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I was cleared for alcohol at 3 months post-op. Some surgeons recommend never drinking alcohol again because of the risk of addiction transference. The rate of alcoholism among post-WLS patients is higher than the general population. One thing you should consider is that, while you physically CAN drink alcohol post-op, it will likely affect you differently than pre-op. For me, I get drunk VERY fast, on very little alcohol. And I also sober up extremely quickly. It's like the whole process is much quicker than it used to be. I have read some accounts from people who are post-op who can't get drunk at all. No matter how much they drink. That seems like something you should be very careful of! Alcohol has a lot of empty calories and if you feel you need to drink more to get a buzz, it may not be worth it.

I am 5 weeks out and have 3 to go before I am supposed to have carbs like chips or food that is not soft. I eat a few chips a day 4-5, because I like the crunch and salt. I eat a few cashews a day, not for the Protein but because they taste good. I also drink while eating and it really does limit what I can eat. The rule I want to break is having alcohol. I am not a big drinker and can go without any for months. The problem is I have a guys weekend coming up next week and for the last 10 years it has been drinking , cards, gambling, movies etc. I do all the cooking so my food will not be an issue but I do want to get a buzz on. I am 5 weeks out and Dr says no alcohol for 6 months. I think that is a weight loss thing not a recovery thing, but still I want to follow the rules.

I wouldn't call it a generalization. I belong to a support group where half have gained weight and they have all put alcohol back in their diet. Four of them have taken it back out and gotten back to the rules the doctor gave them and they are losing again. That seems more like a control group to me. There is a reason why doctors tell you to abstain from certain things. After WLS you do not metabolize food like you used to. Alcohol is empty calories. 1.5 ounces of hard liquor has about 100 calories, if you are only eating 1000-1200 calories a day that's a big percentage of your calories. Alcohol is basically a type of sugar and it slows down a patient’s weight loss and may cause dumping syndrome. It contains lots of calories and is no nutritional value. After surgery, alcohol enters the blood stream more quickly than before surgery. The intoxicating effects of alcohol occur sooner than before surgery and after smaller amounts are ingested. A patient who has had the sleeve or bypass surgery absorbs FOUR times as much alcohol from a given drink versus before surgery. And lastly it can be irritating to the stomach pouch and cause ulcers. Again, knowing what we know, for me, it's not worth the risk. Been through too much to get where I am.

