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Maybe not so much, you could have given yourself a better chance for health. Let me elaborate. I am also military Tricare/ united health care now. I started trying to get approved originally for a gastric bypass in 2010 when I noticed that no matter what I did my weight would drastically fluctuate from 135-200 within a month. At the time I did not have as many health issues as I do now. I started the processes with Tricare for them to deny me, appeal, deny again and then switch health coverage and start all over. Long story short at the beginning of this year I was diagnosed with end stage liver disease, non-alcoholic cirrhosis stage 4. After all of the treatments, biopsy’s , and other mid-evil torture processes my transplant doctor tells me that if I would have had the bypass 2 years ago I wouldn’t be in the boat I’m in now. The gastric sleeve is my only option now due to my condition and I am currently waiting on a surgery date. Long story short, I started the processes with only having high blood pressure and due to the fast-food treatment of military medicine passing me back and forth between different PCP’s I now have hypothyroidism, diabetic, liver patient. They are still pressing the issue that I do not weight enough even though I have officially been passed over to a specialty care at KU Medical. I personally think you did the right move at being proactive at seeing to your health. If I had the capability I would have done the same thing. Try not to kick yourself in the shins for making a move for better health and not taking a NO for an answer. Personally, I salute you.

wow! that is soo much! I didn't get an estimated wait time. All I had to do for WLSC is a psych computer test and psych consult. For tricare, I had to meet with a nutritionist, have a TSH and H-pylori lab test. Also I have to have a letter submitted by my primary care saying that I'm not addicted to drugs or alcohol and that i have no pulmonary or cardiac conditions and 5 years of medical history & physicals (basically anything charting weight). Once that is all done and IF *HOPEFULLY* I get approved by tricare, I will get my surgery date and I will meet with the surgeon, have to go to a 3.5 hour class on WLS and I believe that's it, then I'm good to go. Maybe NSG made you do all of that stuff, because of your comorbidities? I'm not really sure. And June, man.. I think it is definitely worth it to cross the bridge.. OHHH anddd! they will accept all of that stuff that you had to do at NSG and I'm sure you will get surgery quicker!

Yes it is silly to even consider it. Do not drink any alcohol six weeks out.

I am sure it has to do with body mass. I was probably down 70 lbs from 300 when I took my first drink. I doubt the alcohol is metabolized any differently. Perhaps in RNY patients there is some kind of difference do to absorbtion but I doubt there is any difference in sleevers. I am sitting at 185 now, 40% less body mass than when I started. My triglycerides were 63 (normal is less than 150) when I had them taken 3 weeks ago. That is the biggest indicator of alcolol induced liver problems.

Remember, alcohol is empty calories. I have drinks a few times a month (serious karaoke junkie) and have since I was a few months out. You need to remember that you will get hit hard and fast now. I drink bourbon on the rocks, have no problems but know when enough is enough. I am usually good for 2 or 3 at best in a 4 hour span (my local dive pours very heavy).

I would agree with what everyone has said about finding a different therapist. It can take a few tries to find someone who is a good fit. Don't feel bad about switching therapists; that is something they are used to and the will not be offended. You could also try a support group for alcohol use. Many people use AA, but there are probably others if AA is not your cup of tea. Try to take it one day at a time, can you go today without a drink? If you find yourself wanting a drink, can you distract yourself with a walk or an exercise video or a hot bath or shower? Good luck!

My heart goes out to you. Please find a new better counselor that'll help you and keep regular two week appointments or something to stay in check. Check with your insurance plan to see if they cover addiction recovery programs. I suffer from Clinical Depression and Anxiety Disorder, so I know about using food to mask/treat my problems and while that's not alcohol like you're talking about (I don't drink) it's a similar "addiction" and coping mechanism. I take antidepressants and participate in regular counseling.

