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I appreciate ur great thoughts!! I dont drink now very rarely; jus worried that since i cant stuff my face that i may turn to alcohol or something else... I have abest friend who only had a tummy tuck and she is so scared to get fat again thaat she now is drinking vodka almost everyday . I tried talking to her but no avail..scared that will be me. I have two Very young children and dont want to become the thing i abhor so much...

I struggled with alcoholism in my early twenties... I have a few minor in possessions, I have a DWI but should've had many more, I've done a lot of hurtful things mainly to myself all because of alcohol. I know for a fact that I never want to go back to that lifestyle so cross addiction to me is completely out of the picture. To me, getting alcohol out of my life was a big head game. And so is this. It's hard and it's going to be harder than I could imagine I'm sure. But just remember that you are doing this to better yourself. Don't take two steps back by starting to drink or get involved with any kind of drug. let's make our new addictions gym time and healthy foods

Oprah did a show years ago when gastric bypass was becoming popular. Many individuals failed to work the mental health part and transfered their food addiction to alcohol. It in no way says that it is definitive that WLS causes alcoholism.

I am six weeks out. I just got back from being on vacation over a week with family and friends. I did not get my protein or water in like I should. I ate sweets, lots of carbs and drank alcohol. I thought my body would reject them all but it was like old times. Which I hated. I need to detox and get back on track. I need suggestions in what I can do to detox and get a jump start because I am not losing.

