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I used it for 3 weeks after surgery. I also used it for 7 months twice a day during pregnancy. Some tips that I learned the hard way.....wait until the alcohol is completely dry.....insert needle quickly (less pain)......push plunger in very very very very slowly (decreases bruising), and do not rub the site at all. It was really no big deal for me, but if takes a little bit to get used to injecting yourself. Good luck!

I smoked for over 25 years, with a ~2 year quit in there but went right back to smoking during a stressful time period... that being said, I quit completely a bit over 2 months before my surgery. I haven't gone back either, and I miss smoking and still think about it almost daily even tho I'm more than 110 days clean. And I can't promise that I'm forever quit since I do miss it so much. But here's the thing: I know that I'm an addict. I don't really miss it; that's the addiction talking. It's just like being an alcoholic. I can't have just one smoke or do it for a little while and quit again. I will always struggle with staying off cigarettes and I recognize that, and will do my very best to make sure I don't pick it back up again because it will hurt my health and likely kill me if I do. So yeah, totally conflicted but hanging on as hard as I can to my quit because I deserve to be healthy - despite that stupid addiction. There are no benefits from smoking - zero, zilch, nada. I had weight loss surgery because I also had issues with food and eating and I want to be healthy and live an active and enjoyable life with my husband. Being morbidly obese wasn't conducive to that idea, and neither is smoking. There is no good reason to smoke, and I've witnessed two family members die a slow, agonizing smoking related death... I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. And yet I still have that insane little voice inside that just wants a damned cigarette. Irrational and stupid, but that's what an addiction is. You can't get any more blatant than that. So that is just one more reason to not smoke - because I am not going to be thought of (in my own mind anyway) as a stupid person. And using an e-cig is just as bad if not worse. All you're doing is changing the method of delivery and still putting poison into your body while fooling yourself into believing that it is healthy. They're still in the early days of studying the health effects and the news coming out now is NOT good. Saying they're safer than cigarettes (even using the no nicotine cartridges) is like saying that playing with one poisonous snake is safer than playing with 10 of them... they are still dangerous. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/California-Declares-E-Cigs-Are-Health-Threats-290104881.html https://www.sciencenews.org/article/health-risks-e-cigarettes-emerge I quit using the Allen Carr method (the vids are available up on youtube) and a phone app (Butt Out only available on iphones unfortunately, but there are plenty of quit apps) and told myself that the quit was temporary until I got healed from surgery. But I'm sticking with it as long as I can, because I know I feel better now than when I was smoking, and frankly it's nice to not be coughing and wheezing, have warm fingers and toes, and not smell nasty (and yes, you do smell nasty ALL OF THE TIME to non-smokers - that sh!t is in your hair, your clothes, embedded in your skin... I can smell smokers a mile away now, and had friends tell me the same thing). Look, I'm not telling anyone to quit smoking. You have to be an adult to smoke anyway, so I'm assuming that you know enough to know that it's got no benefits, is harmful to your health and you're wasting money and throwing away years of your life to do something that is in essence a nasty habit that will cripple and then kill you in the end. Only you can decide if you're worth quitting for - no one can do it for you. But if you just went through something as extreme as weight loss surgery, you have to care a little about getting your health and well-being back on track!

I dont have to lose but losing is a plus my only requirements for the 6 month diet is to not go below 1200 calories and not go above 1600, no soda/caffiene no carbination period, no alcohol lots of protein and EXERCISE

