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just one other thing i forgot to mention dr. gabriel did not adequately prepare me for surgery. You are not suppossed to drink 6 weeks prior to. I saw this on the pre-op paperwork 11/2 weeks before my surgery during an office visit. I told him i had alot of parties that weekend and would be drinking alcohol, He did not tell me not to . He said start pre-op diet 1 week prior to surgery which was the following Mon.

Well I am home again. I went there on Tuesday afternoon. I cried for about 4 hours. I even signed a right to release paper. i wanted to leave, even if i was doing the right thing. Well they gave me some stuff called methadone to help relieve withdrawal symptoms. I took that Tuesday, wednesday and thursday am. I decided that i was feeling well and refused 6pm methadone and thought i'd see how i felt. Well i was fine the rest of the night, no withdrawal syptoms. So i refused again the next morning. Now even though i refused, i could get it any time i felt i needed it. Well I felt fine, and they let me come home yesterday. I met some amazing people, did LOTS of group meetings and counseling. AA meetings, NA, even attended a CA, which is cocaine anonymous, just to hear the stories of the people there. Amazing the lives people live for so long. It was a heck of an experience. i could have been any of those people who went from pills to alcohol to worse. I will NEVER even touch alcohol again even if it was not my addiction. I missed my kids, but thank God they were fine. Thank God I didnt become worse. I feel very fortunate and I thank you all for your support. I am done with pills. God Bless you all and Thanks again.

I had my surgery December 17, 2009. It has been a month and altogether I have lost 22lbs. I am 5'8" and weighed 209. I weigh 187. I did not follow the aftercare diet to the tee, my body lets me know if I should or should not eat something. As for the Jerusalem Hospital, I have nothing but good things to say. You must remember that the Dr. Almanza, the staff and Dr Betancourt work seven days a week, 365 days a year. They are doing many surgeries a day. (When I was there they did 5 procedures - 3 sleeves, 1 band and 1 rouxny). So they have probably experienced a great deal of situations and are now very experienced at handling almost all emergencies and complications. What to take: 1. Gas-x The meltaway strips -the red(cherry/cinnamon?) 2. Germ-x - for plane, clinic, house, vehicles. I used this like crazy to prevent flu/colds. 3.Neosporin spray for the wounds. 4. Several pajamas(3), robe, and slippers. Pajamas with pants were better becuz the drain was not taken off until the fourth day.I also took several (3) of those comfy jogging (house of Derrion)sets. It to put on not much to coordinate and looks good and comfy 5. I took prilosec becuz i had read the boards, some people get heartburn. I did becuz i had a spicy tomatoe basil Soup at hotel the night before I was flying home and got heartburn with hiccups.If not for prilosec I would not have been able to sleep that night. 6. I get cold, so i took (3) thick warm fuzzy socks. .. 7. i took a magazine and a book but could not read. Took laptop but really did not use ..You will be tired. 8. I did not take earplugs but wished I had. There was a person who came to help their loved one recover and they were staying at the recovery house. They slept in the room directly above us and they fell asleep with tv. on very very loud. My roommate and I did not sleep all night the first night, so in retrospect ear plugs sound good. 9. Alcohol swabs for wounds also. I took band aids with wound care gel in them. I changed the bandages. I was very worried about infection. 10. A final item on wish list that i would have taken would have been to get antibiotics in liquid form from my general doctor. She was not upset about me going to Mexico and having this surgery so i'm sure she would have prescribed it for me had i asked. The antibiotics they give you to take (when they dissolve in your mouth) taste horrible. horrible. HORRIBLE they made me want to vomit. I hope this helps, good luck. I have had no serious complications. I havebeen tired, very tired, but ihad surgery so I know and am hopeful that in another month, my body will adjust and i will get back to normal

Had a Happy NYE with my sis and good friend Jennifer! we had very little chinese and cheese fruit and crckers. I managed to avoid alcohol Yaaay me!.... today is my moms seafood gumbo OMG how good, but I'm gonna behave and no rice... okay very little rice.... OKAY NO RICE geesh! LOL

Your best bet is to call and ask your doctor. Most say no alcohol for a certain period (for one thing it can impair healing)...so follow your doc's advice, like ckelly says! :Dancing_sorry:

Wow Tiffy, you are actually living your life and enjoying food proportionately! This is something I want so badly--this is the "normal" I hope to aspire to. I am not a drinker per se but on occasion enjoy a little wine or a fancy frozen tropical drink. I'm now 3 months out so like Stoongal am wondering if it is still to early to sip on anything alcoholic.

