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Hello Everyone, So much to say, where to begin? Hmmmmm. Ok, so I had RNY Gastric Bypass surgery back in 2013 when I was topping the scales at 289 at my heaviest. Having been on every diet under the sun by age 16, being approved for WLS was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. At the ripe age of 23, I had the idea that if my weight was under control then my life would be great, my life would have meaning, I would be happy. Growing up hating yourself because of what you look like is so lonely, it's so painful, and a prison that nobody can set you free from. As I have grown and matured over the years since my surgery I have gained a greater understanding of the why behind the what. What was the issue? I was obese, but why was I obese? The why is not addressed when someone signs on the dotted line after being approved for WLS. I am 7 years out of surgery and I had to learn the why through grueling life experiences that ran me face first into, well...ME. I will forever be grateful for the tool that was given to me through my surgery but I have come to realize that if the why isn't dealt with then my tool will be of no use to me. After my surgery I lost 132 pounds from my heaviest weight going from 289 to 157 and I loved it! I was on top of the world fitting into my size 8 jeans and able to wear whatever I desired but soon my life started to spiral downwards. Since I was no longer able to overeat, I substituted that for an unhealthy relationship, drugs and alcohol. To the naked eye my life seemed great because from the outside everything looked wonderful. The reality is that I sold myself a lie when I convinced myself that when I lost weight my life would automatically be great. Don't get me wrong, losing weight is wonderful but in my case it was much deeper then the extra pounds I was carrying. I needed healing from a life long battle of rejection, abandonment and emotional wounds that shedding 132 pounds didn't cure. I maintained my lowest weight of 157 until 2015 along with my out of control pain pill and adderal addiction and emotionally abusive relationship but it all came to a head when I found God (don't tune out if you don't believe as this is my truth and my experience) in January 2015. In surrendering my life to God and with His power, I was given the strength to leave that relationship and leave the drugs behind and thats when the real work began. In the last 2 years I have gained about 50 pounds and have come to realize that I never dealt with the real issues that caused me to almost be 300 pounds in the first place. I am in a really good place in my life right now as God is helping me tackle the root issues of my brokenness that manifests itself in self destructive behaviors like compulsive overeating or substance abuse. Emotionally I am at a place now that I wish I would have been when I had my surgery, in a place that I can appreciate the tool that has been given to me but more importantly having an awareness of what is going on within. I believe that I had to gain this weight to really appreciate not only what I have but knowing that my weight can't make me or break me. I no longer live in fear that I am not good enough like I did for my whole life leading up to WLS. I allow myself to feel and not numb my emotions with outside things which has been a constant in my life. So unlike most stories of feeling like a failure after regaining weight, this is a success story and one that is still being written! I want to document my journey to losing the regain and hope to encourage, inspire and open the dialogue to similar stories like mine. This is life peeps, if we aren't growing, we are dying. I started on Tuesday going on walks and getting back to the basics and am down 5 pounds and my goal is to get to 150. I know I can do this and would love the support from my fellow WLS community. My first time around, I did it alone but i know that there is power in unity and community. Be Blessed family. I have attached a progression picture of me at my heaviest, my lowest and now. -Mari

Ok my girlfriends are having a get together this sat then il be 14 post is it to soon to have alcoholic drinks???? IM MY OWN MOTIVATION

My surgeon told me at least 3 months for alcohol if I have to have a drink. Red Wine 4 oz portion. What did yours say? How are you doing btw?

5/13/22 - I had my visit with Cardiologist. I got an EKG and saw the doctor. They scheduled me for a Transthoracic Echo (heart ultrasound thing?) and a stress test at the hospital on May 18, and I have a follow up with him on June 3. 5/18/22 - I had my Echo-thingy and stress test at the hospital. Everything went well I think. The stress test was telling. I got my heart beat up to 137 in three minutes, and did another minute on the treadmill before asking if I could call it quits. It took me 4-5 minutes to get my breath. I am so out of shape, but at least my heart didn’t explode. 6/3/22 - I had the follow up with Cardiologist. What a waste of time. Cost me $40 co-pay for him to say I was good to go for the surgery. He wants to see me in 6 months and says I might be able to get off some of my medicines. We’ll see if I make the appointment. I called my patient advocate at the surgeon's office to tell her I had finished all my appointments. She was still waiting on clearances from my cardiologist and my primary. I’ll call back on Monday. In the mean time I'll call my primary and find out why they haven't sent their clearance letter yet. 6/5/22 - I had a chat with my neighbor’s wife this weekend. She got her sleeve a few years ago. It’s kinda scary to think about my life after surgery. I’ve been drinking beer for years and I enjoy socializing with friends. I enjoy eating. These things are going to have to change. I am not going to be able to drink beer anymore, or at least I probably shouldn’t. I'm thinking about vacation in August. If I get my surgery in early July, I will miss out on that fresh Iowa sweet corn. I'm thinking about fantasy football drafts. Tailgating for the Saints' games and Talladega in early-Oct. This is going to be a challenge if I can’t drink alcohol. Sigh. 6/7/22 - Only 3 days till my 3rd/last visit with the surgeon. I checked with the office and found out they had no received the clearance from the cardiologist. I scanned a copy of the letter and sent it via e-mail. 6/10/22 - I weighed myself at home and I am down to 295.8. That's 21 pounds I've lost since March. At the surgeon’s office, one of the ladies behind the counter seemed excited for me since they had all the documents. I signed all the consent forms with the doctor, but they have to send the package to BCBS and we will have to wait a few weeks to get the final okay before we can schedule the surgery. Hah. Just when I thought the waiting was over. LOL.