These are my personal observations about my own weight issues. I have spent years struggling with real and imagined issues with food. I decided to have the lap band surgery after about 4 months of deep and meditative introspection about what my true 'issue' with food was. I had tried everything as many of you have. But when I took a good look at why diets, exercise & food control issues failed for me I realized a lot. One thing that became clear was that I was using food to 'medicate' myself. Every issue, large or small good or bad was medicated with food. I used food in place of dealing with my true issues. Tired, bored, happy or sad I solved the problem with food. It was no wonder I was never full. It was no wonder I was always reaching for something to eat. I would attempt to make healthy choices, I would exercise and I still did not lose weight for all the biological reasons doctors explain about metabolism. But the bottom line was that food was always front and center in my mind. I hated the grocery store like most people hate going to the dentist. I realized at one point that food, for me, was in actuality, an addiction (I speak for myself only, of course). And I realized that this was the worst kind of addiction ever. People can give up alcohol completely and live, they can give up cigarettes & drugs and still live. They can completely remove themselves from temptation of those substances (in extreme cases of course) and function. But food addicts can't. No one ever says, "Oh, I'll just have a little heroin today." But food addicts do. We attempt to restrict the thing that helps get us emotionally and physically through the day. The bad news is that we can never truly escape our addiction to food, after all, we need food to live. The only thing we can do is make vital attempts to undertand our relationship with food, make changes where necessary, & most of all understand ourselves and WHY food is so gosh darn important to us. If we could simply view food as fuel we wouldn't overeat, right? After all, there's no sense in overfilling your fuel tank in your car, is there. But that's not so easily done. Food has a powerful influence in our lives. We Celebrate with it, we suffer through mourning with it, we simply need it to survive. So I had to ask myself, "What the heck are you trying to avoid by numbing yourself with food?" It took a ot of time and listening to things my inner self didn't want to listen to but in the end the answer to that question was...."Everything!" What I lacked in my relationship was covered by my relationship with food. What was lacking physically after a workout was covered by the physical apsects of food. What was lacking in the department of self-love was covered by food. For me food was a cure all. I didn't have to search for answers anywhere else, I didn't have to look for solutions to deep and heavy issues in relationships because food cured those for me. Food, for me, simply made those things go away. Unfortunately the side effects were a catch 22. The food made me feel better in the moment but then almost as soon as I'd eat it I'd start to realize that I did not do myself any favors and of course would feel intrinsically bad and would search for more food to cure the problem...creating a catch 22. For me the answer came one day when i took a good hard look at myself. I realized that I really did love myself but what I was doing with food was inherently NOT loving to myself. I knew then and there that the best way to love myself was to overcome my addiction to food and start solving the little issues of life some other way other than food. But how? I attempted to gain control of my eating. I made health choices, exercised and foced on all foods I put into my body as a gift of love to myself. Food is fuel not medication, I would tell myself. Some days I would do very well, and others I would fail miserably. Days when emotional issues, fatigue, stress or other stressors increased I would feel myself quickly losing control over my new found 'self-love' mantra and back through the drive through I'd go. After many attempts to control increasing hunger after workouts & emotional eating I decided I needed help. I did my research on the lap band and decided that it was the right thing for me. I'm a natural health kinda person so the thought of surgery was not an easy prospspect for me but I knew this was the right thing to do. I did struggle a little with the thought that I SHOULD be able to hand this on my own, after all I did have good in-control days, sometimes. But my weight was getting dangerously high and I knew I had passed my personal point of no return, weight wise. So I chose the surgery. I came to the conculsion that I would probably always have an addiction to food deep down. Just like recovering alcoholics say...you are always recovering. I knew I'd always be recovering from my food addiction but made my peace with the fact that alcoholics get help, drug addicts get help, gamblers get help, why shouldn't people with food addictions get help. The lap band was my addiction help. I knew I'd have to do some work too but I figure that if I could get a little help on the really bad days I just might be able to fight this addiction. It has been a year and two months. I've lost 80 pounds. I struggled with new issues after the band such as exercise. I knew I was supposed to exercise but exercise never worked for me before. I feared failure or even muscle