Alcohol can irritate the sleeve scar and inhibit healing. Even long post-op, the alcohol can cause problems with the scar. It's best to keep it to a bare minimum. And yes, the metabolic differences of alcohol post-op are almost entirely due to a lower BMI (there are some concerns with increased pancreatic load during the active loss phase). I went from being able to have... too much alcohol without noticing it much, to being pretty much a lightweight. Since it's all just empty calories and is really bad for you, I don't see a great reason to drink (you can have just as much fun without it as with it, and if you don't make a big deal about it, nobody will even notice or care that you're drinking iced teas instead of Long Island iced teas). Obviously, to each their own, but PLEASE be aware of the "lightweight" effect; I've heard of sleevers getting DUI's or worse due to not realizing just how dramatically their tolerance had changed. All that being said: drinking alcohol at only six weeks out is very foolish; I'd wait at LEAST six months. Ultimately, however, it's your body and your risk to take.

So the family has been bugging me about my alcohol consumption since Covid started. Full disclosure, prior to the new year, I was drinking as least 2 (sometimes 3, on rare occasions 4) drinks A DAY. Either an espresso martini or red wine. So to get them off my back, and prove to myself I could do it, I agreed to cut down to no more than one one a day for a month. I thought this would be a piece of cake, but lol and behold, I ended up non-compliant the first 2 days. Mostly because I “forget” that I am on a mission. So on day 3, I put a sticky note on the vodka bottle when I have a drink to remind me I already had a drink that day….and I tell Mr. so he can remind me at dinner if I absently reach for the wine. Since doing this the past 3 days, it’s been working. When I quit smoking (again) last year (I had quit for 10+ years, went on a vacay in 2019 where I accepted an offered cigarette, and just like that, I was smoking again). And my quitting attempts last spring was also thwarted by me “forgetting “ that I was trying to quit. So I tossed all my lighters, got rid of my outdoor ashtrays and told EVERYONE I was trying to quit, and asked to remind me if I forget , but not to enforce me (cuz I know that will just piss me off), as I want to make the decisions myself. I’ve mostly stopped since about April 2021, but I admit I’ve had maybe 10-15 in the past 9-ish months….which is a heck of a lot better than 10-15 A DAY. Final examples: I log everything I eat. Having a running total of my calories, has a bit of influence on my food choices at the end of the day. I weigh myself every day…so I am aware if my weight starts to move from its happy place. Just a couple other “reminders” for me to keep myself in check. This approach may not work for everyone, but I seem to have moderate success with it. Anyway…this was my long winded attempt to suggest you try to find what it is that works for you and what doesn’t (either on your own or with the help of a therapist), and make efforts to implement this knowledge to achieve your goal(s). You may not be perfect, and that’s ok, small changes for the better are better than non at all. Good Luck! ❤️

I walked away from cigarettes November of 2016 then booze a few months later. I was already over 300 lbs and I knew I had to start somewhere. I've been reading up on addiction transfer and it's real. This is not specific to the subject but might help get you started: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19033853-the-emotional-first-aid-kit?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Ubhhurkvj4&rank=2 I'm also still fighting with what I call the "munchie monster" and I'm still working through my childhood traumas. I'm also re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and trying to incorporate little changes in my daily routine to ensure these habits and/or rituals become second nature. Alcohol destroyed my dad as it has many others. I hope you can find away to address what's really going on and start walking down a healthier path. I'm here to vent to or talk to if you need .

Hi DaronB, My psych eval was pretty much them wanting to know if I had plenty of support before they would approve the surgery. There was a 100 question survey where they looked for areas in my life that might be triggers (too high, too low) that would prevent me from succeding, such as alcoholism or very poor self esteem. My counselor was very easy to talk to and everything on their end was approved. Good luck to you!

Ah, maybe that was related to the alcohol content? Alcohol seems to affect people differently post WLS and maybe she wasn't ready for it?

Yeah, I've learned (the hard way) to limit alcohol intake since the sleeve. Among other things, these days I'm a light weight -- literally!

The sleeve really does help keep portions in control. I promise I did not diet during my maintenance time, but I was conscious of my food choices. I eat anything and everything I want. Grant it, about 85-90% of the time I still eat Protein first, but I enjoy all foods. I drink soda, alcohol(not in pregnancy), enjoy a lot of social gatherings which revolve around food. So, I do feel I live a pretty normal little life with food. BUT, I put in the work early out when really didn't have room for a lot of other foods. I remember even getting into maintenance, and being perfectly content with a few chips/crackers. Now, I can sit around mindlessly eat an entire "Big Grab" (those 99cent) bags of Funyuns.or half a sleeve of crackers without restriction. Those are the habits that I was talking about in my first reply. The sleeve really does help us not gain the weight back, but the sleeve doesn't stop ice cream, Cookies, carby/fat/fried foods from sliding right through. None of the WLS options stop carbs and sliders. So, we still have to be mindful and diligent in our food choices. My weight gain was over the holiday season last year. From Halloween to New Years, we attended a bunch of parties, social events, get togethers, etc etc and they all involved alcohol in copious amounts, party foods, Snacks. Seriously, every other weekend, I had somewhere to be and had food and booze in hand. Over those 3 months, I had a solid 7lb gain. I saw the scale gradually go up, and thought "oh it's Water weight from the booze". Low and behold, the new year came and those pounds were still there. I went back to just my normal eating habits, not dieting, just protein first for my meals, and I dropped those pounds in a little over a week. I admittedly hate working out. It's no different than scrubbing toilets. I could probably have more laxity in my food intake if I worked out more. However, I don't want to work out, I don't want to go to a gym, I really just hate exercising. That is a big part of my pregnancy weight gain. I'm eating 1700-1800( about 400-500 more calories than what I ate in maintenance) calories a day with a minimum of 100-200gr of carbs, and 80-100gr of protein per day. The sweet/junk food cravings are unbelievably difficult to fight at this point. I've never dealt with this level of head hunger, or cravings in my life. So, I know that it's pregnancy, and the fact that my eating habits have changed in pregnancy. The lack of physical hunger really is my #1 contributor to my success. I know my sleeve limits, I also know how to cheat the sleeve so it is still all on me to make the best decision on what goes in my mouth for every meal, every day. I can still go several hours without eating. I still never get a stomach growl, or any physical sign that I need to eat. But, I can eat every hour on the hour if I choose. That's the part that is very hard to overcome for me. I know I can eat a meal, and then an hour later I can wander into the pantry and eat more. I wanted to just put it out there that losing was easy, and maintenance is where I (and many others) struggle. That was my issue before surgery as well. I could lose on WW, or any other "diet attempt", but life would happen and I'd gain back what I lost and then some. For me, the most successful sleeve patients out there are the ones who made major behavioral modifications, and really adhered to a solid plan post-op. I have read 100s of topics from people who experience several stalls, slow weight loss, and/or their weight loss comes to a complete halt because they think that the sleeve will do all the work. Sadly, those same patients post how they don't want to diet, how they want normalcy. Well, I hate to say it, but most of us are NOT normal. If we were, none of us would have sought surgical intervention. Pretty much if you are diligent with food choices, and allow indulgences in moderation, the sleeve works. I can still suck down a milkshake, or eat an ice cream without issue. I really do live by the mantra of "just because I can; doesn't mean I should". It's not always easy, but the sleeve helps tremendously.

You have youth on your side. The weight will come off. Beer may give you some trouble depending on how tight your restriction gets. A drink every once in awhile won't hurt you but it is high calorie and may slow the weightloss for you. If you only have one drink on special occasions and stay away from being a heavy drinker, your life will turn out better in the long run. You are so young and have so much life ahead of you. I think you have a bright future and it is great you are getting rid of the excess weight so young. Drinking heavy messes with your liver over the years anyway. You can find other ways to have fun and keep the alcohol consumption down. Good luck on your life journey !

