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I used to love regular cokes. Before my surgery I was a dr pepper addict. What changed *my* mind is the amount of CARBS in it. It's so high on the carb chain that it's a complete waste. I will still steal a baby sip out of my husbands cup once in a blue moon but that's the extent of my relationship with "real coke". I still drink cokes but it's VERY few and far between. They're either Diet or Zero. I buy the teensy 8 ounce cans and pour it over ice. That tends to kill the super carbonation you'd get from drinking straight out of the can or bottle. I may not even finish my drink before giving it to dh to finish. I drink a coke maybe once a week IF that but more often than not I'll go a couple of weeks without. I have had the same 12 pack of diet drinks in my pantry for like 3 months now. Sometimes the only person making a dent in them is my brother in law. I also didn't have my first diet or zero coke until my doctor cleared me for red meat (like steak) and alcohol. I guess that was at the 4 or 5 month mark? Believe me, I don't really ENJOY the diet drinks so perhaps that's why I'm able to have such will power over them? I prefer the real deal however... I'm enjoying the hell out of being thin better than 30 minutes of drinking a Dr Pepper.

What is the deal with alcohol? I know no beer probably..but was about liquor and wine?

My doctor said we can still drink alcohol but mainly just liquors and mixed drinks that have no carbonation. He said more than likely after the band you will be a light weight but in a way I guess thats good considering how many calories are in alcohol. The main thing we're not allowed to have once banded is carbonated beverages. Everything else depends on you and how serious you want to lose weight. I hope that answers your question and good luck to you!

Hello, Regarding plicated stomach, we've had this for years in the Nissen fundoplication patients without incident. For gastric plication, it is interesting that the stomach looks like a perfect tube on endoscopy (I scope all of my plications in the operating room when we're done) and it looks like a normal tube on upper GI (drinking barium and taking x-rays). Barium doesn't get back in the plicated part of the stomach. That stomach is not going to cause peritonitis because that is caused by intestinal perforation and there is no cutting or stapling of the stomach involved. Basically, the stomach is normal - just folded in on itself. Bacteria wouldn't grow anymore likely than it does now. Typically, if you culture stomach Fluid, it is sterile due to the acid and low pH. (Side note, there is a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori that lives in the stomach lining but that is a separate topic - I always treat patients for H. pylori prior to plication). This plicated stomach will make acid and drain any food or liquid as it does now. Regarding stomach cancer, gastric cancer is quite rare nowadays and you tend to see it in high risk patients such as patients who smoke or consume large amounts of alcohol. Without risk factors, gastric cancer is quite rare. I always perform an endoscopy (stomach scope) prior to plication surgery - I do it in the OR after anesthesia so it's pleasant for patients - so that I know we're not missing anything in the stomach. If a gastric cancer should decide to grow in the plicated areas it would be more difficult to see on a subsequent scope. The folded area does show up on CT scans. At least you still have access to the stomach for endoscopy. For example, in gastric bypass, the stomach is completely inaccessible to any endoscopy so plication at least preserves endoscopic access. There are major differences between "stomach stapling" and plication. Stomach stapling is a lay-term that typically refers to VBG or vertical banded gastroplasty. That was a procedure that stapled a small pouch at the top of the stomach. Plication reduces the entire capacity of the stomach along its length by imbrication and not stapling. VBG was notorious for weight regain later and most surgeons have abandoned this as a result. What little gastric plication data we have, it looks like sleeve gastrectomy data showing in excess of 60% excess weight loss even after two years which is excellent and right up there with the most successful weight loss operations we offer. Also, if operations like gastric bypass dilate over time, this is a big deal. As I'm typing this, the OR nurses are preparing our next patient who is having band over bypass surgery. This is an involved laparoscopic surgery requiring a lot of take down of scar tissue. If a plication dilates years later, you could simply place additional sutures or you could band the plicated sleeve or for that matter you could do any operation because the stomach is still normal and intact. Plication is still considered experimental because we don't have any long-term data in the U.S. but it is such a wonderfully simple operation I do not anticipate any major surprises with it down the road. I really like the plication, I have patients losing weight really well with it and I think it will be a big deal as more people find out about it. I also see the insurance companies really liking the operation since it is inexpensive to perform (no expensive staples or medical devices). When I first started doing band surgery when it was FDA approved in the U.S., no insurance companies covered the band. We published our experience in the surgery journals and this data led to insurance coverage of the band eventually. We will publish our plication results as well and at some point you will see insurance coverage, but that is a ways off at this point. Insurance companies love data. I do too and I love helping people lose weight. Brad Watkins MD

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!

