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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!

My Dr says NO alcohol again, ever?!? I wonder why??

Most stories from bypass patients that drink will be similar. After surgery the alcohol moves much more quickly (and pretty much all at once) into the small intestine. That's why it hits you harder and more quickly than it did before. It also moves out of the shortened intestine faster than it did before which is why you sober up more quickly. My surgeon said no alcohol for a year and I followed it to the letter and still wound up with an ulcer at the anastomosis. It healed fairly quickly but I'd be cautious about pushing the time line. I very much enjoy a glass of wine before dinner (pre-op and post-op) but you want to be sure that the surgery is completely healed before alcohol. Pre-op or post-op, alcohol is still an irritant.

I would not recommend having any alcohol that early, it can cause to much stomach irritation while you're healing.

I v I've heard 6 months and I've heard one year but I'm not an alcoholic and I only have one or two drinks I'm one year out now I noticed the effects pretty fast but it's caused me no problems obviously just drink slow because we can hold much Sent from my LGL84VL using BariatricPal mobile app

Well I hope everyone is surviving through this virus situation. i felt like updating everybody I'm pretty much 6 months post op give or take a few days! This has been an incredible journey to say the least. Had the RNY BYPASS surgery and I believe it completely changed my metabolism; I've lost so much weight and it's like I can't gain weight. i actually started my own pre-op diet roughly 8 months ago way before surgery and my highest weight was 322lbs. I was weighed in for surgery day at 257lbs. Over the past few weeks I've pretty much hit maintenance I believe and I'm weighing in between my lowest day of 168 and my normal days of 170/171 obviously weight can fluctuate from day to day. I am gobsmacked how well I've done and how good I look but I know I really need to start to tone up and build muscle. My main focus from Day 1 was to just shed the weight off lose the LBS and I've done that. Never thought I'd get this far. In the past few weeks I've really tested my metabolism over Easter I had some chocolate and some crisps and a few alcoholic beverages but it appears not to make much difference at all to my weight but obviously I'm back on track still logging my food intake most days and some days still using protein shakes when I'm busy or not that hungry literally 6 months post op some days I'm still not hungry..... So in summary I've lost max 154lbs since day 1; 8 months ago and in the 6 months since surgery day I've lost 87-88lbs and I'm feeling great and it's weird people now telling me I've got to stop losing weight LoL. I'm finally the slimmest one in my group of friends. People treat me differently in general. I've included a photo it's not the best angle as it's hard to take photos of myself but you get the general idea considering the amount of weight I've lost there's not a huge amount of excess skin the main area is my lower belly abdominal area!!! I really truly believe my metabolism and the way my body processes food has completely changed and it's an amazing feeling!! MIKEY xxx Feeling great 35 years young

I'd be very interested in learning more about how "you fell off the wagon". What did you start eating, how much, how often, was alcohol involved? There are a lot of people on this forum who are concerned about long term maintenance. We all take notice to someone who fails after 7 years of success (there but by the Grace of God go I).

The answer is both! First off, you don't count total carbs because the carbs that you eat in the form of fiber and sugar alcohols generally pass through undigested and don't contributed to weight gain or energy productiion. You have to deduct them from your total carb intake--so the focus is on net carbs. I am personally follow an ultra-low carb diet and try to keep my total carb intake under 30 net grams (usually under 20). I also count calories and track what I eat. I budget 1500 calories a day, with 45 percent come from protein, 45 percent from fat (healthy fats) andn 10% from carbs. It's working for me.

For me when I read a thread where someone asks a question if I can relate I respond if not I don't. I have saw many threads where an OP asks if anyone has ate pizza or drank alcohol at a time that seems too early to many people and I have seen many people become what I consider rude and preachy. There are so many different diets out there and when answering a question I take that into consideration. If someone asks if anyone has ate pizza at a month out for me it is rude to say ask your doctor or you shouldn't have had surgery.

