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I tried a mixed drink and spent the night on my bed spinning Be careful it only takes a little alcohol to get drunk

Ladies/Gents: Talk to me about Alcohol. What's the deal? Please share your experience...

Nooooo!!!! Not the alcohol question again!!!! I think what we all came up with is that is NOT a good idea really early out, and it is a great discussion to have with your doctor, because at the end of the day WE DON'T KNOW SQUAT! Especially Fyre up there

i'm not talking about drunks...i mean no alcohol at all

if this was to pass, then i would recommend legilation to prevent alcoholics from being served drinks in a bar or restaurant...same difference, different addiction

I had my first drink 15 days post op. I've had a total of two other drinks since then. As others have indicated, my doctor's office cautioned about the empty calories in alcohol. I planned the calories into my daily total. And, yes, I did feel the effects of the alcohol much sooner. You know, it's amazing how long you can nurse a drink - particularly a glass of wine. Enjoy the party with your friends. And decide what works best for your new lifestyle. Best wishes.

I know I know there are like a zillion posts on here about alcohol and how bad the calories are and everything. But I have to go to my friends 21st birthday party next week and I was wondering, how long did everyone wait until after surgery to drink alcohol? I am not planning on taking shots or drinking in excess, but it would be nice to have a glass of wine with everyone. I handle my liquor really well, and I am very cautious not to overdo things even when I was in college. So please, be honest and let me know how long you waited.. no judgments here... Thanks!

Wow, it feels so good to know that sometimes people mess up, as weird as that sounds. I have been doing EVERYTHING correct from pre-op to post op. I'm 27 days after surgery, and I feel like the last week, I have been blowing it big time. I haven't been eating steak or anything like that, or drinking carbonated drinks, or even having alcohol. But, today, I had 3 pieces of wheat toast, and two small pieces of soy Protein chicken breasts in one sitting. I feel uncomfortable, and like the biggest loser. I feel so stressed out about everything. My hair thinning out, getting laid off, to the surgery. I've dropped 10 pounds, and I feel like I should be further along. In regards to the soup, I have been wanting to drink a lot of it, but have been putting 4 oz in a cup, and putting 6 oz of low sodium broth in it, to cut the thickness down. Trader Joes has some great Soups which curb your appetite. Sometimes, I put a tablespoon of Greek yogurt in the hot soup for protein. Hang in there. I just found this site, and now I don't feel so alone!

I am going through a center of excellence at Vanderbilt in Nashville and my face to face psyc evaluation was an hour then I had to do the questionnaire that was well over 300 questions. At the end of the face to face she told me she would be referring me for the surgery and the questionnaire was basically to look for certain behavioral patterns. It mainly asked the same things many different ways to be sure that the patient is not a drug addict, alcoholic, or suicidial.

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it either. Severe alcoholism causes liver problems, but a normal to slightly heavy alcohol consumption shouldn't cause any problems - and you say that you already know that your liver function tests came out fine - so you're good! At this point reducing the size of your liver is just about reducing calories - especially carbs - so you can use up the storage of glucose in your liver. Relax - as long as you follow your pre-op diet you'll be fine.

Not that it is right or anything and I am not here to defend myself but I had an affair 3 years ago my husband is aware of. He quickly lost about 70 lbs. Since then he has gained most of it back now that he thinks things are okay. I stopped smoking, I have lost weight and I am stopping all alcohol to lose the last 20. I am not in love with him and that is the problem. He is such a great friend that it tares me up inside. I hope I can make it through this okay. I got a new counselor for the both of us. Wish me luck.

as one post pointed out,the problem if needing to be banded is due to addiction to food and with all addiction the emotion part of learning to quit the eating behaviours that landed us in this position is deniel of that addiction. the brain plays a huge component part in any addictive behaviour and some find this harder than others to beat it. the difference between alcoholism and overeating is that we have to eat to live and this makes thing emotionally so much more difficult to conquer the desire to eat the things that make us feel happy and contented. the knowledge that this is also a brain disorder needs to be adresses as well and it is not just an issue of stupidity.

If you skip and and develop and blood clot it could travel and that's BAD! To your brain and cause a stroke, to your lungs etc..... And if you develop and clot you will be hospitalized and then at home you will be giving yourself the injections for months until it resolves. Sorry for the alarmist stuff but it's the nurse in me! Want to make injections easier? When you prep your skin pinch the skin and then with the alcohol pad RUB HARD! Circular motion for a minute or two...it not only cleanses the skin well but it will act as a topical numbing and then stick fast and push plunger down fast....that's the best way I have found to give things like Lovenox. My patients always say they never feel it when I do it that way. Good luck but please please inject it!

