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12/5/08 My first fill! Yeah! What a ton of weird feelings. I never had anyone walk me through what it was like to have a fill, so I am going to put it down here. Well first I should say that Dr. Kirshenbaum is the one that did my fill and every doctor is probably different. So I went in and they weighed me. I don’t mind getting on the scale as long as the numbers are going down. I went into the exam room and there was a sonogram machine on one side of the table. So I laid down on the exam table and the doctor came in and felt for my port. No problem. That was easy. He cleaned my tummy with alcohol and then betadine. He asked if I was ready and after I said yes her poked me with the syringe. It didn’t hurt at all. He worked on getting all the air out of the syringe/needle. I had a little stinging sensation a couple of times, but I think that was either the saline hitting the inside of the port or from the needle being in where I’m not used to having a needle. J He had 2 syringes. One had 1.7 of saline in it and the other had like 2.5 of saline. He put the 1.7 in my band and then had me stand up. So now I have a needle sticking out of my tummy. Yeah it was as weird as it seemed! I drank some water without any problem. So now he puts more saline in and says drink some more water. OMG! I it just stayed in my pouch. Just sat there! It felt so strange. I wanted to cough it up or something. He took out about .5cc and then no problem. Now we did the dance. He put in .4cc and I took a drink and there was a definite hesitation in my pouch and then a tiny burp down there and it drained. He took out .2cc and I could drink and a tiny hesitation and then it drained. He took out .1cc and no hesitation now. I can drink and it was just fine. 2.8cc for my first fill. I know the number is arbitrary, but still nice to know. I took food with me so I didn’t have to worry about what I was going to eat. It has been a habit that has been working pretty well. Even if DH and kids eat at McDonalds I have something to eat. So anyway I had some cottage cheese and chicken salad. No problem. I went to TGI Fridays and had a grilled chicken breast. Small mindful bites and no problem. I can’t believe that .10cc more and I would be too tight. That is only a couple of drops of saline. Amazing. I guess the band is much touchier than I thought. I think some doctors have set amounts for fill. (.5 for each one or something.) I’m glad Dr. K isn’t like that. Fill till restriction then pull back just enough. Sounds good to me. Oh then he pulled out the syringe. WEIRD!!!!! No pain though. I will go back January 9th for my second fill. I even got to meet someone from lapbandtalk.com! That was cool too. The girls in the office today recommended this thrift store for cheap in-between jeans. So I look for jeans and I finally see this one pair of petite jeans. There were a size 18P Sonoma brand for $4 so I thought I would get them and they can be a goal. I started in a size 22 and they are baggy, but my only jeans so I wore them today. So I just got home from Denver (7 hr drive) and I hold them up and say to myself that there is NO WAY, but I'll try and see how far I get...they will be my first pair of "goal jeans". Guess what...yep! THEY FIT!!!! Not comfy enough to lounge around the house, but I can wear them out if I want to. WOW! What a day. My first fill and this!

I would go to a restraunt that serves soup for sure. Also, if you plan on drinking alcohol make sure its not carbonated. Have fun.

No, it's not going to matter one bit. The alcohol left your body after just a few hours so the only lingering effect is your concern. Don't sweat it one bit!

The doctor i go to states 6 months from being banded with both alcohol and carbination. But every dr. Is different

My motivation came as I was recovering from domestic violence in my last relationship. I had to move away from the area and move in with my family after he took everything from me. I’ve spent the last year in therapy and healing. I moved on March 16th 2019. I gained about 70 to 80 pounds in the last year and half of our relationship. I was eating and drinking alcohol for comfort. Part of regaining control of my life and independence has been this process. I’m grateful to be a year out from the madness of past life and grateful for this new journey becoming the woman I know I am, I can be and will be.

I'm sitting in the waiting room of my local occupational health. I'm short 2 employees of my 5 man (Including me) crew. I'm waiting here because I have reasonable suspension of the employee mentioned above being under the influence of alcohol. I'm strongly believing that I will be a 2 man crew shortly...

I am having bypass 06/04/2021 and have a wedding in July, August, and September and would love a glass of wine at them. But I’m super nervous. How soon did you drink?

Hope you get some help for your health issues. Even if they are not caused by the alcohol your weightloss will definitely suffer eventually from the alcohol.

I knew this was going to work. There wasn't any Doubt because I wanted it that badly!! I didn't tell people at work until the first hundred lbs was gone and someone asked how I did it. But personal friends knew beforehand... Hubby was so excited for me I think he blabbed first...and then it was over the holidays so they all saw me not drinking alcohol or eating munching at parties so I just embraced it. And now they all cannot get over the difference.