Hi I'm getting panic attacks and I'm wondering if anyone else is too? I think it might be vitamin related. Here is my story, so far. I had one panic attack when I was heavy in 2005 or so. I had surgery in 2007, I was a model patient and got below my goal weight. I went through a divorce and by 2010 I was alone. I started going out with friends and not eating right, not taking vitamins, drinking alcohol, etc. I had my second panic attach in 2012. I felt my heart racing and was convinced I was having a heart attack and that just spiraled into a full blown panic attack. I went to the ER, nothing was the matter with my heart, in fact it wasn't racing at all, it was normal. They diagnosed panic attack and recommended psychologist. Since then I have had panic attacks on a regular basis with one big one sending me to the ER annually. It all starts with a vibration in my chest, a flutter I feel in my heart, tightness in my chest, restlessness and the feeling I'm going to have a heart attack. When I go to the ER they always calm me down and show me my heart is just fine. Last night I had a panic attack that should have sent me to the ER, but I took my pulse and it was 53. Earlier at the doctor office it was 58. So I did some breathing and after an hour and a half was able to go back to sleep. My doctor referred me to a cardiologist and a full lab panel. I've been slacking on my vitamins since September and eating wrong food, so that's why I'm thinking its a vitamin deficiency. Anyone else have this happen? Thanks for any kind of insight.

FIRST meal? That? And alcohol? Yikes. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I went to Monterrey mexico for my surgery. It was done on Oct 10, 2008 by Dr Zapata. Ready4achange.com I didnt have any preop diet, ate what i wanted. i went out to eat the night before surgery for the "last supper" lol I had a big meal, and a couple drinks. he did want to limit alcohol intake prior to surgery but my surgery was scheduled late evening the next day. Surgery and recovery was a breeze. He did say walk alot after surgery to get rid of the excess gas that is incurred during surgery. i walked all night at the hospital and never had any gas pains. i never took any pain medicine either . I had surgery on wed night, went to the hotel thurs. flew home friday morning , i was back in new orleans for 9 am on friday and drove myself home from the hospital , the only pains i had was soreness when i was getting up out of a chair or out of bed . i am down 80# since surgery. just slow and steady. Ive had 4 fills. It is a little slow right now because i havent been walking like i should . Adrias Mier New Orleans 10/10/07 340/260/190

As we have seen threads on food addict for if I could eat like a normal person, I would eat a lot. I think denial transcends the need to admit we are addicts. I know people with a drinking problem who are not alcoholics. I think I have or maybe had a totally false reality of how I got to be a morbidly obese person. How many times did I get my thyroid tested and when elevated felt it was justification to abuse food because I had something else to blame it on. When told I had a motility issue, I could also excuse my obesity. How high on my horse did I sit when I was able to lose weight "the hard way" judging those weaker than me, then excuse my weight regain because of a family tragedy or extra work load at the office? Addiction? HAH! Only the weak are addicts. Every addict has the ability to choose not to make poor decisions. It is their own personal responsibility to take care of themselves. I can lose weight if I want to. I've done it before ... it is just all these other circumstances in my life which trip me up along the way. Right? For me, denial is huge. Paired with a self-righteous ego ... I can be deadly to myself and downright mean to others. The drug addict could stop their abuse if they wanted to ... the person smoking a pack a week just needs to stop buying cigarettes ... the obese person just needs to eat less and move more ... you can have just one drink at the party ... Really? Is it really just that simple? For some, it may be and I think the further out I get, the easier it is to slip back into this type of thinking as it relates to food. If I forget where I came from, it is easier to deny I ever had an issue with my relationship with food as I did when I was in the thick of it. Only you can decide whether or not you are a food addict, but I know my journey on my sleeved life has revealed a long tale of denial. Anybody else relate?

Dear Tinalpn - couldn't agree with you more ! Had my band in 14 yrs ago and regained most of weight 4-5 Years later. Over two years ago decided enough was enough and just started eating sensibly, no alcohol. The weight fell off. It's been a life style change NOT a diet.. I don't believe the band had been helping for several years and recently discovered it has eroded. Had the band out 4 days ao. Feeling a bit rough but determined NOT to regain any weight.

I'm Mon at 2:30. I was up till 5am this sun . Just could not go to sleep. Then I slept till noon. The rest of the day I have been really busy trying to get everything done. I picked up my scripts on Fri, but found my liquid vicodin was missing. I was prescribed 2 antibiotics to take 3 x's today. I had taken one dose and went to get my pain med. The pharm asked if I was taking the flagyl. I said I was but only today. He asked if the Dr knew I was going to take that vicodin. I said well he gave me all the scripts. He said well I can't gve this to you. I panicked and said , but why? He said that I could not take it with Flagyl. I told him that I would not start the liquid vicodin until Tues. He said it did not matter, the flagyl would still be in my system and he had better call my Dr. I told him to just give me my pain med and I would flush that flagyl. Then I asked him what would happen if I took it and then took liquid vicodin. He told me that the liquid vicodin has alcohol in it and I would start vomiting violently and be sick like I never had been in my life!!! OMG, this after having been banded. Can you believe it??? I just hope 1 dose causes no problems. Aside from that, I have been through an array of emotions from happy to crying and I will just be glad to have it over with tomorrow!! Good luck to all the others!!

