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Hi, I'm Abby. Wasn't exactly sure where to post this as didn't think it would be appropriate in newly banded for new bandsters that are learning like me. If anyone has any advice, please help! I know there are several topics on heartburn AFTER a patient has been too tight or has had fills but I haven't had anything in my band. My lapband surgery date was 9/13/13. I had the AP-L band with no Fluid placed in band. I did have hiatial hernia repair 3 x 4 CM. Today is my 14 day post op and I am having heartburn. I did not have heartburn at all the first week post op. I do not lay down after meals, so I know it is not related to that. I also have ONLY had Water to drink for fluids since day 8 and forward from surgery. I had my post op appointment this last Wednesday (9/25) with the nurse. I had only had one bad heartburn experience the past weekend and thought it was an isolated incident but still mentioned it. She suggested that I trial prilosec for about a month or so until the swelling subsides from the surgery. I just wanted to give you some background information and what I’ve been doing so you have all the info. Prior to surgery, I probably have had heartburn 5-10 times in my life that I can recall. The only thing that triggered it was if I drank more than two glasses of alcohol which was a rare occasion. I was never sensitive to any other types of food. It was also relieved by taking two tums within 10-30 minutes. My first week post-op I was unable to burp for 6-7 days. Every time I had the pressure to burp, I was unable to for some reason. Starting day 6-7 and forward I burp multiple times throughout the day. I don’t know if that’s a factor since it opens up the Lower esophageal sphincter. I do try to not gulp air and try to SIP my water. My first heartburn experience was on day 8, first day of pureed/soft type foods per surgeon guidelines. I had three bites of lowfat cottage cheese at 12:00 p.m. I tolerated that fine. I had no other food and only sipped on water starting at 1:00 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., I developed heartburn that lasted until 7:00 pm. I took two tums and a chewable prevacid around 5:00, the heartburn finally relieved itself two hours after that. I had no episode of heartburn on Sunday. On Monday I had very mild heartburn that lasted about 1-2 hours and then went away. No episode on Tuesday or Wednesday. Yesterday Thursday (9/26) I had heartburn from 4:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. I did have ¼ of tomato Soup at noon but had no symptoms of heartburn and had tomato soup previous days without problems (I understand this is acidic) At 3:30, I ate two ounces of tuna fish and 1 low fat laughing cow cheese wedge. At 4:00 p.m., I had heartburn. I took two tums and prevacid at 4:30 without relief. I continued to sip my water but no other food. At 8:30 I took two more tums and then Pepto-Bismol. Had no relief. Finally at 9:30 I started to drink my Protein shake (only water and whey protein) and I had relief. I was afraid to try any more food even though I was hungry in fear of having heartburn all night. This morning I woke up around 8:30 a.m. with heartburn. It is my third day of omeprazole. I’m really upset as it is uncomfortable, I had no problems of reflux prior to surgery AND I had a hernia repair. My throat and esophagus feel irritated now and then to have another episode makes it more irritated than the initial episodes. I don’t know if there is something wrong but this is NOT normal for me. If this is related to swelling from the surgery, wouldn't of I experienced it the first week? Or no? I have NO night cough, no nausea, no vomiting. I also don't feel gastric juices in my throat. Just a "burn" from my sternum to my throat area. I've had minimal hunger since surgery. Maybe feel hungry once a day. I am eating roughly 500-700 calories this week. I have tolerated swallowing everything I've tried. No PB or slime. I've tried Protein shakes (only water and whey stirred), broths, blended Soups, lowfat cottage cheese, refried Beans, greek yogurt, pudding, tuna fish, laughing cow cheese wedge, and Peanut Butter. Is there a reason post op with no fluid in the band why I would be experiencing this? . I left a voicemail to make an appointment with the surgeon but seeing if in the meantime someone else had a solution. Thanks. -Abby

Thanks!! I found a protein bar with 20 grams of protein, 0 sugars and 11 sugar alcohol. I wasn't sure if that was bad.

It goes down easily even when you are tight because it melts and slide through- for lots of us it can be hard to stop at a small taste- i think thats the only reason some of say its a no no, if you be satisfied with the occasonal small taste its probably a reasonable treat- for me it would be like a double whiskey to an alcoholic- tough to stop!!

I think an addiction is an addiction no matter what it is, food, drugs, alcohol....... There comes a point of getting sick and tired and a willingness to change something... I am still on my journey but when I see people larger than myself I have compassion because I feel their pain.......

Just wondering, i have pain in my lower abdomen, is this normal. I also have a constant feeling of discomfort, what is the problem with me. i do drink alcohol could that be it?