Oh! We all are bloody-well boozin! (chorus from my favorite Victorian Drinking song.) One of my weird personal observations is that when I'm in a High I also want alcholic beverages. I mean, I almost crave them. I'm not now, nor have I ever been an alcholic, but I'm certianly predisposed to being one. My Greatgrandfather was, my grandfather, my dad and 3 out of my 4 sibs are alcholics. Because I've always know of my family history, and the possiblilty of being predisposed, I've always been very careful with my alcohol use. When I'm on a High, alcohol has little if any effect one me that I can feel. No Buzz for me, no tipsy feeling no nothing. As an experimnet I'm gonna see if I can find some of those personal use alcohol tester that I've been told they sell at convinence stores. When I'm in a Low, I don't have any desire to drink. I just thought this was very interesting. Drinking Alcohol May Correct Stress-Hormone Malfunction http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/36/12/20-a A new study has linked an abnormal response in stress hormones to alcoholism and proposes that for a person with alcoholism, drinking alcohol may actually "correct" the abnormality. The reward of a euphoric response to alcohol that most people experience is known to be related to the release of stress hormones. A new study suggests that people who are alcoholic may actually drink alcohol for its apparent ability to help correct a dysfunctional stress response. The study reported two significant findings: First, some patients recovering from alcoholism, even after prolonged abstinence from alcohol, continue to have a significantly suppressed stress-response system. Secondly, their systems appear to be hypersensitive to serotonin. The study is described in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. According to the authors, some patients who are alcoholic respond differently from nonalcoholic patients to stressful situations that involve the brain’s serotonin system and may drink alcohol under stressful conditions in order to "correct" their brain’s response to the stress. Subjects recovering from alcoholism were given fenfluramine to cause an acute increase in serotonin activity. This was then suspected of causing increased activity in the subjects’ limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis—the system of interconnected brain structures that becomes especially active in response to stress—leading to secretion of the stress hormone cortisol by the adrenal glands. "Our major finding," said researcher Robert M. Anthenelli, M.D., "was that alcoholics who had been abstinent for an average of more than four months had a twofold greater cortisol response compared with nonalcoholics following administration of fenfluramine." Anthenelli, the study’s lead author, is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and director of substance dependence programs at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He said the finding is surprising in that it contrasts with most other published reports indicating a blunted or unchanged stress response in patients who are alcoholic, with shorter periods of abstinence. "We also found that the stress-hormone response in recovering alcoholics did not return to baseline levels as quickly as it did in age- and race-matched nonalcoholic control subjects. In other words, it appears that some of our recovering alcoholics had difficulty turning off the fenfluramine-induced stress response." While the authors did not directly speculate on the implications of the findings, other researchers have. "It is reasonable to speculate," said Stephen Woods, M.D., professor of psychiatry and of neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati, "that there are physical consequences of this." Whether the change in the LHPA axis is the result of prior brain differences or is a consequence of former consumption of large amounts of alcohol isn’t yet known, Woods said in a press release issued by the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. "An interesting clue, however," Woods suggested, "is that the elevated cortisol response is reminiscent of what has been observed in individuals who have never before experienced alcohol, but who are considered at high risk for developing alcoholism. One possibility, therefore, is that the prolonged elevation of cortisol following fenfluramine is characteristic of certain alcoholism-prone individuals and can be observed either before they ever drink or after a prolonged period of abstinence." "We propose," said Anthenelli, "that this may represent a trait marker of alcoholism . . .that could distinguish subgroups of alcohol-dependent people or those who have a predisposition for alcoholism from people who do not." Woods thinks that the findings may suggest that the reason some people drink more alcohol and eventually become alcoholic "is that a ‘defect’ in their LHPA response to serotonin is ‘corrected’ by alcohol. If this were the case, then alcohol would have a greater degree of reward value for those individuals than for people who do not have the same ‘defect.’ " "Stress Hormone Dysregulation at Rest and After Serotonergic Stimulation Among Alcohol-Dependent Men With Extended Abstinence and Controls" can be accessed on the Web at www.alcoholism-cer.com by entering "Anthenelli" under "Author." {blacksquare} -------------------- Oregon 5-day work up 4/24 UFC 214 on 6/21 UFC 299 on 7/21 UFC 292 on 7/22 Cyclical Cushing's If it walks like a platypus, talks like a platypus, looks like a platypus, it must duck because it has a duck bill and besides, platypus are too rare around these parts.... UFCs crucial For Tyranny of the Jug Pee into the hat

This quesiton is for everyone. I wish I could start a poll regarding this quesiton but I don't know how? Anyway, my biggest fear about getting banded is the following: This question is for those of you who are like me and are obese because you use food to calm, comfort, stimulate, congratulation, entertain, and all done out of a lifetime habit. I am not a sit down and eat a big meal kind of person. More a grazing snacking recreactional eater who's mostly always hungry. Yes I may use food like someone who uses alcohol or drugs. I was wondering if the band is even for me if this is how I am. Of course portions are a problem and I rarely get a "full" signal until I'm almost feeling ill. On a scale of 1 - 10 how hard was it to break your food addiction?