Well, I am only 1.5 years out... but I concur with just about everything you said! Sleeve was definitely quick... but I think I was in the OR just a little bit longer... but not by much. And I concur... they should offer this as an option to lower BMI people more often. Benefits far outweigh the risks in my opinions. About telling people... yes yes yes! Before surgery especially! Before surgery I waited until mid-way through my pre-op appointments before even telling hubby, knowing he wouldn't like it. Good choice because it meant he had less time to talk me out of it. And by the time he knew my mind was made up. Told daughter a few days before because she lived with me and would know I didn't come home for a night and didn't go to work for several weeks lol. Beyond that... I had a COUPLE people at work who knew. After? I told my boys several weeks afterwards... just before one was coming home for a visit from college. I never did tell anyone else in my family. But when I returned to work I slowly started telling other people until my entire office knew. I like the way I did it. Still have no intention of EVER telling the rest of my family lol. Honeymoon phase... I believe this is true - though I am not as far out as you since I just had my 18 month appointment 2 weeks ago. I just recently started gaining weight in the last couple of months and am currently trying to nip it in the bud. I like my weight the way it had been for nearly a year, so I plan to try harder to maintain. Unsure about counting calories. Right now I am going back to it to make sure I get back on track... but I think once I remind myself what portion sizes look like at the right calories... then I will probably go back to measuring a bit better. I do avoid drinks with sugars at all costs. Alcohol... that is the only that I don't have much experience with. I haven't had more than a couple sips on rare occasions. Just don't feel I want or need it... but not going out of my way to avoid it on purpose.

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey... 1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach. 2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest. 3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain. 4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary). 5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust. I hope this helps someone...

I'm looking into lapband vs gastric bypass and have my informational seminar scheduled for the end of April. One big drawback is that my insurance will definitely not pay for surgery--it is explicitly prohibited by the HMO. :eek: I've read so many different opinions on this blog but it helps to read them all to get a balanced view. My biggest fear is that the cravings will be untouched by this process. :confused2: As most of you probably know, its not about will power, but the cravings I get for carbs and sweets are overwhelming. I've been to OA and many other support groups and they all mean well, but I think there is something missing. I know they have medications that deal with alcohol and cocaine cravings, so I wonder if they may find one some day that works with the food cravings, something to straighten the brain out and turn off that message. Anyway, I'll keep reading and moving forward. Thanks for being there. :bolt:

You need to get something that doesn't have sugar or alcohol. Try a diabetic approved cold medicine.

I have a mutual friend with a lady that had lapband last year and I see her out quite a bit. She says you just have to alternate Water with the alcohol and make sure you don't drink on an empty stomach. Alcohol isn't a huge loss to me, but I am a big friend type person and can't totaly miss out on all of that! I plan to still go out and just make better food choices. Thanks everyone for the input!

I would avoid it! It's major surgery involving all your organs and poisoning them with alcohol is probably not a good idea. Tempting I know! A margarita in Mexico?! I wish!

So glad to hear I am not the only one averaging 1000 about. I have drank a few drinks lately alcohol beverages and it had messed me up. No more of that!!

I don’t drink alcohol (family history of addiction is too high for me to consider it). That being said I would be careful because alcohol can become a transfer addiction in some after WLS, especially if they’re predisposed to addictive traits (ie. binge eating or disordered eating habits). If you do decide to imbibe, do so carefully. I was never off limits as far as carbonation is concerned. My surgeon office said that it’s a personal choice and some find it very uncomfortable afterwards. However I do realize it’s different practice for different surgeons.