Good advice riggins - also, what are you eating, are you drinking calories, are you tracking your food /water(or drink) intake, - this is the number one BEST way to be sure your remain on track - also do you drink alcohol - obviously all of these thing will vary your results - at the end of the day it's still about burning more than you consume... Lots of luck - keep your chin up, be active, make every bite count & be true to yourself ! - you can do this !

I had my psych eval a couple of weeks ago. It was not at ALL what I expected: I filled out literally 30 pages of background information on myself, then had to answer 338 true or false questions on a computer - one of which was: "Evil spirits sometimes possess my body"...then spent not quite an hour talking to the doctor. We barely spoke about food or my relationship with food - instead, she thinks I have the potential to become an alcoholic (because my mother is an alcoholic and I enjoy a glass of wine after dinner most nights) who also has a mild case of PTSD stemming from my sister being sexually abused when we were children. I left her office completely dumbfounded, like "WTF just happened?". I really thought the purpose of this evaluation was to see where my head was at as it pertained to the surgery and the permanent changes I will need to make afterwards, but like I said - we barely spoke about the surgery. Then I get a phone call from my surgeon's office. Apparently the psychiatrist presented my "case" to a board that included her peers, as well as a representative from my surgeon's office, and together they decided that I need to see a counselor for at least a couple of sessions and have that person put together some kind of treatment plan for me before I can be cleared for surgery. The counselor I have to see didn't have any open appts until Dec 2 and Dec 9, which I have already scheduled, but even if I get the clearance on Dec 9 and it's submitted to my insurance the same day that isn't enough time for them to review and approve (provided they approve it on the first try) and for me to then do the 2 week diet in order to have the surgery done in 2015. Because in 2016 my insurances changes to a high deductible plan - $3000 vs the $700 it currently is (which of course has already been met this year). Thankfully my employer will contribute $2200 in January to use towards the deductible and/or other medical expenses, but it's still another $800 I will need to cover. Not to mention the money I will need to spend if I also need to redo any of the tests or labwork I've had to do already. I don't deny that I would probably benefit from speaking to a professional about my issues, but this surgery is one thing in my life I feel completely in control of. I am ready for it. I'm ready for the changes. With the addition of these two newest appts..with all the appts I have already been to (tests, lab/blood work, follow-ups) I will have been to a total of 24 appts since August, including the first info session. I rearranged my schedule at work countless times to accommodate my appts, burned through nearly 50 hours of vacation time...I even cancelled a cruise for this! I will have spent nearly $1500 out of pocket, because although my insurance covers the surgery and the hospital stay it won't cover any of the pre- or post- op requirements...I've got journals and food plans and I've reorganized cabinets in my kitchen to make room for "my" food... I'm dedicated and determined and READY, and I feel like I got robbed because I never even had the opportunity to tell any of this to the psychiatrist. I realize this is just a delay, not a no, but I still can't help but feel completely defeated. I have done everything I have been asked to do, and all of my doctors have been wonderful as far as working me in and helping me to get this done before the end of the year...only to be derailed by a woman I literally talked to for just under an hour and other people who never met me, never spoke to me - but yet feel they know me well enough to know I'm "not ready" for this. Sorry for the length. I just needed to vent I'll be fine. I'm just mad at the world right now. And thinkin' that I shoulda just went to Mexico.