I went to Vegas six weeks post op and did fine. I am 41/2 months out now and can handle the alcohol and food fine. Have fun!

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!

Not sure about that - has alcohol in it? Try melatonin a couple of milligrams. It's better for you - a natural hormone.

I know what you mean. My sites were irritated and red with the tape, worse on the last to heal drain site. I took my shower, put alcohol on them then covered with dermatape that was especially for sensitive skin. I was told not to put anything else on them and especially caution putting any creams/antibiotic on the sites. Air dry if possible, I used the hair dryer, and then recover them. I have really sensitive skin and was able to finally heal. Last cover I used was a small spot bandaid and the tape left a little ring for awhile. Please let your doctor know if it looks infected. Good luck. Linda

I think there are two good reasons to avoid alcohol. First, it falls in the same category as fruit juices, in that it's basically liquid sugar that just goes right through your stomach. How is that different than eating ice cream? Except for the buzz, of course. But ice cream can offer a "comfort" buzz too. So if you wouldn't eat ice cream because you know it's a really bad choice, why would you want to drink alcohol? And secondly, people who are under the influence tend to make other unwise choices. For example, I've polled many, many people who have quit smoking for a length of time of time and then started back up again. Guess what proportion had an adult beverage in their hand when they took that first puff? Yup, 100% (including myself the first time I quit). So how many sleevers have been at a party, and after a drink or two said, "Maybe I can just have one little pig-in-a-blanket..."

I had my first glass of wine about 4 months post. Have since had a Bloody Mary, margaritas, vodka cranberry, and whiskey water. Unfortunately no change in how alcohol affects me. I'm NOT a cheap date...I could drink my date under the table. So for me, it's just empty calories....no different than ice cream (and I've had that, too )

Pre and post op, I could eat anything on the list I was given. It listed sugar free Jell-O, with no restrictions on the flavor or color. All they cared about was that I ate foods low in carbs. I was eating sugar free cherry Jell-O and sugar free popsicles - red, orange, green, and purple. Be careful post-op though, my stomach didn't like either one of those after surgery - or sugar free Gatorade. My stomach does not like sugar alcohols or sucralose now. Crystal Light and splenda, I have no problems with.

Same here, I was told to go with the sleeve because I was going to be taking NSAID'S for arthritis and drinking alcohol. I was cleared for NSAID'S after one month post opt. My hospital was Newton Wellesley, the top wls hospital in Massachusetts.

Sugar alcohols (check your Protein drinks' and protein bars' labels) can and do sometimes cause explosive diarrhea. They sometimes do that for me. But not always. Any chance you've eaten at Chipotle's lately? Seriously, this could be related to your post-op diet -- or it could just be a food bug you picked up somewhere. And, of course, do hydrate yourself a lot. BTW, you're not going to die if you just drink Water for 24 hours and lay off all foods. Could be worth a science experiment.

Okay, here is the mediocre picture of the lemon Protein pudding I made: To give you an idea of portion size, that is a regular size teaspoon and a small dessert ramekin sitting on a saucer. I made a half-box of pudding with one cup of milk, and then turned that recipe into three servings. Here are my ingredients and the final numbers: 1/2 box sugar free, fat free lemon pudding mix 1 cup (240 ml) Carbmaster vanilla Reduced Sugar Milk 2 scoops* Syntrax nectar Medical Unflavored Protein 1/4 t. lemon extract** 1 dollop fat free Redi Whip Final numbers per serving: 62 calories, 10 g. protein, 4 g. carb, 0 g. fat. *Syntrax Nectar Unflavored protein comes in very small scoops! 2 scoops = 80 calories, 20 gr. protein, 0 gr. carbs. **I put in the lemon extract because I love lemon flavoring, but if you do, be warned that the pudding will set a bit softer than normal. If you like super firm pudding, don't add alcohol-based extracts. This was super yummy! I have lots of flavors of pudding mix on hand and will definitely be adding this to my repertoire. Thanks!

