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I already have short hair that is thin. I have it almost like Myley Cyrus. http://www.ibtimes.com/why-was-miley-cyrus-hospitalized-singer-might-have-self-medicated-drugs-alcohol-after-1572796 My top is a bit longer so it doesn't really form bangs The sides and back are clipped. The top is longer and flipped to one side. Currently the long side comes to the bottom of my ear. It is symetrical in that I can flip it to either side. In the summer the short hair is my dark brown/almost black natural color and the long hair is bleached pretty blonde. In the winter the long part is caramel with red highlights.

@@donnag53 - Congratulations on your upcoming sleeve!! I'm 59 (turning 60 in October) and I'm 4 months post-op as of yesterday. So glad I made the decision to have this surgery to help improve my health (not just for weight loss). When I was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver, my PCP strongly recommended I have the RNY. I spent about a year researching the surgery, learned about the sleeve, talked with everyone I work with who has had either of these procedures, and decided the sleeve made the most sense to me. Despite having complications several days after surgery, I'm glad I had the surgery. Complications are NOT common for this surgery so please DO NOT WORRY about that. Some things I've learned along the way -- and, as others have mentioned, after surgery you will have to (and need to) SIP your water/liquids because taking too much in at one time can cause some momentary discomfort. That's been the hardest change for me because I like taking a big, long drink of cold Water at times. Also, once you transition to solid foods, be gentle with your new tummy - eating too much or too fast can cause some discomfort that last more than just a few seconds like the drinking too much lasts. I was a slow eater before surgery, but now I have to eat even slower so as to not cause discomfort. Needless to say, your hot food doesn't stay pipping hot long enough to get it all eaten (even though we're talking about just one egg, or 1/4-1/2 cup of something. Take your time eating!!! Very small bites, too. Also, your new tummy will make all kinds of gurgling sounds whether it's empty or full. It's funny to listen to, but a little embarrassing when others are around - my tummy gurgles are so loud sometimes. Don't overstock on Protein shakes or Meal Replacements pre-surgery as your tastes may change afterwards. I use unjury shakes to supplement my protein intake because without them I can't get to the daily minimum. I started using Unjury about 6 months prior to surgery and found that after about 2 weeks my craving for carbs, i.e. Pasta, etc., had decreased considerably. I bought some 1/2 cup containers to use for my lunch at work and they are the perfect size since that's about all I can eat at a meal. Know that you will lose hair with significant weight loss - this in only temporary as it will grow back. It was about week 12-14 when significant clumps came out while shampooing. The clumps have decreased in the past 2 weeks. My hair is much thinner now, but it will grow back. Increasing my exercise has helped a lot, too. I was exercising before surgery (walking on my lunch break), but that wasn't enough to really help facilitate the weight loss which is the only thing that will help reverse/stop my fatty liver condition. Another huge benefit of the surgery - I no longer have to take my diabetes or blood pressure medicine - immediate results following surgery. You will do great after surgery as long as you do everything your surgeon and nutritionist tell you to do. Each person's journey is different although there are a lot of similarities. @livingfree! made some great points which prompted me to contribute to this thread. This journey is about improving your health, not just the weight loss. Good luck!!!

Well I'm hoping you are correct because it removes a worry from my mind. I don't know anyone personally who has been sleeved, only banded, and they ate more and more till now they have gained back 75% of what they lost. I worry my stomach will grow, but if it doesn't then it would be difficult for me to put on much weight since most of ,y cravings are for healthy is foods anyway. I think there are many doctors who tell their patients white lies or worst case scenarios because they don't trust their patients to use common sense. It makes trusting their words on when to exercise, eat certain foods, drink alcohol, take NSAIDs and all sorts of other things difficult to discern. For example my surgeon told me I could exercise as much as I wanted from day one as long as I can handle the pain. I asked why other doctors say none for two or four weeks, or limit types of exercise for months. He said that a lot of surgeons don't like to deal with patients complaining and not understanding the differences between pain resulting from exercise and more dangerous pains that need to be attended to, so the easiest thing for them to do to reduce complaints and worries, is to just tell patients not to exercise till the surgical pains are gone. Anyway, it was my RN, not my surgeon who told me about carbonation and stomach stretching, and I don't really like her at all. I like and really respect my surgeon, so I'll ask him directly next time I see him.