Yes, I believe that I just have problems digesting the sugars in the fruits and vegetables and maybe the shakes. I don't buy anything with aspartame or sugar alcohols though.

Thursday, the 22nd we are leaving on our 9 night southern Caribbean cruise...I am looking forward to all the delicious food choices, restaurants, and not to forget all the alcohol I'll probably be consuming laying in the bright sun on those white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise Water.... But first, starting today, I'll go 3 days of liquids and mushie type foods, all sliders, to ensure my band is in tip-top shape... We cruise often, and a year ago I decided to put my band to the test, eat what and when I wanted, and let the band do what it normally does everyday for me at home...it performed perfectly..as a matter of fact I lost a pound or two...although I'm sure my cholesterol was probably high... I also bring Protein shots with me which I take every morning before my 5:30am workouts, along with my Vitamins and other supplements...and I cannot eat Breakfast no matter what so I still make my own shakes....just like I do everyday at home! But I'm ready! Been waiting for this and it's almost here!!! 3 more days!

The band doesn't change the alcohol's potency, and we aren't steeply affected like people with malabsorptive procedures are. Just thinking in terms of logic here, maybe there's some difference because you're probably going to have less food in your stomach with the band than without... most people find alcohol is the same for the pre-op as post-op.

A year after WLS and 100 lbs. down, I started seeing a therapist because I didn't know who the woman staring back at me in the mirror was. It's now a year and a half that I've been seeing the therapist and we've done lots of digging to find the root causes of the body dismorphia and why I turn to food for comfort. I'm starting to understand some of what drives me but I'm still a work in progress. I do know that the therapist has helped me to figure out other ways of coping with stress or difficult situations without turning to food. I'm learning things about myself and I can literally feel when we've hit a bad spot and stuff comes out of me like pus from an infection. Sorry for the visual you all just got but it really is like lancing a boil sometimes. I'm not doing therapy in order to point finger or blame anyone..I'm doing it to understand myself and what triggers me towards bad behaviors when it comes to food, and pretty much anything else. We're currently working on why I feel like a phony..like a liar now that I'm thin. Sometimes I want to wear a sign around my neck that says 'former fatty'. I feel guilty when someone notices me. These are all behaviors that can result in self sabotage if I don't find a way to deal with them. I think we all should be in therapy. Not just us on this site, but truly everyone. Our issues and self destruction are just more noticeable than the gambler, or cheater, or thief, or alcoholic but no less impactful on quality of life. OK...off my soapbox for now.

