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You would maybe be okay for the drive. However, the dietary restrictions may be hard to follow. You'll be on full liquid, no alcohol, tired. I would seriously think it through.

2 more days until my surgery. Up until this very moment I thought I was prepared but now I'm not so sure. Feeling anxious. Had my pre op appt. on friday. I've lost a total of 47.5 lbs prior to my surgery (I started the pre op diet on January 1st so that my new eating habits would be just that...A habit). Haven't eaten any sugar, bad carbs, fast food, caffeine or alcohol since then. My doc said no liquid diet is necessary and the nurse asked me if I'd talk at one of their seminars. They were both shocked (and happy) with the amount of pre op weight I've lost. I guess I just feel kind of alone in this...I've worn this body Armore for so long, not sure what to expect when it's gone. Tell me my concerns are normal? I'm really freaking out right now...

This is a very interesting thread. I was fortunate enough to have been thin in high school and when I got married, so I didn't suffer with that growing up. I wasn't super popular or anything but I was average enough to be below most people's radar. I am so sorry for the people here who not only have had a difficult time but not gotten the support from the people who should love you unconditionally - your family. My husband is amazing- we got married when we were 19 (after a 3 month courtship! but it's been 13 years so we won the lottery there!) and I was thin (150) and pretty. And over time I just kept gaining and gaining until my highest (328). And the whole time he was supportive, he thought I was beautiful and never was rude or anything. Shortly after we got married and long before kids (now 8 and 4) we went out to a club with friends in his hometown of Queens NYC. I had gained some weight and was chubby - not fat but not thin either. So we are there and my husband does not dance. Ever. So I was on the dance floor dancing with his childhood (and now my) friend. And an old friend and schoolmate of his came up to the table and they were catching up when he looked at the dance floor and said "Whos the fat chick dancing with Jimmy??" The whole table got deathly quiet and one brave soul tried desperately to give the guy a signal to shut up. But alcohol being what it is, when no one answered, he just repeated louder "No one knows who the fat chick dancing with Jimmy is?? What's up with that?" My husband quietly informed him that I was his wife. Patrick walked me back to his mom's house (where we were staying) and I cried the whole way - because of course I came back to the table and asked what was going on and someone actually told me! I was so humiliated. Patrick dropped me off and went back out. Jimmy later told me that he went back to the club and the guy was already waiting outside and told Patrick to just get it over quick, that he knew he had it coming and was going to take it like a man. But my entire family has been amazing for the whole terrible saga. My mom, dad, brother, husband, friends, my second family (you know, that family that is so close to your family that they are like another mom and dad) - hell, even my mother-in-law is beyond supportive! So I have to say that I am SOOO thankful for their support. It never occurred to me that someone would have to defend themselves from attack from their own family. Consider yourself hugged!!!! :thumbup:

My nutritionist said wine is okay eventually. Just have to develop healthy habits first which takes a few months. The concern is that alcohol can cause you to make bad food choices as well. But I must confess (whispering) I had 5oz. of Merlot today...shhh. But I included it in my food journal and the nutritionist will see it Monday. Ohhh I am gonna get it! Haha! But I walked 29 city blocks everyday this week, so there.