weight gain so I didn't exercise much. Yeah, a new issue to deal with. I feared I spent all that money on the band and it wouldn't work, because after all, nothing else had and this was (for me) an addiction which is all in the head right? But as weight slowly started to come off and I recieved support from friends and family who loved me (but admittedly knew nothing of how hard it is to struggle with food issues) I began to see the light. The band helped me gain control where I was simply ill-equipped to do so previously. Can you fail with a lap band? Probably. Can you sabotage yourself? Probably. Did I want to? Absolutely not. In my mind, this was my last chance and I was going to do whatever it took psychologically & physically to make it work. Even if that meant I'd have to search elsewhere, namely deep in my soul for answers to those daily stressors and emotional issues I avoided and had medicated with food for so long. Do I still crave food when I am angry, hungry, happy or stressed? Not really. Does it cross my mind? Yes, on occasion. Why? Because over the last 14 months the physical attributes of the band and intense personal exploration has helped me develop new habits. I use the band like alcoholics use Antibuse. I know that if I eat more than I should out of compulsion I will get sick and that's not good for me. So over time, I have come to the understanding that my band is there to help keep me in control of eating while I use my mind to solve emotional stressors. Of course I still need to eat, but out of nutrition needs, not emotional needs. I let the band help me get the proper nutrition and use it to assist me in dealing with stressors appropriately. It's sort of my version of 'tough love'. It won't let me have what I want because it knows it's not good for me and forces me to deal with the rest of life the way I should. And the only side effect is that I am losing weight. Recently my band became lose with weight loss & increased exercise. I was hungier than usual, could eat more and I did. I felt like I was a little out of control. I attempted to handle it on my own for a few weeks understanding that at some point in my life the band may not work well anymore and I needed to see how much progress I had made in my emotional journey. The answer to that was...only a little. I didn't feel bad however, after all, I'd spent a lifetime developing my food issues. I didn't expect them to disappear in 1 year. I found myself able to eat larger portions, reveling in it, & in truth thinking "Oh, I bet I could have a Sonic hamburger." In essence, I was having a relapse. I was thinking of all the wonderful things I could have to 'love myself' with. But! the funny thing was, that the food didn't have the same medicating response anymore. Nothing that I ate gave me that sensuous UMMMM! response I thought it would. I didn't have one of those...."Oh my God, I haven't had this in a year and it tastes incredible!" feeling. I simply just ate a little larger portion than ususal and felt kinda bad about it, simply for the fact that I was pretty sure I didn't need that extra portion. So I learned that just because I could eat more, I didn't really need to and in actuality I wasn't getting that response I had expected. And no, I never really did eat a Sonic hamburger. It was at this point I chose to get my band adjusted a little to give myself the assistance I needed. I know I am making progress and my goal is to some day get to the point where I am in control of all food issues band or no band. I think I'm well on my way. I no longer fear the day I may not have use of my band because I have seen progress and I know I will get there. So for those who still struggle with hunger, compulsion to overeat or cravings I feel for you. All I can suggest is that maybe you take a good hard look at what food means to you and how you are using is. Be honest with yourself, I know it's hard. Society doesn't make weight loss or body image easy. After all, simply take a look at your next restaurant portion and you'll see that. Your body probably only needs about a quarter of what is put on your plate to survive nicely. No one can come to these realizations for you. All I know is that I was tired with struggling with my love/hate relationship with food. I was tried of trying to bend food to my will skipping this, substituting that. I wanted my relationship with food to be normal. And I can honestly say that with the help of my lap band I'm as close to normal as I have ever been in 41 years, but still a work in progress. I am slowly making peace with food, using it for what it was intended & loving myself in the process. I used to tell people who said I need to love myself more...."I'll love myself when I'm a size 8 again." I finally realized I was missing their point. Loving who you are, doing things that honor & love the self is a process not a size destination. I am now 185 pounds, 41 years old, a size 12 and if I never lost another pound I honestly think I'd be perfectly happy with myself, physically and emotionally. If you have ever uttered the phrase "I love to eat." or "I just love food." I would highly suggest you take a good hard look at why you made those statements and you'll get some good insight as to your personal issue with food. It may not be like mine but it just might. Thank you for reading my story and I hope you have a wonderful learning experience with or without your band. Sincerely, Samantha Hall

