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No that shouldn't effect the outcome of your evaluation. What they are looking for is unaddressed issues that could prevent you from being able to do the weight loss or other issues that would cause you to choose another addiction such drugs, alcohol or smoking. Don't stress about the Psyche evaluation. It's not as scary as it seems.

Okay, so I know that there are a billion threads on here about friendships/relationships changing after surgery, but I'm needing advice on this specific situation. **Keep in mind, nobody knows about my surgery except my husband and mom, so to the outside world, it appears that I've cut out all carbs, alcohol, sugar, etc... And I work out every day. If people have asked, I say I substitute Breakfast and sometimes dinner with Protein shakes. So here's the situation- This friend and I have been friends (best friends all through hs) since 3rd grade... About 20 years. She has always been anywhere from a size 2-6 and has been at a 6 for years. My point is, she's always been tall and skinny. For years, we lived several hours apart so we would only see each other maybe 4 times a year. Coincidentally, back in the fall, we both got promotions in the same week (different industries and companies) and ended up in the same state about 30 minutes away. Needless to say, we see each other about once a month. She is getting married in October and I'm a bridesmaid (as was she in my wedding 5 years ago). I had my surgery in December and have lost 65 lbs. I have gone from a size 22 down to a 14. Everybody, and I mean everyone from family to strangers that I have only met a few times have given me such wonderful compliments! Of course, my family, members of my sales team, friends, etc... know this has been a life long struggle of weight loss and gain, and while everything else in life is great (career,marriage,social life), the weight is always my insecurity. So, each time I have seen this friend, I've dropped 20 lbs, 20, and then the most recent 20 totally 60 lbs when I saw her a few weeks ago. Crickets. She has not once given me a compliment or even acknowledged that I have lost weight. She is one of the most OBSERVANT people I have ever met in my life. She notices every detail of an outfit if a complete stranger walks by. Yet, she says nothing to acknowledge my shrinking body. Now, I know I did not do this to seek approval from her, however I'm a very honest and blunt person and it absolutely kills me that I've given her every opportunity to acknowledge this change and NOTHING. Here's the kicker... Last week, we were texting and she was telling me how she had just seen one of her other friends and that friend had lost 10 lbs and looked so great! "Her arms were so tiny! She is so excited! Of course I told her how great she looked!" .... I about lost my mind!!! Well, this Wednesday, I have to go with her and her sister to shop for bridesmaid dresses... Maybe Wednesday isn't the appropriate time to say something, but I need advice, specific advice, on how to address this, what to say, when, etc... Help, people!!! I don't think I can stay quiet any longer!!!

Nancy, so sorry to hear about the pain and the luncheon gone bad. I have sad news to report...this will happen again..so don't beat yourself up too bad. I am almost 3 years out from my surgery and I fall off the wagon and do dumb stuff from time to time. Sweets are my downfall so the desert sounded fantastic to me. My doc said we are addicted to sweets and carbs and just like smokers and alcoholics have problems with these items, we have problems with sweets/carbs. You have done great. You had the surgery, you do your homework and you know you were a bad girl. That is half the battle. The yummy desert is gone and the luncheon is history. Move on, take a walk and pat yourself on the back. You did this ONCE..not all week..not all month..Be proud of yourself and keep moving forward. You can do this - we all have been in the boat with you and I for one, understand.. Melinda in Florida

Check with your doctor. Only he/she can give you the correct answer. And remember...alcohol is empty calories so when you drink, be very selective. I stay away from mixed drinks. The added ingredients on top of the alcohol can make a cocktail calorically lethal. I tend to stick to wine....better bang for the buck.

How long after surgery before I can have a drink

Vogue, I love Mio and it sounds great to put it on crushed ice! You did great to only gain 2 pounds. We won't be on a cruise, but the all-inclusive resort is a very large property. They have golf cart shuttles to get around, but I intend to walk. It is approximately 1/2 mile from the beach to the restaurants. I believe there are 7 pools, so I can exercise in the Water also. The rooms do have small refrigerators that they provide free beer, water and soft drinks in, but I could take some shakes and put them in there. There is a lot of free alcohol provided in the room also, but not an issue for me as I have never been much of a drinker and have given it up totally now. I would rather eat my calories! Interesting you would mention the chocolate cake. All the best Desserts are chocolate! However, I have found since my sleeve that even one bite of a true chocolate dessert upsets my sleeve terribly. Or perhaps it is more correct to say my intestines are upset. It makes me bloated and miserable. I am not sure why.