Just wanting to share my story and current status at 1 year in. I started the journey in June of 2020 after considering it for years. Having surgery was something that was in the back of my mind for years. I have a co-worker/friend who had gastric bypass about 3 years before me and quite honestly, she is the reason I ended up taking the plunge - Gastric Sleeve was the best choice for ME. Watching her journey and seeing her success motivated me. I appreciated the fact that she was willing to share her experiences both positive and negative. Prior to my meeting with the surgeon, she gave me a ton of insight on what to expect with both positives and negatives. Physically, I knew I was ready for a change. I needed to make sure I was also mentally ready for the change. I WAS! I started with a BMI > 40. I'm currently 80% complete towards my goal. I hoped that I would be at goal by now, but I'm ok that I'm not. Much of that is based on decisions that I've made with regards to how/what I eat and drink. I WILL get these last 20 off and hopefully another 10. I don't know how long it will take, and at this point, I'm not overly concerned if it takes another year. What's my life like now? I can move better,I can buy clothes anywhere, I'm confortable in my own skin (loose that it is!), and I have a newfound confidence in most everything that I do. I eat pretty much anything I want - Just in much smaller quantities. I've been lucky - So far, there's nothing that really upsets my stomach or makes me sick unless I eat too much (has only happened a couple of times). I drink alcohol when I want it - Some weeks I may have a drink or two a day, and then other times, I'll go weeks without a drink. Again, I'm ok with that - it works for me. Some weeks I gain, some weeks I lose. I've been horrible about tracking - However, if I see a gain, I start back just so that I become aware of exactly what is causing it. Again, OK with that. I DO get on the scale often. It works for me. Keeps me accountable. Every once in awhile I get frustrated with the restrictions (OMG, I ordered veal piccata the other day and it was AMAZING - I wished I could eat the whole darned thing at one sitting!!) - However, I choose to look at the upside now on this one - I ate it for 3 days!. Good food choice: NOPE - Worth it: YEP! For those just starting the journey, it isn't always easy - it isn't always fun. For ME, it's the best decision I've ever made for myself. It's definitely not a quick fix and I would encourage anyone who is using food as a coping mechanism to really look deep before you take the plunge. This surgery certainly doesn't "fix" anything like that. it's a tool (and a great one, but remember, the change is only to your stomach, not your brain) - I happen to be one of those people who just loves food, cooking, and the social aspect of it. Having the surgery has allowed me to continue that and still keep me in check with smaller portions. Hope this gives folks some insight into what CAN happen. We're all different and will have different experiences.

We just had a health screening at my job and I just got told that my LDL cholesterol count is extremely low. Has anyone else seen this post-op? I guess it's not exactly dangerous for it to be this low, although it does bolster my risk for depression and anxiety. I was told that I need to exercise more and drink more alcohol, two things that I currently feel I'm doing a lot of! LOL

It is not about age but about BMI and the failed attempts to loose and keep it off. 40 is a high BMI and it for sure is impacting on your ability to enjoy a lot of things in your life. You will be able to get into sports and enjoy a lot of social activities that do not have to be directly related to eating a lot or drinking a lot. My thin friends from my youth would eat less than what a sleeved person eats. You just need to talk to yourself and really ake sure you are prepared for the limitations in the amount of food and drinking (including alcohol). I am sure you will be so happy with your new healthy body that you will find a lot of other social activities that do not impact on your sleeve. Good luck. Dont waste the best years of your life batling obesity.

How could food be stuck between the band and the stomach? I am confused! (not suprising though!) Anyway - re. alcohol - I have had flat beer. Not great but I'm not gonna lie about it. I went to Bunco and it's just sort of a habit I guess. I just opened a beer and poured it over ice and let it sit out about 10 minutes and I was fine. I know its not great for the calorie count but its my one night a month to be wild and since all the other girls were EATING taco salad, I had my little indulgence. I don't think wine would be bad. Or some something smooth with juice or water. Have fun and relax!

I also have IBS and can't do the sugar alcohols. Orgain is a brand that isn't whey-based and I think it uses Splenda for the sweetener. They have lots of different flavors too. I got mine on Amazon.

I would think it might be a dehydration issue. Alcohol seriously dehydrates you and probably since you haven't had a drink in a while, you notice the effects more. Drink lots of water! I have heard that pedialyte is good for re hydrating after drinking too much, but Im not sure about the sugar content in it.......

I smoke a couple of times a month when I go out and drink. (I used to be a smoker for 19 years. Quit 5 years ago) Both are habits strongly discouraged by most surgeons. I haven't had any problems but alcohol is extra calories and well, cigarettes are just nasty. But... sometimes this girl's gotta have some fun. You might get a lot of negative feedback on here. Letting nonsmokers weigh in is like expecting someone who's always been skinny to understand what it's like to be fat. In the interest of full disclosure, I'd tell the surgeon. Still, I do encourage you to give it up, as it makes exercise so much easier. Best wishes!