My doctor was the same no alcohol or asa two week prior

Okay, I know this may sound like a stupid question but... My surgery is Monday and tonight is my sisters birthday. Does anyone know if it would be okay to have just ONE drink? I was thinking maybe even just water with a little vodka in it?

Thanks for posting. I will try to avoid these mistakes! The one about alcohol is pretty scary. I know a lady who had the gastric bypass around 7 or 8 years ago and later became an alcoholic. She lost custody of her kids (her parents are now in custody of them), and her life is in shambles. It can be so easy to transfer addictions. A lot of us are addicted to food- we need to be careful.

Addiction is addiction... It's hard. It's hard when you give up everything. A lot of us have addictive personalities... That's what got us here in the first place. I'm no saint. Just be careful. Talking about it helps and so does realizing it's an addiction... Be it food, alcohol, or anything. Hopefully you can find another healthy outlet for it. I would recommend talking to a professional. Not what I wanted to hear, but has really helped me. Best wishes!! And know that there are plenty of us that feel your pain!!

I cut alcohol out of my diet at the end of the first month of my six month insurance-required pre-op diet program and abstained for a total of 9 months. I had a few drinks during a recent trip to Asia -- that was about 3 months post-op for me. I had no trouble from it, and I lost 13 pounds during our 3.5 week trip. (But I do need to point out that we walked about 10 miles per day on this trip, so all of that extra exercise offset any effects from the limited alcohol I did have...) At 10 days out, there is no way I would have consumed any alcohol. Your new stomach is still really raw and only in the beginning stages of healing. It isn't a good idea.

I have been on a two month journey to get a vertical sleeve surgery. Just two weeks to my scheduled surgery date; just to be told the insurance will only pay for RNY. I spent a lot of time researching the sleeve. Now I have to decide in a day or two if I want RNY. Can someone tell me all the drawbacks. (Sweets alcohol etc. ). I don't have a big sweet tooth but do like them once in a while. Also what are the pluses over the sleeve. THANKS.

I never drank so no alcohol anyways. Yup fruits and veggies at this stage are encouraged. Over the vomiting too.

haha yes, i am in boston...right down the street from all beth isreal, and all of them... i dont drink alcohol at all so that wont be an issue for me, but if giving up soda is what it takes then so be it that sucks, completely sucks about the deductible...mine is a whole lot less then that, but being a college student im not very wealthy, its definitely something im gonna have to be careful with and i dont care what their excuse is catheters make it deal breaker

They really are all so different, I was cleared to try anything at 5 weeks. (except carbonation and alcohol, 3 months on those)

For a long time, I avoided all complex carbs and sugar, which included alcohol. I am not a big drinker, so it was not a big deal for me not to have any. Technically you can have anything you want :-). Being mindful of the calories is important though, especially if you like to snack while drinking or like to drink a bottle of wine instead of a glass. I may have been overly cautious, but during my pre-surgery seminars, one of the nurses made a big deal about the fact that many people don't lose weight because they drink their calories. She told a story about a patient who was upset that she was not losing weight, but she refused to give up her multiple sugary coffees. I found little ways to reward myself, but I am now way more conscious about ingredients, Protein levels and carb levels than I ever was.

I agree with the alcohol thing, I think it is deplorable that the government not only allows but makes a horrifying mockery of the damage it causes (illness, death, violence, destruction, addictions, abuse, motor vehicle accidents ect ect ect) but I digress, your question was about thc and I simply MUST reiterate that while it as a substance has it's own pros and cons, in conjunction with the surgery I do not believe it will assist your success by any measurable degree...

I probably shouldn't be posting this but I am an alcoholic who doesn't like to get drunk- make sense? I started drinking 1 month after surgery. Pinot is my absolute favorite!!!! Last night I had two glasses but couldn't finish the second. I haven't found a change in my palate- I just can't drink as much and it's not because I'm drunk - I just lose interest after a certain amount. And I'm not like most people who get drunk faster- I haven't noticed any change with that. I am 6 weeks out from surgery.

They haven't mentioned if I will be doing a liquid diet I'm pretty sure not as all my instructions say to follow the pre op diet right up until surgery day. I am currently following the pre-op diet which consists of 3 meals, no Snacks. Each meal is approx 400 calories. It is very carefully proportioned. I have to eat my Protein first and then the other parts of the meal. No drinking 10 minutes before a meal or 1 hour after, no gum, no straws, no rice/pasta/tortillas, only well toasted bread, no alcohol, no caffeine...basically what it will be like after surgery. They want to make sure that you are able to do it and are committed because you will have to eat like this for the rest of your life after surgery.