I have no idea...but maybe lay off the alcohol for a couple of weeks and see if it helps. The alcohol may be too harsh for the small pouch we have, I have heard it is easily irritated. If that doesn't help, it sounds like it might be time to check with the old doc! I just re-read, and the location of your pain is questionable, about it being band related....give us some more info....are you male or female? That is the big one!!! Because pregnancy, sexual issues, etc....would hinge on that all important boy or girl ????!!! Also, with the band our diets change so drastically it often leads to constipation etc.----maybe something related to that? Kat

I should be seeing someone to get to the root of my over-eating. But I don't. I was banded on 11/14 and still miss eating a lot. Some days are worse than others. I have heard too that people turn to alcohol, drugs, etc. because when you think about it, you're just taking on another habit to replace the one you gave up - FOOD!

Ok I'm clearly having a rough night and just need to vent. I feel like I have been jipped (sp?) out of this surgery so many times. My mom worked at ADP for 6 years with UHC and they covered it...but only if I was 18...then when I was 17 and 7 months she changed jobs to Key Payroll online and still has UHC but they dont cover it!!! Gah just my luck. Then 6 months ago she got a credit card for 20,000 but it is maxed out now cause she took alovely trip to Arizona....Then she refinanced the house and spent 20,000 on our kitchen alone (more than the cost of surgery) and normally she has great credit and could get financed for a surgery here in the USA but now her debt to income ratio is too high because of her new stupid southwest airlines credit cards. So basically I have been told oh yeah this will work...Siiikk! too many times. I feel like I am so close yet so far. I have been researching this for 5 years now ever since They had that girl from wilson phillips on TV for the NWWLS commercial (if u live in WA im sure you know what I'm talking about). I just feel like my time is never going to come. And I have applied at ADP (the place my mom use to work, which I know for sure covers the surgery) for receptionist and admin jobs for over a year now and they just won't hire me.<br>I just wonder when my time to shine is going to come<br>Sorry to vent I just feel hopeles....and today I was crying and my mom told me "It's not my responsibility to pay for your stupid weight loss surgery...I didn't make you fat." All I could think was uhm...maybe if I had some emotional stability when I was a child and didn't have an alcoholic father I'd have felt more loved and not needed food to comfort me. I know most of you bandsters on here are older than me and maybe are parents too....but it's very difficult when both of your parents were bombshells and popular in high school and never been overweight...I mean my mom simplifies it to "Why should I finance a surgery when you can't even pay your cell phone bill." I duno I just think she needs to take a step back and realize that spending $20,000 on new kitchen isn't as important as your daughters lifelong happiness, health and success. Maybe I feel like it is owed to me because I truley feel like she should have provided more stability in my life. I rememebr beign in 3rd grade and beign called fat for the first time...and I didn't realize that I was different until then...I just know that if I saw my kids gettign chubby I'd enroll them in basketball or some form of fun exercise and have activites for them to make healthy Snacks....like celery and Peanut Butter with little raisens on them. I wouldn't wish beign 275 on my worst enemy....and just can't figure out why my mom didn't fight harder for my health when I was so little.

Hedwig, we are in the same boat girl. I am down exactly the same as you, 34 lbs since June. My doctor has me at 3cc in a 10cc band. I don't know what my problem is. I have days that I can barely eat. Today I took 2 bites of sushi and had to run to the bathroom. My band is really fickle. I am waiting until after the Holdays to decide on more restriction. Its discouraging, I know. Some days I exercise, some days I don't. My alcohol consumption is still there which I know is a detriment. From the sounds of it, I think you need another fill. The worse thing that can happen is you are overfilled and you would have to have some taken out. You should be able to consume a lot of food. Write me back and lets stay in touch. Maybe we should try a written diet together for a week to see how we do. Keep in touch.

Sherilynn, you are not feeling sorry for yourself you just want to make sure the decision is the best for yourself. I have to be honest with you. The lapband is a slower process. If you follow the band rules you will lose weight. But,,,,,you have to look at it as normal weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week. You may lose more, or you may lose less. RNY is much quicker. I understand that you have to reroute everything and that is why it is far more invasive. You just have to come to terms with whether or not you can be patient with the band. If I had to do it all over again I would pick the band but would be more agressive on my fills. Right now I am down 35 lbs since June. I'm considered a slow loser at 1 lb a week. It may take me over a year to lose the rest of my weight 47 lbs to be exactly. Probably will take me more like 9-12 months. Some lapband patients take up to 2 years to lose all their weight. Please be aware of this. You may or may not have the patience to withstand the band. It is a tool, nothing more. You can still consume high density foods with the band. With RNY you can't have sugar or alcohol. It sounds like you are weighing towards the band which is a good thing. Don't let others discourage you. Its a personal journey. Best of luck.