So I haven't posted in a couple of days. Here is the summary of my wacky adventures this weekend: Thursday- went out with a couple of coworkers to steak night. I managed to get by without completely blowing the diet. Friday- came down with a sinus/ear infection and went to the clinic in Walgreens to get some antibiotics. Had to get that cleared up before surgery which at that time was 10 days out (feeling much better now). Also I was exhausted from the aforementioned steak night and also having to make a middle of the night run to the ship yard for work. So I was in bed relatively early. Small victory- I did manage to find these protein shakes that taste yummy called Pure Protein at the Vitamin Shoppe. I had wanted to try the other flavors before making a financial investment by ordering a case of them. By the way, the banana and vanilla rocks!! Oh and stay away from the cookies and cream, it should be called yuck in a can. Saturday- AKA Day 1 of Hell- Up until this point I had managed to stick to my diet and was holding steady at 10 lbs lost. The day started out crappy with a wake up call from my boss at 730 a.m. to which resulted in having to call several members of my crew, waking them up and finally another trip to the fleet and then the ship yard. Luckily I was home by 930 and back in bed for a nap. My day gets worse. I saunter across the street to see how all the out of town family guests are doing and what they are doing. Of course, being the good time having people they are, they were all drinking and eating really yummy things!! I was able to stave off temptation for a while. But eventually gave in and tried a cracker with jalapeno jelly on it which led to a couple of chips with salsa. At this point, I decided that I was going to go outside and swim 50 laps in the pool so at least if I was going to have a few things I would at least have worked out. I swam the 50 laps and also treaded water for 5 minutes straight. This afforded me (in my mind) a spoonful of Spanish rice with dinner. I stayed away from the alcohol though, the whole not shrinking my liver enough for surgery thing really worries me. If I make it all the way to the operating table and the surgeon opens me up but doesn't do surgery, I will be intolerable. Saturday night was our fantasy football draft and I have to say probably the most annoying thing ever. Everyone was drunk, except of course me and very obnoxious. I guess when you are on the outside looking in, it is not as fun. On the upside, my new found hobby of not drinking has revealed another talent, designated driver! Sunday (today) AKA Day 2 of Hell- I woke up and weighed, and thanks to some miracle I was still at the -10 lbs I had been at all weekend. Part of me was really excited that I hadn't gained any weight but I was also really sad that the scale hadn't moved down either. I decided that the little cheats I had given into the day before were really stupid and that I needed to pull it together, turn the cheek to temptation and be motivated to see the numbers on the scale drop. We all went to Galveston to enjoy the "beach." I can say that I stuck to my diet very strictly. No cheats. I had my shakes and even on the way back from the beach, stopped to pick up my 2nd shake at a gas station, I had to settle for Muscle Milk, which I am not normally a fan of, but it did the trick of tiding me over. I also swam some in the pool and treaded more water. At one point I did have a melt down and attacked Nick over sampling some of the cucumber I was very deliciously enjoying while reading a book (book = distraction from copious amounts of drinking). It just sent me over the edge, that I had my small bowl of cucumber and that he, who could eat anything he wanted was "stealing," my allotment of cucumber. In my head it was no different than me walking up to his plate and stealing his potatoes. It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. I had been surrounded by temptation all weekend and was doing my best to ignore my growling stomach, the fun being had by all, and all of the bad food items around. It was like an alcoholic working in a bar or a crack head living at a crack house. I snapped and went off on Nick, telling him to pretty much F-off and go eat his own much more tasty food and to leave the starving girl's cucumbers alone. This resulted in me having to go home, have a melt down and refocus. I eventually rejoined the party, apologized to Nick and stuck it out on the diet. Tomorrow will put me exactly 7 days out from surgery. I am really really excited but nervous, the light is getting brighter at the end of the tunnel. I feel like I am carrying around a very fragile expensive vase that I am trying to transport across country ensuring that it arrives in 1 piece. I don't want anything crazy to happen before the surgery to make it not happen, I just want to make it across that finish line. I am resigned to sticking to the diet, working out more this week, being very strict with my portion sizes and hopefully watching the scale move downwards. My goals is to be a total of 17 lbs down by surgery. So we shall see if I end up at my goal. My advice to any of you going through a similar situation, when surrounded by temptation, no matter how bad you want to give in and have something bad just remember, you are doing this for a reason and that reason and it's direct result is greater than a momentary lapse in judgement. Also the guilt the next morning is not worth it. Keep your eye on the prize. Until tomorrow, Amanda

I had family visiting and i thought it would be ok to have a drink(rum punch). And the day before i ate some mac& cheese.....both of those turn out to be BAD idea's. I have been in the bathroom since 5am. My tummy is sore not to mention my bottom this the worst. I never want to feel this way again. For best results follow directions! No alcohol or food i shouldn't eat .

you can drink alcohol with the band once you are healed... all Drs have a different rule of thumb as to when but usually its not before 3-6 months. I have been known to have an adult beverage during my losing stage but not without tracking it and counting the calories as part of my daily 1000 so it didnt effect my loss. Also for every drink have 2 extra glasses of water on top of your normal 8 to off set the retention....