I tend to believe the perceived effect people are experiencing from the alcohol has more to do with decreased tolerance than anything else. The less you drink the less it takes to achieve the same intoxication level - especially having stopped cold turkey for a period of time. Brad

There is an initial time period in which you lose the most weight. The sign that it is over is that you stop losing weight with the diet and exercise you've been doing. You start to feel like you're beating your head on the wall to no avail. That is where i became discouraged and turned to old comforts. I also had a very stressful time in my life right then, and I did not exercise the amount of self control i needed to. I continued to exercise, but the cravings were kicking in, and I was GIVing in. Then i started on the tasty alcoholic drinks. Don't drink your calories. The Grehlin figures out a way to start producing again, and the hunger pangs return. HOWEVER- you DO still have a smaller stomach, so like Diva said, you can still work your tool. Stay with protein and veg first. I strayed from that rule. Still struggling. When I get hungry, I get almost manic. I suddenly feel like I have no ability to make rational choices. So I was giving in to sugar cravings, and started that ugly cycle. Trying to break that yet again. I AM thankful to still have a small stomach, or i'd weigh 500 lbs by now. So... there's that...

Way too high Sugar alcohol amount is 27 grams ; Carbs 32 grams(full day= less than 68 grams). You do sound very busy but try to find a better brand. Sorry if this sounds real bossy. We never read all the ingredients before, we have to now! How about a hard boiled egg, piece of chicken(3- 4oz.), greek yogurt with fresh fruit. Think protein, keep carbs low. Eat complex carbs.

[OK someone needs to explain this to me.... There are no plumbing changes with the band and when properly adjusted, liquids go straight through the band, so how would alcohol have any different metabolic properties? Brad Beats the heck out of me. All I know is after a normal dosage of nyquil there was a party going on in my head. :sad:

Here's an article on alcohol and WLS, but it talks about gastric bypass. People Get Drunk Faster After Bariatric Surgery, New Study

Enlighten me @@Loristi Sounds like you are pre-op??? saying on the board - "one thing we have in common is that we're all different" docs and NUTS have different rules about things some of "them" say no coffee - "never, ever" others say after a certain time period you can have alittle coffee some say no alcohol for 6 months others say............. wait 6 months, 6 weeks, 6 days, 6 minutes etc - .. soda - some/many say NO, NO, NO others say ................. no straws, others say its ok sex - some might say wait til you feel ok, then take it slowly, easy for awhile (no crazy acrobats!) other docs might say NO NO NO to sex forever!!!! gotcha!!!! so..........the answer to your question (oh no, what was your question again LOL) alcohol - soda - never say never!!!! unless doc says so i drink coffee,no alcohol, straws or soda/carbonation for this grammy listen to your NUT and surgeon ALWAYS like they were amongst the highest power!!! good luck with surgery kathy