Current Weight-Specific Legislation No federal laws exist to prohibit discrimination against obese individuals, and only Michigan’s civil rights legislation prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of weight at the state level (34) . The District of Columbia forbids discrimination on the basis of appearance including weight, and Santa Cruz, California includes weight in its definition of unlawful discrimination (129) . In the spring of 2000, San Francisco passed legislation to ban weight discrimination, adding weight and height to existing characteristics (such as gender, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation) that are protected (130) . Advocates in San Francisco gained support for this legislation when a health club created a billboard with a space alien saying, "When they come, they’ll eat the fat ones first." Overall, few locations have weight-specific legislation, so most obese persons are forced to use existing human rights statutes for legal protection. In particular, overweight individuals have depended on the Rehabilitation Act (RA) of 1973 and the American Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (131) . Employment discrimination cases encompass the vast majority of such actions. The RA was the first effort to prohibit federal employee discrimination against individuals with disabilities (32) . A person with a disability is one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity (activities such as walking, breathing, self-care, and working), has a record of such an impairment, or is perceived as having an impairment (34) (129) . The RA does not actually include obesity as a specific protected impairment (32) . The ADA expanded federal disability discrimination legislation by extending mandates to private employers, state and local employment agencies, and labor unions (23) (131) . Like the RA, the ADA protects disabled but qualified employees who can perform essential aspects of employment (131) . The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) implemented regulations for more flexible interpretation of ADA impairments, allowing obesity to be included in its broader definitions (129) (132) . The guidelines of the EEOC do not consider obesity alone to be an impairment. However, obesity can meet impairment definitions if one’s weight can be attributed to or results in a physiological disorder, or if a person’s weight is severe as in cases of morbid obesity (132) . Under the ADA two kinds of cases can be pursued: those involving actual disabilities, and those of perceived disabilities. An actual disability claim requires that an individual’s obesity be substantially limiting in at least one major life activity. A perceived disability occurs when one is regarded by others as having an impairment (131) . Here, the obese individual must demonstrate either an actual impairment that does not limit life activities but is perceived to be limiting by others or that there is no impairment at all but that the individual is perceived as having one. As many courts do not recognize obesity as an actual impairment, obese individuals must often use perceived impairment claims (131) . Inconsistent Rulings Although alleged discrimination is being met with lawsuits, the overall picture of cases pursued under these statutes is one of mixed results. The majority of courts have ruled that obesity, per se, is not a disability (32) . In Krein v. Marian Manor Nursing Home, for instance, an obese nurse’s aid was discharged because of her weight. The court held that her obesity was not a disability and, thus, was inadequate to qualify the plaintiff for discrimination protection (131) (133) . Similar court rulings were held for a flight attendant in Tudyman v. Southwest Airlines and for a labor worker in Civil Service Commission v. Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, where both plaintiffs failed to show that their obesity caused, or was caused by, a condition that would qualify them for state protection (31) (37) . Later cases continue to follow this trend. In Cassista v. Community Foods Inc., an obese woman was denied a cashier/stocking position because of her weight (131) (134) . In the case of Philadelphia Electric Co. v. Pennsylvania Human Relations Commissions, an obese woman was refused employment in a customer service position due to her obesity, despite having passed pre-employment evaluation. The court ruled that her obesity did not impair her job performance and, thus, could not constitute a disability and receive protection (37) (135) . Although few cases have held that obesity on its own constitutes a disability, several court rulings have demonstrated circumstances in which obese plaintiffs have been successful. In the case of New York Division of Human Rights v. Xerox Corporation, an obese plaintiff was denied a computer programming position because her obesity made her medically unsuitable for the job, according to the company’s physician (32) (136) . The state court recognized broader definitions of disability under New York law and ruled that her obesity was an impairment as defined by Xerox’s medical staff, although she had no other medical conditions and could perform the duties of the position (32) (37) . In the case of King