I've lost a good bit by now (84lbs with 39 to go) my belly button isn't getting any air and it's gross and smelly and wet. Sooo gross. I've tried lotrimin spray and alcohol to clean it but it's still gross. Any advise on how to deal with this? Also when do you start thinking about plastic surgery. Again I still have a ways to go but I'm already seeing belly button issues and thinking I need to wrap my head around another surgery. And also what's the chance I get my insurance company to pay for it? Band to sleeve revision surgery 1/16/17 HW: 283 CW: 199 GW: 160

So, I am finding it super hard now that it is summer and everything revolves around sitting in the sun with a cocktail. I am 26 and I love to mingle..... If anyone cares to know what I have been drinking it usually consists of Firefly's sweet tea vodka with water and lemons.... And today I found a new flavor fav which was stoli blueberry vodka with water and I used half a packet of propel's sugar free raspberry lemonade and seriously it was great. I don't drink beer or soda, but when I do drink with my friends I try to stick to sugar free drinks w/ whatever vodka... (What do you drink?!?) I probably sound like a major alcoholic! I do find I'm slowllllllly loosing weight.... Shame on me!

Check with your doctor about alcohol. They all seem to have differing instructions on that.

I'm really sorry to hear about this! When I began considering surgery, I was concerned about telling my family cause a lot of them are kind of nutty and not very supportive generally. My mom is an alcoholic, my sister has expressed bigoted views toward overweight people for years, etc. The person I'm closed to and really trust is my dad. He also happens to be a surgeon. I value his opinion on medical topics, so I talked to him first and asked him to keep things between us at first. He totally gets the whole WLS thing and told me he's behind me 100 percent. Months later, he actually agreed to mention it to my other family members first. I asked him to let them know if they made negative comments that they will not sway my decision one bit and I don't want to hear them. I have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate negative comments. So my dad told them and I haven't heard anything negative from anyone but my sister and I shut that down so fast. I'm not walking around with a chip on my shoulder and I'm more than happy to answer questions or field genuine, politely expressed concerns from important people in my life. But with inappropriate comments from anyone, I politely tell them I'm not interested in talking and exit the conversation. I've only had to do this twice. Most people have been great! I'm lucky to have my dad, my best friend and my boyfriend as my greatest cheerleaders in this. I'm really sorry to hear about this! When I began considering surgery, I was concerned about telling my family cause a lot of them are kind of nutty and not very supportive generally. My mom is an alcoholic, my sister has expressed bigoted views toward overweight people for years, etc. The person I'm closed to and really trust is my dad. He also happens to be a surgeon. I value his opinion on medical topics, so I talked to him first and asked him to keep things between us at first. He totally gets the whole WLS thing and told me he's behind me 100 percent. Months later, he actually agreed to mention it to my other family members first. I asked him to let them know if they made negative comments that they will not sway my decision one bit and I don't want to hear them. I have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate negative comments. So my dad told them and I haven't heard anything negative from anyone but my sister and I shut that down so fast. I'm not walking around with a chip on my shoulder and I'm more than happy to answer questions or field genuine, politely expressed concerns from important people in my life. But with inappropriate comments from anyone, I politely tell them I'm not interested in talking and exit the conversation. I've only had to do this twice. Most people have been great! I'm lucky to have my dad, my best friend and my boyfriend as my greatest cheerleaders in this. I'm really sorry to hear about this! When I began considering surgery, I was concerned about telling my family cause a lot of them are kind of nutty and not very supportive generally. My mom is an alcoholic, my sister has expressed bigoted views toward overweight people for years, etc. The person I'm closed to and really trust is my dad. He also happens to be a surgeon. I value his opinion on medical topics, so I talked to him first and asked him to keep things between us at first. He totally gets the whole WLS thing and told me he's behind me 100 percent. Months later, he actually agreed to mention it to my other family members first. I asked him to let them know if they made negative comments that they will not sway my decision one bit and I don't want to hear them. I have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate negative comments. So my dad told them and I haven't heard anything negative from anyone but my sister and I shut that down so fast. I'm not walking around with a chip on my shoulder and I'm more than happy to answer questions or field genuine, politely expressed concerns from important people in my life. But with inappropriate comments from anyone, I politely tell them I'm not interested in talking and exit the conversation. I've only had to do this twice. Most people have been great! I'm lucky to have my dad, my best friend and my boyfriend as my greatest cheerleaders in this.

Anyone drank post surgery? What did you drink? I'm 10 weeks post op and have been following all the rules to a T but my best friend turns 30 next month and she wants to do it up big....going out that night and I know drinking is going yo be involved. So I was thinking....I cant drink beer because if the carbonation and I cant drink the yummy "umbrella drinks" due to all the sugar....don't tell me my only option is straight liquor!!!

I drinked about 10 weeks out but it was only wine and sangria. I was only able to tolerate 1/2 glass and i felt really drunk! Be careful because after our bypass if you drink it increases your alcohol level way more than a regular person. Do not drink and drive ever after bypass! even if its a half of glass. But, other than the woosiness i tolerated and didnot get sick. Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk