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@@ktscott Hi and welcome! I actually had gastric bypass instead of the sleeve because I suffered from severe reflux. I have an automatic immune disease as well called psoriatic arthritis. Every 8 weeks I get an injection of Stelara which helps with both the psoriasis as well as the joint damage. I try to avoid steroids because it makes the skin condition much worse however I recently had spine surgery and was literally forced to take both IV steroids and oral steroids for a number of weeks. I had no problems with it in terms of my new tummy but of course the steroids kicked up my psoriasis very bad,y and now I am taking a daily dose of Cyclosporine. Hopefully it won't be for too long but it is liquid and if I don't eat something or drink a Protein shake it tends to burn my tummy. I have not had that sensation in the last 11 months since my bypass. It cured my reflux. I suspect there is something like alcohol in that drug which causes the burning sensation. Anyway, there are plenty of people with RA on this site but I would not be overly concerned. If you are taking NSAIDs that won't be allowed. They can cause severe ulcers in your new tummy so they try to have you take Tylenol instead. I found after this surgery that Tylenol based pain relievers actually work. Before surgery that was not the case so I was worried about stopping Aleive. I have not missed it at all. Good luck and let me know if you have further questions!

I can't (won't/don't/rarely ever) follow rules when it comes to food. I can follow all sorts of other rules and am very disciplined in other areas of my life. But I lose this battle with this demon so often that it's just killing me! I'm begining to wonder if I've made a huge 10,000.00+ dollar mistake. I should have known that I could not follow the rules. About the only rule I have followed faithfully is giving up soda drinks. I'm so afraid I'm going to hurt my band by over eating with it. How did you guys stop over eating when you'd always done it before? I was hoping that when the pouch was full, I wouldn't want or be able to keep on eating? But the food just goes on down, just like before the band. I know I have said this before, but.... If I could follow food rules, and had no obsession with food, I wouldn't have ever needed a band or anything else other than a plan/goal and the will to obey the rules of food & exercise. How is it that those of you out there have lost weight when you hadn't been able to before? How is it that you were able to go from binging all day long, to eating 3 - 1/2 c. portions of food a day without snacking inbetween meals? Are things really evergoing to change for me when I have sufficient restriction? I have gained back all but 3 of the 10lbs I lost after surgery. 5 lbs just since the 1st of November. It's like I have an obsessive compulsive swing in mood about every 3-4 months or so and boy does it take it's toll in my ability to think and act straight with food. That's on top of a milder swing associated with PMS! It's a huge inner thing that totally takes over my brain and view of body and mind. I spiral down and I can not get control of it. Then, a month or so later, I'm over it but I'm stuck with the effects. Usually 5 or more lbs gained and a feeling of what a loser I am. Sometimes it is spurred by a word or two or a weigh in. I can speculate as to the reasons for this self distructive behavior. Maybe it's because I was sexually molested as a child and hated my body for much of my childhood, I don't know? I don't hate myself at all now. It's more frustration and not hate now. Reasons don't really matter in the end do they? It is what it is and I must find a solution. Maybe you can help me. Why can't I stop this bad behavior? Is there any hope for me? It's a darned good thing I never did drugs or even drank alcohol....I surely would have been an addict to those things too. I suppose I should be thankful it's just sugar and carbs. Well, one thing I know that I can do to improve my situation is to get exercising again. It used to keep me sane when I was in my 20's. Now, it's so hard to stick to it consistantly with a constantly changing family schedule. I've got a good excuse for everything I'm not doing right! I know that I can do this much though towards feeling better. I know there are all sorts of spelling errors and that this post is hard to follow, but I'm going to post it as is and hope that it doesn't drive you all crazy!

I am kind of dreading my appt with Dr. C today. I've been doing great until this last month. I didn't get a fill last month and he even threatened to do an unfill because I was getting stuck a lot. I was comfortable enough and asked him to leave me where I was. Since then however, I have gotten to where I can eat quite a bit and I get very hungry between meals. I've also been doing a LOT of socializing, especially drinking alcohol. Lots of empty calories. So, I have barely lost anything since my appt last month. I have recommitted myself and am going to ask for a fill today. I'm going back to less than 30 gms of carbs a day (I've also been sneaking in more of those) and hit the gym more often. I've basically been consuming like I probably would when I'm at maintenance instead of what I should be consuming while trying to lose, so I need to get back on the wagon and lose my remaining 24 lbs I need to get to goal. Another concern I've been having is hair loss. It has gotten really bad the past couple of months and I'm actually seeing thin spots where I can see my scalp. I'm going to talk to him about that today as well. Hope everyone else is continuing to do well!

You're welcome RSG! That's too bad your first dietitian didn't work for you. Maybe your doctor could suggest another? I believe trying to go it alone is never a good idea. Seeking help is strength & smart thinking - you first sought help with your weight loss by getting a lap-band, now continue with someone who can help you eat smart. It's like alcoholics that seek help with AA - they are the ones most likely to succeed in conquering their disorder. I couldn't have come this far without my dietitian - she's a great fountain of information. I wish you the very best, and stay with us here and let us know how you are doing! :cool2: I agree too Jodi & Christasha - everyone is welcome here. :wink: And I hope I didn't sound like I was hatin' on the Protein shakes LilMissDiva! :smile: If it works and you like it, perfect! They just don't work for me, I'm hungry like 10 minutes later.:cursing: I really hate the day after a fill - drinking liquids for 24 hours drives me nuts. I do like StLouisGal's idea though, she made a very good point - those shakes would be perfect in the morning for people who have that tight band problem! just keep swimming! :thumbup:

I would like to respond about the carbination. Everyone's recovery might be different. However I would recommend now having carbination yet. I know that air in the stomach right now isn't good for it because it expands it. I know ppl who had bypass a while ago who will drink soda and another one who admits it bothers them when they drink it. I think it takes time and then you can try it and see what works for you. I will want to have a beer in the future. I am 5 weeks post op. When I can have alcohol according to my surgeon I will have non carbinated for a while. Then when I am ready I will try carbination again and see how I tolerate it. Essentiall the idea is that medically we will be able to eat and drink anything and everything again, but in smaller amounts. In the meanwhile... You could make some sort of uncafinated tea and make it iced if you want. Starbucks/Tazo Passion tea is non cafinated and has great flavors. I also love the water flavorers- mio or whatever you can find. There's different flavors. I like the fruit punch and iced tea. Also protien waters taste good. Atkins has a water with 20g per bottle! My surgeon said it can't count as water because I was not getting enough water. But it's something you can drink and helps with your protein goals. Hope this helps a bit -Joe M.

@@SleeveSoon yes, I think that' a wise strategy! In addition to some lovely IPAs, I also have a nice stash of lambics that are delicious and pretty low alcohol/low calorie. It was a long, tough winter for me being laid up with the foot surgery and a house full of BA Russian Imperials! I talked to my surgeon extensively about beer and it being part of a healthy post-surgical diet, it definitely can be, just have to be a bit more careful and definitely keep off it when I don't have exercise to counter-balance! Thanks for the post and cheers!

Hi Shedo / others, I think alcohol for sure has played a part for me however im just curious if any of you after a certain period of time had a moment where the sleeve almost turned off? If I can use that phrase, and felt you had to revert back to full manual control so to speak?

How soon was any of you capable of consuming alcohol Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I was allowed alcohol by my surgeon pretty quickly post-op and drink 1-2 x a week generally. This didn't happen at first, but as I've lost weight further out from surgery alcohol hits me much more quickly than it did pre-op. It also wears off quickly, but yeah I'm pretty loose after just 1 drink. I consider it a blessing - less calories and less $$! If you are allowed to progress to include alcohol just make sure you're conscious of how it fits into your daily protein/calories consumption and make smart choices.

I'm scheduled for july 18. My husband was too, but then insurance denied him at the last minute. They said his alcohol intake in 2021 was too much (his last drink was in january 2022). Hopefully he can get scheduled again in a few months. Best of luck to you!!

Judgement? Maybe. Definitely a clear recognition and mirroring of my past behaviors and a desire not to return to that life style. I had to eat every piece of crap that I did to get to where I was that led to the surgery and a new way of life. It is the same way I look at active alcoholism. I can live without booze...I can not live without food. I am committed to a new way of life. Some days I do better than others.

prebiotic is what the microbes eat, and probiotic is the microbes themselves. here is one list I found of ways to repopulate your good flora...Eat your Sour pickles! Sources of Bacteria to Repair Damaged Gut Flora We must eat new bacteria in order to replace bacterial species lost by antibiotics or unhealthy diets. Probiotics -- specialized bacteria that grow in milk products Spices and herbs -- plant products abundantly contaminated with bacteria that digest plants Fresh vegetables -- bacteria are on the surfaces of plants unless the vegetables are cleaned or cooked Fermented foods -- Bacterial growth leading to acid or alcohol production has beed used in the preparation and storage of many foods and provides a rich bacterial resource. Environment -- Bacteria are transferred to our hands and face from other people, pets and surfaces, unless hands and the body are continually washed. Sanitizers and frequent washing of hands and surfaces eliminate acquisition of environmental bacteria to repair damaged gut flora. Social isolation and hygiene block repair of gut flora. Replacement -- experimental replacement of damaged with healthy gut flora (fecal transplant) has been very effective in curing many diseases without significant risks, but is restricted by the medical industry.

@@Sharon1964 Good god, this is a big bowl of "word salad." I'm going to guess it was made by someone trolling. http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-word-salad.html The term word salad refers to a random words or phrases linked together in an often unintelligible manner. Often, a listener is unable to understand the meaning or purpose of the phrase. Mental health issues can often be the cause of disorganized speech such as word salad. ** See: "Beg your pardon?" Conditions that Lead to Speaking a Word Salad ** Trolling, alcohol and recreational drugs Dementia Schizophrenia Logorrhea Schizophasia Receptive aphasia Anoxic brain injury Word Salad Examples ** the original post by the op and most of the follow-up The sheep languished blue trains suffer Windows books dogs hands run Run desk making dinner sunglasses menu Folders pile swimming red clouds Sadness cups coffee printer power outage Porch steps run come here Dogs sleep chicken pencil trees E-mail purple orange swims blackened Garbage pink composition solely bags speak deodorant Take sharpness filling soda cans Wetness smooth dancing sheep Horse paper handbags skipping forests play together In worlds with pencils, schools page drink slime Loving living nectar of bees of pollen and butterflies run amok Children bikes cars sliding Typing while sleeping and running while cat Over the hills, cloud blue a shelf lay fuschia Labels and rash, files are landing Wall speaks windy hot mess Brightness foresees the rug Dirty slime amidst antiquated hoopla Take shirt slam crazy bike tires in afternoon Amongst all confused working fly Sensibly effort compound bed bubble Kings sense jester realize tongues poetry Words hard journal describe impossible Religious hair coma machine idea hate Interesting hospital interpreting description extreme encounter Junction one distant fragile mine Death wretched addled else finally chant mind sea backgrounds Obey space cat disjointed languages swearing admit stranger bit dressing Picture cake chocolate rambling UFO solar here fuse barking Online signature basic color sleep ideas class Dog bike cat sat sit down under sleep jump Now later red cat boat ship house girl Word Salad on TV Word Salad is also sometimes used for comedic reasons on television, in music, movies, and other media. Some examples are: The Muppet Show's music often contains words strung together that do not make sense The Happy Noodle Boy comics by Jhonen Vasquez Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot, a song by Carumba Worm Quartet, a comedy music act Drinking Out of Cups, spoken word by Dan Deacon Hatsune Miku's song Francium Popular website LOLCats Rutland Weekend Television's sketch “Gibberish” by Eric Idle Monty Python's Flying Circus Some of the comics of Calvin And Hobbe's A stand-up act by now deceased George Carlin included Word Salads such as “Niz fluk bwarney quando floo!” The play Dogg's Hamlet by Tom Stoppard Now you have seen a lot of different examples of word salad. Since word salad is just nonsense words or phrases, you can easily create your own examples at any time.

