Search the Community

@lisalou1968 - hang in there. You can message me as well. We will support you and get you up to speed on navigating this forum and all that. You might want to go to the library and request some books by Geneen Roth. She helped me to figure out my pain from eating my emotions, to like myself and see the value for being me. I am not picking on you here, but you picked an alcoholic for a reason you don't yet understand. Good riddance but you need to figure this out before you even think about another relationship or you will pick another person that is a problem. Try reading 'Co-dependant No More' by Melody Beattie. I know all this because I was married to an alcoholic for 18 years, and I was an abused child. It will get better. You will get better.

Wow! What a topic! Here's my $0.02. Obesity is much more of an issue in 2006 than it was 20 years ago, which was more than 50 years ago, which was more than 100 years ago, and so on. If we adhered to a Biblical diet, in other words the guidelines for diet given to the Israelites in Leviticus, we most likely wouldn't be having obesity issues. But we don't live in that time and we don't adhere to that diet (it would be pretty tough). I believe we face a lot more temptations in this day and age, due in large part to our busy lifestyles and the ease of selecting processed and unhealthy foods. (as an aside -- if you look at people who have a problem with pornography, they struggle more now than people 50 years ago because -- hello! -- pornography is more readily available). So being constantly bombarded with horrible food choices and huge portion sizes, those of us with a proclivity to overeat or make bad selections are more likely to have issues. There may be an aspect of laziness here on some level, but really the issue in my mind is that living your entire life trying to exhibit huge amounts of restraint every minute of every day is practically impossible. I've always said that being on a constant diet is a horrible way to live. And for anyone to consistently eat 1200 calories a day (which is what I need to MAINTAIN my ideal weight!!!), it's just an awful way to live. I'm sure you've heard this before, but alcoholics have it easier. They just need to avoid alcohol altogether. Food-addicts still have to eat several times a day, but they're expected to choose well and stop eating when sometimes 3/4 to 1/2 of what they were served is still left on their plate! No wonder many of us fail! So back to the question of whether using WLS to control obesity is a sin? I believe God gives us tools to bring our lives into conformity with His will, some of those tools are technology, and those tools vary depending on the person involved. Heck, I use www.biblegateway.com to look up Bible verses all the time! Technology can be a blessing! Is it a sin to seek counseling when God gives us all the answers in the Bible? Is it a sin to wear a prosthetic if you lose a limb, because maybe God wanted to you struggle without a limb to learn something? Is it a sin to get a pacemaker, hip replacement, or have an operation to cure a defect in an unborn baby? Is it a sin to take Vitamins because you should be getting all of the nutrients you need out of what you eat? Of course not -- these are all tools. WLS certainly isn't the EASY way out. It'd be nice if there were an easy way out!!! It is simply the recognition that, for us, losing weight and keeping it off has proved to be, over the course of years and years, unsuccessful. And we are therefore choosing to use a tool to force us to control our intake.

Diane, I totally understand that "great big hole that needs to be filled." It's exactly why I eat, drink, spend, gamble, take pain pills, eat some more, then drink. It's why I have a credit card to my favorite Jeweler (hubby doesn't even know about my Jewelry Express card!) And it's up to me to find out what that "something" is but I've been searching for 30 years. I don't have babies, which sucks. I don't have parents, which sucks. I don't have a best-friend-sister, which sucks. I'm very lonely, but it's not the kind of lonely that can be cured - it's just who I am. I have a beautiful, wonderful husband (that pokes me and drives me nuts, but I'm still madly in love with him.) But his favorite hobby is sleeping. Every night I watch him sleep, and then I eat myself into oblivion. I've got tons of friends & companions, but what I need is a damn Siamese twin. I know they can surgically be separated these days, but I'd like one attached. I know that being lonely is probably my #1 problem. And lightening just struck me like a wild force because I remember my alcoholic father saying, "The reason I drink is because I'm lonely." Even though he vanished and I didn't meet him till I was an adult, I still got the "lonely" gene. Daddy never sent me a birthday card, but he gave me his F-d up genes. Thanks, Dad.

I weaned myself off regular coffee a couple months before surgery. Per Kaiser bariatric’s guidelines, after surgery we cannot drink beverages with carbonation (due to gases), caffeine (acid/risk of ulcers), alcohol, and sugary drinks (liquid calories). Since I started the pre-op program (July 2019) I haven’t had alcohol or surgery drinks. I DO have half-caff coffee every morning. ;-) and throughout the day water, diet Snapple, and herbal tea. I don’t miss alcohol or carbonated beverages.

Well...that's just it. I sort of have been in his shoes. Before I was married to DH, I was married to a man who developed non-alcoholic liver disease. I took care of him until the day he died. In fact, he died in my arms, on our 25th wedding anniversary. The last 8 years of our marriage was sexless, due to the liver disease. I was in my early 40's, so this was not exactly what I had signed on for. But I did sign the contract (the marriage license), and I lived up to it 100%. I did not use LDH's (Late Dear Husband's) poor health as an excuse to commit adultery. Nor do I think anyone else should. I'm sorry. I think it's wrong. So don't ask me. Which brings us to the next problem. Mr P is truly a nice man, and I do want to be his friend. But I am terrified, because he IS such a nice man, that at some point he will ask us, "Do you think what I'm doing is a terrible thing?" My DH would KILL me if I said "yes". My conscience would kill me if I said "no".