Lord, I'm 50 and alcohol may be the hardest change of all for me. I love a mug of beer and miss my glass of wine to unwind at night. I know when I'm further down the road i'll be adding wine back in and probably LI iced tea too. I agree w @@ProjectMe that personal conviction seems more of a separator than age, just from what I've noticed, but I'm not really on any of the age forums. I so respect the 20 somethings making this change and commitment early on. I wish I'd not wasted so much time. @@Jkapp923 continue to do your thing proudly. Btw my darling 28 yo stepdaughter is living with us and she cracks me up every single day with her hilarious antics. I LOVE her spirit and her energy. I hope she enjoys her life to the hilt and keeps paving her own strong path. I wish I'd been as strong and people smart as her when I was her age.

@@Jkapp923 My point is as valid as yours. I do not agree with you about the age thing. And that's okay. Regarding the 21 thing, I'm a different person than you with different experiences. I didn't celebrate my 21st birthday by drinking. Just not my thing and I don't feel that I missed out on anything. About the alcoholism thing...I can't speak for everyone. I can only speak for myself and what I've researched and/or heard from my bariatric team. I won't share that here as it really doesn't matter what I think. I encourage you, if you haven't already, to research alcohol after WLS surgery and check with your bariatric team. Then do you

Both alcohol and peroxide are no-no's. Just use warm Water and a mild non perfumed soap along with the meds your PCP prescribe. Contrary to popular opinion they are actually more harmful to healing tissue. Oh I'n aware no peroxide or alcohol not sure why a nurse practitioner would suggest that. Thanks for looking out

Thats not the point either. It is an age thing. Its the I'm older and know better mentality. It is the condescension. I do not need alcohol to have a good time but imagine that you are newly 21. You would want the experience. I brew beer. I am in a homebrewing club. Beer is central to who I am around. I can easily not drink while out but it will be a strain as time goes on to be out and not participate. I will follow the rules but ny lifestyle does not mean I am or will become an alcoholic.

I don't think its the age of the posters that is causing the problem. I think it's personal conviction. There are some on this site who take their surgeons plan as suggestions or guidelines, then choose to do their own thing. There are some who follow their surgeon's plan period. Then you've got posters who fall somewhere between the spectrums. How you respond to posts has a lot to do with where you are on this spectrum also. Btw, I rarely drank in my 20's. I didn't need alcohol to have a good time. It didn't stop me from hanging out with my crazy sorority sisters, frat brothers, teammates or keep me from clubbing/bar hopping.

Both alcohol and peroxide are no-no's. Just use warm water and a mild non perfumed soap along with the meds your PCP prescribe. Contrary to popular opinion they are actually more harmful to healing tissue.