It is my understanding that the brown fat on the liver is the first fat your body burns when starting to lose weight. It doesn't matter how you lose the weight just that you do. Many surgeons like the liquid diets for whatever reason but not all do that. I merely had to lose 10lbs in the 2weeks prior to surgery (actually just had to do my best). At his request I stuck to an 800cal per day diet. Let me tell you pre band that is hard! I was so hungry, but I didn't want to risk surgery being more difficult because of my fatty liver so I did it. I fyou can eat sugar alcohols and still lose what your surgeon wants you to then go for it, unless he tells you not to for some reason.

I would have defended anyone in the post that DeLarla made. It was totally inappropriate, although I have now found it to be true. My biggest misgivings are that I played a part in her leaving LBT because she posted a very truthful post about you, and not knowing much about you at the time I came to the defense of the person being attacked. I shouldn't have ever done that. DeLarla was right on the money with her theories about you and I should have let it go. You sent me 15 PM's that day, saying "way to go" and "you rock", until I noticed your hubby wasn't supporting you in any way, so why should I be. He still does nothing to support you, and now I understand why. He marchs to the beat of another drummer and perhaps deep down he knew what DeLarla said was all true. Me...I was stupid, but it won't ever happen again. You stay away from me and I won't bother you. What you and 3 Loves have going is no business of mine and you had no business sending her a PM calling DeLarla and I names. You didn't have the guts to put it in the forum, so why send it to 3 Loves? As for the alcohol and drugs, it public knowledge that you wrote yourself on the Gone For Good Club thread. 7 glasses of wine a night and having your Effexor increased and your dr. refusing you a fill because of your drinking sounds to me like you do have a major problem with drugs and alcohol by your own admission. Case closed.....and I hope this thread is also.

If you are eating the same, but drinking more, that's probably your answer on why you are stuck. Be very careful about replacing food with alcohol, or any other dangerous behavior. There is a thread about this on here somewhere, lots of people discuss having similar issues. Addictive behavior runs in my family, but I used to think it was specifically alcoholism that ran in my family so I've always been really careful about alcohol, if I find I'm drinking more than I should, I don't drink for a couple of weeks, or a month. Regarding exersize, unfortunately it's just something you have to get up off your butt and do. I say it that way, because that's what I had to do. I hadn't been to the gym since June, until 2 weeks ago. Once I get going, a momentum kind of builds up, but GETTING GOING is what is hard for me. You'll just decide one day to get up and go, or even if you don't go to the gym, walk around your neighborhood for a while (assuming it's safe). *hugs*

What are "don'ts" of being banded? No coffee, alcohol, etc? I know there are things that some people do or don't tolerate that may be different, but I was more wondering about things I won't be allowed to ever eat, drink or do with the band. What are the rules?

I don't see me giving it up forever, but I am not much of a drinker overall. I intend to stick to no drinking for 6-9 months after surgery. It does use up calories ineffectively and alcohol is dehydrating and is likely a factor in the early stages when it is difficult to consume enough liquids as it is.

I've lost 86lbs since December but I work really hard. I keep calories at about 600 daily (not hard with the band) and run 1-2 hours daily. I have found if I sit on my butt and not move, I don't gain but I don't lose either. I eat when I'm hungry, if that is at noon or midnight. I don't do hunger well. I power walk and run, just bought a Bowflex but haven't used it since I don't have the slightest idea what to do with it. I rarely drink alcohol because I don't want to run off the calories, and I rarely eat white carbs such as sugar.

I have never had the pbing issue with alcohol....I wonder if it is because alcohol dehydrates you? The more fluids I personally have especially milk helps me digest food beter with the band.

Hi Susan--it's good to see you again! My DH went through something pretty similar not too long ago, and he isn't even banded! But every morning he would have trouble getting food fully swallowed. He said it felt like it would stick, or only get part way down into his throat, and he would feel the need to throw up. I had to heimlich him 3 times, and so did a guy at work, this was not in his head!!! Last October, he had a massive GI bleed caused by some mismanaged coumadin (blood thinner) therapy, following his valve surgery and other heart repair they did. During the efforts to save his life during this bleed---they used inflated balloons, one in his stomach, and one in his esophagus, as he tore the esophagus bilaterally where it connects into the stomach. This is a tried method for the most part, as these bleeds are pretty common among bulemics, and alcoholics--both groups vomit frequently. But Ricks problem came in the fact that he was OD'd on blood thinners as well. So the balloons that were designed to be in the esophagus for no more than 6 hours, were in him for days on end. They did the job though, even though they told me he would likely expire (I now hte that word!) in the next 10-15 minutes---he pulled through! So when months later he suddenly had trouble EVERY day with swallowing, and keeping food down, they thought there was motility damage to the esophagus. But looking at it, required putting a camera down there, and they could not take that chance!!! SO....and I really DO have a possible suggestion in all of this!!! We ended up at our internist, and he said he thought his problem may be due to acid reflux. Rick nixed that idea, he never has any backwash or anything---but the Dr. insisted he try the meds and see if it would ease the swallowing problem. He had him get Prilosec OTC-since Rick was adamant that was not the problem, he suggested an OTC as opposed to a scrip!!! Within a few days Rick was swallowing without issue! I have never had to do the Heimlich on him since. So along with taking a drink of the warm liquid in case it is a form of first bite syndrome, maybe try some Prilosec, and see if your esophagus is so irritated early in the day, that it is swollen, therefore not having proper motility. By evening Rick could eat, the Dr. said he had been upright, and swallowing saliva, and other liquids all day, and would ease the irritation, only to have it re-irritate each night. Might be an inexpensive thing to try. He never thought he had any type of reflux---he is 100% believer now!!! Good Luck Susan, it is good to have you back around!!! Kat