One cannot say for certain this is anything more than coincidence, but of the 10 folks I personally know who had WLS, the portion that gained all their weight back and essentially are in worse shape than when they started, all allowed alcohol back into their diet. Empty calories, yes, but I think it is also to do with mindset and choices. Sometimes making a small sacrifice is really a token gesture to our subconcious that we are making life changing, permament choices. The question I ask of myself is, if I am going to take these measures to reclaim my true me, is there ANYTHING worth doing that treads boarderline behavior that has ANY potential to lead me back to paths I am choosing to leave behind. I wish you well in your thought processes!

I'm banded since June 6th and I think the empty alcohol calories hurt me. How about you.

I have a question about drinking..... My Dr told me that I will not be able to drink like I used to at all he said you will get drunk ALOT quicker than before. I haven't had any alcohol since my band on August 8th but I'm going on vacation at the end of the month and me and my sister are planning on going out and I know I'll end up drinking but I'm wondering if I'm gonna be a light weight now LOL

This is a very real and serious problem and its getting worse. I am 10 years post op and I found myself becoming addicted to pain meds. I've never used drugs in my life. I also know 3 friends who after having RNY are now alcoholics. I don't think we get enough support to deal with the emotional/psychological aspect of how this surgery will affect us.

What people don't realize is that they WERE food addicts - we all were - and without a good solid support system it's only a matter of time before we fill that void with something else. Alcohol is the number one problem for most - pain meds is a big one because of the plastic surgery many of us get (that's where mine came into play) shopping - sex - men - people - work - gambling - the list goes on... If we never address WHY we FED our feelings - then we will eventually find ourselves suffering through another addictive behavior. We are not great with moderation... I'm currently in school for this specializing in GBS and addiction - there is a need for this specialized treatment out there...

You've got some hoops to jump through, but don't be nervous. I'm a little less than a month past surgery and I already wish I'd done this 10-15 years ago. You'll need to figure out what your insurance requires in order to cover your surgery. This could be a period of supervised diet, it could be a requirement to lose a certain number of pounds or a percentage of your excess weight, or it could be as easy as just a few consultations and clearances. They usually want to make sure you'll be able to stick to the strict way of eating in the post-op phase. Then the hardest part is the pre-op diet. Most surgeons require some amount of liquid diet before the surgery in order to perform the surgery more safely. Some of us call it the "liver shrinking" diet. It's best if you step down over a few weeks. Replace one meal a day with a protein shake (use this time to audition shakes, though your tastes might change post-op so don't go crazy buying stuff). Then the next week replace two meals a day. Then the week or two that you have to do all liquid, go all in on liquid. Get off alcohol, caffeine and sugar as soon as you can—like now. Just accept you're going to have headaches and plan for them. You won't be able to have these things post-op, at least not immediately (and depending on what surgery you have, sugar may be off-limits period) Have an economy size box of Gas-X (chewable simethicone) for the few days after surgery, because you will want to burp out all the surgical air they inflate you with to be able to operate. Don't overpack for the hospital. You'll be exhausted. But do bring an extra long charging cable for your phone/tablet. Measure yourself—neck, upper arms, bust, gut, waist, hips, thighs, calves—and do it once a week for the first little while after surgery. I hit a stall about three weeks out (this is extremely common) and for the better part of a week I didn't lose any weight. But I lost a surprising amount of circumference, and that made me feel better. You've got this!

Too funny! I'll definitely get some alcohol pads. We are being sleeved the same day, Dazy!

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.

Today is Wednesday, May 14th and I'm one week out from my surgery. I started my journey 2.5 years ago when my sister was banded. Jealousy immediatley deployed me to the internet to learn more about this procedure, combing through everyone's stories wondering if I could finally accomplish the one goal I haven't been able to tackle, a healthy state of being. During my gestation period (pre-banding) I've learned a lot about myself. I love food so much that the glaring "red flags" from the Doctor's lab reports were easy to dismiss as most of the World is obese so join the crowd. I'm in my mid forties, successful in my field but everyday I wake up feeling the dread, how many calories did you consume the day prior, you blew off the walk you promised yourself everyday, your clothes feel tight and yes it appears you'll need to go up another size. When does it stop? In researching the topic, I convinced myself two years ago I would finally do something for myself even if it meant paying for it out of pocket. My husband of 27 years has been patient but I can tell he looks at me differently than he did when I was 125 pounds lighter, just 14 years ago. Each year I managed to gain 10 more pounds. He on the other hand had managed to maintain his weight within 25 pounds regardless of the sweets, fat, and alcohol he consumed. Finally, this is my journey. No children to counsel, no pressing projects at work to lead, no more excuses for killing myself emotionally as well as physically bite by bite. For the record, I don't want to look like one of the desperate housewives but rather a confident, healthy person who can stay up past 9pm with a little extra energy to store away for the next day rather than borrowing from tomorrow. My mother died when I was 26 from Uterine cancer (probably obesity related) and father at 31 from heart disease. I'd like to be around to see my grandchildren someday and watch my children marry as I miss my parents so much. Wish me luck as I know this will be the hardest undertaking I've personally experienced in my life. Much harder than giving birth my first child a 10 lb 5oz baby boy. This baby's birth needs to hit 100 lbs and whether it takes a year, two, or three I will finally succeed. I'll check in later... Ollie