I'm just 2 weeks out, but I'm wondering if there are any good choices in Protein bars? I don't want to have to order them, just something from the local market. Also, do sugar alcohols cause dumping as well? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Nuchnush,BLKLYNgal87,Ms Anti-Band,JerseyGirl68,Sassygirl106,Tess,donewithdiabetes its true.............. people get be insensitive, rude, dumb, et al!!!! unbelievable they open their mouths without thinking - but.............. ignorance is NOT bliss!!! we know it is/can be a struggle at times staying "true" - but we ALL can/will be successful comments that i heard (and the unbelievable meth/alcoholic comment!!! )are crazy i/you don't need to hear such things my head is not in the sand - i know i must continue to be diligent with all my eating,portions drinking et al........... end of my "bad" comments, to the good............. luv ya all kathy

Thanks you guys...all the advice really helps! I think I will get the hang of it. It's just one of those things that is so automatic that it's hard to break the habit. I haven't even tried soda yet...which I'm not much of a soda drinker anyway...but do any of you have problems with soda? How about wine or cocktails? We had friends over at the pool last night and had some beer and wine and I didn't even indulge because I forgot the rule about alcohol~ plus I didn't get IN the pool because #1...I have'nt lost THAT much weight lol and #2 I don't know when we can go in pools or jacuzzi's and the such?? I'm sure at 5 weeks out it's fine though right?~? LOL I used my incisions as the excuse although it was more due to my #1 reason!!! :biggrin2:

Debra, I think what hurt the most was my mom rolling her eyes when I started telling her about the lapband. Yesterday we went out for 'Nanny's day out' <what we call my mom> and I had one plate with meat/veggies and it wasn't loaded then I took a plate and got about 1 spoon full of 4 desserts, which I didn't finish off. Then she looked at me and said 'you going to get another plate?' with a look that said 'I know you are'. Well, I didn't eat any more than her skinny behind. She's skinny because she had 60% of her stomach removed years back because of ulcers. No matter what we do, we MO people are perceived to be fat pigs that can't control themselves. But alcoholics are 'sick' and get all the help they can. Anorexics are 'sick' and get help. Insurance helps them and employers have programs set up for their 'illness'. Well, they have the same choices that we do: to drink that alcohol or not eat same as we have a choice to eat more. Ok, my soapbox is getting a good workout!! Sorry.