Thanks for the great info! I'm sure gonna miss pumpkin beer with a cinnamon sugar rim this fall-- but next fall I'm throwing my own back yard Octoberfest- wearing my boots 'n jeans! (miss wearing jeans the most!) The alcohol will have to wait. What's up with a little weed? (ooops?). I like to indulge from time 2 time - I'm not a druggie, just like the mj. 

The something worse has me worried for you. Are you safe? As far as the weight gain, your doctor isn't there to judge. Just be honest. And you are taking steps in the right direction by going to therapy and working towards getting your pill/alcohol consumption under control.

I know it's difficult but it would be better for your health in the long run if you quit smoking and didn't go back to it ever. This is of course, easier said than done. The journey to better health is paved with exercising self control, whether it be food, cigarettes, alcohol, etc.

This was a great my story. I appreciate your outlook. For so many people to say that people have this surgery for vanity you really are a poster child for what this surgery is about. Its not about vanity. Sure part of it is, it would have to be, but the majority is about life. It sounds like you have had an issue with self esteeme, though i think you would be hard pressed to find any of us on this forum that didn't at one point or another. I, like you was not always 300+ lbs. I dont know what changed but it is interesting to think that everyone does comment on eatting when your big and want to lose weight. Its not funny and its not even appropriate so i appologize if i offend anyone but i dont walk around telling a COPD patient that they shouldnt have started smoking in the first place. Or tell someone with liver disease thats an alcoholic just stop drinking. There are medical conditions and psychological conditions associated with being overweight and instead of looking at it like that they just go, Hey, stop eatting. Makes me want to go Np buddy, hey stop breathing.....mean i know.. Back to your story though, its good to read peoples feelings. I know i'm a guy and i am supposed to keep the majority of this ooshy gooshy stuff bottled up but the bottom line is thats not who i am. I am still pre-op and i only hope that i can do as well as it sounds like you have done. This world would be a lot better place if more people would work on the "heart" rather than everything else. Thanks for sharing your story and i look forward to more of your posts. Have a great evening.

Amberley, what did u do for the itching? Ive gone thru an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol in one night? Welcome Wilo! Im 12 days in. The gas has subsided walking was the only thing tht relieved the pressure! Good luck with everything!

My surgery was yesterday, May 21st. It was a long day, but I think it went well. We were supposed to get there at 7 a.m. for a 10 a.m. surgery slot. DH was worried about being late, so we got there at 6:30 a.m. We checked in, and were taken to a small walled-in room where the nurse went over my vitals with me. I changed into the ultra-fashionable gown, opening to the back, as well as the socks with the tread design. Once I laid down on the gurney, they put the massaging things on my legs, and connected the air. A scopolamine patch was placed behind my ear for possible nausea. It's supposed to last three days. The IV of saline was started, and we waited. Julie, Dr. Clark's Physician's Asst, came in to check on not long before 9, and said that they were getting ready to do a bypass, and that I was next after that. She also gave me a goody bag. The goody bag had several items from On-Q, a pain moderating apparatus. I had it when I had my last intestinal surgery, and wondered if I would have it for this, since this was going to be laproscopic. She said no, it was just some goodies she wanted to give me. On-Q is an IV type set-up where thin lines are run on each side of an incision to deliver morphine right to the incision, instead of having the morphine affect the whole body. I really liked it how it worked, but I'm glad I didn't get it for this surgery, and I don't think I needed it at all. The items in the goody bag were a pedometer/FM radio combination and a set of pens, all embossed with "On-Q". The nurse gave me a shot of Heparin in the leg. That stuff burns going in! It's not unbearable, but it does sting. The IV was turned up pretty high to really pump in the saline, and I got up at about 9:30 to pee. The nurse said that they do this so that the patients will void their bladders, since they want empty bladders for surgery. After I got up, they turned the drip rate down. Dr. Wong, the anesthesiologist came in, introduced himself to me, and he told me what would happen once we got to the ER. I've been operated on before, so I wasn't worried about that part. I ended up getting wheeled into surgery at 10:52 a.m. Dr. Wong put a strap over my forehead that held monitors for my sleep rate, and my arm was stretched out to the side. An injection was made in the IV, and I could smell the taste (if that makes sense). He said that most people just comment that they can taste something in their mouths once they get that injection, but I could actually smell what it tasted like since the taste seemed to be right up at the top front of my mouth. The oxygen mask went on, I was instructed to take deep breaths, and the next thing I knew I was back in my little walled cubicle. I think I recall being in a recovery room, and getting my mouth swabbed, but I couldn't swear to anything that happened there. After I was more awake, but still groggy, I was taken down to radiology for the barium swallow so they could check the placement of the band. Once we got there, I sat up on the edge of the gurney, and sat there for a while because I was light-headed and felt nauseated. The nurse waved an alcohol swab under my nose to help with the nausea. I finally felt ready to go in for the swallow, and they handed me a large glass full of thin barium. I almost dropped the cup, but was able to warn them before hand, so they took it from me, and gave me another minute to stand there. I finally managed to get a few drinks down, and they decided that it would be better to by-pass the standing x-rays. They put the x-ray bed down, and I laid down on it. Then the meanie doctor made me roll over a couple times. I told him that I was going to moon him for revenge for making me roll, and he just laughed. The rolling was uncomfortable, but I managed. Everything looked good, and I even got to see the screen to see what the band looked like on an x-ray. I was then taken back to the cubicle, and could definitely feel every bump when we crossed the elevator threshold or any doorway thresholds. I didn't feel them on the way down. My throat was really dry, so I was able to have ice chips and a popsicle, and that really helped. I was also given a dose of the liquid lortab, and was really happy to have that popsicle as a chaser to get rid of the taste. I was given my choice of what I wanted to try to eat. Out of the cream-of-wheat, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, cream of chicken Soup, mashed potatoes, and pudding, I chose the eggs and potatoes. No problem getting that down. I was finally let go at about 4:30. As I was getting into the wheelchair, I told DH that I thought he should drive home. The nurse looked startled for a minute, and then she realized I was joking! We're looking for a car for our daughter, and since we were in Indy where there are several car dealerships within a few miles of the hospital, we decided (I insisted) that we not waste the opportunity. DH stopped and got me a bottle of Fiji Water to sip on for the drive. He drove through several lots so we could see what was available. If we saw anything that looked like a possibility, he got the details from the salesman, but no test drives. We just wanted to see what kind of prices are being asked. Anyway, I slept most of the way home. We stopped to fill my prescriptions on the way home. I was given liquid lortab, Ursodiol (for to prevent gall stones), and Protonix (for acid reflux). The pharmacy had to make the liquid lortab, so that took a little while. Not that I really noticed, because I was asleep in the car. Once I got home, I took another dose of lortab, and then rested a while. I went to bed at 11, and had to make a wedge to recline on using my pillows, since lying flat was not comfortable. I woke up at about 9:30 this morning. I'm still sore, coughing hurts even with a pillow against my abdomen, and it's a bit painful to take deep breaths. It's definitely bearable though. I am planning on wearing my binder for at least one week, since it feels good to have that support. Good luck to everyone else!

Brent, no need to feel bad about not exercising. I got to goal weight without any real exercise except regular walking and have maintained it for about nine months. However, I was--and continue to be--very disciplined when it comes to food. I still don't eat sugar or drink alcohol at all, and I keep carbs and fats to a minimum. I'm just not a gym person. We all have to find what works for us and our individual lifestyles. There is no one-size-fits-all long-term solution.

Hello, I'm just curious to know if anyone ever experienced that their stomach stretched. If so how far out are you and how much weight have you gained? Only asking because someone told me my surgery was a waste because with time you gain the weight back. I know of two people who had the sleeve done lost I've one hundred pounds and is now gaining weight, granted he's drinking alcohol and soda and eating the wrong things. Just curious.

Take a look at a 12 step recovery program. Replace the word " alcohol" with good. The 12 step program has worked for me with alcohol. I've heard of it working with other addictions (food, work, etc). I had surgery Dec 30th. Had to lose 30 lbs before. The first 10 lbs were the hardest. Once I lost 10 lbs, it motivates me to keep on track. I would eat healthy for 6 days and have one day I would eat what I wanted, but would keep away from the carbs. Good luck.

Yesterday was my 6th month anniversary of being banded (was banded November 30th). My starting weight was 257. My weight was 247 the day of surgery. I currently have 4.5 cc in a 14 cc band. My current weight is around 217! I AM 40 POUNDS THINNER THAN I WAS AROUND THANKSGIVING. In fact, I've lost about two turkeys myself or 8 pounds of sugar or however you wanna look at it. TO ME, THAT'S GREAT! Sure it's not the big numbers some people are pulling, but it's amazing for me. To show you how amazing I'm including an old journal entry.......... THE OLD ME TALKING: ".... During the weekend it was really difficult to count calories when it feels like every calorie is a big mistake. So the good thing was that I started counting again, the bad thing is that I ate over 2,500 calories today, and I know that's not conducisve to weight lost..... After my appointment I was sooooo drained, I didn't go to the gym. I just couldn't get in the right mindset. I have to be in the right mind set and do things in a certain way when it comes to working out. Then I felt bad because I shoulda, coulda, woulda went. This is the type of thing I was talkin about. I feel like if I was a better, different, person I would have pulled things together and went. "..... THE NEW ME TALKING: I used to be a size 22. NOW I AM A SIZE 16. I used to hate going to the gym. NOW (althought I dont love it, love it) I ENJOY THE GYM AND RARELY SKIP EXERCISING. I used to have trouble doing 15 mintues on the elliptical. NOW I CAN DO 60 MINUTES ON THE ELLIPTICAL, BUT WHAT I REALLY LOVE IS SPIN CLASSES!!! I used to be out of breath, and have back and knee pain from walking. NOW I CAN WALK FOR AN HOUR PLUS OUTSIDE! I used to be so fat that people thought i was pregnant. :ph34r: NOW PEOPLE TELL ME I LOOK NICE, CAUSE I DO! Although every day is not perfect with the band. Things are so much better than they were! I still struggle with my food addiction everyday. The band does not cure the addiction just like locking the liquor cabinet doesn't cure alcoholism. Food addiction is a real thing and mine isn't going anywhere. I still have to fight myself to make the right choices. AND I DO MAKE MISTAKES, OFTEN, TOO OFTEN. But I've learn to pick myself up and start again the next day! And I you can see I used to eat upwards of 3,000 calories a day. Now I eat about half that (it should be less) but i'm wortking on it! The band isn't for everyone, but it's working for me. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE OUT THERE! :wub:

sorry, I dont know what happend but I will continue with my comments to you. I have realized over the last 2 years that food will probably always be an issue for me just as a diabetic deals with constant issues regarding carbohydrates. I somehow hope that I can come to terms with my issue though realistically I believe that I will never be able to go back to pre-band days because I have an addiction to overeating - just like my husband will never be able to drink again because he is an alcoholic. So for me, and maybe for you as well, we somehow need to be able to come to terms with our food addiction and be ok with the fact that we had a problem and now we have a tool to help remind us ( afterall, if I overeat the consequence is throwing up and I don't like that). There are times when I push myself but those times are rare. It seems that you are moving in the right direction by searching within yourself and not living in denial about the food issues. Over time, maybe we can remove the "food" as you mentioned in your blog and perhaps we can be cured? until then, I try to take each day at a time along with reminding myself that this has been one of the toughest decisions I have made ( choosing to have the lap band) because it has taken away one of the most enjoyable aspects of my life ( eating whatever I wanted). I have grieved on many occasions for the life that use to be with food and this is hard for non-lap band people to understand. I wake up each morning with a smile on my face knowing that i can face the day with being depressed about being fat -wow, what a difference that has made in my life that I would never want to give up. Hope this helps, this is the first time I have shared my feelings with anyone because my husband is the only one that knows about my lap-band, I have always been too ashamed to share it with anyone else ( my issue). Take care, Noelani

Hi there, We all seem to have very different guidelines for what we should eat and when. My program says no coffee for 6 months and no alcohol for 1 year. I’m doing ok with no carbs and no drinking. I am really struggling with no coffee and I feel it is actually affecting my focus and productivity at work. What does your program say about coffee? Thanks! (Not in Seattle, but couldn’t resist the title!)

In the beginning of Aprill I stopped smoking but started chewing the nicotine gum.I did fantastic while on the gum with not smoking. But the gum gave me extremely severe gastritis.I started refluxing like crazy and had to stop using the gum.Now this is where my challenge started.One must never ever underestimate the power of an addiction.I have gained 6 pounds in the last month.Yes,boys and girls,all of the buffer weight I allow myself is gone,just like that. What is worse I am eating like I have never had the sleeve.Dont ask me how.I just can.I am never uncomfortable.Never feel like I over eat.I think I just pace myself very nicely and keep eating all day long. IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY TO FEEL THIS OUT OF CONTROL AGAIN. My very worried friend brought me the number of a therapist who works with eating disorders and I am going to go and see her.It feels like before the sleeve when I just couldnt stop.I even eat chocolate,which doesnt taste particularly nice to me.BUT I HAVENT HAD ANY NICOTINE (since stopping the gum) in 4 days now.I ama super b***h,have fired my lazy housekeeper,put my kid on a bus instead of a taxi (she refuses to keep a budget) and gave the little one a permanent tv ban during the week.Everyone hates me but feeling like a maniac at least makes me a little more assertive than usual. But this is sooooo hard.I have a huge oral fixation.My life feels empty and sad when Im not able to get a high from something I stuff into my mouth,all the time.Thank goodness I sorted the alcohol thing out with myself as this would have been the perfect crutch now if I didnt make the choice to never drink to much or too often. Anyhow,this is to warn people.Get into that healthy life style.Exercise.See the shrink,deal with your issues or they will deal with you,like mine are now. I am back on my chicken and am not gaining weight anymore.The evenings are just still a challenge as this is when I want to really smoke.I also need to turf this chocolate ganash that I have in the fridge and I will be ok. My aim is to lose this weight in 2 weeks but I will tell this blog when the 2 weeks starts.My imediate goal is to just get over the smoke thing and stay quit.Boy I sometimes just want to say whatever and have a smoke but I know is is just practicing saying no to myself.Something I am not very good at and the reason I got so fat in the first place. So,no!I will not gain more.No,I will not smoke again!No,I will not eat that chocolate (well,maybe a little...lol.)

Hello! I am in Gainesville, Fl. trying to having surgery at UF Health Shands Hospital. I had my consult with the surgeon(Dr. Mann) Feb, 1st and have completed everything on my check list for insurance approval except my psyche consult which I have an appointment March 29th. When I went to preop for my required EGD they drew my blood for all the required labs. I was not expecting to have those labs drawn that day. I am not a heavy drinker, but I do drink moderately every other week or so. I have stopped drinking and was planning on getting those labs drawn a little close to the end of my check list to give my body time to eliminate the alcohol. So, of course I tested positive for alcohol and now the surgery coordinator is saying the bariatric team is reviewing those results, but not giving me any further information. Does anyone have any experience with this? Could I be denied all together for having the surgery or will they delay submitting for insurance approval? I am anxious because they just handed me a booklet with a list and said go do everything on this list then call us when it is all done, but they never said stop drinking that day or gave me any real direction. I work for the State of Florida and have BCBS PPO insurance. Does anyone else have this same insurance and how long did it take to get approval after they submitted your file? Any and all help would be appreciated!