v. Frank, a postal worker alleged that he was fired because his supervisor perceived his obesity to be an impairment (137) . The commission ruled that because the employer perceived the worker to be substantially limited in work (one of the major life activities of the RA), he was granted protection under the RA (32) . Finally, the case of Gimello v. Agency Rent-a-Car Systems also accepted a disability claim in which the court concluded that the plaintiff’s obesity was a physical disability because he had sought medical treatment for his condition (36) . Unresolved Issues: Blame and Disability The legal issue of whether obesity is a disability has not been decided. Very obese persons or individuals whose obesity is attributed to an underlying medical condition may have the most success under the ADA (131) , but it is difficult to predict which cases will be successful. Court decisions of whether obesity is an impairment may be the result of many factors besides ADA guidelines, such as court beliefs, cultural perceptions, academic views, previous case rulings, and weight bias in judges. Inconsistent court decisions will likely continue until ambiguities in existing legislation are resolved. Under the ADA there is no standard for determining how obese a person must be for weight to be considered a disability (37) (132) . Being moderately fat will only be considered a disability if accompanied by an additional impairment, whereas obesity on its own does not meet ADA impairment definitions. Morbid obesity can meet disability requirements. Korn (138) notes that limiting the protection of the ADA to morbid obesity ignores the majority of the obese population and reinforces misperceptions that anything less than morbid obesity can be personally controlled. Courts have generally viewed overweight as voluntary and mutable and, therefore, have disqualified it as a disability (131) (138) . The ADA does not actually require a condition to be immutable or involuntary to be considered a disability (32) . The RA and ADA protect other mutable conditions like alcoholism, drug addiction, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, all of which involve voluntary behavior (32) . Although the EEOC states that being voluntary is irrelevant in the definition of impairment, the fact that obesity is rarely considered an impairment without an underlying medical condition suggests that the EEOC sees obesity as controllable (138) . Another unsettled issue is the applicability of the perceived disability theory. Because courts are unlikely to accept obesity as an impairment, overweight persons can stand on this section of the law. Yet successfully applying this theory to obese individuals may be unlikely, because the plaintiff must prove that the employer perceived weight to be an impairment, not just that the employee was perceived to be overweight (131) . Legal pursuits are not necessarily easier for obese individuals proceeding under actual disability claims. Successfully proving that one’s condition substantially limits a major life activity does not necessarily satisfy legal requirements. Both the ADA and RA can deny protection even if one’s obesity does impair life activities (34) . The obese plaintiff must also prove that he or she can satisfy the essential functions of the position, and those who cannot perform job duties with or without reasonable accommodation will not be protected (34) . Whether it is advantageous for obesity to be considered a disability is a matter of debate. Despite the legal advantages of the disability label, considering obese persons disabled may have unwanted ramifications. For example, it may be undesirable for overweight children to consider themselves "disabled." Because weight is a disabling condition in only a minority of cases, it may be harmful to attach a disability label to a condition already severely stigmatized. A key problem is that existing statutes were not intended to protect against weight discrimination (129) . Categorizing discrimination claims under current disability definitions makes less sense than finding other strategies to fight weight discrimination. Several suggestions have proposed revising the ADA. One option may be to change definitions of disability in the ADA to explicitly include obesity (37) (138) . Doing this would allow individuals uniform protection for having limiting conditions due to obesity, although this option would also mean attaching a disability label (37) . Others have concluded that the EEOC should declare issues of voluntariness and mutability as irrelevant to decisions determining impairment and enforce that they be excluded (131) . An alternative is to create new legal options for obese employees other than the RA and ADA. Adamitis (129) suggests that the most appropriate alternatives are state and local laws for protection from weight discrimination. It may be more realistic to consider state statutes, which often provide broader coverage, than to focus on federal laws (129) . As mentioned earlier, legal cases prove only that discrimination based on weight is perceived and that legal justification for seeking relief is growing. One cannot infer that discrimination is widespread from such cases. Prevalence studies are necessary.

