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Hi Everyone, Hope all of your bands are doing well!! I was wondering if anyone else experiences nightly or frequant evening band tightness. Also, does Alcohol burn anyone's band? Anytime I sip Alcohol it burns right where the band is. Anyone have good drink ideas that aren't carbonated? Hard A and juices from now on? Anyone have any good meal ideas? I'm getting bored with chicken. Anyone have any tips let me know Thanks you guys! Good luck everyone!

When I went to a Plano session at the beginning of the month they talked about beverages of choice (caffeine, alcohol, etc.). I was like: water, tea, and crystal light!

Not really scared of the surgery, but about not being able to eat much or drink alcohol after. I keep thinking "how am I going to act in social situations?" Will I be a different person? Am I going to be the "odd duck", while all my friends are having a good time? One of my favorite things is to go out for a prime steak & a few glasses of wine. Will I be able to do that? Lots of questions....a little uneasy, & scared. I hope I'm making the right decision. Surgery is set for a month away. On a brighter note, I booked a quick little vacation to Mexico for next week. I thought a little rest & one last fiesta would help me tackle these thoughts & fears I'm having.

I am curious also ? I have my sleeve May 28 (Dr Aceves) so I will be off the booze for awhile. But I do enjoy a glass of Lambrusco while I watch my TV (True Blood, Dexter, Borgias, Homeland, etc). Wondering if I will be able to sub some wine on the rocks as part of my "liquids" ? or will alcohol cause problems after a couple months post-op ?

Have you researched other WLS options? More than likely a Band is going to just create MORE problems here.I'd get the problems treated first. And if your Doctor is SMART? that would be his recommendation also. If your already experiencing problems with the esophagus the band isn't going to HELP, instead probably make things worse. Esophagitis is inflammation that damages tissues of the esophagus, the muscular tube that delivers food from your mouth to your stomach. Esophagitis (uh-sof-uh-JI-tis) often causes painful, difficult swallowing and chest pain. Causes of esophagitis include stomach acids backing up into the esophagus, infection, oral medications and allergies. Treatments for esophagitis depend on the underlying cause and the severity of tissue damage. If left untreated, esophagitis may change the structure and function of the esophagus. Some people suffer from Achalasia post banding, and If your already having difficulties with the Esophagus getting a Band "might" just add to those problems. Acute hemorrhagic gastritis is an important cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, accounting for approximately one fourth of UGI bleeding in endoscopic studies. Most patients with hemorrhagic gastritis have underlying predisposing conditions, such as alcohol abuse, portal hypertension, short- or long-term NSAID use, and physiologic stress associated with hospitalization in an ICU for severe life-threatening disease or trauma. The key to management is prevention; however, once established, hemorrhagic gastritis is treated with both supportive measures and measures directed toward healing the mucosal damage. In general, therapy is the same as that for classic peptic ulcer disease. These patients present a challenge, however, because of their underlying diseases and because of the potential for diffuse mucosal bleeding, the latter making the use of endoscopic therapy more difficult. Surgery is an option of last resort for the patient who continues to bleed despite aggressive medical and endoscopic therapy. Future investigations will focus on pharmacologic therapy to enhance mucosal defense mechanisms, therapy that will likely attain increasing importance in the years to come. I've posted the above information as a FYI, you may already be aware of what each of these conditions are, but it also helps anyone else that might not and can benefit from the posted information. Good Luck~