This is word for word what my policy requirements are. I would think they would be the same (I'm central NY) but I could be wrong. POLICY STATEMENT: I. Based upon our criteria and assessment of the peer-reviewed literature, the surgical treatment of morbid obesity by open or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and duodenal switch procedure (biliopancreatic diversion) have been medically proven to improve health outcomes and are therefore medically appropriate for selected patients. Patients must meet all of the following criteria: A. Patients must be morbidly obese; which is defined as a BMI greater than or equal to 40 kg/m2. B. If comorbid condition(s) exist (e.g., hypertensive cardiovascular disease, pulmonary hypoventilation, coronary heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis of weight-bearing joints, or metabolic syndrome) patients must have a BMI greater than or equal to 35 kg/m2. Documentation of the level of severity of the comorbid existing medical condition(s) must be submitted by the primary care physician. C. The condition of morbid obesity must be of at least 5 years duration. D. Documentation, from either the bariatric surgeon or primary care physician, of one or more rigorous attempts at weight reduction, totaling a minimum of six months. Documentation should include the name of each weight loss program, length of participation in the weight loss program (including any physician supervised program) and any weight loss achieved. A letter of support from the physician currently providing primary care to the member and who is familiar with his/her attempts at weight reduction, medical history and current health status (including obesity issues) is also necessary for the review process. E. There should be no significant liver, kidney, or gastrointestinal disease present. The presence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or “fatty liver”, which is associated with morbidly obese patients, would not be considered significant liver disease in this instance. F. Treatable metabolic causes for obesity (e.g., adrenal or thyroid disorders) have been addressed. G. Patients with a history of alcohol or substance abuse will not be considered unless there is a record of at least six months of abstinence. If there has been six months of abstinence, this condition must be addressed in a psychiatric consultation. H. Patients must be screened by their physician for major psychopathology. All patients who have current symptoms which concern the physician, or who have had a psychiatric hospitalization must have a psychiatric evaluation. The psychiatric evaluation should be performed by a psychiatrist familiar with the implications of weight reduction surgery. If psychiatrists with this expertise are not available, an evaluation by a clinical psychologist familiar with the implications of weight reduction surgery is also acceptable. A psychiatrist or clinical psychologist who is providing ongoing care for the patient may also provide this evaluation. Psychological testing as screening tool or as part of the psychological evaluation prior to bariatric surgery is considered not medically necessary. II. Based upon our criteria and assessment of peer-reviewed literature, the surgical management of morbid obesity by laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (e.g., LAP BAND, RealizeTM) is considered medically appropriate in the following circumstances: A. The patient must meet all the requirements listed above in A-H; and SUBJECT: SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF OBESITY POLICY NUMBER: 7.01.29 CATEGORY: Technology Assessment EFFECTIVE DATE: 05/18/00 REVISED DATE: 03/21/02, 02/20/03, 10/15/03, 11/18/04, 08/18/05, 04/20/06, 11/16/06, 11/15/07 PAGE: 2 OF: 14 Proprietary Information of Excellus Health Plan, Inc. A nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. B. The dietary history does not include a large consumption of high caloric liquids (e.g., milk shakes) or sweets; and C. The patient has no significant history of esophageal or gastric disease (please note contraindications to adjustable gastric banding listed in the rationale section); and D. The patient must participate in a pre-operative bariatric program that requires a 5% weight loss to demonstrate commitment to behavioral and dietary changes. The 5% weight loss will be measured from the date of the patient’s initial visit to the bariatric surgeon to the date of the request for pre-authorization of the adjustable gastric banding procedure.

Julie, my prayers go out to your nephew and sister. My niece had a similar incident 5 years ago. It was very, very traumatic. I am an emotional eater. I think it must have taken a LOT of willpower for you to stop at just one bite of pizza and two bites of chicken. Good for you! Pat yourself on the back for not turning to pints of ice cream or bottles or alcohol or other high calorie things that could have easily slid down and dulled the pain. You're a strong woman. Hang in there. You will do just fine! You're surrounded by a lot of good people here on the Mayo Banditos forum. :crying:

I have a problem. It's not a big problem. Some may say it's not a problem at all. However, I feel as though I have begun to let this little thing begin to take control of my life and I do not like it. What pray tell am I talking about? Is it pills? Illegal drugs? Alcohol? The scale (again)? Nope, it's none of those things. It's the one ounce cups they gave me at the hospital. You know what I'm talking about. Those cute little plastic cups that are so clearly marked with 1/2 and 1 ounce for liquids. Yes, those are the ones. I can't seem to drink anything with out using them. I even keep a running total of the number of 1ounce cups I have consumed on a nearby piece of paper. I don't understand why I can't look at a glass or a cup and figure out how much I've had to drink. I know it's not that hard to do but for some reason, I have become reliant on my little one ounce cups. I've even included a photo of my obsession. I don't need them when I am out and about. I can look at a 20 ounce bottle and figure out how much I've had from it. Same thing with my 14ounce Lean Shakes. But for some reason, when I come home and put my liquids in a regular glass or cup, I lose all ability to do simple math and I NEED my handy little cup. My husband is getting sick of my little cup obsession. He has even asked when I will be done using them. I had to be honest and tell him that I wasn't sure. I need to be careful with what i say to him or he's likely to go hid my little cups with my scale and only allow me to use them once every week. Actually, that may be a good thing. For the record, I felt very thin this morning but was unable to check my progress due to not knowing where my scale is. This is getting old VERY fast. LOL So, I have found my new crutch to hold on to for now. My little cups. I have thought about why I need them only at home, and I think I've figured it out. I have to keep a food log for the first two months after surgery (this includes liquids). I am not sure how many of you have to do this as well, but for the record it's a pain in my ever shrinking butt. Before I eat or drink anything, I have to put down the start time, what it is, and then when I am done, I have to fill in out much I've had and the end time. I can't just go get my mush for dinner and sit down and enjoy it. I have to go through all this documenting and by the time I get to sit down and try to enjoy my mush, it's not hot anymore. All I want is hot mush. It's bad enough I am having mush to begin with, can't it at least be mush to my liking? I am sure you are all aware that mush isn't that good anyway so to have to take the extra few seconds to fill out this form which in turn makes it lukewarm, only adds to my hatred or my food log. I don't get much to eat, let me enjoy what I do get. Ok, my rant about my food log is done for now. I am sure it will come up in future blog posts. So, back to my little cups. I know I have to give them up soon. I know there is no real need for me to hold on to them. I wonder if deep down I'm worried about taking in too much liquid even though I know my body will "let me know" if I do. Or it could be that I'm worried I won't get enough liquids in even though I know that's not possible with the amount I drink. So, I am going to make a pack. I am not going to use my cup after I finish with my current crystal lite drink. Just saying that has struck fear in my heart. My inner voice is even laughing me right now. "Come on Trish, you can do this. You drank just fine without these little cups before surgery and you can do it again. So, wish me luck and let me know if you are still using the little one ouncers as well. If so, maybe we can stop together. The good thing to remember is that relapse is part of recover. So if I slip up and use it again, I can just consider myself one step closer to recovering. *side note, I was a Drug and Alcohol counselor for years...not sure how good I was after reading my last few statements* Anyway, here I go, drink is finished and the little cup is going bye-bye. I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but now I'm not so sure. As I place the cup in my recycle bin, I can feel the emotions welling up inside. The only thing that is helping me through this (and helping me not take it out of the trash) is the knowledge that I still have a whole stake of one ounce cups in the cabinet. You know, just in case I need them.

I believe the roller-coaster has everything to do w/how hydrated vs. dehydrated you are at any given time. At least this is how it works for me. I can barely eat anything now when I am dehydrated, but feel like I can eat too much when I am well hydrated. So, I need to be more disciplined about getting my Water in ALL the time and staying away from alcohol (since it is a diuretic). I would say first try to increase your water and see if that helps. Then, if it doesn't, try a slight unfill. You've come too far to give up entirely, though. A small unfill may be all you need. Best of luck to you! Your weightloss is an inspiration!!!

