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I don't know when you posted but I just came across your post and can totally relate to your overwhelming life. Like you, I suffered with disabaling panic attacks. Like you, in a round about way, I have a husband who is disabled and retired on disability. He has many medical and depression issues. Additionally a Mother who is in end stage COPD and thinks she ready to start taking the morphine, a father who is having a total hip replacement next week, 22 year old son who just moved back home after being away at college for 4 years, and, he is quite addicted to alcohol (actually lost his license for 18 months for driving under the influence. Additionally, I work, but the husband, mother and father are all retired. Suffice it to say, not only do I understand, I can totally relate. It has taken me a long time but I am in the beginning stages of trying to unscramble some of this mess. Learning to say no, while not feeling guilty about it, is a big one. First thing, you need to get treatment for the panic attacks. There is medication out there to block the attacks and help you feel more in control. Anyone who is capable of caring for themselves, need to. If life is that stressful, maybe your husband might need to put his graduate studies on hold. He's going to be in a bigger pile of shit if you do have a nervous breakdown. You might suggest to him that he be a little more "proactive" in helping to unscramble the mess. You should check in your community to see if there is any assistance you can get. Maybe you would qualify for fuel, child care, Medicare/Medicaid (depending on your children's "needs"). Figure out what you do have control over; what can you take off your plate, what can you give to someone else; what other resources are out there for you. And, did I mention I too am in the first several months of preparing for a lapband, which is going by the wayside with all these other things going on. Remember, if you don't take care of yourself, you will be of NO help to anyone else. Take care and keep talking with everybody. Marcia

Down a pound this week...just .5 and I'll be at 75# (my next goal). I can't even believe I lost weight over Christmas...I ate snacks/appetizers, drank lots of alcohol and ate a little of everything, including a few cookies. I'm starting to feel 'normal' when it comes to food LOL! I love my band!

I have just read the above two posts and found them to be very interesting. I don't much about you, Fluffy, but it seems to me that the life that you, your husband and your kids lead is a healthy, interesting, peaceful and responsible one. I know that when I was a young kid I used to dream of living in the country with lots of animals around me. You and your family are evidently very happy and very successful and this is how life should be for all of us. And lizrbit, it appears that your stand on individual reproductive rights approximates my own: it is up to the owner of the uterus to decide how she chooses to use it. It really is no one else's business. And now the modern demographics on reproduction in the affluent west further indicate that environmental footprint left by those couples choosing to have large families is more than cancelled out by the couples who are choosing to only have one child or are opting out of having kids altogether. It strikes me that there are two major groups of individuals who concern themselves in this business of other folks' reproductive activities. One of these groups is the right-to-lifers, a right-wing group whose membership is largely drawn from various Christian factions, and this gang would like to see women robbed of choice and thus over the control of their rights over their own bodies. The second group of individuals, unlike the first, may be said to come from across the political spectrum; these are those individuals who are distressed by the numbers of women who are unable to care for their children by reason of drug addiction, alcoholism, poverty, poor physical or mental health, violent/unstable family relationships but persist in having them irregardless. The right-to-life gang are anxious to see abortion made illegal. Many, but not all, of those individuals concerned with the issue of what they view as irresponsible fertility would like to see more of those women take advantage of abortion as an option.

I dont think so. But after surgery alcohol will become an issue if you start again. If your surgeons office requires a psychological evaluation then the alcohol will come up and you will need to discuss it with them. It was questioned in my eval but i dont drink. As for the surgeon alcohol never really came up other than no drinking once the pre op diet starts and not for a long while after surgery

My very good friend that had gastric sleeve had transfer of addiction. Thank god she is sober now but she lost 100lbs and within 6 months from first drink post op she was diagnosed with alcohol abuse disorder. I doubt it would disqualify you but I imagine there will be more than the standard questions in your psych eval for you because of that history. Honesty is always best for your safety.

While I am not a healthcare provider, I work in liver disease. The goal of the pre-op diet is to help shrink the liver and alcohol is the worst toxin for the liver (and causes inflammation of the liver). I hate to tell you this but I'm worried that drinking could affect your liver and therefore the ease of surgery. I'm not saying I was perfect on my preop, but I was really careful the last two weeks and my surgeon said that he could tell by my liver. I don't envy you, this would be a tough decision for me as well. Best of luck

@@devillynn - seek out professional help like everyone has already said and post here when you need to "talk". The lost of a child isn't something any parent wants to deal with its just wrong on so many levels but unfortunately it happens. the know that the people responsible are out on bail makes it worse. Focus on you and your grand daughter. I lost my dad at 7. I didn't understand why he wasn't there. My parents were both alcoholics and would fight and separate and then get back together, then do it all over again. I thought he just left... (((((((BIG HUG))))))) jane

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.