LAP-BAND Surgery Pre-Op Diet About two weeks before your Lap-Band surgery, you will be expected to start making changes in your diet. Your surgeon will have you begin a special pre-op diet that is designed to get your body ready for surgery and make recovery easier. Although you may be tempted to splurge on all your favorite foods, this is not the time to let your health worsen. The purpose of a pre-surgery diet is to: Reduce body fat around the stomach and liver, as well as shrink the liver itself. If the liver is too large, the surgery may have to be postponed. Improve surgical outcomes and recovery. By reducing fatty triglycerides from around the liver and spleen, it can reduce potential surgical bleeding. Increase Protein intake, which will help preserve and protect muscle tissue. The pre-surgery diet will also prepare Lap-Band patients for the post-op diet and increase the rate of weight loss following surgery. Pre-Op Dietary Guidelines As a generality, most Lap-Band pre-op diet plans are high in protein while low in calories, fats, and carbohydrates. The average calorie allowance for the Lap-Band pre-op diet ranges from 800 to 1200 calories per day. Foods that will need to be decreased in your diet include high-sugar foods, high carbohydrate foods (including bread and pasta), fats (such as butter), fatty meats, fried foods, whole milk products, high-calories beverages (including regular soda and alcoholic beverages). Your diet will be limited, but foods that may be included are yogurt, fruit, Cereal, eggs, oatmeal for Breakfast and lean meat or fish with green vegetables for dinner. Your diet may also include protein supplements. As individualized pre-op diets will vary between surgeons and patients, it is important that you follow the specific recommendations of your doctor. Protein Supplements High levels of protein will help the body heal after surgery as well as protect muscles so that the body burns excess fat instead of muscle tissue when on a low fat diet. The typical pre-op diet will include 70 to 120 grams of protein each day. To ensure adequate protein intake, the Lap-Band diet will rely on protein supplementation. Protein powders, such as Myocel, are designed to lower the fat content of the liver, maximize recovery, and promote weight loss. Myocel can be mixed in with skim milk, Water, fruit juice, or fat-free yogurt. http://www.lapband.us/pre-surgery-diet.html

Did u have pre op nutritionist classes? Each program has their own guidelines unfortunately. I start my 14 day preop diet on Monday. I will have 5 EAS myoplex lite protein shakes a day, one serving of veggies, one serving of fruit and one serving of starch a day plus all the clear liquids I want (ff broth, sf Popsicles, sf jello, decafe coffee/tea w/out milk, creamer, sweetener etc and no carbonated beverages or alcohol). I plan on taking my one serving of fruit a day and adding it to one of my shakes with ice and making a smoothie in the blender. As far as your post op eating, that is very specific to what your nutritionist outlined for u. I will have clears only on day one and then clears and protein shakes from day 2 through 7. Day 8 I advance to soft foods ie: sf pudding, sf applesauce. Hope this helps. Good Luck!!!!

My mom had Roux-en-y and 15 years later she is still laid out for 30-60 minutes from "sugar overdose". it can happen by eating at a BBQ and they don't tell her what's in the sauces. I seen it happen from alcohol sugars, sauces, drinks, food everything has to be tested with a tiny bite or asks about ingredients. I though that was because of the intestine rerouting. But I see here sleevers have the same issues? Is that true?? Not that I plan to run out to a chocolate fountain, but I have seen a piece of candy make her "spin" for like 30 min. Is it extreme? Why does it happen?

I have not been sleeved yet and am nervous that without food, I will have to be extremely vigilant so that I do not relapse with alcohol or pain killers. I am also nervous bc I do not intend to use pain medicine after surgery, again bc it may trigger a relapse. I was 207 pounds when I got sober...got down to 163...and now I am 253 (was 267 before I began pre-op diet)I need to be able to finally live life on life's terms!

Are there any sleevers in recovery from drug addiction/alcoholism? I am a recovery and would like have somebody to discuss cross addictions and the additional problems posed w being sleeved for somebody in recovery, such as no longer having food to help me manage my emotions. Thanks!

Let me remind everyone that recent studies have shown that all fluids, regardless of whether or not they contain caffeine, are equally hydrating (with the exception of alcohol). So in reality, Coke and Water hydrate the body equally. As for the other facts about the other stuff in it, I'm not too sure, but in terms of hydration, coke or water will both do the trick.

Go pick up the margarita mix. Just don't add the alcohol.

I had a few sips about a week ago. It was a charity event that was being hosted at a Wine Tasting School. Fortunately it wasn't impolite to take a sip or 2 and then dump what was left (and they were pouring very small amounts anyway). Even at my highest weight.. I was a bit of a light weight when it came to alcohol. Fortunately this was small enough & stretched out enough time wise that it didn't really hit me. I will say that when I got home I was famished.. even after having a protein bar on the way home.