::::: pasting what I wrote on a similar topic:::: With those drink squirt things. ( Mio, etc ) it's easy to have low sugar or sugar free drink fluids all day.... There's free filtered Water on the ship. I mixed a Mio-type drink with seltzer over crushed ice and stayed happy I purchased trial sizes of Protein powder and grabbed milk cartons from the Breakfast station and purchased a $1 from dollar store to use to mix any of that in... If you let them know, Carnival will take out the overpriced water, soda etc from the room fridge and allow you to use to store your medically necessary items. I explained that I needed it to store medicines and food related to my medical condition. No further questions were asked except if I would need receptacle to dispose of needles (like for diabetic injections) I had a few alcoholic drinks. Maybe 3 the entire cruise. You will feel the alcohol faster but it seems to wear off just as fast. ( it really doesn't but our post op bodies trick us into thinking it does ) ... Being mindful of that I didn't drink everyday With most cruises, there are so many opportunities to walk and even more. Water aerobics. Zumba on LIdo deck , the gym. Or just taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I did a LOT of room service. And I had that chocolate cake every night. I came home with less than 2 extra pounds that were well earned with no regrets. That's what vacations are for

With those drink squirt things. ( Mio, etc ) it's easy to have low sugar or sugar free drink fluids all day.... There's free filtered Water on the ship. I mixed a Mio-type drink with seltzer over crushed ice and stayed happy I purchased trial sizes of Protein powder and grabbed milk cartons from the breakfast station and purchased a $1 from dollar store to use to mix any of that in... If you let them know, Carnival will take out the overpriced water, soda etc from the room fridge and allow you to use to store your medically necessary items. I explained that I needed it to store medicines and food related to my medical condition. No further questions were asked except if I would need receptacle to dispose of needles (like for diabetic injections) I had a few alcoholic drinks. Maybe 3 the entire cruise. You will feel the alcohol faster but it seems to wear off just as fast. ( it really doesn't but our post op bodies trick us into thinking it does ) ... Being mindful of that I didn't drink everyday With most cruises, there are so many opportunities to walk and even more. Water aerobics. Zumba on LIdo deck , the gym. Or just taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I did a LOT of room service. And I had that chocolate cake every night. I came home with less than 2 extra pounds that were well earned with no regrets. That's what vacations are for

Sounds like my first marriage Mine too!! Mine too as well! When I quit drugs and alcohol I was told " you need to change your playmates and your playground" or you will eventually go back to your destructive ways. I know the same will be true of WLS.

Katierichie, don't be disappointed with yourself over a few cocktails since you only have your girls weekend once a year. We have a sleeve, but we are still human and we give in to temptation on occasion. Tell your friends you NEED to go shopping and walk as much as you can to offset the alcohol and a little extra food. Alcohol is not an issue for me as I have never really been one to drink. I think when traveling I do tend to eat more than what I need because I have no way to refrigerate the remainder.

Hey Mooncat! I also will be traveling soon with my little sleeve. By the time we go 'wheels up' for out scuba vacation I will be about nine weeks out from surgery. Since my first month is an all-liquid diet, I will be well into smooshies and soft foods by the time I leave. My sister did ask if I would consider hold off the surgery until after our vacation. My reply was - NEVER. I may not be able to eat everything my dive buddies eat, but I can participate in everything and enjoy a glass of Water while they have their cheeseburgers in paradise. I plan to take dry Protein power to mix with purchased bottled water for use on the plane and in my room. The Protein powder will be my fall-back when good meal choices are slim. We will have menu options such as Soups and and lots of fresh-caught ocean fish that I am really looking forward to eating. I will miss eating the cibatta bread, but that isn't on my list of edibles any more. Staying very hydrated will be my primary goal, so I will be bringing several of my favorite water bottles. Where we are going has the best-tasting pure water right out of the tap, so filling a bottle and keeping it handy will be easy. Then my next goal is to to maintain the right amount of protein. My dive buddies and I usually end up dropping a few pounds over the vacation, even with eating as much as we normally do - its an active vacation with lots of lifting, moving and swimming. I suppose I will miss the alcohol part of our vacation, but I don't often drink at home, so it shouldn't be too tough to bypass. I really don't feel 'deprived' any more like I did pre-surgery when I choose to not eat/drink something that isn't going to work for me. I guess I've turned a page on that, and it makes me happy. I anybody has some special tips that helped them during travel, please chime in!