I'm so happy to have my lap band! I have lost a total of 87 pounds so far! I want to lose 43 more to get to my goal of 165. But, really, even if I never lost another pound, it was worth it. I feel great. I think that my large weight loss is not the usual for most people and if you have lost less, don't compare yourself. Everyone has to use their band their own way. I have been very lucky and have had a lot of things in my favor that have helped me along the way. When I first knew I was going to get a lap band, I did not intend to be as focused on weight loss as I ended up being. I had decided I was going to stop eating fast food junk, I would watch my portions, and make better choices. I was surprised when my husband decided he would do my pre-op diet along with me to show support (he was very overweight also). That changed everything. Health, food, eating, and exercising became a daily conversation in our home. We completely revamped how we eat and how we see food. He joined us up to a gym and he started going every day. I work three days a week as a nurse, and I started going to the gym the other four days. I had no excuse not to go. We don't have children and I definitely could make the time. It was hard at first. The gym we were going to was kinda snooty and I felt very self concious. I started out just walking on the treadmill and did that for a long time. Eventually I started jogging just a little. It was hard to even run for one minute without feeling like I was going to die. I had to fight the negative feelings of being the fattest person at the gym. And I was. No exaggeration. Eventually, I tried the elliptical and I discovered I love it! Over the last five months, I have been able to work myself up to one hour on the elliptical. I do crunches and upper body on the weight machines too. It was a mental battle to get over my insecurity. But, I did. And so will you if you keep at it. I do use My Fitness Pal to log my calories. I follow the high Protein, low carb diet my surgeon wants me to do, but I also still believe that calories in/calories out is important. I love My Fitness Pal. It keeps me accountable and I am honest about every bite I put in my mouth. I allow friends to see my food log and it's hard sometimes to admit that I eat Chinese food once or twice a week and it's probably not that good for me. But I balance it out with very good, healthy days. I started out eating about 900 to 1000 calories a day. Now I probably eat about 1000- 1200 calories due to the amount of exercise I do. The summer is hard as there are a lot of social activites that involve alcohol and not so great foods. I still enjoy myself. I have my wine and I eat within reason on those days. If anyone want to be my friend on My Fitness Pal, my user id is lleepers (that's 2 lower case L's). I have had one fill in my band. Every time I go back to the surgeon, he's happy and does not think I need a fill. I'm Okay with that. Maybe in the future I will need more restriction. I'm a realist and I know that life changes. I like being able to tolerate most foods. I still stay away from bread for the most part and Pasta. I eat rice every now and then. My band is a fickle b**tch. Some days I can shovel whatever I want down my piehole as fast as I want and other days I take two bites without chewing well, and it's a 10-15 minute stuck episode for me. I've only BP'd three times. Every time, it was my fault. I know the signs and ignore them and then I'm miserable. So, just because I can eat fast or as much as I want, doesn't mean I do. I have tried really hard to recognize satiety. I don't follow eating any certain amount, I just make sure what I put in front of me is healthy and low calorie. And I don't always have to finish my meal. I would like soon, to stop counting calories. I think I have a good idea now of what is healthy and what foods are high in calories. That is how I view maintenance. I should be able to eat within reason, keep up my exercise, and stay close to my goal weight. My hubby has lost 80 pounds. Together we have lost a whole person! Like I said, I've have very fortunate circumstances that have allowed me to be so successful. I work three days a week, have a supportive hubby, no children (no tempting Snacks in the house). Also, my job as a nurse plays a big part. I work in a Cardiac Cath Lab and see everyday the effects of extra weight on people. I have a strong history of heart disease in my family and I'm relatively certain I was heading toward a heart attack. The reason I mention my fortune is, I know that others are not so lucky. People have harder jobs and schedules, making it hard to go to the gym, or be able to make dinner that satifies everyone in the house. I feel for you. So don't be hard on yourself if you're a slow loser. This is about the long run. It's about becoming a healthier person. If you have to go back to get 12 fills to get to green zone, then so be it. Just make sure you do it. Just make sure that at every opportunity, you're making good choices. I love this forum. I have gained great knowledge from others on here. It really helped when first starting out. It is one of my forms of support, even if I'm just lurking and not commenting. I encourage everyone to find support wherever you can.

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

I weighed myself for the first time yesterday and I was up 4 lbs :tired Part of the bloat might be the gas - my tummy still feels pretty hard. I also suggest calling your doctor. Maybe breath in a little rubbing alcohol - that seems to work for me. I too was VERY nauseous the whole night after surgery. I threw up once and had many dry heaves - luckily that subsided before I went home on Tues. My doctor didn't seem concerned about my band placement - don't worry!

Gosh, how I understand you! I'be been banded for over 2 years and this has been a constant fight against weight and it has not been easy at all. I'm still far from my goal and it's a everyday battle and I keep telling myself that this will go on and on, without ever ending. Some people have a problem with alcohol, others with smoking, others with drugs, mine is with sugar and all the bad stuff that's wrong for my body. But I still believe this band is the best thing I've ever done for myself and it's been a long hard process. I'm doing the best I can right now, but I know that there's still more I can do and I'll get there and I can't go back. There's no way I'm giving up and allow myself to go back to what I used to be. Hang in there, you came a long way, for some people like us, even with the band, we'll still have to put out an extra mile for it to work out. niki