So, super long story short...I had arthroscopic knee surgery 2 weeks ago for a torn meniscus that I've had for years, and finally fixed because I couldn't handle having my knee lock up on me all the time. Surgery and recovery went remarkably well, then suddenly I noticed a large lump in my calf. I showed it to my dr during physical therapy, and she told me to go to the ER right away. I got an ultrasound which showed I had deep vein thrombosis reaching all the way to my hip! They admitted me to the hospital, I had to stay there for 4 days until my blood was thin enough for me to be safe enough to go home. Now I have to take cumadin for the next 3 months! This drug is very complicated, and I've never taken it before, but basically I can no longer eat most green veggies, which is a majority of my diet, and everyone is telling me I need to take a break from losing weight, and focus on managing the cumadin. Of course I intend to do so, but I'm so overwhelmed because my weight loss has been so successful, I've lost 90 pounds in 6 months, but I still have a long way to go, and apparently I gained 3 pounds in the hospital, which blows my mind!? I cannot mentally handle gaining weight, but this cumadin is so damn sensitive, that it says any changes in weight could throw the drug off and put me in the danger zone again. I just can't handle this, I absolutely can't smoke or drink alcohol anymore now, and I find my thoughts, and actions drifting towards unhealthy food choices...this is a mess.....is anyone else on cumadin? I'm so sad and just had to vent. Thanks