This week I started a weekly Wednesday night Facebook Live series called Food Addiction: FAIR and FIRM. During the program, I commented that when I was told, “Connie, you’re an addict,” after the initial shock wore off, I felt a tremendous sense of relief. For the first time in my life, certain things made sense to me. Let me speak to the shock part first. Yes, I drank - a lot – in college. So did everyone else I knew. So did everyone in my family. In fact, most of the people in my family drank a whole lot more than I ever did! After I got married, I quit drinking on a regular basis. When I did drink after that, I usually drank to get drunk – true. It’s also true that I drank less after I got married because I started taking codeine – very rarely, at first – for bad migraine headaches. Over time, however, I took it daily because codeine helped me to not feel. Anything. At most, I took maybe three in a day. I thought addicts took lots and lots of pills! So when I was given the alcohol and drug addiction screening, I was certain I wouldn’t meet any criteria for alcoholic, and most definitely not for drug addict. Well, I got one heck of a case of the “Yeah buts…” in a hurry when the therapist said, after scoring my test, “Connie – you’re an alcoholic and a drug addict.” As she talked to me about the items that indicated addiction on the test, every one of my responses to her started with, “Yeah, but…” For example, “Yeah, but I could have answered that question either way.” “Yeah, but I don’t drink nearly as much as most of the people I know, especially the people in my family.” “Yeah, but, drug addicts take a lot of pills throughout the day.” “Yeah, but I was able to take care of my kids and work and go to school.” “Yeah, but I’ve never been in trouble with the law.” When I had exhausted all the “Yeah, buts” I could think of, imagine or create, I got quiet and let it sink in. I am an addict. And then I felt it. Relief. It made sense. What made sense to me about my being an addict is understanding, for the first time, the reasons I continued to do things that went against my own values. I started to understand the reasons I did things I said I would never do. It began to make sense that things I promised I would stop doing seemed impossible to stop doing. I am an addict. I have a disease that “hijacks” the brain. When I am in active addiction of any kind: the disease of addiction that affects my brain doesn’t allow me to listen to reason but stays locked in denial mode the disease of addiction that affects my emotions keeps me in a protective mode so I defend myself by blaming other people and things for my behavior the disease of addiction that affects my spiritual self says, “do what feels good in the moment” and hides the part of me that says, “what I value is good and decent” the disease of addiction that affects my social self, brings out the loud, obnoxious, hurtful voice I am capable of using the disease of obesity that affects my physical being takes dangerous risks, eats poorly, doesn’t exercise and doesn’t care Accepting the truth that I am an addict was a relief. NOT AN EXCUSE. I understood my poor choices better. It made sense that it was so difficult for me to follow through with the convictions I made to myself and the promises I made to others. I began to understand why my behaviors went against the person I wanted to be. Addiction is a brain sickness and a soul sickness. And a protector. All at the same time. Food, alcohol, shopping, pain medication, and other things I engaged in addictively protected me from my feelings. That is what I wanted most of all. To not feel. I didn’t want to feel the reality of my sadness, my anger, my pain and my shame. The trade-off for not feeling was to use addictive substances/behaviors and betray myself by doing things I was embarrassed about, ashamed of, and seemingly unable to control. Being an addict was in no way an excuse for the behaviors I engaged in. It’s very uncool to use being an addict as a way to avoid taking responsibility. “I danced with the boss’s husband at the holiday party. What can say – I was drunk.” NOT COOL. “I told her off but she had it coming and besides – I was drunk and couldn’t keep my mouth shut.” NOT COOL. For food addicts, it is similarly bogus to make excuses for overeating because the kids were acting up, you were late for work and got yelled at, your mother was sick, or your spouse ticked you off. Each one of us is 100% responsible for our behavior – even if we have addictions. If we have an addiction, once we realize that truth, we are responsible for getting help and learning healthy ways to deal whatever life brings us. We are responsible for learning to deal with our feelings in appropriate ways. We are responsible for learning to work through losses, past abuse or neglect, present hardships, frustrations with family and friends, and all of life’s realities. Without the use of addictive chemicals or actions. The addictive substance or behavior, whatever it is, isn’t the problem. Sure, alcohol is a problem for alcoholics. Certain foods are problems for food addicts. Shopping is a problem for shopaholics. But those are only the surface problems. Addictive substances and behaviors are symptoms of the real problems, which are almost always rooted in shame: “I’m not good enough.” That shame stems from many possible places. To treat addictions, we must first remove the substance or behavior. No, one cannot eliminate food from their life. But they can eliminate the food(s) that cause them problems. Once we are free of chemicals or the addictive behaviors, we can work on the real problems and choose who we want to be. When we don’t “use,” our actions can reflect our values. “Connie – you’re an addict.” WHAT A RELIEF! I understood why I couldn’t STOP doing things I didn’t really want to do. I finally knew there was hope. I knew I could learn to live life in healthy ways and according to my values. But I first had to be willing to live without the addictive chemicals and behaviors. So I needed help. I couldn’t do it alone. And I didn’t have to. Together, we can support one another into a life of RECOVERY. What a relief!