Two weeks should be fine. I also have a desk job, and realistically could have returned to work after a week. I was tired for a few days after surgery, but that went away at around day four. At six months out, I can eat anything that I want. I try to eat clean for the most part, but do have "bad for you" foods on occasion. I had a few alcoholic drinks at 4 1/2 months out (New Years Eve). I was fine, and didn't overdo it. I haven't had drinks since, because I just haven't felt like it. I did make myself throw up once a few months ago. I normally weigh and measure my food, and on that particular occasion, I was out to eat with friends. I either overate, or ate too fast (or a combination of the two). Long story short, I ended up vomiting. I was really pissed at myself, because I tried hard to keep this from happening. Since then, I have practiced asking for a to-go box when my food arrives. I then pack away everything except for what looks like a handful. I eat that, and take the rest home. It is all trial and error, and you learn from your mistakes.

Lucky! I just had my 3 month check up and labs and I am low in Iron, D3, Calcium, Protein, B1 and B12! Taking supplements of all of them except the B1 and B12 and I am taking injections of those. Funny because the B1 is usually related to alcoholism but I don't even drink! These are all reasons why I've been feeling so crappy lately though...really fatigued!

I mean, the purpose of the preop diet is to shrink your liver for surgery, so I would say definitely no alcohol. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi... I had trouble with getting a couple of my stitches out too. I used ice and rubbing alcohol then dug it out with tweezers. I'd be worried about the blister you've got though. If it's not infected it just might get that way. If I were you I'd go see your doctor to evaluate it. Good luck, Jessy

Can anyone give some support on alcohol issues after sleeve surgery? No negative comments please. Sent from my XT1585 using the BariatricPal App

Sorry everyone, I haven't checked this forum as often as I should have. Since coming back I have been swamped by people on facebook asking questions lol here are the answers to your questions you asked Robbdtn... I have not heard of anyone have a bad or negative experience at anytime down there in Juarez and I have talked to A LOT of people. I even talked to a lady that went their the week after I cam home and talked her through every experience she had. She had lots of pain (more than I had) but we never could figure out why. The pre-op diet I was on lasted for 2 weeks. I started 3 days early just to give myself a chance to get used to it in case I slipped up. I thought I would totally blow it, but I never did. Come to find out, even if you do mess up on the diet, the Dr. Rod will still go ahead with the surgery. I was told by my facilitator that they have never turned anyone away, pre-op diet or not. The diet is just to help shrink your liver so there is less bleeding, but they are experienced enough to deal with a fatty bleeding liver though. Try to stick to the diet as best as possible though, the pre-op diet is easy peasy anyway, just gotta set your mind to do it. Lots of Water, lots of meat. That's about it lol if you love steak, it's the best diet ever! After surgery, I got nauseous twice in the hospital but as long as you keep a cottonball soaked in rubbing alcohol nearby to sniff when your mouth waters, you'll be fine. As far as pain goes. It was absolutely manageable with pain medicine. Even if you don't feel pain, if the nurses offer it...take it. Better safe than sorry lol as soon as you can stand up and walk, WALK. They want you to walk twice and hour, but I walked once ever few hours because I liked sleeping more. The breathing treatments hurt at first, but you have to keep blowing that damn tiny tuba until your diaphragm resets itself. But honestly, for me....at no point in time was the pain unbearable. Towards the end, the only pain I really complained about was my headache from sleeping too much. I am a full time student and don't work, but I returned to class exactly 5 days after surgery (3 days home) and just took it easy and wore loose fitting clothes and kept a small pillow with me for my back. Today marks 3 weeks after my surgery and I have lost 22 pounds since then. It's not a whole lot, but in the past 3 weeks my double chin is now gone. I have not been doing any exercising other than a few minutes of walking a day. My clothes are more loose and I can see considerable shrinkage all over. Remember, with all the Protein we take in, we are building muscle right now so weight loss might be slow, but we are still losing inches! The only thing I would do differently is packed lighter and not taken a bus across Texas LOL. All you really need to pack is pajamas, toiletries, cell phone/charger. You can go home in the clothes you came in as long as you don't sweat profusely! If you need anything else, feel free to message me directly Lastly, Mattr2...cute profile pic

My surgeon had me lose weight before he would book the surgery. He also said he may have me do a liquid diet and he'd let me know at my pre-op appointment. Since I lost above and beyond what he wanted, he did not make me do the liquid diet. He just cautioned me that if I gained the surgery could be cancelled. The way I lost pre-surgery was to start eating mostly the way I would after - protein first, then veggies. No sweets or alcohol. It was 5 months from first appointment to surgery (I was "at" goal weight at 3 months and just had to get on the schedule and keep the weigth off).