Reclaiming Your Power Over food = Reclaiming Your Authentic Power By Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Isn’t it amazing how a chocolate chip cookie can control our lives? I am not a weight loss surgery patient, but have certainly had my share of struggles with food and other maladaptive coping behaviors. Despite years of schooling in psychology and social work, I continue to astound myself at how many times I choose to act in ways that do not support my highest good. In the last article I wrote: “Food and Feelings: Making the Connection,” many contacted me after having read the article and wanted to know if I was a WLS patient. While I am not, I have come to learn through years of working on myself emotionally, physically, and spiritually, as well as working with my clients, that there is a common thread among all of us who have ever struggled to truly love ourselves. It is that we lose our authentic power when we give something outside of us the power to control how we feel. Authentic power as defined by Gary Zukav, (author of “The Seat of the Soul”) is when the personality is aligned with the soul. When one is living in line with his/her authentic power, they act in ways that support their highest good. They are respectful and loving to themselves as well as to others. They are aware that the only thing that they can control in this life is their actions and are able to consciously choose to live and behave in a way that truly honors who they are. They hear and act on their inner wisdom, their intuition, their higher power, in essence their truth, their soul. Time and again, I work with WLS patients who are 2-3 years post-op and still struggling with their obsessions with food. It is not that they do not know how or what to eat. It is that they feel powerless over the control it still has in their lives. Hours each day are spent agonizing over what they should/should not eat, being angry about what they did eat, being angry about what they want to eat but cannot eat, feeling guilty about the fact that they ate at all, and ultimately feeling like a failure because they are still having to deal with this issue. They are allowing the thought of food to stop them from being present in their lives and it continues to define how they feel about themselves. This is where authentic power is lost. The way to reclaim your power is to be willing to sit with the uncomfortable feelings of not giving in to the urge to eat when you are not physically hungry, or when you are wanting to eat in a way that is not in line with your meal plan. It is as simple as that, and it is as difficult as that. We begin to discover in a deeper way why these compulsive behaviors exist in the first place. It has often been said that we are always operating from a position of fear or love. When we are operating from a position of love, we are connected with our authentic power. We come from a place deep inside that is rooted in knowing that we are perfect in this moment, that it is safe to act in a manner that supports our highest good and that we know how to truly self nurture. When we are acting from a place of fear, we will look to things outside of us to stop whatever emotion we are experiencing. So I guess all this new age mumbo-jumbo sounds good in theory, but how do you put that into practice? The only way I have discovered to do this, is to take a risk, and keep my word to myself. To make a commitment to myself, as I would to someone I loved dearly, to be conscious of my thoughts and actions, and begin to choose to act in ways that support what I say, are my intentions for my life. While morbidly obese persons are often the victims of prejudice and have to deal with things that average weight persons do not, on some level we are all the same. I have never met anyone who does not have some sort of addiction to some degree. It may be an addiction to alcohol, drugs, work, exercise, obsessive thinking, worrying, relationships, shoes, sports, nail biting, cleaning, chaos, gossip, the internet or sex, but we have all created intricately deceiving ways to help us avoid our feelings. We have all kinds of reasons to defend our behaviors, and it all sounds good, but the truth is, the only person we are really deceiving is ourselves. I encourage you to take the risk to experience the feelings of not giving in to the compulsion to eat when you are not physically hungry. You can always go back to the old way of living, just experience it and see what it feels like. You might just like it, then again it might be scary, just notice. When I have a client sitting in front of me struggling to reclaim their lives from compulsive eating, I often get an image of them holding onto a ledge of a mountain, high up in the air. They are “white knuckling it” to hang on, then they take the risk and “let go”. I then have the vision of them falling through darkness, and I actually experience this in my body. I get a nervous sensation and a feeling like my stomach is dropping, and for a moment, I lose my breath. Then all of a sudden I experience a calm, the tension in my body leaves, I am able to breathe, there is light, and I experience a glimpse of what I believe paradise to be, something that is difficult to describe in words. To know this sensation of paradise, I now understand that it comes from the willingness to go through the darkness in order to experience the light. We are faced with decisions every moment of every day. We are always faced with the decisions of what to think, how to feel about what we think and what to do about that feeling. Because of the work that I do and because of my desire to grow emotionally and spiritually, I am very conscious of my thoughts and actions. As I stated earlier, I sometimes astound myself at how many times I do not choose to think or act in a way that supports my highest good. However, I have also noticed that by putting my attention to wanting to live in a way that is loving and respectful to myself and others, I make many more choices that are self-loving than I have in the past. I trust that the number of self-nurturing choices that I make for myself will continue to increase because I have come to realize that keeping my word to myself feels better than eating a cookie or engaging in negative thinking. Knowing all of this and believing it does not mean that it is always easy to “take the high road.” It takes a great deal of constant, conscious effort. However, the more times you are able to not give in to your strongest urges to overeat, the better the chances are that the next time you are faced with a similar choice you will choose the behavior that supports good health. Most importantly, be kind to yourself as you travel down the path of recovery from morbid obesity. Give yourself credit for having had the courage to have weight loss surgery in the first place. Next, although it is not easy, allow yourself to take a hard look at emotional issues that may have contributed to your obesity. It takes time, patience and self-compassion. Every time you are faced with the decision of what and when to eat and consciously make a choice, you are taking responsibility for creating your life experience. Each time you are faced with that choice and choose health, you are reclaiming your authentic power. If you have any questions or comments about this article I would love to hear from you. You can respond below, visit my website at www.louisalatela.com, email me at louisa@louisalatela.com or call me at 856.429.9799 Copyright 2005 DDB Media LLC www.wlslifestyles.com All rights reserved. Used with permission.