@@nprcowboy oh no, not you again!! you've been a thorn in my shoe for almost 4 months!! hey dude - you know i'm only kidding who loves ya baby?? this thread is getting very llllllong you have written a few posts on here you have received over 325+ comments / responses think its time to start a new thread (just a thought) suggestion for the new thread.,............... "nprcowboy -- I'm still standing " Alllll suggestions are welcome any possible titles must be turned in by close of business March 20, 2015 at 4:46 AM winner receivers free quest bars for the rest of their lives provider of the prize bars still to be determined!!! loser gets free protein shakes for the rest of their lives send to @@nprcowboy somewhere in sleeveland your wife has been your rock i can only imagine its hard for the caregiver but she loves you and wants to be there for you its 3+? months PO for wifey how is she doing?? weight loss etc do you mind if i ask you a few questions??? sounds weird of me to say, but............... besides your continuous physical problems from surgery.............. whats a day in your life look like??? if its ok to ask raise your right hand if i should mind my own business raise your left hand if you are not sure raise both hands you have tried different things to help your nausea what are you using now? what are you able to eat now? eating - ok with most things?? able to drink a lot?? your horrible problems are not the way you would have opted to lose weight you had IV's probably that were full of sugar other things that were bad for weight loss too!!! butttttt........ what is your weight loss situation?? Just curious ticker still correct???? are you working right now??? were you able to file/collect disability???? i think i can speak for others in saying that we are allll concerned about your horrible situation since surgery receiving weekly updates would be great if nothing new to report that is ok to hear too just nice to see your smiling handsome face continued best wishes feel better, plllllease kathy Love the long note lol. Here goes to answer questions. Wife is doing well and is down 84 lbs in just over 3 Mos. I'm down 77 lbs since surgery 4 plus months ago. I've stalled pretty much for last couple of weeks. Don't know why as can't eat much. I've missed some work time here and there since returning about 7 weeks ago including 1 week when tube went back in. I don't think I drink enough as its hard, probably around 30 Oz a day but try to drink mostly powerade zero. I can tolerate most any food but in small quantities. Even had a bit of alcohol at a social gathering and get buzzed after a small amount buy buzz goes quickly lol. From a few bites I get uncomfortable, burp a lot, feel like I'll throw it up, start salivating, etc.. So somedays I don't get in much nutrition or protein. I feel nausea is getting worse lately so maybe botox is wearing off. Not sure. Surgeons now are wait and see approach. I haven't thrown up in weeks but close to it more and more last few days with some heaves, again I think nausea is getting worse. I haven't dwelled on what happens When botox wears off but now in my mind with increased nausea. So far nothing has prevented me from living life. I acting normal and doing normal things. Still think I am weak and need to try and exercise more. I am very tired by 8pm when used to stay up until midnight. Well hope that answers most questions. Maybe a new thread will be good, but I know a lot on here are following this one so that makes it easy. I cannot express my feelings for the wonderful support you folks have given me and will always be grateful you got me thru the toughest part of my life. Thank you to everyone!

Kate the NP here- once it opens up a little like that it is not a good idea to try to close it with steri-strips. As someone said above, it Ned's to heal from the inside out. Rinse it with peroxide and than make sure it is dry ( alcohol wipes will help that) then try to keep it as dry as possible - covered lightly with a gauze pad. If the drainage turns a nasty color it is infected. It's hard to tell from this picture but it looks very superficial. Of course, your PCP should be your primary source of advise, but this doesn't look, from a picture anyway, that is is anything near dehiscense.

Thanks! But like I said, judgers gonna judge, haters gonna hate. I'm 48 years old, like to party and ride a big ass motorcycle for fun! And yes, I do limit alcohol when I'm on two wheels, judgers!. I need every ounce of coordination I can muster to hold up the big ass bike especially now that I'm smaller! I like to have fun, but I don't have a death wish. Certainly don't act my age, but neither do the folks I hang out with now that I think about it! Age is just a number! A piece of advice now that you've called me helpful and supportive... And this goes beyond folks judging about alcohol intake. Let the "frustration" go. People can only piss you off if you let them. Don't give them that much power!

I took small pills from day 5ish after returning home and it was not an issue. I tried crushing larger ones (the ones that are safe to crush, not all are so check with your doc)! but the taste was SO bad I ended up cutting in half and swallowing the 2 pieces. After a couple of months even large pills were not a problem. I take a time release Calcium that's pretty big and it's a non-issue. I DID find that Mucinex gave me kind of a tummy ache when taken on an empty stomach. It's s largeish time release thing and having a couple crackers before hand solved that problem. Alcohol: YMMV, but I don't find that my tolerance is significantly less, (some, yes, there is almost 100 pounds less of me to metabolize it after all), but one drink does not put me under the table as I was led to believe. It's probably as much of a factor that I avoid food\liquid together (it's one of "the rules" AND it makes me uncomfortable to put liquid on top of food so I just don't) so I tend to drink on more of an empty stomach than I used to.