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).

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

I am of German descent, and in my opinion, we here in America are doing a huge disservice to our children by "protecting" them from alcohol. I was given small amounts of beer in my bottle as a baby. And as I grew I was never refused alcoholic beverages, they were limited, just as any responsible parent would with sodas. Now the argument can be made on both sides about health advantages/disadvantages. But where I saw the biggest difference was in my late teens & early twenties when all my friends were out getting sloshed, alcohol really wasn't that big of a deal to me, because I had access to it and was taught moderation with it my entire life.

It sounds like you have a few issues to address. Firstly, you seem to have doubts about how well your op was done - NO food restrictions! Wow. I would be getting an independent medical review that ends with confirming your sleeve was done appropriately - or not - in regard to size/volume. Once that is confirmed, get an endocrine system full check - I'm particularly thinking of your thyroid function. Underactive thyroid is very common, and should be excluded. Even "subclinical" results (normal, but only just) can cause many symptoms like full blown thyroid dysfunction, including weight gain. Finally (or perhaps first), are you recording your diet? Many, many people on this forum will tell you they need to eat less than 1000 cal per day, low fat, low carb and zero alcohol in order to lose weight. With such a limited outcome over a year (unless you didn't have much to lose in the first place) you need to be systematic - and diligent - to get to the bottom of this. Good luck.

I should explain- the sugar alcohols are what made me feel sweaty, nauseous, dizzy. Google why does sugar alcohol make me sick after vsg . Made so much sense. Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 194 GW 135

THANK YOU!!!! This is dead on and 100% true! It isnt about staples "magically melting away", its (quite literally) about organ donation! This topic seems to be commonly breezed over. Alcoholism is the most commonly traded addiction for bariatric patients. Instead of food... its alcohol. Your post bears repeating! 5' 5" HW: 259 CW: 235 GOAL: Healthy and hard 140-ish?

Food addiction often turns to a different addiction such as alcoholism.

For the first 3-4 months I couldn't do artificial sweeteners or plain water. I was also lactose intolerant. But those things passed, and I'm good to go with everything except carbonation. I will get a bit of gastritis if I drink too much alcohol or have too many sweets.

I think you both need help. It sounds to me like this marriage has perhaps been desolving for a while. Here is something I want you to think about.... I am the child of a mother who had just one or two glasses of wine a night. If you are to the point of falling down drunk, that is an alcoholic. If you can not live with alcohol and you are refusing to quit because you like it too much, you are on your way to becoming an alcoholic. I think you personally need to evaluate your personal issues. I think your husband needs to evaluate his personal issues. Heck we all have them, we all need to grow up. Compromise and learning each other. Wasn't he a smart ass before this point? Is this new? If my husband did that I would laugh. Thing is I sometimes take things too seriously and he tries to remind me that life isn't that serious. To have fun with it. Your marriage is in trouble it has nothing to do with the weight loss.

AA/NA has a long history of success, though. And drug/alcohol abuse is a HUGE problem in this country. Remember, too, that once convicted of a felony, you lose some of your constitutional rights FOREVER (the right to vote, hold public office, and the right to bear arms/own a gun), so why is it so important to protect this particular one (separation of church and state)?

That nausea, put it down by smelling perfume or alcohol swab, i hop it helps u like it helped me. Sleep tight. Sent from my SM-N950F using BariatricPal mobile app

OK here is the latest from me. I have been suffering since I got home from my travels. First with some type of chest congestion, then not being able to eat. I was in constant heartburn, taking prescription antiacids and more than one a day. About every 2 to 3 days I could get something soft to stay in. It was getting so bad that over the weekend I couldn't even keep a tablespoon of ice cream down. Just taking sips of water hurt. I was sliming big time and really throwing up. I went to surgicenter on Wednesday. They did the barium swallow and said I was wide open - thought I was there for a fill. I've heard that before so it didn't surprise me. I was just glad that the band was where it was supposed to be and had not slipped. After discussion I had them take out .3. I'm now at 1.7cc. That seems to work the best for me. I have been at 2.0 since Dec 31st so I lasted longer than ever. Of course if I really wanted to eat I had to have some alcoholic drinks. That's how I got through our river cruise and my work assignment in Amsterdam. Then that stopped working. So I'm going to go this awhile and see what happens. I only lost 4 lbs through all of that, and that was the last 4 days. I am able to eat now and will have to exercise lots of self control so that I don't gain. THat's my update for now. Only a few more days and it will be 2 years. Still glad I did it. Just wish I could lose 50 more pounds. Oh well I'm thankful for what I have lost. I just can't live my life through the inside of a paper cup!!! Hope everyone is doing well.