Oh and about the alcohol: 1 fancy drink during the whole cruise was enuf for me. Now I have nowhere to store that fancy monkey-head coconut I got my fancy daquiri in!!! I'm not a huge drinker and they're quite pricey onboard...

Hello, My wife and I are going on a 7 day cruise to the Caribbean. This is great but as you know they serve great food with lots of carbs. Here is my plan - fish and seafood for the Protein, stay away from breads, Pasta, breads, and the dessert bar. Eat small amounts in 4-6 meals... Ok it sounds good, but have you been on a cruise? This is going to a possible torture test. But my new stomach I sure will quickly remind me if I do some stupid. Any suggestions? Note: I am not taking my Protein shakes or mixer. If I did those suckers would be going overboard. Another question - Alcoholic drinks... Who can go on cruise or to an island without having a topical drink. Yes, I am going to blow my carb count, and was told not to have alcohol for a year.. So what will happen if I do... I heard that during the first year with your new stomach, that drinking one drink has the affect of drinking 5 drinks. So you will get drunk faster. True? So I just want 1 drink... A day. Anyone have any experiences or suggestions? Just want to have a good ... normal vacation. We leave mid-April. I will let you about any Caribbean gastric stories when I get back.... OK, any recommendations or comments... Thank you...

Heya all! So sorry about being quiet. So much stuff happening! Firstly, we had a public holiday today, yay! We are in Johannesburg for the long weekend - one of my university friends is turning 30. Our country is totally up in arms about our paralympian Oscar Pistorius who killed his girlfriend - thinking she was an intruder. Shot her through the toilet door. Everybody is freaking out. With the first time ever a court case being televised. You have never seen such mayhem, wherever you go you hear people talking about it. Our crazy southafricans! Also, my partner and i bought a house! First time ever! Extremely excited but also nervous as hell. We are moving in the end of May. It's 10 minutes from the beach and now we can get a dog, yay! Have been having some health issues lately. I have either an ulcer or gallstones. Contacted my surgeon's office and i need to go in for an endoscopy on 7 april. I think it might be an ulcer though. Constant burning sensation right in the middle below my boobs... Really horrible. And when i sometimes eat or drink tea, then i get terrible cramps and have to go to the loo. TMI, but my tummy is runny and yucky. Ofcourse my surgeon's assistant emailed me saying that Doc is asking whether i still smoke... ???? Of course i still do, as this i see as my coping meghanism currently - you know about the hectic paychological problems i have been having. Working through major issues. I dont overeat or drink alcohol at all - i smoke. I know know know it is bad and i really want to quit in the near future, but i know if i am dead honest i wont be able to do it now. I will go off my handle. Of course if i am having a stomach ulcer as i am suspecting i know how terrible smoking is for that. So i have cut down a lot on it. But i am preparing myself for a serious crapp-out session awaiting me on 7 april... Oi vey! My weight has been standing still for months now almost ;-( But i havent been diligent with exercises and also meal planning. I basically eat the same things over and over - quite boring. Dont think i've been getting enough protein in. I am upset with myself yeah. But i am also learning to be kinder to myself. So i will be getting back on the wagon diligently doing everything i should and working out menus and such. And get on with those damn exercises! I really hoped i would get addicted to it and have the high as some people report - but this has yet to happen ???? At least i am not gaining. Ok time for bed for me almost 1:30 in the morning over here! Hope you are all well, my dear friends! xxx