I think it varies. I drink coffee and take a fiber supplement daily. I also am allowed alcohol buy choose not to have it. Follow whatever your doctor says!

Hello all, I had my gastric sleeve surgery on November 15th. It has been such an adventure. I use to be a big drinker before surgery. I stopped about a month before and didn't have any cravings. Now I'm starting to have a craving for a drink. I know and completely understand it is empty calories and it's not healthy. I'm not looking to be criticized. I want to know when people have had drinks how it went and how soon it was. Thanks all. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Fair warning – This was a lot longer than I thought it would be. You might want to have your Water bottle with you before starting! Today (plus one day that I've confessed to above) makes one year out for me. WOW! What an incredible year. In some ways it seems like forever and in other ways, just like it was yesterday. As my signature states, I’ve gone from an 18W to size 4/6. My BMI changed from 32.8 to drum roll please .... 20.1. Hard to believe!!! My surgeon was Dr. Thomas Umbach in Las Vegas, NV. I found him through Medical Tourism and am very thankful that together we’ve made sure I have a nice long, healthy life. The typical question – would you do it again? YES, YES, YES! I was known as a “lightweight” since my BMI was “only” 32.8. Was I fat? Definitely! Did I have risk factors? Definitely! I’ve often said that I was the smallest obese person in my family, but I had to personally realize that I was still obese. I really considered this surgery due to my father. I lost him in March 2009 due to complications from his obesity – congestive heart failure and uncontrolled diabetes. He was only 64 years old. It broke my heart to lose my dad at such a young age. I want to be around for my kids (currently 20, 17, and 9) and their kids! Not only do I look better, I feel better. I can run up and down our stairs all day! No more having to sit down because I’m tired after one trip up. I can go to costco, shop, put the food away & still have energy for more chores/tasks. INCREDIBLE!!! With that being said, I still have not been good about regular, planned exercise. My stomach may look better if I had (but part of me thinks not – skin just isn’t going to bounce back but so much). I am thinking breast augmentation, but I probably won’t. Just invest in more push up/padded bras. Do I want to punch out people that say I took the “easy way”? Yep! Is it hard? Yes. Do people who say I’ll gain it all back annoy me? Yep! Does my new tummy give me a tool that can make me successful? Heck yeah! Am I already successful? YES I AM! Am I concerned about maintenance and gaining again? Yes, but with continued dedication & support groups like this one, I can make it! The next question – how much can you eat now? Slider foods – more than I thought I could/should. I can pack down close to pre-surgery amounts of Cookies, ice cream, popcorn, etc. I have been testing a bit with “normal” foods … the other day, I was able to eat almost all of a McDonald’s hamburger with just the top bun & all but 3 slices of the Apple Dippers (no caramel sauce). I had one or two more bites left of the top bun, but knew I was done. I can eat about 3 ounces of steak with a bite or two of salad & maybe 1/4 of a baked potato. My biggest battles right now are (1) head hunger at night and (2) not counting foods as “bad” or “good”. I am trying to change my thinking to “good for me” or “tastes good, but not very nutritious”. I met with a nutritionist last week to talk about my eating plan for life. While she questioned if I still needed to track every bite I eat, I told her that it helped me be accountable. I am now tracking to 60g Protein, 64+ ounces of water, 100+ grams carbohydrates, and somewhere between 1500-2000 calories a day. I will add a confession here – I track Monday to Friday, but rarely on Saturday & Sunday. I just kind of eye ball/mentally track on the weekends. OK – enough rambling … Just want to leave with 2 more things. (1) If you are on the fence about this surgery, I want to strongly encourage you to investigate further. This surgery has truly saved my life & given me a new future and (2) At one year out, I thought it would be fun to go back and read some of my old posts – my worries, fears, doubts and successes. I don’t know if it will help anyone or not, but I’ve listed a few here: Surgery & Post-Op: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3255-on-my-way-to-the-airport/page__p__29783__fromsearch__1#entry29783 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3363-weird/page__p__30519__fromsearch__1#entry30519 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3403-surgery-recovery-sucks/page__p__30905__fromsearch__1#entry30905 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3471-im-gagging-over-here/page__p__31374__fromsearch__1#entry31374 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3538-concerned-should-i-be/page__p__32047__fromsearch__1#entry32047 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3602-finding-the-time-to-stop/page__p__32545__fromsearch__1#entry32545 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3687-advice-for-road-trip/page__p__33232__fromsearch__1#entry33232 Losing: · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3884-took-measurements-today/page__p__35215__fromsearch__1#entry35215 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3944-time-to-increase-the-portions/page__p__35826__fromsearch__1#entry35826 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4565-need-some-support/page__p__40607__fromsearch__1#entry40607 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4263-wanting-to-eat-more/page__p__38113__fromsearch__1#entry38113 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4778-size-12s-and-medium-tops/page__p__42293__fromsearch__1#entry42293 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/4827-gotta-get-serious-about-exercise/page__p__42772__fromsearch__1#entry42772 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/3769-am-i-the-only-one-wanting-sweet-liquids/page__p__34103__fromsearch__1#entry34103 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5217-its-a-fat-day/page__p__46024__fromsearch__1#entry46024 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5065-post-op-when-did-you-have-your-first-carbonated-drink/page__p__44749__fromsearch__1#entry44749 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6305-my-funny-nsv/page__p__55830__fromsearch__1#entry55830 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/5869-normal/page__p__51835__fromsearch__1#entry51835 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7060-why-cant-they-just-say-congratulations/page__p__62386__fromsearch__1#entry62386 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7964-irritated-with-people/page__p__69470__fromsearch__1#entry69470 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/7376-i-cried-tonight/page__p__64804__fromsearch__1#entry64804 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8064-need-to-be-accountable/page__p__70372__fromsearch__1#entry70372 Moving to Maintenance · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8602-calling-those-on-maintenance/page__p__75039__fromsearch__1#entry75039 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/6171-weight-regain-with-vsg/page__p__54548__fromsearch__1#entry54548 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/8392-today-7-months-out-and-642-pounds-gone/page__p__73224__fromsearch__1#entry73224 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9506-goal/page__p__83431__fromsearch__1#entry83431 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9995-almost-9-months-out/page__p__87012__fromsearch__1#entry87012 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10260-i-am-not-controlling-my-sweet-tooth/page__p__89285__fromsearch__1#entry89285 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10135-holiday-strategies/page__p__88283__fromsearch__1#entry88283 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/10981-nsv-nsv-nsv-for-me/page__p__95104__fromsearch__1#entry95104 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11548-so-discouraged/page__p__99499__fromsearch__1#entry99499 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12379-this-is-why-journaling-food-is-so-important/page__p__106369__fromsearch__1#entry106369 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12406-fruits-and-veggies/page__p__106553__fromsearch__1#entry106553 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/12769-not-quite-a-year-out/page__p__109462__fromsearch__1#entry109462 · http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11607-i-have-a-question-about-alcohol/page__p__99986__hl__alcohol__fromsearch__1#entry99986 For newbies … this is a great place to start: http://www.obesityhe...or-New-Members/ (yes, I know this is another website, but many of us frequent there as well as VST.J)

