondering about working out and alcohol. Also, I know it is not as major of a surgery as VSG but did you suffer from fatigue for a while after? I feel pretty good for the most part but I still don't have much energy. (Surgery was the 4th.) I know I need to take it easy and heal but I'm feeling kinda guilty for being lazy.

One of the reasons we have this op is to change our lives to make them better, healthier and happier, so there will be big changes, there will be things that are different and you very well may be a different person. However, I absolutely love the person that I now am. I love how I feel physically and mentally and I love the clothes I can now wear and I can't believe just how unhappy I was before. I am nearly 3 years out, I can eat pretty much anything if I chose to but in small portions - although I love how I am no longer a slave to all the crap I was eating before - I am not a big drinker but I do have the occasional alcoholic drink. I do still find it a bit of a struggle with not being able to drink and eat at the same time but its a very very minor issue. Having the op was the BEST decision I have ever made. Thats not to say there haven't been challenges, you have to work at it you still have to chose the right foods, you still need to exercise, there will be some things you miss and you may encounter stalls, but OMG the rewards from this journey just don't compare to anything you might have to give up or change. You will always find negative people and people for who it has not gone as they hoped. Don't be drawn into the negative or the what ifs, look at this as an exciting journey to an amazing new you, go into it with your head high and your determination strong. Good luck with everything and if you have any questions I'm more than happy to be a support.

No one told me that having this surgery would make me younger! I have regressed to the age of TWO since I cannot control my emotions whatsoever! I am literally a walking snickers commercial today. I am sick of every poind lost opening up another pocket of angry within me that has to come out. I obviously used food to swallow my emotions and my feelings pf being used and abused because I am not taking ANYONE'S BS and I am loudly speaking my mind and voicing my emotions. I am emotional and angry and my relationship and my work are suffering. I am in counseling, but all I learned is I am co-dependent. I am a child of an alcoholic. But truthfully with how I feel I am seriously thinking the surgery is driving me to the nuthouse.... Is this normal? I am not suicidal. I am not violent. I am just fighting and screaming and stomping my feet (literally) and crying and feeling injustice against me. I have rages I cannot control. I hope it isn't like this forever...is it? Is something wrong with me?

Starting month four now and I am eating regular food. Only got sick from spicy shrimp and trying untoasted bread to soon. You should be fine barring any other problem like leakage. Just be wary of the type of food ordered and how they prepare it. In Holland they tend to undercook chicken, Germany you have spicy sausage, England (what can I say except that I found the nearest pizza Hut) Don't forget a pepperoni pizza to the Europeans is made with Hot Peppers not American Pepporoni. Last bit of advice, try to avoid the alcoholic beverages they tend to be a bit stronger (hide the bad taste of some foods no doubt) and with smaller stomach you may be a buzz a lot quicker. At least go slow to test drive the stomach and system first. Enjoy your trip!

There is a tool that u blow into like they would with alcohol

I think my acquaintance (who has told me many times he spent 40 years drinking too much) has some manner of alcohol-specific brain damage. And he needs friends, but my weight is not a topic of discussion. I will accept, "you look really good," "you must have had your surgery, it looks like you're doing it right," etc... But not "wow see I told you you'd be hot if you lost weight" or something like that. I might have to break his nose with my newfound elbow.

The doctor said my wound looked good. Cleaning it with antibacterial soap and keeping it dry helped. Peroxide, alcohol and iodine will dry out the skin and will heal at a slower rate. They make a medical grade cleaning solution for wound care at CVS but simple antibacterial soap will work.

My husband (and his family) have gout really badly. I can tell you if he touches red sauce, beef, grapefruit or alcohol he is in serious pain. I also know that his dad has a prescription from his doctor that seems to keep the gout at bay. Maybe that will help you? SoccerMamma73 is right about gout though... Water, water... and then more water is the best way to feel better fast. I hope you feel better soon!

Aww man. That's long. Btw did you have to tell him it's for weight loss surgery in advance? Do you get a piece of paper from them on the spot to give to the doctor, how does that work? Why would they assume you'd be an alcoholic?

Kiki, I only saw the psyche doc once for about an hour. She determined that I WILL be an alcoholic! LOL I'm glad I don't have to return. Good luck! You're getting closer!!!

Hi Tammy from Michigan. I haven't been on here in a long time. I too share a similar story. I am open to supporting one another on our journey. I successfully lost almost 150 pounds and kept it off for over 5 years. Through a series of life events and depression I stopped all of my food tracking, stopped exercising, and developed a seriously unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I unfortunately regained 120 pounds. It's been a very difficult thing to come to terms with... especially when blaming yourself, beating yourself up and feeling like it is dam near impossible to loose all that weight again without the surgery. The embarrassment facing the world who had watched my journey and been so proud and supportive.. only to years later look at what I essentially did to myself.. I had to shut all of those thoughts out and take time to look at what got me here. So I'm starting over and diligently making my plans with daily effort to work towards my goal. One week at a time. I can't live in the debilitating self hate any longer. However, the addiction to alcohol and now overeating has been a huge hurdle to get over. Finding support, being open about it and accepting myself is keeping me on track..