I got banded in Sept 09 - have had one fill. have really felt no restriction but my provider quit and have been waiting for someone in area and have lost very slowly so just trying to be patient. I am now out of state and probably have been eating too much and have had some alcohol with dinners tho have tried not too. starting yesterday after eating it has felt like my food "went down the wrog pipe" have had some coughing but no vomiting. I have actually only vomited a few times all in one evening due to be drunk ( I know I know) this was about a month and half ago. I have a 'feeling' directly between my boobs maybe slightly higher, feels like when you have coughed really hard . I am able to eat and drink. has anyone experienced this I am out of town and my only option is ER untill April 9th don't feel like it is an emergency but worried it could be something serious I spoke with somone at the surgery and he said maybe taking it easy and eating soft or liquids. but that since I am able to eat it does not seem serious. It kind of feels like I am feeling restriction constantly but really not sure what restriction is suposed to feel like since before all this I felt like I could eat anything but of course I mostly stuck with reccomended diet. PLEASE HELP

I'm an equal opportunity alcohol consumer..I plan on switching to wine or liquors, in moderation, of course!

Hi Meg! Congratulations on your loss so far! When I was in weight watchers the leader explained it like this... Even if you count the alcohol into your calories for the day ( which they did not advocate), your body will burn the ethanol first, then any thing left from the carbs/sugar in the alcohol will be converted to fat. So while alcohol is is your system, you're not losing weight. I love a glass of wine now and then, but have sworn off until I get my weight down. I want to be burning fat as much as possible. But, honestly if I chose to have a drink or two, then I'll have to prepare myself for the scale not moving. Up your Water intake, see if that gets you moving again. Make the best choices for you, but be prepared for the reaction your body has. Good luck!

Besides the calorie problem with alcohol is the affect it can have on those with acid reflux problems. A year after surgery and down almost sixty pounds I started drinking Tequila and Crystal light lemonade more frequently. About the the same time I started having more problems with reflux. Finally I remembered pre-surgery advice from a doctor that alcohol relaxes the sphincter (sp?) and contributes to acid reflux. I quit drinking - no more reflux problems. And now the weight is starting to drop again - who'd a thunk it.

I had gastritis, Barrett's esophagitis, a Barrett's polyp, and a hiatal hernia. The polyp was removed. The hiatal hernia was repaired during my gastric bypass surgery. I was put on omeprazole after surgery and follow up scope showed total resolution of the Barretts! However, there were signs of eosinophilic esophagitis which resolved once I stopped whey protein. THEN....... I developed a bleeding ulcer 9 months post op. Fortunately, it also resolved with omeprazole and remains resolved now 19 months post op, with no medication. With the weight loss and elimination of whey protein, and time to completely heal (doc says maybe a rogue suture caused the ulcer), it seems that all issues are now resolved. I continue to avoid all caffeine, soda, and alcohol. PS: Chronic gastritis (inflammation) and irregular Z-line are very common findings in the general population. Once you lose weight and reduce the acid reflux, this may well resolve. It is nothing that will prevent surgery, and surgery will most likely help.

I'm about 2 weeks banded now and had a drink for the first time the other night. A beer was a bit too filling so a friend made me a fruity drink with tequila and the low sugar V8 tropical fruit juice and some triple sec. Let me tell you after 2 drinks I was FLYING! I'm talking a 12 beer buzz flying. I was never a big drinker to begin with, but I'm going to save a lot of money on booze. :cry_smile: Any ideas why a band makes you so much more susceptible to alcohol?

Hi I'm getting panic attacks and I'm wondering if anyone else is too? I think it might be vitamin related. Here is my story, so far. I had one panic attack when I was heavy in 2005 or so. I had surgery in 2007, I was a model patient and got below my goal weight. I went through a divorce and by 2010 I was alone. I started going out with friends and not eating right, not taking vitamins, drinking alcohol, etc. I had my second panic attach in 2012. I felt my heart racing and was convinced I was having a heart attack and that just spiraled into a full blown panic attack. I went to the ER, nothing was the matter with my heart, in fact it wasn't racing at all, it was normal. They diagnosed panic attack and recommended psychologist. Since then I have had panic attacks on a regular basis with one big one sending me to the ER annually. It all starts with a vibration in my chest, a flutter I feel in my heart, tightness in my chest, restlessness and the feeling I'm going to have a heart attack. When I go to the ER they always calm me down and show me my heart is just fine. Last night I had a panic attack that should have sent me to the ER, but I took my pulse and it was 53. Earlier at the doctor office it was 58. So I did some breathing and after an hour and a half was able to go back to sleep. My doctor referred me to a cardiologist and a full lab panel. I've been slacking on my vitamins since September and eating wrong food, so that's why I'm thinking its a vitamin deficiency. Anyone else have this happen? Thanks for any kind of insight.