Well, keep in mind my experience was in Tijuana. My husband and I were met quickly at the airport and driven to the Marriott hotel without incident. Our room was not ready because we were early, which was fine, but as the hours ticked by, we were never approached by our coordinator who was supposed to meet with us. I had to continue asking hotel staff if they knew where he was as we needed to hear the arrangements for the surgery. Finally a hotel staff person pointed him out and we were able to connect. The next morning again I had to keep asking how/when/what shuttle bus was going to transport us to the hospital. If I hadn't been vocal and hadn't asked numerous questions, I am pretty sure we would have missed some or all connections. Again, the hospital staff was easy to work with and I did not feel nervous that mistakes would be made. (Except in the middle of the night I needed additional pain medication and had to hunt for help as the nurses' station was empty. I found her asleep in an unused room) The day we get back to the hotel, we needed to go down the street to Walmart to get Protein shakes and other items that my stomach could tolerate and was dropped off by our coordinator who gave us a time of his return and the spot that he could find us. We waited and waited and it was evening and getting cold and I needed to lie down in the room when we spotted Raul walking toward us in the mall with another woman that had surgery. Raul asked if we could wait longer as he was going to walk this woman to the local liquor store and back. My husband protested as he knew how tired I was, but I told them to go ahead if it would not be too much longer. (and aren't we not supposed to drink alcohol for 6 weeks?) By the time they returned we were exhausted and cold. The next day, I was tired and apprehensive to have Raul drop us in 'downtown Tijuana' so we asked to stay back at the room and rest that day if we could make the trip the following day and was told that would be just fine. But in the morning, we were told that there was only one morning van available to transport us to the airport. (consequently, we had a 9 hour wait for our flight home in the San Diego airport) Hope this helps, and again, I am glad I had the surgery and the Doctors were very professional and courteous.

Well I already have the alcohol addiction, but hope to be rid of the food one next week! LOL

I had to take a few short written assessments. One was questions related to whether I understood what the surgery entailed and it's possible complications; one was about alcohol; one was about eating disorders. My appointment was only about 30 minutes.

Hi Willow Blimey, 8.7kg is brilliant. I'm so very pleased for you, and also pleased that the dietician is too. Way to go...... Mince and minced turkey sounds lovely after soups, and yeah, I can understand her warning, see how it goes, monitor it closely. After my daughters bypass her taste buds changed, before surgery she loved coffee and savoury stuff, but since she can't abide Hot drinks. But she also has no hunger, or inclination to eat either. So she has to be careful, and set her alarm on her phone to remind her to eat. Although you would think being a mum she has routines, she has always put the children and her husband first, and after she saw to everyone else, she would just grab something to eat, therefore not having a proper meal, or meal times. So the long and short of it is she now, because of her alarms, eats better, and then feels better. But, her friend who has had bypass surgery too is replacing the food addiction with alcohol..... My daughter is so worried about her. Started back at Water workout class yesterday, bit achy today, but booked again for next week. When this chest infection has cleared completely I'll be back to two classes a week. Must say I do enjoy it. Cutting down on the naughty stuff also, getting ready for healthy eating again. Now the weather is getting so nice I might too start walking again. Keep up the good work Willow, your such an inspiration

Hello, My wife and I are going on a 7 day cruise to the Caribbean. This is great but as you know they serve great food with lots of carbs. Here is my plan - fish and seafood for the Protein, stay away from breads, Pasta, breads, and the dessert bar. Eat small amounts in 4-6 meals... Ok it sounds good, but have you been on a cruise? This is going to a possible torture test. But my new stomach I sure will quickly remind me if I do some stupid. Any suggestions? Note: I am not taking my Protein shakes or mixer. If I did those suckers would be going overboard. Another question - Alcoholic drinks... Who can go on cruise or to an island without having a topical drink. Yes, I am going to blow my carb count, and was told not to have alcohol for a year.. So what will happen if I do... I heard that during the first year with your new stomach, that drinking one drink has the affect of drinking 5 drinks. So you will get drunk faster. True? So I just want 1 drink... A day. Anyone have any experiences or suggestions? Just want to have a good ... normal vacation. We leave mid-April. I will let you about any Caribbean gastric stories when I get back.... OK, comments... Thank you...

Now my curiosity radar is up about what I must have missed... Random thoughts - did someone confess to murder? Did they buy alcohol underage? Smoking mj outside of Colorado or Washington? Lol.