I'm not looking for any judgement so if you're going to leave a rude comment, kindly exit this post. I'm 18 years old and getting banded in a couple months. I don't drink that often but when i do go out with friends we usually drink straight vodka from shot glasses. On an average night i have 8-9 shots since i have a pretty high tolerance. How long after lap band can i drink and when i do drink, how should i go about it? Since i'm not telling anyone about my surgery i don't want it to be obvious.... Again please no judgment, my drinking habits are nothing compared to some people my age and i think it's a genuine concern on how i should handle this responsibly. Thank you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have had my lapband since 2005. My starting weight was 230, my lowest weight was 174 (lasted about a month) and now I am at 265! My band is unfilled because I never felt full. I just felt pain when I ate (unless it was soft foods or liquids)...this was no way to live. I had a unfill and found out my port is tilted (most painful adjustment ever!!). I really want to lose weight and live a fuller life! I have been researching the sleeve and am hoping it will work for me! Any help with these questions is MUCH appreciated! -I read a lot of people saying sleeve doesnt work after having a lapband :/ is this true? I am SO scared of making a wrong choice -Is it possible to have a band and sleeve? -Why do more surgeons not offer the "net" around the stomach to help prevent stretching? -Weight loss aside; are you able to drink a small amount of alcohol (like a glass or two of wine)? -Do you feel like you get enough energy from what you eat? -Do you find yourself craving carbs or did the sleeve help kill that “I gotta have some bread and butter!!!”. Because even when I stuff myself with other foods, I still have that mental “but you didn’t have what you really wanted” feeling. -Since this is removing some of the stomach, do you feel like some surgeons are better than others? Like it’s an art? I am curious why some people fail and some succeed. Could it be the surgeons don’t remove enough stomach or do it wrong? I also ask this because I would consider going out of state (not out of country for a surgeon more experienced with lapband to sleeve. -Do you believe WLS is like breast implants, where you should prepare yourself that you may need to have “maintenance” done on it? Whether that be revision or additional surgery to correct complications? I explained to my boyfriend I always knew it was a possibility that I may need my band fixed or removed because I saw many patients with slips and port issues. -Can someone have the sleeve done 2x if they gain weight back? -My lapband surgeon is charging 22k for band removal to sleeve. Expensive! I already paid 19k out of pocket for my lapband, and it didn't work out. And I REALLY did try. This would be a 41k investment-- sigh. Many of my question stem from my fail with my lapband. Thank you for everyones replies... I have read this site over for days and finally wanted to post!

My dr also is under the school of thought that there's no such thing as dumping with the sleeve. Every single time I eat ice cream my stomach cramps. I would'nt think that was dumping until a few nite ago. I ate ice cream before bed (yes, I know I'm a slow learner!) and 2 hrs after falling asleep I woke up with severe stomach cramping. For 2 hrs I suffered with cramping and explosive diarrhea (sorry tmi). I promised myself I wouldn't eat ice cream again (not unlike begging God for mercy and promising never to drink again upon vomiting with too much alcohol!) if God got me thru it. I will probly eat ice cream again (when I forget about how it feels) but not anytime soon.

Hi Everyone I'm starting a new thread so we UK sleevers can share our progress. For me, it will be 3 months since my surgery next week. I weighed myself this morning, and worked out that I've now lost 5 stone 2.8lbs! The difference it has made to my life has been incredible. I was in a size 30, I'm now in a size 24/26. I seem to be losing about a stone a month now. My hair isn't falling out at all at the moment but I am quite careful about taking in Protein. I had my first piece of chocolate the other day and it was nice, but I don't feel like I need to eat lots of it anymore. I get compliments left, right and centre about how much I'm changing and my friends tell me how nice I look. Something that didn't happen much before! Things are pretty good so far. I don't regret having the surgery. I've only been sick a couple of times and that was from gulping Water. I even had my first alcoholic drink the other night. Granted, I sipped it slowly, but it was nice to be out and about being 'normal'. I'd love to hear your stories about how you are doing, so please do share them. All the best Bella

Just like a recovering alcoholic, I'm a recovering food addict. It's going to be a life time addiction that I will have to manage forrrrrrrreverrrrrrrr.

I waited 6 months after surgery per my surgeon's recommendations. Your stomach is still healing 4 weeks out and the alcohol will irritate your stomach. Also you will get tipsy much faster after surgery so when you do try alcohol for the first time please make sure you are not going to drive.