Yup! I can have large amounts of sugar alcohols with no effect on my GI system. My dad, however, who has the band, has never tolerated sugar alcohols of any kind. It really varies from person to person. I would get a product and test it out, see how your body reacts, and then buy more xylitol based products.

Alcohol is empty calories please get yourself back on track your weight will come off good luck

A rare steak. Cook the dude a high quality piece of meat and cook it rare. Close to hemmorhaging on the plate. Serve it with whatever he likes to drink although the ideal booze would be a really good red wine, a bordeaux or a burgundy. Men like red meat and high quality rare meat is kinda wet and thus is band friendly as long as you chew, chew, chew. He will eat most of the meat, you know. The vegies you serve along with this must be not be canned or frozen. You could, for instance, serve fresh green beans slightly blanched and then sauteed in butter/olive oil with garlic plus mashed potatoes but mash them spuds with yogurt or low fat sour creme and lots of garlic. This makes them taste especially rich and yummy. If the two of you eat garlic together you will be able to make successful whoopee. Trust me. I used to live with a Frenchman. Ply him with garlic, red meat, and his favourite alcohol and all will be just fine.......... Green knows about these things.

I'm not sure if there is already a thread here for cancer survivors or people who currently have cancer, with the sleeve or pre-sleeve? Would love to know that I'm not alone! I am a bladder cancer survivor. I have my 2.5 year scans coming up next week, along with all my pre-testing for my sleeve surgery. I have my story all printed up already because it's a long one...but I wanted to see if others have gone through cancer here? I believe it puts things into a different perspective if you've come through cancer. I was diagnosed with bladder cancer when I was 42. We found out that I was pregnant, surprise! We had already lost two babies, our son Daniel in the second trimester and then an early loss. We are foster parents and had already had three failed adoptions as well. When we found out I was pregnant, they did an ultrasound. They could not see the baby, but did find numerous tumors in my bladder. There started a whirlwind of tests, day surgeries, chemo, and finally major 12 hour surgery in March 2011, to remove my bladder and rebuild a "fake" bladder inside of me. 2.5 years later, I'm recovering still, have a hernia the size of a basketball due to the surgery, and need to lose some weight before I can have my "big" hernia surgery to fix my hernia, and start living again. My story This is what we consider to be our "last chance" at having a child in our lives. I'm 45 now. I've lost three children and two years ago lost my bladder and uterus to cancer. We've fostered children for years and had four failed adoptions. Last chance adoption. If we can afford it. My life reads like a soap opera. When I was 11, my sisters and I were hit by a car while waiting for the school bus. My little sister Kathy didn't survive. I was raised by a wonderful Mom and an abusive alcoholic Father. And then I married an abusive, drug addicted husband. Stayed with him for 12 years until I had the strength to leave. In 2001, I met Mark, the most wonderful man ever. We married in 2003. In 2005, at the age of 37, Mark and I conceived our first child. In 2006, I gave birth to our son Daniel, too early for him to survive. Later that year, we lost our second child. Fast forward to 2010 (time spent between 2006 and 2010 resulted in our becoming foster parents and having three failed adoptions). At the age of 42, I found out I was pregnant. Went for an ultrasound, where they found numerous tumors in my bladder. I lost the baby and started chemotherapy in Dec 2010. In March 2011, I had my bladder surgically removed, along with my uterus....losing any chance of having our own baby. But, in the end, I was/am currently cancer-free. We named our third baby "Angel" for saving my life. We became licensed as foster parents again, and had a 15 month old baby girl placed with us. On March 1, 2013, after living with us for over a year, baby girl was taken and given to an Aunt in another state. Failed adoption number 4. Through all of this, my husband Mark has been the best friend, nurse, Father, husband, caretaker ever. He deserves to have a child. WE deserve to have a child. We've looked into adoption and have started the process, which could take years.

OMG Nutter Butters! I used to be able to polish off a whole package in a day or 2. Yeah, those wouldn't be allowed in my house anymore! It was bad enough yesterday that my husband had bought some pastries for his work crew in the morning, along with some chocolate donut holes. They were calling my name, but I resisted! Sometimes I feel like an addict or alcoholic. I have to just take it one day, even one minute, at a time.