My Dr told me to wait 4-6 months before taking any alcohol. He also said to be very very careful, you can get drunk very fast.. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I also find this an extremely judgmental statement. So occasional alcohol consumption = not preserving your health? What about balance and moderation? WLS doesn't mean our lives are filled with NEVER's and CAN'T's. My program is the same. I also am in sales and travel for business nearly every week. Drinking is a big part of the industry and my companies culture. I am also known for liking to drink and having a high tolerance. My first business trip was a week long, and I had about one drink a day. I had beer and Mai Tais (I was in Hawaii). I honestly had no desire to drink, I just did it to be social. After being gone a week, I weighed myself and gained 2 lbs. I was eating fairly healthily and very little, so I can only contribute it to the alcohol and sugar in the mixers. So because I'm not willing to sabotage my weight loss, I'm giving up drinking until I'm at goal (or go on vacation, lol). I'm explaining both my not drinking and my negligible eating on vague stomach problems, so tying them together helps deflect the questions I receive. Call me vain, but vanity is my main motivation. Vanity about how I look in a mirror. I'm single and the fact is a much narrower set of men are attracted to me than would be if I were thinner. But also vanity when I'm not able to hike up a hill or climb a pyramid with my friend. I hate the feeling when I'm completely winded and have to take breaks doing some activity that my fit friends have no problem doing. It's not the physical feeling, but this internal cringe and embarrassment of being fat, and knowing I'm being judged for it. I agree with this as well. Why is being reversible the most important factor for you? At first I considered reversible solutions because I thought, I'm not that big, I don't need/want my stomach removed. But then I started reading and found that the VSG was the right fit, and I do want a lifetime solution, not just a temporary one. You said you want to maintain on your own. Maintenance is the hardest part of weight loss. I think most of us at our weight has been successful at losing, but then we go back up again. I want/need the help to do both, lose and maintain. I'd suggest finding a surgeon to talk through your options with. You'll want a surgeon who is patient and good communicator, so you may have to try a few (my surgeon has no patience and is terribly brusque, for example) I looked at both as well. I eliminated the balloons because of poor reviews. On RealSelf it only has a 50% "I'd do it again" rating vs. 100% for the sleeve and 97% for Bypass. The reviews there and other places also spoke of extreme and constant nausea, so that was a deal breaker. For the Lapband has a 54% "I'd do it again" rating on RealSelf. I also read about all the negatives like erosion, slipping, lack of results. I also have a good friend who had the Lapband many years ago, and still has hers. She says she loves her lapband and has no problems. But I'm with her often and know she has a lot of digestive issues. She may deny it, but I can't help but think they are related to her band. I did go through a period of pretty extreme lightheartedness and general exhaustion weeks 2-3. I got a B12 shot and then I felt almost normal. Not sure if the shot helped, or a coincidence, but I know I'm going to get another shot in a month! At this point I probably couldn't do any kind of sustained physical activity. I'm told it's because of my low cals (300-400). But there are many on this board who are very active soon after surgery including running marathons. You'll just have to give yourself time to heal, then long term you should be able to do everything you could in the past, and even more being lighter and healthier.

Happy to read these comments as my surgery is fast approaching (2 weeks) and giving up alcohol is going to be my biggest struggle. I do not drink daily but I do drink often socially and at home sometimes and well, honestly- I love it. So, I know it is a trigger and I do not plan on attempting to incorporate it back in down the road.

Hey all ive been Lurking around this site for about a month now. Thats when i finally convinced my mom that this is the right road for me to go down. I'm Currently in college and my goal is to graduate as a whole new person. I'm about 5,11 and today after avoiding scales for about a year LOL i found out that i weighed 376!!! i was totally shocked. I used to be on the defensive line for my football team so i hide it really well. well actually hid it really well when i moved to college junk food took over and all that nice muscle turned into flab ive been dieting since i was young and nothing really works or only for a little while so i did the research and a band looked like the right choice for me. I already started the process with the doctor visits and starting my medical plan and stuff so whish, me luck.. The reason i'm making this thread because alot of people are saying that what a guy goes through and girl goes through with the band is different and i couldn't find another thread that talked about. So i got some uestion for guys but girls can post too 1.Is it true that guys loes the weight quicker? 2.Is it also true that our Skin snaps back better? 3. Does it affect sex life? 4. What kind excercises and stuff are good? 5.will the band affect weight lifting....i mean like real power lifting....used to be able to bench 250....such a long time ago tears..tears lol 6.Does the excess skin ruin sex life? 7. anything else that you think would be helpfull to guys 8. Can you still drink beer and alcohol? 9. Is it worth it? 10. What is the hardest part? i know some of the wuestions are wierd but i know alot of guys think it so i'm just trying help out thx in advance

You are a true inspiration. My surgery date is feb 5. Thank you for telling your story. I too have alcoholism in my family (my siblings) and it hurts to watch them through their lives away. Fortunately i have a wonderful supportive husband who wants me healthy. God bless you and your husband.