Having questions & concerns before surgery is very common. It is frustrating though when your surgeon &/or medical team don’t prepare you about what happens after or what could happen. So in answer to the things you’re second guessing: (sorry long response) Most pain post surgery is gone in 4-5 days & a lot of that is gas pain from when they inflate your abdomen to visualise the surgical field. Yes, there may be some foods you can’t tolerate especially in the first couple of months after surgery. Some occurs because your sense of taste &/or smell temporarily changes & some foods taste or smell terrible. Your tummy can also be pretty sensitive. Something you eat one day without issue can cause side effects (diarrhoea, nausea, foamier, discomfort, etc.) tomorrow. Just drop that food for a week or two then try again. Most people can eat anything but do so carefully & watch portion sizes. Honestly, I do still have issues with potatoes, pasta, bread & rice - they sit heavily in my tummy - no loss there though. Char grilled foods are too dry for me & oily fish or fatty foods also are a no go but they were before surgery - stirred up my too acid tummy. Again no loss. I used to have a large glass of wine every night sometimes followed by a scotch. When I was losing I’d have a glass about once a month but I’d nurse it for hours. Now I still only have a drink about once a month. I don’t really miss it & I don’t enjoy it as much. At a lower weight, the alcohol may hit you more quickly & you will register a higher blood alcohol content. Also addiction swapping is real. Swapping your food addiction for alcohol, or something else is something to be aware of. Gerd is a possible side effect of sleeve surgery. I had some reflux before surgery I still have it now - it manifests differently though but is easily managed with medication. Many obese people already have or develop gerd or gerd symptoms like heartburn anyway due to poor diet &/or excessive eating. My surgeon allows me to have the odd nsaid - once a month or two. Regular use of nsaids can cause inflammation of the stomach. Post surgery we gave a much smaller stomach so the damage to our tummy lining caused by the nsaids is amplified. Gallstones form as a result of high cholesterol, losing large amounts of weight, menopause or having high bilirubin levels. I had my gall removed 2 months ago. I had one stone which could have formed because of the weight loss, menopause or from my high bilirubin levels. My cholesterol was always ok. Many obese people have high cholesterol so would already have or would form gall stones at some time anyway. Many obese people already have or would develop hernias because of the weight they’re carrying putting stress in their bodies. Many have their gall removed &/or hernias repaired during their weight loss surgery. Some didn’t even realise they had the problems before all the pre surgery medical tests. The shock of the surgery & reduced diet causes your natural hair loss cycle to accelerate. (It happens after many surgeries, pregnancy, menopause, periods of excessive stress, etc.) Your natural regrowth cycle is unchanged so new hair is regrowing as you’re losing more quickly. The hair loss tends to slow to normal rates after 3 or 4 months. I cut my hair shorter so the new growth would reach full length more quickly. You can’t stop it or slow it. It will happen in its own time (those who claim supplements & treatments helped have no idea because they don’t know when their hair would have stopped shedding anyway). You wouldn’t know almost half my hair fell out now - it’s as thick & as healthy as it was before. Yes, some people do experience complications or take longer to get through the initial side effects. But all surgeries have the potential for complications. Sleeve surgery is pretty low risk in comparison. I guess, in summary most of your concerns are temporary, short term side effects or are things you may have developed anyway if you didn’t lose your weight. Is the surgery worth it? Yes! Yes! Hell yes! I didn’t have any comorbidities before surgery but they were very close by now there’s an extremely low to no chance of ever developing them. The balls of my feet used to ache & my stamina wasn’t great. Feet are pain free & stamina is improved. The oddest thing is now I sometimes have difficulty finding clothes to fit me because I’m too small. 😆 Rather have that problem then being too big to find nice clothes. Good luck whatever you chose to do.

I started drinking again about 3-4 weeks post surgery. I felt a buzz after about 3 oz of vodka :cool:, but im assuming thats because I hadnt had a drink in about 2 months. I mixed it with zero calorie Vitamin Water and found I could taste the vodka much more than if I had mixed it with, say, orange juice, but I was able to tolerate the taste better than before as well. Dont know why. As you get smaller it takes less alcohol to get you buzzed too. I've had drinks the last 2 weekends and it hasnt affected my weight loss, so as long as I keep losing I dont see a reason to stop :wink2:

Praying for you.. I grew up w/ an alcoholic father... you know the rest!!.. Be strong and positive...

well, I agree with all the above.. I was married to an alcoholic and I enabled him to continue to be for 10 years. Finally broke free of that! Yours sounds a lot like mine... giving orders and such. If he wants a divorce, let him file it. Why should you take on all the stress of that, meeting with lawyers, paying for it and so on while he sits back and just signs his name when you are done doing ALL the work. Screw that. Let him do it and you sit back and sign when you agree to everything. Thats what I say... Dont let him keep ordering you around... you dont owe him sh*t.