I am 63 years old, been married for almost 40 years with two daughters, 25 and 20 yrs old; luv my two dogs, a chocolate lab and a beagle. I am retired. I enjoy cooking cuisines of other countries, minimizing the fat and carbs. I have a lot of trouble being consistent with aerobic exercise, either because my hip joints hurt when I do it, or I feel depressed and don't feel like doing anything. I have a BMI of 38 and was tired of trying to lose weight, losing a little, and gaining it back. I have diabetes, sleep apnea and non-alcoholic fatty liver. I recently found out that the NAFL is progressive, which will result in another loss of pancreatic islet cells, eventually leading to my needing to use an insulin pump. To reverse the NAFL, I was told I would need to lose ALL the extra weight so my body will next take the fat cells out of the liver so it can work properly again. I went to the surgeon's presentation and was happy to hear that there were less-invasive options for bariatric surgery than gastric bypass and decided to get the gastric sleeve surgery. It sounded like I would be satisfied with less food and not feel hunger. I was pretty excited and thought this was the answer. Today was my first nutrition class. I found out that I would never be able to eat enough to nourish myself completely, and that I would have to sprinkle Protein powder over my food to amp up the protein. I believe I would lose a lot of weight, but am worried that I'd be taking away any "normal" fun I would have tasting food and trying new recipes. I could cook them, but not be able to each very much at all. Sounds like no fun. I have read posts from other people on this board being cold all the time or gaining the weight back, or they need to eat 800 calories to lose weight. I thought, "I need to eat 1000 calories/day to lose weight now, how is that different? I am seriously considering dropping out of the program and not getting the surgery. Maybe I could join a bicycle group that rides frequently. I don't know what to do.

Hi, I have been reading every single post on this site. I am 50 yrs old, 270 pounds, 33 BMI, 6'4". I have been overweight my entire life - with the usual yoyo in weight. I am scheduled for a sleeve in July with Dr. Aceves, but I am very scared. I am not worried about the surgery itself, as I think I will be in good hands. I am worried about the aftermath. 1) The pain of liquid diet in the first month 2) How soon after surgery can i go to work. 3) but most importantly - does it mean that my social life will be over. We love going out to restaurants- does it mean that it's game over? will I ever be able to eat more than a spoon of yogurt? I would love to hear from other sleevers about their life after the surgery - months after the surgery, not the first few weeks. Can you go out, can you drink alcohol (one glass of wine is enough), what do you do in family BBQ events, etc? Thanks

I am Mindi. I was sleeved on November 20. Eating pureed foods at the moment. Had some complications in the hospital and ended up in ICU with DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis. Not fun. Doing good now. Off three meds so far. Down 12 pounds in the past week. Loving this. Here is my story: This is what we consider to be our "last chance" at having a child in our lives. I'm 45 now. I've lost three children and two years ago lost my bladder and uterus to cancer. We've fostered children for years and had four failed adoptions. Last chance adoption. If we can afford it. My life reads like a soap opera. When I was 11, my sisters and I were hit by a car while waiting for the school bus. My little sister Kathy didn't survive. I was raised by a wonderful Mom and an abusive alcoholic Father. And then I married an abusive, drug addicted husband. Stayed with him for 12 years until I had the strength to leave. In 2001, I met Mark, the most wonderful man ever. We married in 2003. In 2005, at the age of 37, Mark and I conceived our first child. In 2006, I gave birth to our son Daniel, too early for him to survive. Later that year, we lost our second child. Fast forward to 2010 (time spent between 2006 and 2010 resulted in our becoming foster parents and having three failed adoptions). At the age of 42, I found out I was pregnant. Went for an ultrasound, where they found numerous tumors in my bladder. I lost the baby and started chemotherapy in Dec 2010. In March 2011, I had my bladder surgically removed, along with my uterus....losing any chance of having our own baby. But, in the end, I was/am currently cancer-free. We named our third baby "Angel" for saving my life. We became licensed as foster parents again, and had a 15 month old baby girl placed with us. On March 1, 2013, after living with us for over a year, baby girl was taken and given to an Aunt in another state. Failed adoption number 4. Through all of this, my husband Mark has been the best friend, nurse, Father, husband, caretaker ever. He deserves to have a child. WE deserve to have a child. We've looked into adoption and have started the process, which could take years. I have recently undergone weight loss surgery, to regain my life. Best decision I ever made. Once I lose some pounds, I will be having a hernia surgery to fix the 14 inch hernia sticking out from my belly. And THEN I will live again!!! http://www.gofundme.com/Help-Us-Be-A-Family