I am so excited that my three month diet monitoring is completed I have an appointment with my doctor on monday and after that they will submit my information to my insurance then the wait for insurance approval I am hoping a praying that I get it because I have worked my butt off so far and I have never been more determined to loose this weight. I have quit smoking, stopped drinking soda, quit drinking alcohol, started exercising 3-4 days a week and started a whole new eating regimen. Being diagnosed with sleep apnea 2 months ago has really snapped me into reality. I can't wait until I am an official "bandster" even though I already feel like I am

This is interesting, so many people have so many differences in what each surgeon and/or what their insurance requires before they get surgery even what plan they follow after, to drink alcohol or to not, how often to have follow ups or not at all, how much weight one should be losing and at what rate. I feel that some of my complaints are not valid after seeing what so many other people have to say about certain things. Sorry, perhaps that was my rant for the day. It really is all very interesting though. I did not have to have a drug test only a test to ensure that I am not an alcoholic. But have you spoken to your doctors about the edible and if 6 weeks is long enough or even needed. I ask this because I had a conversation about alcohol and I was told that it is better to not have any in my system at all so after 2 weeks of no alcohol I was able to take the test but it was for insurance purposes and not really at the doctors request so, yea. I hope you are able to get your surgery and that everything works out for you. Keep us posted!

My surgery was yesterday, May 21st. It was a long day, but I think it went well. I also posted this in Post-Op, but I wanted to share with all the other MayFlowers/Shrinko De Mayos. We were supposed to get there at 7 a.m. for a 10 a.m. surgery slot. DH was worried about being late, so we got there at 6:30 a.m. We checked in, and were taken to a small walled-in room where the nurse went over my vitals with me. I changed into the ultra-fashionable gown, opening to the back, as well as the socks with the tread design. Once I laid down on the gurney, they put the massaging things on my legs, and connected the air. A scopolamine patch was placed behind my ear for possible nausea. It's supposed to last three days. The IV of saline was started, and we waited. Julie, Dr. Clark's Physician's Asst, came in to check on not long before 9, and said that they were getting ready to do a bypass, and that I was next after that. She also gave me a goody bag. The goody bag had several items from On-Q, a pain moderating apparatus. I had it when I had my last intestinal surgery, and wondered if I would have it for this, since this was going to be laproscopic. She said no, it was just some goodies she wanted to give me. On-Q is an IV type set-up where thin lines are run on each side of an incision to deliver morphine right to the incision, instead of having the morphine affect the whole body. I really liked it how it worked, but I'm glad I didn't get it for this surgery, and I don't think I needed it at all. The items in the goody bag were a pedometer/FM radio combination and a set of pens, all embossed with "On-Q". The nurse gave me a shot of Heparin in the leg. That stuff burns going in! It's not unbearable, but it does sting. The IV was turned up pretty high to really pump in the saline, and I got up at about 9:30 to pee. The nurse said that they do this so that the patients will void their bladders, since they want empty bladders for surgery. After I got up, they turned the drip rate down. Dr. Wong, the anesthesiologist came in, introduced himself to me, and he told me what would happen once we got to the ER. I've been operated on before, so I wasn't worried about that part. I ended up getting wheeled into surgery at 10:52 a.m. Dr. Wong put a strap over my forehead that held monitors for my sleep rate, and my arm was stretched out to the side. An injection was made in the IV, and I could smell the taste (if that makes sense). He said that most people just comment that they can taste something in their mouths once they get that injection, but I could actually smell what it tasted like since the taste seemed to be right up at the top front of my mouth. The oxygen mask went on, I was instructed to take deep breaths, and the next thing I knew I was back in my little walled cubicle. I think I recall being in a recovery room, and getting my mouth swabbed, but I couldn't swear to anything that happened there. After I was more awake, but still groggy, I was taken down to radiology for the barium swallow so they could check the placement of the band. Once we got there, I sat up on the edge of the gurney, and sat there for a while because I was light-headed and felt nauseated. The nurse waved an alcohol swab under my nose to help with the nausea. I finally felt ready to go in for the swallow, and they handed me a large glass full of thin barium. I almost dropped the cup, but was able to warn them before hand, so they took it from me, and gave me another minute to stand there. I finally managed to get a few drinks down, and they decided that it would be better to by-pass the standing x-rays. They put the x-ray bed down, and I laid down on it. Then the meanie doctor made me roll over a couple times. I told him that I was going to moon him for revenge for making me roll, and he just laughed. The rolling was uncomfortable, but I managed. Everything looked good, and I even got to see the screen to see what the band looked like on an x-ray. I was then taken back to the cubicle, and could definitely feel every bump when we crossed the elevator threshold or any doorway thresholds. I didn't feel them on the way down. My throat was really dry, so I was able to have ice chips and a popsicle, and that really helped. I was also given a dose of the liquid lortab, and was really happy to have that popsicle as a chaser to get rid of the taste. I was given my choice of what I wanted to try to eat. Out of the cream-of-wheat, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, cream of chicken Soup, mashed potatoes, and pudding, I chose the eggs and potatoes. No problem getting that down. I was finally let go at about 4:30. As I was getting into the wheelchair, I told DH that I thought he should drive home. The nurse looked startled for a minute, and then she realized I was joking! We're looking for a car for our daughter, and since we were in Indy where there are several car dealerships within a few miles of the hospital, we decided (I insisted) that we not waste the opportunity. DH stopped and got me a bottle of Fiji Water to sip on for the drive. He drove through several lots so we could see what was available. If we saw anything that looked like a possibility, he got the details from the salesman, but no test drives. We just wanted to see what kind of prices are being asked. Anyway, I slept most of the way home. We stopped to fill my prescriptions on the way home. I was given liquid lortab, Ursodiol (to prevent gall stones), and Protonix (for acid reflux). The pharmacy had to make the liquid lortab, so that took a little while. Not that I really noticed, because I was asleep in the car. Once I got home, I took another dose of lortab, and then rested a while. I went to bed at 11, and had to make a wedge to recline on using my pillows, since lying flat was not comfortable. I woke up at about 9:30 this morning. I'm still sore, coughing hurts even with a pillow against my abdomen, and it's a bit painful to take deep breaths. It's definitely bearable though. I am planning on wearing my binder for at least one week, since it feels good to have that support. Good luck to everyone else!