I have met people on both sides of the coin, yes, to many of us who have 100+ lbs. to lose, getting the surgery for 'only' 35 lbs may seem drastic, but I can understand the thought of not wanting to struggle all your life. I have met people (mainly self pay) who get the surgery to 'maintain' their figure/weight as they are older. I think everyone comes to the decision to have WLS of any kind for their own reasons. I was criticized by my family for having WLS because aside from being morbidly obese, I have no co-morbidities, I have low blood pressure, good cholesterol levels, and work out daily, I was 'healthy' (technically) before WLS aside from the weight. I think that akm0036, to answer your questions, yes, getting the sleeve, or any kind of WLS is drastic, it is not just for a year or two, it is for the rest of your life. That being said, I also struggled on the pre-op diet, I think everyone did. Yes, you feel like you are starving, and I understand feeling tired and weak. Once the surgery is done, your Ghrelin is gone, so (at elast for me so far) I have not felt hunger after the surgery, and it then becomes a chore just to get in your 64 oz of water each day. Also, you said you have babies to care for, my surgeon advised me not to lift more than 25 lbs after my surgery, that may be an issue you will also struggle with immediately after, once I am cleared, I can lift items again. The truth about your other questions, is not that you CAN NEVER eat those things again, your stomach will not explode but ideally, you SHOULD not eat those things again, with wine and alchohol, my understanding is that with such a small stomach, the alcohol empties quickly into your small intestine, which causes you to absorb it much faster, and hence get drunk faster, and then not stay drunk as long, with eating hot dogs and pizza, these are both carb laden items, and since your stomach will be so small, you are encouraged to eat high quality foods so you do not develop nutritional deficiencies, but I have read of many people on here and elsewhere that splurge once in a while on 'bad' foods, the Obesity Police aren't going to come and arrest you if you splurge once in awhile down the road As far as eating and drinking at the same time, again, your stomach is so small, you will need to fill it with quality food when you do eat, if you eat and drink at the same time, a couple things could happen, you could cause the food to 'slide' through, and then you will end up consuming more than necessary, or you could end up filling your stomach with liquid instead of quality protien and nutrients, which could cause you not to consume enough. Yes, it is true, some people have issues with acid reflux, and the such, as with any surgery there are risks. I feel like my best advice to you would be to do more research if you are feeling unsure. Bottom line, there are risks, and you will have to change your lifestyle. If you are ready for it, I say do it, don't let anyone tell you that 35 lbs isn't enough, that decision is between you and yourself, but please do be prepared though to know that the sleeve is not a 'magic pill' so to speak, you would be able to gain weight back if you do not utilize it properly down the road. I encourage you to read some of the forums as well about people that have gone backwards on their journeys, how they got there, and why. I think if you do more research it will affirm your decision either way. Whatever you decide, good luck, and I hope you feel better soon. I know on pre-op I felt like I wanted to chew someones arm off, and I was cranky and mean, lol. I don't wish that one anyone

Thanks for the great answers! I think this thread is a nice reminder of how hard we’ve all worked (and are still working) to get where we are today, and also how capable we are of doing what we set our minds to do. It looks like eating too fast, eating too much, and staying away from alcohol and problem foods are some of the most common challenges. Haha, @@LipstickLady, your family is lucky! I can definitely think of worse things than being served prepared foods from Whole Foods! @@sbg224, that’s a tough one. Have you tried any substitutes, like single-serve bags of low-carb chips or pretzels to get the salty, crunchy sensation? Or maybe even crunchy veggies if you can tolerate them? @@VSGAnn2014, that may have been a hard habit to break, but it sounds like breaking it has multiple benefits – from weight loss to better energy! Good for you for figuring out what works for you. @@beggingtobehealthy, separating Fluid from food was a super tough one for me, too!

See when your doc clears you for alcohol; it's (like everything else, it seems!) different for all of us! Now that I'm a year out my doc gave me the go ahead for beer (my personal preference for general everyday drinking LOL) but I generally avoided it until he told me "ok now". I don't like wine, but I did have vodka and orange juice, and some cocoanut rum and crystal light lemonade (odd but strangely tasty)

Ate those in the skinny girl brand?? I used to drink the skinny girl margaritas. They come all mixed up. Haven't touched alcohol in about a year.... I seldom have a drink but would love a skinny girl margarita when my 6 months comes... Just one drink but I'm afraid of the dumping... So anyone who dumps to sugar please let me know if this is a tolerable drink !!!

I am not a drinker of alcohol. But i do like wine every once in a long while... So i was wondering if anyone had it yet and how it sat

Tssiemer I didn't have staples so I can't relate to that. But my physical recovery was a breeze compared to the mental recovery. Still a struggle almost a year out! Don't be worried about messing the process up and be denied. You will be more upset with yourself not trying if you gave up. Constipation can sometimes be an issue for me but only when I take ibuprofen. I was approved and instructed to take it while on my cycle because mine got worse with loosing the weight. So I take them very limited but when i do take them... Constipation strikes. But its usually fairly easy to take something and get it moving again. And as far as the easy way out.... You tell whomever to go to hell who says that! Sorry to be blunt but seriously.... This is not easy! I work so hard daily at this. Harder than I ever have!! I don't tolerate anyone telling me that because I know the dedication and time I put into this. I contemplate everything I eat, get up at 4:45am to work out before work, count my water all day long, gave up alcohol. Its not easy but still the best decision I ever made! I can't ease all your fears but I'm always here to try and talk and be honest about the process.