The entire process was relatively 20 1/2 weeks, but only 10 1/2 weeks from my first consultation: February 13- started required 3 month supervised weight loss program April 24-consultation May7- psych eval, met with Nutritionist, lab work, swallowing study May 22- finished month 3 of program and submitted all required documents to Surgeon's office *this was a Thursday and Monday was a Holiday May 27-insurance company requests something from Primary Care Physician stating I had not been treated for substance or alcohol abuse within the past year (one of the requirements) June 3-Doctor's office finally has letter prepared and I faxed it in June 4-Insurance Approval!! Today(June 10)- waiting for the hospital to contact me bc they have to confirm that you dont have an outstanding balance, and they require you to pay a deposit. I spoke with the Bariatric Coordinator at my surgeon's office, and as of today the next available date for surgery is July7(they only perform the procedures on Mondays and Tuesdays, and you have to have time to do the pre op diet.

I didn’t post this earlier because this board was a place for hope and optimism and I didn’t want my failures to bring the hopes down. Currently I find myself spiraling out of control and just waiting for the happy release when I hit the ground. I started this band process in October of 2008, today, I’m down 3lbs since then. That hurts, and what hurts more is that it’s not the band, it’s me. I eat the wrong things because they’re convenient and because they’re there. I don’t live alone, so there are things in my house that are easy to eat that are wrong and I know they’re wrong but I do it anyways, and then I hate myself for it. And I don’t know why I can’t stop doing that. I don’t want to admit these things at a group meeting because… what the fuck? How is that even possible? What kind of person knowing makes the wrong choice and gets depressed over it, only to repeat the cycle hours later? That’s psychotic and that’s what I find myself doing. It’s painful and stressful to sit and think horrible things about yourself after every meal. And I know, before you say it, I know that I should just make the right choice, but even I don’t know why I don’t. Please believe that if it were just that simple I would already have done it. I’m exhausted all the time. I have one full time job where I have to work as hard as possible every minute to prove myself as there seems to be some kind of stigma against younger workers that they’re lazy and ineffective. I have two part time jobs so I can help out my parents, who aren’t doing so great right now. I take three classes so I can finish my undergrad degree, and I’m exhausted. I’m also exhausted from being disappointed in myself when food comes. I’m not giving up, and I want to win this fight, but I’m so exhausted that I don’t know when I can. I find it complete bullshit that alcoholics and people addicted to drugs get sympathy and drug programs and get to take leave of absences from their jobs to work out their problems, but they can avoid liquor when they’re done and they can have prescriptions that keep them from detoxing, but overweight people face food everyday multiple times a day and the support is…. Only from other people fighting alongside you. We all have the people in our office who put candy on their desk or encourage us to make bad choices, and ultimately those choices are our own to make, but could you imagine finding out a coworker was an alcoholic trying to remain sober and you put out a little bowl of nips? Maybe the parallels are only in my head. I have meetings schedule with Dr. R. and Phyllis and they frighten me because this struggle with weight is the one thing I’m not completely honest about. I want to pretend that I have it all under control and that it’s not controlling me. I need to control everything and this is the one thing I can’t and it makes me feel powerless and at its mercy. Beating this will be my greatest victory and sense of control, knowing that If I get it under control, I can handle anything, but until then it’s my biggest fear and insecurity. When we line up on the battlefield, I have my brain and my band, and the opposing side has found a way to neutralize my brain and the band just isn’t designed to win on its own. Until I can fix that, I will lose, and hate every minute of it. I’m sorry this was so long.

Your story sounds so much like mine. Was even born a big baby, and overweight as a child, but not obese until I got into college (which also happens to be when they finally tested me for hypothyroidism and reluctantly started to treat me for it). I was really active in high school - lettered in two sports - and as much as I walked in college, the cafeteria food did me no favors! Bad eating, a decrease in intense physical activity, the alcohol that frequently accompanies college days, and hypothyroidism led to a 50 lbs weight gain in less than two years. I just had my endoscopy today, no abnormalities found, so I'm excited for my sleeve date of May 12. I, too, had some initial good results with the Band, but slowly gained back a bit over time and then it just seemed to be rejected by my body.

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.

I think the main reason most ask you to wait so long is to cut down on your chance of transfer addiction. Mine said he wants me to have the full year to overcome whatever 'food addictions' I may have before adding in alcohol.