My gastric sleeve was 11/7/16 and I wish nobody gets divorce after this surgery. I thought I would be one of the Lucky ones that wouldn't. That I had a supportive husband who loved me and would never do anything to jepordize Our relationship. After 5 years of being married luckily with no kids I'm on the verge of a divorce. Maybe you get more courage while losing weight and you value yourself more . But I realized that I can't let my husband treat me Any way he wants. He got drunk tonight on New Year's Eve and after 5 hours of spending time with his brother and niece I told him let's go to bed tell them good night ( at 5 am). It got him so mad that he brought up things from 6 years ago while we were dating and called me a whore. I got mad and called him an alcoholic like his dad who abandoned him and he got even more mad. I threatened him with divorce and he was about to leave then I realized I didn't want to throw everything away for him being drunk and begged him to stay. He pushed me against the wall, slapped me and would keep pushing me off. His strength beat me and he finally left and went with his drunk brother to his moms house. No matter what I realized I can't let any man treat me this way and even before he left I told him he would regret this.' But no matter what I can't forgive him. My mom has always told me never to let any man put his hands on me so no matter what I can't forgive him. I'm glad I have the confidence to know that I don't deserve this but it sucks that I'm a stastistic about to be divorced. Again it sucks and I hope nobody ever goes through this. But just know that this surgery can make a lot of things change and only God knows what's best for us and why things happen

Love this topic! Started at 353 in July 2015, lost my first 100 lbs in six months, got down to around 185 in a year and just sort of went back to eating junk. I really liked how I looked and carried my weight well, but the pounds began to creep back on. In May, I found myself back at 215 and VERY unhappy about it. Been back on the high protein/low carb/no sugar thing since then, and now I'm actually lower than when I originally stopped losing! Only 29 lbs to go until I'm in the healthy BMI range, but I've got hips/thighs/boobs and wear a size 8/10, so I feel pretty good. Go on 12 mile hikes every weekend, currently training for 5k. It's so weird considering I've been above the 300 lb mark my entire adult life! Just make sure you connect with people who live a healthy life or do activities with you! The hardest thing was having to distance myself from people who constantly pushed food/alcohol/unhealthy stuff despite my protests, and folks who ONLY wanted to hang out when food was involved. Get you some fitness buddies and you'll be good!

Mel3620, You should be proud its a tough thing that you did. As a good friend of mine pointed out on the subject of addictions, and i paraphrase " you DON'T need Alcohol, tabacco,or illegal drugs to sustain your body, but food is the toughest addiction to break since you MUST eat" Im proud of your victory since i LOVE pizza but alas it is something i can no longer have. its one of my trigger foods. i would rather fit into the next size down the have a slice. Thanks gor the post...YOUR A SUPERSTAR!!! have a great weekend RJ

I get it hehehe 3000 calories does seem forever ago, I know I could probably get near there nowadays but it would incredibly hard and include alot of alcohol...but i would sick as a dog for the next few days...errr no thanks.

You do know that alcohol is frowned upon after the surgery right? LOL I have no idea where you came up with that but I thank you

Now that we got those un-inspiring rest stop fast food options behind us, bring on the Degustation!! One of many things I ordered last night that Mr had to eat the rest of after I took my obligatory tasting bites: Plogue à Champlain Foie Gras: a small pancake, topped with melted cheese, roasted fingerling potatoes, fried egg, think cut Canadian bacon, crowned with a slab of seared foie gras, smothered with a maple syrup reduction. Omg im drooling just writing out the description. 🤤 I have no idea what the calories are…but definitely not for the calorie watchers, nor those prone to heart disease. P.S. i/we also ordered a bunch of other stuff from our night of venue hopping, but the picture quality of these progressively decreased as our alcohol consumption increased.