As did mine but as I mentioned my surgeon took them off at my one week visit that was not my decision but his as the one who did the surgery. I was also strictly instructed to not put any type of alcohol or peroxide on the skin as it breaks it down and does not promote healing. I was also swabbed for infection and it is not infection, it is not oozing nor has it ever, I have no fever, and it is not warm to the touch. My surgery was also over two weeks ago and this just started happening. And my PCP is the one I went to, did you read my original post before commenting or what? I was told the same thing about peroxide. I think it's just going through an ugly phase. Try not to worry since you don't have any other negative issues occurring.

As did mine but as I mentioned my surgeon took them off at my one week visit that was not my decision but his as the one who did the surgery. I was also strictly instructed to not put any type of alcohol or peroxide on the skin as it breaks it down and does not promote healing. I was also swabbed for infection and it is not infection, it is not oozing nor has it ever, I have no fever, and it is not warm to the touch. My surgery was also over two weeks ago and this just started happening. And my PCP is the one I went to, did you read my original post before commenting or what?

My program has a strict NO ALCOHOL policy for 1 year post-op. I even had to sign a contract with my surgeon pre-op!

I am becoming increasingly annoyed by older people on this site. Though it is not the intention of some posters, many people come off very condescending in their responses. I am twenty three, my way of life is different than someone who is in their late thirties and forties. My relationship with things like alcohol is different. If someone posts that they just turned twenty one or are about to turn twenty one, I am not going to berate them because of their desire to be a normal twenty year old. I will let them know the complications and that certain things will not work with having surgery. Support. Not tell them they are an alcoholic and have a problem. My rant got a bit specific but is anyone else having these problems/frustrations?

I agree, I think it was pretty obvious from the start that she didn't see her obesity as her weakness and that she had any intention of changing. It seems like the surgeon just looks for an ability to lose weight, then he approves the surgery. Pretty sad, but without a will to change, she'll be like any other addict whether it's drugs, alcohol, or food, an early death. I think that's the only thing I don't like about the show, the lack of mental health clearance. I've never seen any of them jump through the hoops that we had to.

This was a big question for me pre-surgery as well. Not a big drinker but like to have a glass of wine when out with friends. I am 6 months out and can now drink anything easily, just not as much as I used to without feeling the effects (probably because I have less food in me!). I tried to have a "skinny cosmo" a few weeks out and one sip did me in - it tasted like raw alcohol and burned going down. 4 weeks out I tried a light white wine and was able to drink half a glass. Since then I have found that white or rose wine is the easiest thing to drink - and I can have a glass every night if I want to. I can also have margaritas and cosmos again but only one drink - two is too many. I don't feel deprived at all and really look forward to my glass of wine at night. Many on the site choose not to drink because it's not the best choice for calories - and I get that. For me, I am finding that it works in moderation and allows me to continue my social life just like before surgery - eating and drinking less of course - just like my skinny friends were doing all along!

Wow, Julie -- you are so brave! Way to go. And here's to Lidocaine. I use the Patches. Debbie, sorry for your losses -- good for you pulling the eating thing together. You are doing beautifully! We have blue sky and much longer days now -- so happy to have winter behind us. Yesterday I did my four mile walk at the lake for the first time in ages. Felt great! A lot going on in my life just now -- had to help a friend check into the hospital for depression and alcohol issues, trying to find the right facility for her. Occasionally my mind goes to the acquiring of food -- my old mode -- and I remind mysef I don't do that anymore. What a relief! When my husband was in the hospital for two and a half weeks a couple of years ago I self-medicated with bread and cheese, muffins, etc. Being in that environment again triggered those desires but my band is there -- sometimes I think it's on my brain. A reminder. Have a great day, all. I'm going to go manufacture some more endorphins now.