I think I was about 10 weeks out before I had alcohol, it burned so I stopped. It was white wine. I am not a big drinker to begin with, only occasional like maybe every 4 to 6 weeks. The no mixer thing is hard. Just this past weekend I tried Jim Beam Honey infused (I usually drink Crown) and it was so smooth, no mixer required whatsoever! This coming from someone who can't get tequila past her nose and has never had a straight shot of anything before I had surgery. I say this because alcohol is not a big draw for me, I can take it or leave it. Keep in mind the potential for cross addiction. I just don't think I'm alcoholic material.

I still grapple with food addiction. I was never one for alcohol or drugs (not even prescribed sleeping drugs). I have a hard time sleeping, but when I ate a big meal, I'd sleep like a baby, hence food became my comfort, my relaxer, my natural sleeping pill. Like any addiction, it is difficult to overcome. Since wls, like you said, it's better, but we just have to stay focused to be successful. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Yes, you can drink alcohol, but you have to remember you are drinking calories. Empty calories.

Congrads for your surgery!!!! I was sleeved two weeks ago. It was not bad at all. If you get nauseated have the nurse to bring you some alcohol wipes and fan them in front of your nose. Crunch and suck on ice chips. This will help you get through the first 24 hours. The third day you will be tired. Just rest. Remember to sip, sip and walk around. Each day you will get to feeling better. I had some ups and downs with my energy....just listen to your body and go lay down and take a 15 minute power nap. It is amazing how you brain and stomach will not be on the same page! I just love the new me. I am down 18 pounds in 18 days. It was the best thing that I could have done for myself and I trust it will be the best thing you could do for your self. I still have a long way to go, but I am optomistic about my near future! - Addison

I am having lap band surgery on Feb. 11, 2010. I have a get together this weekend, it is around three weeks from surgery, would it be okay, if I had some beers and or wine. I wanted to know how long does the doctor usually say you must stop alcohol before surgery.

watch out with the drinking. Not only can you sabotage your weight loss, transfer addiction is REAL. Alcohol tastes way better to me now that it did before surgery - so I avoid it like the plague. The last thing I need is an alcohol problem...

Ilenerm, thanks for addressing the alcohol issue. Anytime us RNY'ers try to re-write the plan, we will not succeed!

I drink bubbles occasionally with no issues. I do agree though that it can be quite acidic so I recommend going for top quality and dry. Think champagne rather than methode traditionelle. Of course,t his is dependant on how far out you are. I am twenty months post OP and had the all clear for alcohol at 6 weeks post OP. It was six months post OP before I had champagne. So your own plan needs to be taken into account here.