I was sleeved on the 9th also and the only problems I've had are with a little diarrhea. I've been told the sugar alcohols in sugar free fudgecicles and Popsicles can give you diarrhea. You may be eating too fast or your sips need to be slower. I had to be really careful at first now I can take bigger sips.I haven't had any nausea

Happy Nurses Week!! To all of those that I am sending this to Happy Nurses week YOU MAY BE A NURSE IF……… 1. You believe that every patient needs TLC. Thorazine, lorazepam, and Compazine. 2. You would like to meet the inventor of the call light some night in a dark alley. 3. You believe not all patients are annoying, some are unconscious. 4. Your sense of humor gets more warped each year. 5. You know the phone number of every late night delivery place by heart. 6. You can only tell time by the 24 hr clock 7. Almost everything can seem humorous….eventually 8. When asked what color that patient's diarrhea was, you show them your shoes 9. You know the smell of different diarrhea to identify it. 10. Every time you walk you make a jingling noise because of all the scissors and clamps in your pocket. 11. You can tell the pharmacist more about the medication they are dispensing that they know. 12. You refuse to watch ER because it is too much like the real things, and it triggers flashbacks. 13. You check the caller ID on your day off to see if anyone from the hospital is trying to call and ask you to work. 14. You've been telling stories in a restaurant and made someone at another table throw up. 15. You notice that you are using more 4-letter words than you did before you started nursing. 16. Every time someone asks you for a pen you can find at least 4 of them on you. 17. You can intubate your friends at parties. 18. You don't get excited about blood unless it's your own. 19. You live by the motto "to be right is only half the battle , to convince the doctor is more difficult" 20. You've basted you thanksgiving turkey with a Toomey syringe. 21. You've told a confused patient that you name was that of you co-worker and to holler if they need help. 22. Eating microwave popcorn out of a clean bedpan is perfectly normal. 23. Your bladder can expand to the size of a Winnebago's water tank. 24. When checking the level of a patient's orientation, you aren't sure of the answer. 25. You find yourself checking out other customers veins in the grocery waiting lines. 26. You can sleep soundly at the hospital cafeteria table on you dinner break and are not embarrassed when you wake up. 27. You avoid unhealthy looking shoppers in the mall for the fear that they will drop near you and you'll have to do CPR on your day off. 28. You throw a party for a co-worker and use a urinal (clean of course) as a lemon-aid pitcher and use a bed sheet for a tablecloth. 29. You hate to get dressed in "real clothes" because scrubs are what you live in, and why can't they make jeans that comfortable 29. You often stay awake for 24+ hrs at a time when you work nights and realize you don't need alcohol or drugs to hallucinate, just lack of sleep. 30. You pull over in some parking lot after working nights because you are too tired to drive home and wake up to someone knocking on your window thinking you have had a stroke because you are passed out in you car and drooling. 31. You finger has gone places you never thought possible. 32. You've sworn to have "No Code" tattooed on your chest. HAPPY NURSES WEEK

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

I'm well adjusted. But it took over a year to get here. I do not exercise. I do not weigh my portions. I drink alcohol. I do not regurgitate my food. I am losing 6-8 lbs a month. I'm happy. And I do not beat myself up about what I put in my mouth. Average meal is 1/3 cup 5 times a day I eat protein mostly. I tolerate salads as well. No bread.

So my sleeve surgery is Monday but my very limited pre op diet of seven days gas been awful. I knew aspartame gave me mugraines so avoided that ingredient but got primere with sucralose and popsicles with the same as well as crystal light pure made with truvia which is stevia and a sugar alcohol My tummy has been hurting every day. I finally ate a bite of my mom's veggie omelette and was told if my blood sugar went hypo I could eat yogurt so my blood sugar wasn't quite hypo and I had nonfat Greek honey yogurt. Sure felt better but felt so guilty for cheating and like hope I'm not messing up my stomach prep for surgery Last night after crystal light pure, I threw up once with six episodes all this foamy stuff. Sorry tmi. Number two s been all the runs as well so called weight clinic nurse and they are having me quit all artificial sweeteners as they and I feel they are the culprit and allowing me Protein powder...found one with 25grams of protein and sweet with stevia which is a nature made plant and I can have it in skim milk!!!! Yay So stomach is already way happier and tge Protein Powder taste good not chalky Anyone else with similar problems... cheating, malabsorption??etc??

I think it's a good idea, but I wouldn't call it FAQ's. The term has adopted a new meaning that doesn't suit what's being discussed in this thread. Essentially, the term FAQ now means questions that a vendor or supplier get asked frequently by their customers/users. Further, these tend to be questions with "black and white" answers. My suggestion for those who are tired of answering the same question would simply be to not answer it. I, for one, have zero interest in hearing what people think "right and wrong" is. Hopefully, we all have guidelines from our doctors that spell this out. I do think it makes interesting reading to find out that some doctors say things like alcohol is okay after 6 weeks, but no coffee for 6 months. I am very interested in hearing from real people, about real situations - both triumphs and failures. I probably wouldn't even read an FAQ section where veterans posted there own ideas on right and wrong.