My one rule with alcohol is nothing fizzy. Which coming from someone who loves cocktails and champagne, but most importantly a great G&T - is hard. But since I had the surgery, I've managed to get rid of the carbonated drinks. I usually drink red wine or vodka with apple. Cranberry is out as I have had it so much now it makes me feel nautius (on one occasion I did nearly throw up - painful), not a fan of orange juice either. But my preference is for cocktails. I know I need to work on drinking a lot less myself and I am fine going out in social gatherings and not drinking at all, however I think you have to give yourself some "treats" and not put yourself down if you do drink. Everything in moderation (so boring) but I try and save drinking for the weekend as much as possible and never drink on my own in the house.

How long did you have to wait to drink alcohol post op? I'm not a big drinker at all, but am curious as to how long it will be before I can have a drink or two with the girls at happy hour. Thanks!

I have only been banded since mid January and do enjoy a small glass of wine with meals a few times a week. My weight continues to drop and overall I'm eating much less then I normally would have back before the surgery. The alcohol also does not impact me, they are liquids and go right through. At the end of the day it's about what goes in and how much you burn. In addition it's about satiety, so if you're eating less and can go the 4 (recommended) hours and loosing the 1-2lbs a week - you're golden (in my opinion) Also to note I read a book my surgeon had given me based on the Dr who was instrumental in the band procedure; his studies actually show that patients who enjoyed a small amount of wine throughout the week with dinner had favourable results.

I was really dreading not having Diet Coke after surgery. And 9 days out, while there are lots of things I miss and crave, bizarrely Diet Coke isn't one of them. I'm drinking Water and diet squash, and while water doesn't taste good to me at the moment, the squash does and I have no real desire for Diet Coke. However, I do know that I want to be able to live a normal life, and sometimes that might mean having a Diet Coke on an evening out. In particular, I don't want to give up alcohol completely (I'm not a heavy or even a regular drinker, but I do want to be able to have a drink with friends every so often, even if they are empty calories), so that might mean I occassionally want a wine spritzer or carbonated cider or gin and (carbonated) tonic. I hope that I will be able to tolerate these since I know they will not be regular features of my diet, and I had this sleeve so I could live normally and still enjoy things in moderation.

Hi kate... I know exactly what you're saying, I have read a lot into nutrition and I measure everything, I track it all on myfitnesspal, I have a fitbit, I use a heart rate monitor etc I think for me, I need to sit down with a nutritionist and work this out. I should probably also cut out the alcohol more so. For example today I have had: Breakfast: Blueberry fruyo yoghurt from fage Midmorning snack: 1 x wholegrain organic rice cake thin kallo with 1 tsp of whole earth organic nut butter Lunch: butternut squash roasted with apple, red grapes, onion and 150g of pork sausage Dinner: 90g steamed salmon with spinach Total, 780 cals, 58g protein 59g carb Yesterday I had: Breakfast: 1/2cup of eat natural gluten free vine cereal and 200ml alpro almond milk Mid morning snack: 1 x boiled egg and 2 x kallo rice cake thins Lunch: homemaid thai chicken skewer Afternoon snack: 10 carrot sticks and 2tbsp of humous Dinner: 90g steamed spinach, steamed rainbow veg ad 1tbsp of fresh pesto, 1 fruyo cherry yoghurt for dessert Total: 1,071 cals, 72 carb 91 protein These are pretty similar, my myfitnesspal is littlemissmo83. There are days I don't track, so maybe I need to be super diligent in the week to assess. How many cals do you aim for? My bmr is currently 1,556 cals at present. Thanks again for your inputs! I know it's boring, but stalls are so frustrating! Soundlogik, I would definitely book yourself in for a fill if you feel it's necessary. It does make a difference, for sure!