I'm in the process of hoop jumping for my insurance. As long as I perform all of my tricks successfully, I should be approved for surgery by the end of the year. My question is this. If I have surgery in December/January, what will my life be like in March. My fiancé and I are planning on getting married in March in Vegas. I understand that I won't be able to drink alcohol and food things will be different, such as smaller meals and avoiding high fat/sugar stuff, but what will it be more like post-op three months? Thanks in advance, Chante'

my last fill was late in November, I'm to tight n haven't had time or money to get unfilled. I can't keep anything down food, liquids, sliders.. however if I drink alcohol I'm able to eat a little. . I know it's not healthy n I'm not loosin being this tight. but what affect does the alcohol have on the band?

Alcohol will relax your band, that is why you are able to eat/drink after drinking alcohol. I agree with Missy, please find a way to get an unfill asap. You are playing with fire using alcohol in this manor and your health is at risk. Please take care of yourself.

Here is the info from Allergan's site. Contraindications The LAP-BAND® System is not right for you if: You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohns disease. You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery. You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery. You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (a dilated vein). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel). You have portal hypertension. Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance, you might have a narrowed opening. You have/experienced an intra-operative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement. You have cirrhosis. You have chronic pancreatitis. You are pregnant. (If you become pregnant after the LAP-BAND® System has been placed, the band may need to be deflated. The same is true if you need more nutrition for any other reason, such as becoming seriously ill. In rare cases, removal may be needed.) You are addicted to alcohol or drugs. You are under 18 years of age. You have an infection anywhere in your body or one that could contaminate the surgical area. You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure. You might be allergic to materials in the device. You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device. You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases.

I think it's especially important for us to pay attention to these things too. Not only because it takes so much less to knock us on our butts. I think the risk of a "crossover addiction" is very easy! I come from a background of family members with addiction issues (drugs alcohol) I have NEVER had a problem with drugs or alcohol (just food) . I was very prepared for many things after surgery but the one thing I didn't think about was the temptation to find comfort in things that never comforted me before.. The weeks after my surgery I became increasingly aware of my "need" for my pain meds (refilled twice) it got to a point I looked forward to my nightly dose. I wasn't taking it during the day just at night for my relaxing down time (the time I used to over eat also). I knew it was becoming an issue so I fessed up to my husband who then helped me hold myself accountable after. To this day I have to be really honest with myself as to why I want to take a medication.. Even allergy meds that make me sleepy. Eyes wide open.

I'm two weeks away from surgery, but I wanted to offer some advice regarding alcohol post-surgery. I know this is the type of thing you've probably heard about before, but wanted to share an experience. My ex-wife had bariatric surgery in 2004. At that point, we had been married for 14 years. She was never a drinker before that. I can remember a whole year going by without her even drinking a glass of wine. For the first couple of years after surgery, everything was fine. She lost nearly all of her excess weight. Then, she got a job at a restaurant where the staff would drink a glass of wine together at the end of the night. Within a year, she was an alcoholic. It became apparent to me that she had replaced the feeling of comfort that food gave her with alcohol. By early 2010, our marriage came to an end because of it. 20 years of marriage with 2 kids. We tried to help and and get her into treatment but nothing worked. Today, she is a shell of her old self. She has liver disease and I doubt she will be here a year from now. If you are addicted to food, I would suggest that you stay away from alcohol as long as you can after surgery and try to find something non-destructive to comfort you. I love drinking and collecting red wines. I take regular trips to Napa Valley. But I've had to make a commitment that I won't drink wine again until I'm comfortable that I've resolved any addictive behavior in myself. Thanks for reading

Hey...I had an ultrasound of my abdomen yesterday that showed a fatty liver. Now they want to do some sort of test to check my gallbladder.---------I haven't had RNY, but I did have the band since 07.------------I did what most people do in the "off" hours, check medical sites. Nothing is conclusive until I see my Dr and she tells me, whatever... But I must say I'm scared. I do not drink a drop and rarely ever did, but you can still get Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, especially if you weigh what I do. I've heard that surgeon's won't or can't do bariatric surgery if you have fatty liver. Then I read that the experts suggest 'slow" weight loss to recover. And then I saw an article Alex posted that in Germany, they find that fatty liver is dealt well with with WLS. What's the TRUTH? My WLS Clinic appointment is not until November, I'll go crazy before then! -------------has anyone on here had a fatty liver? Oh, and they say change in diet helps but does not cure. I don't know what to think. And as far as the Gallbladder, I have no inkling as to what THAT is all about. I'm having bloodwork asap (don't know if it's a fasting one yet) , maybe tomorrow or Saturday. Any input???

Why would you have a beer? From what my doctor told me, alcohol is abrasive on the staples, and the little bits of flesh that were stapled can erode and you can get a leak in your stomach that can be life threatening. I cannot imagine why on earth you would risk it.

I was at 3-4 drinks a day, salad, mild protien. No added carbs, very little fat and no trans fat,refined sugar. That is about all I can recall. Alcohol and soda was a no-no, with the exception of 2-3 oz of wine a day, and coffee until 3 days before. Oh, and Water, water, water!

I'm glad I don't drink alcohol