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.

I was told no alcohol starting 3 months before and for at least a year after. Empty calories

If it were me, I'd not want to risk it. The point if the pre-op is to shrink the liver, like a previous poster said. Alcohol goes through the liver. It also lowers inhibitions and might make you more tempted to eat that evening and really blow the pre-op diet. Some surgeons don't require a pre-op diet, but yours does. Mine did, too. Mine also said if he got inside and my liver was not in shape for the surgery, he'd either have to do it open (huge incision and recovery) or would close me up and no band that day. That's my opinion, take it for what it's worth and have a Happy Birthday.

Hey Everybody.... Gosh where have I been!!!!! I totally missed this thread!!!! Thank you all for the compliments! Can someone pull up that second picture of me so I can make it my new avatar by request PLEASE!!!! Sorry you all had to wait on me... I've been away from LBT to long... I've just been buisy!! Trish is so sweet and I was so glad to meet her and her sweet hubby John too!!! He did some good singing.... Well I guess anyone could sound good after all the bad non bandster beverages we had. It was a special occasion though and we took advantage of it. Trish said I didn't eat much and my reply is...... who can eat much when your drinking all that alcohol!!HEHE!!!! Bad.. bad.. bandsters we are!!!! HEHE!!!! Trish thanks for posting the pictures!!!!! I had a blast!!!!

I drink two cups of coffee daily and alcoholic beverages (mainly white wine, bloody Mary's, straight liquor or low calorie mixers) several times a month. 6.5 months out and have lost 104 pounds. I make sure to include the calories/carbs in my daily totals. Oh...and my surgeon warned me also of the possibility of alcohol being more "potent" after surgery. SO NOT TRUE FOR ME. I just like the taste. ????

In my program we were told to hold off on alcohol for a few months until we heal and then to go slow as it may affect us differently than before and they feel that if we are addicted to food we can become addicted to alcohol we were not told tho not to ever have a drink they did push the no soda and carbonated drinks thing really hard tho

Hi there I'm in western ny my surgeon won't operate if u smoke they test u for nicotine so the food thing u talk about if your plan is to eat mcdonalds as a habit don't have surgery your not ready it's not true that u can't eat again for a while u won't eat much and certain things will fill u up faster bread rice pasta potatoes u will be extremely uncomfortable if u overfill the stomach read the the guidelines they give you carefully follow the dr instructions excercise when u can eat from the allowed list if u eat high fat high calorie high sugar foods it will impact your weight loss and may make u feel unwell as for drinking I'm not a drinker never liked alcohol my surgeon says lay off for six months no carbonation such as soda beer not an issue for me as I don't care lol but I've seen ppl here say they have a couple drinks here and there after the appropriate recovery time some say it affects them more then before speaking for myself some things that are not good for me just don't taste as good anymore and since I couldn't finish anything isn't worth me buying it and throwing most of it away( unless my dog manages to whine cute enough that I give to him) besides I don't want to work as hard as I have to keep the same old habits that got me here I'm six months post op sleeve I've lost 170 lbs since mid sept last year 60 lbs pre op and the rest since my surgery at end of February this year you must decide to eat right most of the time if this tool will work it's just a tool not a miracle best wishes to you

Oh man. All those sugar alcohols. With things like that, you need to take a serving portion and put the rest away. If you don't have the self control to put the rest away and not touch them, then take a portion and throw them away.

Like alcoholism and drug addiction obesity is a disease. Thankfully one that can be conquered with interventions, but whether biological or environmental for many people is is much more than a matter of willpower. It's not something we "get over". That doesn't make the pre-op side of my life a failure. It means there were things beyond my control that required medical intervention to tend to. Attaching shame to them much like other addictions is part of what makes people reticent to seek help. Pre-op me was a cool chick. One who was smart enough to identify a problem and address it. She was never a failure.