I'm a lot more nervous than what I had originally thought. I have been researching this, going to my pre-op appointments now and thought I knew a lot about the sleeve. From what I understood tonight... 1) I'll have to take B12 sub-lingual supplements 2) Must take 2 Multivitamins a day, possibly Calcium supplements as well 3) NO using a straw for a long time 4) I knew no soda or alcohol ever again, but I didn't know coffee was also restricted! This makes me most nervous...The nurse talked about having to drink enough to hydrate and with a cup of coffee it'll be 2 cups of Water just to replenish the coffee-dehyration. I can definitely give up coffee pre-op, for some time post-op but forever??? 5) You have to get in 50-70grams of Protein a day...but they can't be any kinds of Proteins. The only proteins that contain the full 7 amino acids needed by our body are fish, chicken, beef, pork and eggs. Other things like Peanut Butter have protein but not all "full" proteins. So does this mean only eat chicken, fish, eggs etc? And is it egg white or whole eggs? What about hummus? 6) Only able to drink an ounce of water at a time...but still need to get all that water in? 7) Not to graze, have 3 meals a day but eat slowly and you have to learn what real hunger and feeling full feels like--and while doing this you might eat too much or too fast and feel like you're going to have a heart attack... 8) If you eat fatty foods, you might not only have diarrhea, you could profusely sweat, heart palpitations etc 9) She said ice cream, chocolate, cake etc never again Those of you who are at least a few months or a year out, would you say this is all pretty accurate? I still want the surgery but really want to know what I'm getting myself into completely. Also, is it a good idea to cut off water while eating now while I'm pre-op?

I was banded Oct of 2009 and lost 200 pounds. I was 368 lbs and went down to 168. I was too tight and never could eat except dinner. I liked drinking alcohol, but my like for it became extreme once I took away the food I use to eat to deal with life. I would go out to dinner and order my food to go and just drink the entire time everyone ate because I did not want to keep getting up to run to the bathroom. I turned myself into a alcoholic, or I could say the problem reared its head fast once I took away food from my life. Anyway I am now sober and got to AA, but I did not know that you cause an extreme sugar addiction when you are an alcoholic. I never ate a ton of sugar. Sure I had ice cream a couple times a week, but never gained weight from it. I started eating like 3 pints of Ben and Jerrys a day. Since Sept I put on 71 pounds from pure sugar. Now of course comes the depression, none of my clothes fit, and my body hurts just walking again. I just got a fill and explained everything to my doctor. I am finding I can eat huge portions again and that is scary. I eat all the time and am hungry.I may go in for another fill, but would like to work on getting back on track first. I do enjoy not vomiting every time I eat and I know another fill could bring me to that. I never snacked, never over ate, never gained weight over 5 years. This has really turned my life upside down. I am not willing to let my overcoming alcohol ruin 5 yrs of constant weight loss. No way! It was bad to be heavy before, but to lose that much weight and be packing it on is so much worse. Anyway I could really use a network of weight loss friends to get back on track and be happy again. I am not good at these msg boards so who knows if I will be able to find this site again. If you all have some group or place to support each other my email address is diana_dickey00@yahoo.com let me know where to find it on the site. I may figure it out once I post this, but just in case. Thank you to everyone that shared on the site. It has given me a lift and hope. You all stay strong. We can do this. Diana Tampa, FL

Hello, I didn't tell my two brothers in Michigan. They are in for one heck of a shock when I will see them in July. Didn't tell them because when I joined the Army, they said: "you'll be back in a week." I knew by that comment, no way in hell was I telling them about WLS. By the way, I served 7 years and a few months in the Army with an honorable discharge--so screw them. My two sisters knew about the surgery. They have been very supportive. Looking forward to seeing them in July. My brothers, not so much. My brothers are alcoholics--I have a problem being around such negative, unhealthy people. I live in Texas not only becuase it is where my husband retired from the military, but because I don't want to be close to my brothers and their negativity. There were fewer employment opportunities in Michigan when I left the Army as well. I'm glad I didn't tell them. They may be my brothers but I have grown away from the awful "childhood" I had and they are still stuck in the same patterns of unhealthy behavior. Kathleen

Thanks everyone for the advice. My friend had a glass of wine 6 weeks after surgery and she was fine but she said her alcohol tolerance is nothing compared to how it was before surgery. I do not want to feel bad just for one drink so I think I wont have any

I also recently heard that alcohol affects us differently now. Because you don't have all the enzymes to process it more of it goes directly into you intestines and your blood level rises faster and it takes longer for it get out of your system. I would be very careful even after you heal.