@Xx1jpt5xx alluded to this, but I want to emphasize it. I think it might help you understand your husband if you think about his weight and eating as an addiction, not a failing of willpower. There are studies that show that foods, especially highly palatable ones, trigger the same brain chemicals as illicit drugs. Food scientists know this and engineer food to be more palatable because it keeps you coming back for more. Unlike other addictions (alcohol, drugs, gambling...), you have to have food to survive so abstinence isn't an option. I think compassion and empathy will get you a lot farther with him than trying to convince and coerce. Most of us fighting against obesity already have a ton of shame and feel like failures that we can't just fix it. It sounds like he is aware there is an issue and wants to do something different. That is a positive in this. I am also glad he has a partner like you that clearly loves him and wants the best for him. Maybe look into tips for supporting people with addictions and try to translate those to this situation. It might also help if you and your husband attended an information seminar at a local bariatric center so you have more information on the process and procedures.

I took chewables (YCK!) didn't make it a priority.(I did take my Rx pills-they are small) Followed my post-op diet. Now I take my Vitamins everyday. Calcium is the hardest the pills are so big (tried all the crewables-I can't tolerale any sugar alcohols) There are some small ones but you have to take sooo many! I was so glad to get that band out of me! The best to you Dee

I, too have not experienced dumping. I had had 1 alcoholic drink with tonic. I have had a few bites of coconut cream pie and 2 Oreos in 14 weeks. That alone is a miracle! I wanted it to make so sick and it didn't. After the 3rd bite of the pie, my stomach just made it clear it had had enough. I knew that going any further down that path would lead to nothing good. I think that is the surgery working, providing gentle reminder not to push it. I think that is worth the price I paid for surgery....

My plain said I could drink 6 months out. I've heard some say 3 months or a year. Even not till they make goal weight. I say as with every thing after RNY... Proceeded with caution listen to your doc :-) educate yourself and be aware :-) I'm a year out and drink time to time and had my first drink about 7 months out. Try your first drink or a new drink in a safe place. Some people get absolutely sick from certain drinks cus of the sugars in them. I had one do it... Woke up from my sleep with upset tummy. It's a given we all have to be aware of cross addiction. It doesn't just happen alcohol... It could be drugs, sex, shopping... I've seen someone obsess and completely freak out over gaining .07 pounds o_O Good luck :-)

Mostly water, diet cranberry juice when I was in and out the hospital, and today I had diet raspberry Snapple for the first time and I loved it! I also drink lemonade crystal light sometimes. No alcohol for me, I'm only 5 weeks post op and have no desire at this time.

Thank you, everyone, for telling your stories and sharing tips! It is very reassuring. Keep 'em coming! I don't have a surgery date yet (probably late June). I have a BMI of 32.8. I'm most concerned about: -micronutrient deficiency. The longer-term sleeve studies show this is very, very common. Any of you long-termers who can report that your regular Multivitamins are enough to keep your blood levels normal? -being too fatigued and fuzzy-brained to work for weeks after the surgery. I don't need to account for vacation days at my job, and I can work from home if necessary, but I've got a huge project in August that will need focused thinking and writing for most of June and July. More than a week off work will compromise that. So I'd love to hear from folks who were back to a desk job and reasonably efficient, a week after surgery! (Or if not, please tell it too me straight - how long did it take for your brain to return?) -surviving the pre- and post-op liquid diet phases. I like Fiber and crunch! But I suppose one can endure anything for just a few weeks. I'm pretty active (cardio daily) and eat nutritiously (although way too much) with lots of Protein. I don't smoke, drink (alcohol, coffee, soda). So the maintenance phase doesn't seem too difficult (knock wood) - just much smaller portions, starting with protein, and much more chewing! I hope that having a lower (although still obese) BMI and being fit now, will help me bounce back to regular activity (and brain) after surgery.