Just a train of thought about the odds. Diabetes is rampant in my mom's side of the family. My mom's mom's mom.. was bed ridden and 600+lbs by the age of 30. So, that was my biggest factor.. I never met her, she died by 35 of diabetes, but I saw her pictures.. and I heard the stories...and I knew I was gaining weight at a gross rate, and saw myself bedridden by 30. So anyway.. my mom's mom (daughter of above person), has diabetes.. she had 'pre-diabetes' about 10 years ago, went on a diet, lost weight, everything was good, then she gained it back and about 2 years ago they said she is diabetic.. and now she's back to a perma-diet. My uncle (her son), was told he was pre-diabetic about 6 months ago. He use to be a personal trainer, but let himself go and he's an alcoholic so the beer belly factor-- and so he's been dieting. I was told about 4 or 5 years ago, I was 'pre-diabetic'. I really didn't know that was a term, or what it meant.. and I honestly still don't, except that I could get diabetes (duh!). I've had a lot of bloodwork since then, and gained quite a bit of weight, but no one has ever told me I am diabetic. I do have some things I associate with diabetes (sores on my body are my biggest problem).. So, I've been losing weight with the band. Since no one has called me diabetic yet, is there a possibility, with me continuing to lose weight, I could still become diabetic? Or does losing weight get me out of the water?? I was thinking, I'm in the safe house now, I've lost nearly 50lbs and I wasn't diabetic at 333lbs.. so maybe I won't ever be.

A guys turn to bitch. I caught a burglar in our garage on christmass eve, we sold our house and I alone got to pack it all up and move it since my wife was pregnant with twins, get to the new house, tons of crap ensues getting the electric turned on, the well ran out of Water blah blah blah, twins came 10 weeks early, suprise, i was banded to tighltly the entire time, could barely drink water while she was in the hospital, now were all home, kids won't sleep, sick of hearing advice on what to do, I swear if one more fwackin child care know it all parent tells me to cram this holistic goop down there gullet or asks if they are sleeping through the night or trys to share any fwacking piece of advice that they have not been directly and personally asked for, I'm gonna start whackin people. LET ME RESTATE THAT, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF YOUR F@CKIN ADVICE ABOUT INFANT CARE AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. Add sleep deprivation onto a having to disassemble the engine on my wifes car and rebuild it between evening feedings, giving up my suv so she has something reliable to drive the kids around with, drinking to much just to settle my nerves because I walk in and she and the two infant daughters have all gone ballistic, alcoholic mother won't sit the fwack down and shut the fwack up you looney repressed psychoctic demented old bag, pressuring myself to stop drinking cause it's just unneeded calories and you don't want to end up acting like your mother, eating around my band regularly because I'm searching for the littlest something to help alleviate the stress and pain. Having coworkers whine to me that i need to be nicer and not so angry all the time, (they are all so close to being beaten they just don't know) a go no where job where idiocracy and inefficiency ooze at every turn, no time to ride my motorcycle to try to sooth my soul, trying to excercise on the elliptical but now i've develop a agonizing knee pain 15 minutes into it. Great, my knees are gone at the age of 33. FWACKIN PERFECT. What does it all add up to? Jumping on the scale and finding out I'm up 12 lbs and continuing to look dumpy in my clothes. AAAAAAAAA$RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Splenda is basically glucose with a bunch of alcohols binded to it so the enzymes that break down glucose don't recognize it, therefore it won't get digested.

I generally see the world through vulgar colored glasses. How low-key, or how too much, just depends on the location and alcohol consumption.

I know everyones doctor has different opinions -- but bread, Pasta, and rice become like playdoh had cause the blockage. I am wondering if the crust caused that for you?? Here is some great info I copy and pasted from another post - hopefully you will find 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!<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

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 have no problem drinking alcohol. I drink, I fall down....no problem.