Okay...so a lot of people have posted questions on here about the psych evaluation. I don't expect this to necessarily help anyone but I wanted to share my experience. It is somewhat different that any other post I have read. First of all I struggled with the decision to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist. I know a psychologist on a professional level so I knew I would feel comfortable with him. I also knew if I went to him I would have to complete testing whereas if I went to see a psychiatrist, it would only be an interview. In the end it was money that made the decision for me. I only had a copay with the psychiatrist whereas I would have to pay for the testing and interview with a psychologist, which was considerably more than my copay. How did I find the psychiatrist? An acquaintance had the surgery and said she could only find one who would do the evaluation. I would have to drive 90 min one way. Fine. I asked about her experience with the evaluation and the first thing she said was "I felt like she was trying to talk me out of it." The acquaintance was 5'5 inches, 300 lbs and had no co-morbid conditions. So, I was curious to see if I felt like she had tried to "talk me out of it." I am 150 lbs overweight. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and a long history of high cholesterol and triglycerides (although I do not currently have this problem). The psychiatrist asked questions I expected to be asked: current medical conditions, medications, family history, occupation, marital status, past and current mental health issues, past trauma, past relationships and how long they were, etc. She asked me what procedure I was having (sleeve). She did not ask me anything at all about my weight history, if I had a support system or if there were any stressors in my life. So at the end of the interview this is what she had to say: 1. You need to know there is currently NOT a cure for obesity. If there were, everyone would be having the surgery. You should also know the statistics say there is a high rate people who regain their weight back. My response to her was i felt like without the surgery I had a 0% chance of losing this weight and keeping it off. With the surgery, at least I will have a chance! I added I think the benefits will outweigh the risks. 2. There is a phenomenon known as addiction transfer and you are at a very high risk for this. I immediately stopped her and told her I was aware of this concerned about this as well and talked to my therapist about it. With regard to the transfer of food to alcohol addiction, I don't drink at all now. So, in order for me to avoid this, I should not ever drink. Of course, at this point she had to tell me about her "friend" who never drank before surgery who ended up being an alcoholic. I'm not quite sure why she said I was at a "high risk" for this because the only addiction I've ever had is food. However, my father and sister both died from drug addiction so I am statistically more likely to have addiction problems. I understand this may occur so I will be more cognizant of it. 3. You need to be aware this is a "dangerous and risky procedure." Well so is life saving brain and heart surgery! She said this on two different occasions. First, she told me about another "friend" who had a leak at the staple line. Then, the kicker of it all is this psychiatrist was morbidly obese herself! Not just obese, morbidly obese. Round as she was tall. So then she says to me I would have the surgery myself if it wasn't so "dangerous and risky." So..did I feel like she was trying to talk me out of it? Hell yes! I find it ironic that a person who I know understands the struggles of being obese would have this perspective on WLS. Her responses were the kind of feedback you get from a normal, lay person. Another oddity...she also out of the blue said "you look good." What does that mean? My hair and clothes were clean or I didn't act like was experiencing psychosis? I didn't ask. She did clear me for surgery so I guess that is the most important thing but that experience left me scratching my head......

Thanks everyone. Your responses are greatly appreciated. I should probably say that I'm afraid of these questions because I'm afraid of being denied! I have heard of folks "failing" their psych evaluations for various reasons including the possibility of crossover addictions and alcoholism. I feel like this is my last best chance to get this done. My work insurance won't cover so I bought an exchange plan and want to get this all approved as quickly as possible.

Well, I had surgery on the 12th but when the dr cut into me, he seen my liver didn't look right, so he took a biopsy of it and my gall bladder and my spleen and my intestines. Long story short...they found that I have non alcoholic fatty liver sirrosis.. stage 3. The dr said doing a bypass would have killed me... but I can get the sleeve done. the only thing that will help my liver is to lose weight or I will have to have a transplant. So, I go back to my surgeon on the 20th and I am hoping we can get right on to the sleeve, and not let any more time pass.