Today is Wednesday, May 14th and I'm one week out from my surgery. I started my journey 2.5 years ago when my sister was banded. Jealousy immediatley deployed me to the internet to learn more about this procedure, combing through everyone's stories wondering if I could finally accomplish the one goal I haven't been able to tackle, a healthy state of being. During my gestation period (pre-banding) I've learned a lot about myself. I love food so much that the glaring "red flags" from the Doctor's lab reports were easy to dismiss as most of the World is obese so join the crowd. I'm in my mid forties, successful in my field but everyday I wake up feeling the dread, how many calories did you consume the day prior, you blew off the walk you promised yourself everyday, your clothes feel tight and yes it appears you'll need to go up another size. When does it stop? In researching the topic, I convinced myself two years ago I would finally do something for myself even if it meant paying for it out of pocket. My husband of 27 years has been patient but I can tell he looks at me differently than he did when I was 125 pounds lighter, just 14 years ago. Each year I managed to gain 10 more pounds. He on the other hand had managed to maintain his weight within 25 pounds regardless of the sweets, fat, and alcohol he consumed. Finally, this is my journey. No children to counsel, no pressing projects at work to lead, no more excuses for killing myself emotionally as well as physically bite by bite. For the record, I don't want to look like one of the desperate housewives but rather a confident, healthy person who can stay up past 9pm with a little extra energy to store away for the next day rather than borrowing from tomorrow. My mother died when I was 26 from Uterine cancer (probably obesity related) and father at 31 from heart disease. I'd like to be around to see my grandchildren someday and watch my children marry as I miss my parents so much. Wish me luck as I know this will be the hardest undertaking I've personally experienced in my life. Much harder than giving birth my first child a 10 lb 5oz baby boy. This baby's birth needs to hit 100 lbs and whether it takes a year, two, or three I will finally succeed. I'll check in later... Ollie

I just confirmed a week's vacation with my hubby, son and daughter to spend Thanksgiving on the beach this year. This will be unusual for me as I usually host the big family dinner with 30 plus people and enough food to feed 60 which results in a 4 day feeding frenzy. I'm glad we're doing something a little less traditional this year as I hope to break some of my Holiday habits...gaining 5-10 pounds. What do I plan to do in Daytona? Swim, walk the beach, ride bicyles, dancing at night clubs, Christmas shopping, anything that requires me to be active. My goal will be to burn off any daily calories that are not necessary (ice cream, alcohol) and continure to lose weight while I'm there. I have approximately 130 days to get my body ready for a skimpy swimsuit. Will I be a size 8? No.... But I'll look damn good in a size 12! :shades_smile: P.S. I have officially walked 100 miles since the first week in June and have ridden 48 miles on my bike. I feel so much stronger than I did 2 months ago.

Actually I meant it in a nice way, sorry, did you think I was being sarcastic, because I didn't mean to. I don't know about you but I had to sign a paper stating that I would not drink (alcohol) prior to my surgery and I don't remember if smoking was on there or not, I think it was. I myself smoked 20 year ago for about 10 years and know how hard it is to quit especially when you're expected to all of the sudden prior to surgery stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, and I was put on a 5 week liquid diet, my daughter 6 six weeks prior to surgery. I'm wondering if they're just waiting for you to blow!:thumbup: Smoking wasn't an issue for me but I did have a drink or two prior to surgery, but from what I recall the document I signed was not "notarized" and therefore not legally binding. I also had ice cream or gelato once in a blue moon, which wouldn't surprise most people at LBT. Anyway I wasn't trying to sound sarcastic but I can see why you might take it that way. You made a comment about yourself not being perfect or something and I was just going along with your comment that none of us are perfect and that's kind of why we're all here. Alcohol I can still pass up, cigarettes I can still pass, but when it comes to that brownie, it's my biggest weakness and why the band is still a struggle for me, brandyII.