Hello to everyone!!! I am so glad to find a forum/blog to be able to talk about this!!! In the beginning of 2012 I had a big birthday coming up that was affecting me emotionally. I was turning 47, I was in a marriage that was very toxic (Spouse that was an alcoholic, and not working), and i was coming to the point to where I was aware of my own mortality. Let me explain... My father passed away at the age of 57, and he well over 450 lbs. Here I was, turning 47, just 10 years younger, and I did not want to die. On top of that, I had an issue with my Husband and his drinking and lack of employment. In March 2012, I separated from my husband, and my son (who is 19) and I moved out. Two months after leaving my husband, he called me and said he was ready to get healthy. As of today, he is almost 9 months sober and we are back together. I digress.... After my Husband moved back in, and we started talking about the new journey that we were on together, we started looking into help for me. In August 2012, my Internist referred me to Dr. Sami Hamamji, with St. Joseph's Bariatric Program in Orange, CA. I was advised that I needed to go to an initial Seminar. Hubby and I went and we were excited. We wanted both of us to be healthy. Now that he was back on the right road, I needed to be as well. August 2012, I had my initial meeting with Dr. Hamamji. I was ecstatic with him. Very open and willing to answer each and every question I had. I went thru all the required necessities of acheiving insurance approval, support groups, psychiatric evaluation, and what my husband and I found to be the most important part, meeting with the Registered Dietician. I finally received insurance approval December 5th. My surgery was scheduled for December 17th. Surgery day came, and to be honest, I was not nervous or excited. I think I was resigned to the fact that I was beginning a new journey in my life. Surgery went well, no complications. I was released the next day and went home to sleep (finally) in my own bed. Christmas was very difficult. As we all know, the holidays go hand in hand with food. I am the one in my family that does all the cooking. Christmas eve, I made 2 batches of enchiladas and 4 dozen deviled eggs. Had a great time with family. Christmas day was more difficult. Now, I am back to work, and am finding that each and every day brings anew... I am wearing clothes that I had not put on in 2 years (thank goodness I kept them). The scale is my nemesis. I am finding that I am losing inches rather than pounds. But I know it will all even out in the end. Good luck to everyone on their journeys... I know that for mine, I have a healthy husband and I am working on being healthy myself!!!

Puppy- Yes! I've found a good body cleanse/detox once or twice a yr is a good thing. makes me feel lighter, more energetic, better skin, no sugar/fat / junk food cravings. The Vitamin stores have them. Basically, it's a box with a few pill bottles in it and some instructions. Some come with a disc. I get the regimen that detoxes heavy metals (aluminum, mercury) out as well as a general body-cleaning of chemical micro-junk we eat like pesticides on foods. Besically- cleaning out all those environmental and food toxins we breathe or ingest. You can't drink coffee or alcohol during the course (takes about 2wks) and you have to really follow the eating/drinking program and take all the pills on a schedule. The metal detox also detoxes Iron, copper, zinc, selenium- so you have to re-introduce them with a good quality multi-vitamin Afterwards, you have to get GOOD bacteria back into your gut- Probiotics. I get Acidopholous (sp?) and yogurt with LIVE cultures. It's a good idea to get these in regularly anyway, but the detox kills all the bacteria in your gut so you have to be extra diligent about replacing the probiotic bacteria. For the 1st week or so, you'll feel like absolute dog-doo doo! Really Tired, aches and pains, head fog, headaches. Just overall, lousy feeling. This is basically sugar/ caffein/ etc. withdrawals combined with lifting those toxins up out of your systems & organs: blood, renal, brain, liver, kidneys, glands, etc, and eliminating them through your urine and excrement. You'll pee & poop like a champ! lol After that, your energy comes back the aches and pains go away, no more headaches, you'll feel mentally sharp and eliminate regularly. No cravings either. The return to natural, (non-caffeinated) metabolic energy and overall feeling great is amazing.

From what I understand of these surgeries - the lapband is being dropped by most surgeons because it erodes and slips - it works for many people, but more and more are having them removed due to those issues. The balloon is usually for people not as obese as you are, as it is a short term fix for restriction, and I only know one person that had it and had issues so it didn't work well for her. Also if you are too worried about alcohol and a client's 'opinion' of you not drinking you need more reflection on what you really want/need. Your health preserved or a two minute observation on not consuming liquor. Really? You ARE morbidly obese. I am not trying to be unkind - I started at 41bmi, so that was me too. There are no quick, handy cute fixes.