Back from vacay (where 90% of my intake consisted of over easy eggs and alcohol) and i finally get to enjoy a decent bowl of food: Smoked salmon, seaweed salad, horseradish aioli and a bit of Gorgonzola. #yum 320 calories, ate it all. P.S. I’ve always disliked the food served at All-Inclusive resorts down south, so I had very low expectations, which were met, lol. I actually packed 3 bags of those salad kits from Costco (to deal with my salad addiction), which were total life-savers! P.S.S Side-note NSV…i am the same weight I was when I left…BUT I haven’t pooped yet so i’m gonna guess once I get these 12 days 😳 of food out of my intestines, i may drop a few pounds. P.S.S.S I asked Mr. to make me a steak tonight cuz i miss meaty meat 🥩🤤

{{$title = \IPS\Output::i()->title;}} {$title} Weight loss surgery is only a tool. It is a very powerful tool. It is a tool that has aided successful weight loss in many patients who were unable to lose weight with just diet and exercise. The key to making this tool work for you is to do your part. Before getting weight loss surgery: Understand that it's not a quick fix. Achieving your goal weight can take years, even if you have no complications Commit to the diet and other lifestyle changes that are necessary for weight loss and health Understand and accept the risks of bariatric surgery Carefully consider each weight loss surgery option and choose the one that is best for you. Contraindications: Who Shouldn't Get Weight Loss Surgery? Contraindications are conditions that prevent you from being a good candidate for weight loss surgery. They may make the procedure more dangerous or make you less likely to lose weight after surgery. General contraindications for weight loss surgery include: Alcohol abuse or drug dependence Uncontrolled psychiatric disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia Cardiopulmonary (heart and lung) disease that makes the surgery risky Barrett's esophagus or esophagitis Is Bariatric Surgery For Me? (Eligibility) Eligibility criteria are the requirements that you have to meet before you can get weight loss surgery. These are the standard criteria for all types of bariatric surgery.1 BMI at least 40 kg/m2 OR BMI at least 35 PLUS one or more serious obesity-related comorbidities such as severe sleep apnea, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes or heart disease OR obesity-related physical problems, such as joint pain or lack of mobility At least 100 pounds of excess body weight; that is, at least 100 pounds over a recommended BMI of 25 A history of failed diet attempts The knowledge that your obesity isn't caused by a metabolic disorder, such as hypothyroidism Age under 60 years old, although this isn't an absolute requirement.2 Bariatric surgery has been successful for many older patients, and individual surgeons can decide whether they think it is the right choice for you Age over 18 years old, although some adolescents can have success with bariatric surgery.3 Understanding that weight loss surgery is not an “obesity cure.” It is a tool for you to use, and your own actions greatly affect weight loss. Willingness to follow the required diet and attend post-surgery care appointments and support group sessions. Mechanick MD, Kushner RF…Dixon J. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Obesity Society, and American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery medical guidelines for clinical practice for the perioperative nutritional, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of the bariatric surgery patient. Obesity, 2009;17(S1):S3-72. Gagnon L, Sheff Karwacki EJ. Outcomes and complications after bariatric surgery. AJN. 2012;112(9):26-36. Kelleher DC, Merrill CT, Cottrell LT, Nadler EP, Burd RS. Recent National Trends in the Use of Adolescent Inpatient Bariatric Surgery: 2000 Through 2009. Arch Pedatr Adolesc Med, 2012;17:1-7. Which Surgery is Right For You? Certain surgeries are better or worse for certain candidates. For example: The adjustable gastric band (lap-band) is better for lower-BMI candidates The vertical sleeve gastrectomy is safer for higher-BMI candidates The BPD-DS (which starts with a partial gastrectomy) may be best for the highest-BMI candidates because of its combination of restriction and nutrient malabsorption The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is often recommended for candidates with a sweet tooth because the RYGB diet does not allow sweets Adolescents might opt for the lap-band because it is the least invasive The lap-band is adjustable, so women who become pregnant can reduce restriction and increase dietary intake to support the baby The lap-band is the least expensive surgery The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is most likely to be covered by insurance; sometimes, one or more of the other procedures are considered experimental and not reimbursable treatments for obesity