Boy do I totally get you , I am also in the marketing field and being social there is going out for drinks or having a bite to eat. Also when meeting with clients it is allot of lunch dates. Well I am here to tell you things changed but I really am doing the same thing I did before just in a lot smaller quantity It took a few months before I trusted my self to go out to have lunch/dinner with the gang from work but now its not an issue, usually someone will cut a 1/4 of thier burger for me or I order a cup of Soup or chili, most restaruants are so amazing when you ask for accommodations from them. Now as far as the drinking part most places don't serve any SF items other than soda, so I try to bring a Crystal lite pack for my Water , I carry them in my purse at all times I am 3.5 months out and at new years I had some orange juice and 1/2 shot of alcohol in it, other than that I haven't wanted to drink , which is kinda of strange but I think my attention has been on trying to not have sagging skin and working out to help that issue Also I cooked for Christmas for my family (20 people) I had one bite of all the things I like and didn't feel deprived in any way . You can still socialize and have fun , just think instead of eating you can actually have a conversation with someone.... ha ha ha You will do great !! actually this feels like how I always was , except no buffet lines. just remember that this is just a tool for us to help with our weight loss. When you start by asking questions you are already half way there.... stay positive and any questions ask someone we are all here to support each other and feeling scared is all part of the process !!! Good luck to you

Can someone bring you some protein based snacks that don't require refrigeration, I'm thinking like beef jerky, nuts, protein chips, protein bars or shakes and they can wipe the packaging down with alcohol to prevent contamination before it goes in your room and then you can keep them in your room? I've never seen a hospital that doesn't allow a person to bring in food or snacks that isn't on a special diet. You might have to get firm with them that you need the added protein

I think it's way too soon and I am not even sure if we are allowed to have alcohol since it can dehydrate you. Plus those drinks have way too many calories. Just think if a drink is worth after all you have done to get your surgery. At least in my own opinion, I wouldn't like to go back to an OR. I already let my doctor cut me once and I want it to work.

Working Out: I was encouraged to do up to 60 minutes a day of "brisk walking" immediately post-op and cleared to do more intense exercise at 2 months post-op. Water: Hydration is SUPER important post-op. You top priorities will be getting in your required Protein and Water every day. It is tough at first for some people to get all their water in, due to the swelling of the sleeve, but you will ultimately be able to drink water just like normal. You will only be taking small sips in the beginning, but likely will be able to take several large swallow at a time. The only catch is that you will not be able to drink before, during, or after eating. Every surgeon has different recommendations for this. Mine told me no drinking for 5 minutes before eating or until 20 minutes after eating. I find that I really am not comfortable drinking until about 40 minutes after eating a full meal. I can drink sooner after my Snacks. Alcohol: Yes. I have had alcohol several times post-op. It's not a great thing to do frequently, because there are a lot of calories in alcohol, but it is fine to do from time to time. I have found that post-op, I get "buzzed" or "drunk" from much less alcohol than I did before, so be cautious if you do decide to drink post-op. Make sure you do it in a safe environment and don't have to drive anywhere. Restricted Foods: I was eventually cleared to eat all foods, however, I have steered clear of rice, bread, Pasta, and starches for the most part. I am very strict about getting my "protein first", and have not had any room in my sleeve for anything other than primary protein sources. If I were to eat some of these other foods, it would be at the cost of not getting all my protein in and I don't feel they are worth it. Also, no carbonation, as you mentioned. Recovery: I live in the eastern United States and had my surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. My surgery was on a Monday and I returned home on that Friday. I could have returned home on Thursday, but I couldn't make the flight schedule work with the border crossing, so I had to stay an extra night in San Diego. The point is, you shouldn't have an issue flying home 4 days post-op, barring any complications of course. I can't answer that last question for you, but I will say for myself that I wish I'd had the surgery sooner. If you continue to put it off for the "right time", that time may never come.

I find sugar alcohols and other artificial sweeteners make me gassy and they also cause me to crave carbs so I don’t consume them anymore. Problem solved. YMMV I’ve heard of Devrom but have never tried it. I think folks in the DS Surgery Forum may have more experience with it so you might try posting your question over there. Good luck! P.S. Eating processed food /simple carbs (e.g. cereal) could also be contributing. I would minimize eating them as they may impair weight loss & maintenance, and could cause smelly gas. Do you have the issue if you just eat dense protein and vegetables and nothing else?