FIRST FILL 9-20-06 Today has just been the best day. I got 5 new books in the mail from Amazon, I got a fill of 5 c.c. and I got a job that pays a multiple of $5 an hour. My life just doesn't get any better than this. Isn't that kinda sad? Whatever. Let's talk about my fill, shall we? First off, nothing but water from midnight. My doc (who I actually met. It was about time!) did the fill with fluoroscopy. Basically it is a type of xray. (or at least that's what I say, someone who knows what they're talking about might say something else.) I laid down on the table and they positioned a big hunk of machinery over me. The fluoro camera I presume. Then I looked at this little TV screen and there was my port. It was so cute! (o.k. I'm a little weird, sorry.) The nurse swabbed around my port site with alcohol. Then the doc said he was going to inject something to numb the site and he said it might hurt a little. LIAR! It didn't hurt at all. I barely felt it, I've been hurt worse giving blood. Heck, I've been hurt worse stubbing my toe. Then he started feeling for my port. Which also was cool, because I could see his finger bones on the fluoro screen. When he injected the saline, I started laughing. I swear it tickled! The doc probably thought I was off my rocker but that's ok. Let's just hope that my ticker now resumes its journey to the right.

You can have a glass of wine, or a cocktail, but remember that these are empty calories. Also, you will get DRUNK! alot faster, I found that one out at a wedding, Yikes! Also, if you have even one drink, your inhibitions are lowered and you will eat things you know you shouldn't. Also another thing I learned the hard way, to much to drink and I eat high calorie slider foods, not good if you are trying to lose weight. So, the moral of the story, watch what you eat and drink! Keep the alcohol to a minimum and be careful, alcohol will effect you so much differently now!

A bit scary since some vsg patients replace their food addiction with alcohol.

I think there's a question you need to ask yourself: What's more important to you... losing the weight, or doing whatever it is you do on the weekends that you deem as a reward for working hard all week? If you're already trying to find a way to maintain the pre-op diet and still indulge in things that violate it (convenient foods, alcohol, whatever), you're going to have a hard time post-surgery. The lap band isn't a magic wand, it's simply a tool to help you lose weight; you still have to have the self-discipline to change your current lifestyle. Ya know, the one that lead to you being overweight in the first place? Instead of looking at it as trying to alter what the diet calls for so it fits in with your social life, why not focus your energy on finding ways to alter your social life so it fits in with your diet? For what it's worth, alcohol takes the same metabolic path that weight loss does... so if your body is busy processing alcohol, it's not busy processing weight loss. That's why every doctor you speak to will tell you that alcohol is a no-no post-op, and I'm sure they'd say the same for pre-op as you should be dropping 10 lbs... weight loss is the priority.

So let me get this straight....I'm home....no sugar no carbs no caffeine hardly any alcohol work out five days a week....stuck at same weight for three weeks. Go out of town eat a bunch of shit all day for five times a day don't work out drink alcohol come back… Lost 3 pounds. WTF? How my supposed to keep making progress when my body is an asshole and makes no sense at all? Only thing I can deduce from this exercise is that maybe I wasn't eating enough before or I was gaining muscle before as well…#mybodyiscray #annoyed #53lbsdown #20togo

Hey Bob Congratulations on your decision to have surgery and good luck to you! As a long time consumer of restaurant fare I can tell you that it matters not what you look like. If you have a great product and treat your customers right, you'll be successful. I have never not visited a restaurant due to the weight of the manager or owner. The tough part is being around food all day. Having discipline will be key. I am in my 12th month from surgery. I eat out 2-3 times a week. I can always find food that is sleeve and diet friendly. If not, restaurants will always prepare food the way I want it. They have been very accommodating. Alcohol can also be tough, especially in social situations, It is all about choices. Owning a restaurant, you can prepare food the way you want it! I don't think that your profession matters to your success but I do think it will present challenges to you. I am a big proponent of personal choice. No one makes you choose the foods you eat. I did not make great choices with food, that is why I had surgery. Sometimes I think we do not place enough emphasis on the mental side of this equation. It is probably the most important. A year out, I still track everything I eat. I weigh and measure a lot of the time and I am careful around my food triggers. Try to find time to eat mindfully, get away from the hustle and bustle when it is time to eat and make good choices. You will do great!