I had the sleeve last November. I'm 22 and in college as well. It was a little hard at first because I had some issues but now I almost feel normal. It's weird sometimes because some people comment about how little I'm eating, especially when I go out with my friends. I never was a drinker before surgery, so it wasn't particularly hard to give up alcohol. Though, I have to admit that when I went down to New Orleans (I was more than 6 months post-op), I did have a (read: ONE) daiquiri while in a bar on Bourbon Street. How could I not fully enjoy the New Orleans experience? Granted I was way buzzed and giddy after just one and it took me an hour to drink it, but hey, at least I found out that if I want a drink every now and then, it's not going to kill me. That has been the only drink I've had since surgery. Let me know if you want to talk or have any questions!

How about a teacher's perspective? I work in elementary schools, with kids in grades K - 5. I see MANY parents fight the labeling of ADD/ADHD, and that is understandable to a degree. However, I see what happens when parents do that.......I see the kids when they are left back a grade, or are needing to be placed in a resource room situation rather than a regular classroom due to their lack of control - yes, even the very smart kids with ADHD! An example: I am working with a family that has one child, a boy, who now is 11 years old in 5th grade, with an IQ of about 130, upper average. He has struggled with school since Kindergarten. Nice little boy, who WANTS to do well, but can't help it when his impulse is to yell out an answer, or to turn the game board over when he is losing....things that don't work well in a public school! He is receiving Cs and Ds, and there is discussion of having him repeat the year....he's been so unavailable to learning.........His teachers reached out to parents each year, asking parents to have him evaluated. Unfortunately, he couldn't sit through the school evaluation long enough for the results to be valid. Parents don't want to medicate, even though his family pediatrician believes he has ADHD. They wanted to try hypnosis, the FienGold Diet (from the 70s--eliminates sugar, etc..), nutritional supplements.....each year it was something new and different. Meanwhile, his grades have absolutely plummeted - parents are not hurting for money, so they hired a homework tutor every day so that they could remove themselves from that battle; his peers laugh at him, and he sits alone at lunch time because he seems so different to the others; doesn't do well on team sports since he is so impulsive; was recently suspended when he snapped a classmates bra strap cause someone told him to do it, and he lacks the impulse control to stop and evaluate; How sad is all of this? He asks his parents for medication so he can be like the others.....just breaks your heart, yet the parents don't believe in medication. I see many kids throughout my day who are on meds that might be able to handle contracts, charts and stickers....but as they get older, these aren't as helpful to kids, and contrary to what someone wrote earlier, this generally doesn't "go away" and they don't tend to "grow out of it." What happens, is they stop making the growth their peers continue to make, and are kept apart from the group, making them feel like outcasts....grades suffer, and many have to stay back because they have no sped help, and no medication to help - so they learn to self medicate, with drugs, alcohol, food.....pick your poison! Instead, with help from professionals, these kids learn how to help themselves with organizers, check in/check out in school, extended time given for tests and assignments....but not if the child isn't identified as having ADHD. If you hide from it, nothing good will happen, that I can guarantee you! I have a lot of experience working with kids and families dealing with ADHD...can you tell have a lot of passion about this subject? I'm not promoting medication, but just warning that if it really and truly is ADHD, medication can work wonders..........and doesn't need to have the stigma many wish to attach to it. I had a student a couple years ago that by the time he had reached 5th grade, he wasn't able to complete any homework independently, was failing many subjects......friendship issues....parents finally decided to try meds. They tried one, and it caused eating issues. Tried another, didn't work well. Almost ready to give up, and tried another---this was the winner! The child commented to me, "Mrs. K, the room stopped spinning! I hear your voice so clearly now-" Wow - how powerful is that? (ADD kids often have trouble isolating noises - they hear everything all the time and aren't sure how to tune in to one thing and let the others fade...) This kid had been so unavailable to learning for so many years - he had a lot of catching up to do! Last I heard, he was making honor roll! Talk about success........... A good source of information is Dr. Hallowelll.........can't recall the books he's written at the moment - it's been a long day already, lol! But if you do a search on him, you should come up with a couple books he's written. I believe he equates kids with ADD needing their meds just like a diabetic needs their insulin..........it's a brain chemical interferences, and it's cruel to assume they can themselves can "fix" it with just a behavior modification chart, or something along those lines......... Feel free to email me any questions - I can be a bit long winded about this stuff! :nervous