Why? Because the thread was suggested to me to be a good read. I wasnt going to post but hey, you asked why I was here. Didnt want to let you down "Claws come out, clueless members who "think" they understand make ridiculous assumptions, and everyone starts drinking in front of the newbies." I think this is in reference to what I said before about, your actions being your own and only your actions could get you suspended. If it's not, tell me and I'll delete this part. Anyway, that's not an assumption. Would anyone be in hot seat if they didnt do something to earn that spot? I'm not sure you understood what I meant when I said that. Regardless of how things seem to other people, the moderators arent going to take action unless they need to, right? Without cause, there is no effect. Now, if they want the same thing to become of Susan, I'm sure it will. But until that time, it's really no ones business as to why one person was suspended and the other wasnt. That was the point on that post. Not whether or not I had enough information to justify anyones actions. And about the drinking, I wasnt aware that we had to not talk about alcohol infront of other adults. If that's not what you meant, please, again clarify.

Have one for me! The only word of caution I have is that alcohol seems to affect me much easier now! Sip slowly and enjoy!

If you seriously want to lose 22lbs or 10 kilograms in 28 days then you must perform all of the principles exactly as recommended. Unlike the recommendations in my book, ‘Look good, feel great!', where you can pick the principles you want to use and ignore the rest and where you can even modify the principles to suit your lifestyle, these principles must be followed exactly as they are outlined. If you want extraordinary results, then you must be willing to put in an extraordinary effort! I realise that some people may be thinking, ‘But it is impossible to lose 10 kilograms of fat in a month!' I agree- it is! However, the truth is, it is impossible to only lose fat on any type of weight-loss program. You will always lose a combination of fat, water, stored carbohydrate and some muscle. Furthermore, most people who want to lose 10 kilograms in the first place are generally retaining excess fluid anyway, so a system that helps get rid of the excess fluid is certainly going to accelerate their results. Perform 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise morning and night. Yes, you read that correctly, morning and night- 2 sessions a day… every day! No excuses. We're all busy, we all feel tired some mornings, but if you're serious about getting amazing results, then you must be willing to do everything necessary. When we talk about aerobic exercise, we're talking about exercise! Not walking around the shops, doing the gardening or doing housework. It must be exercise, which means your breathing rate increases, your face goes red, you sweat, you get tired- simple! Some examples of aerobic exercise include: walking (pounding the pavement at a brisk pace- not dawdling), cycling (stationary bike is ideal), swimming, rowing, stepper, cross-trainer, aerobic classes, boxing, etc. Use ‘thermogenics'. There are several very effective thermogenic supplementson the market that can accelerate your progress towards your goal. Those containing caffeine, green tea extracts and an extract from a plant called coleus forskohlii are the most effective. They will boost your metabolismand promote the release of fat from the fat stores. ‘Scorch' by MAN Sports is a good example. It contains a combination of 7 powerful herbal ingredients specifically designed to boost your metabolism, burn body fat and increase your energy. Unfortunately though, thermogenics are not ‘magic pills'. You can't expect to take a couple of thermogenic capsules and then go home and eat pizza and drink alcohol and expect to get results. Thermogenics only work when their use is combined with a good nutrition and exercise program. Take 1-2 capsules twice a day; once prior to your morning exercise session and once with your lunch. Don't take them later than 4:00pm in the afternoon because they may keep you awake at night. Before using thermogenics, see your doctor first and obtain their approval. Do not eat anything for 30 minutes after the completion of any exercise. As a result of using the thermogenics combined with the exercise, your metabolism will remain elevated for some time after the exercise session is finished. This means your body will burn fuel at a faster rate than normal. Any exercise causes the body to use carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) as a fuel source. This means that after the exercise is completed the carbohydrate stores in the body are low and the body will be forced to use fat as its fuel. If a meal is eaten immediately after the completion of the exercise session, the blood glucose level will rise, inducing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. One of the effects of insulin is to stop fat burning in the body. Therefore, wait 30 minutes (but no longer because cortisol will rise) before having your next meal. Perform a weight training workout 2-4 times a week. Lifting weights is the most under-estimated way to lose fat fast! Now, before you start saying, ‘But I don't want to get big muscles!' or ‘I don't want to look like a man!', consider the following. The main purpose of lifting weights when your primary goal is to lose body fat is to preserve the muscle massyou already have. You see, muscle is the ‘engine' within which the fat, or ‘fuel' is burnt and maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass slightly will help ensure your body fat is burnt off efficiently. If you don't lift weights, your body will quite happily lose both fat and muscle as you drop the kilos. Lifting weights forces your body to maintain your muscle mass, therefore keeping your metabolism elevated and turning your body into 24-hour-a-day fat-burning machine! Incidentally, it only takes two 30 minute sessions a week to obtain the muscle preserving benefits of lifting weights. Have 5-6 small meals a day. One of the most common strategies people use to lose weight is to skip meals. Whilst reducing food intake is certainly an effective way to lose weight, having fewer meals is not the way to go. Many overweight people say, ‘I don't know why I'm overweight, I only eat once or twice a day!' Unfortunately, this is exactly why they are overweight. Having a mild calorie restriction is effective because if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight- simple! However, skipping meals forces the body to invoke its ‘Starvation Mechanism' because it thinks it is entering a famine. As a result, the body slows the metabolism to preserve energy. It also increases cortisol output and cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. A loss of muscle slows the metabolism even further. Skipping meals also results in an increase in appetite, which forces you to eat larger amounts of food when you do eat. In addition to all these factors, the body also increases the activity of fat-storing enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), so when you do eat the food gets stored as fat. All of this results from simply skipping meals! By having a small meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day, your metabolism stays elevated and your body will happily burn fat all day long. Unfortunately though, most people are conditioned to having large meals and they automatically assume they will put on weight if they have 5 or 6 meals a day. The fact is, the ideal portion sizes for most people are actually quite small and in order to lose weight fast it is essential that you never feel full from a meal but you do feel satisfied. Also, most people find it difficult to have a meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day because they are so busy with work and/ or family commitments. Here are some suggestions to ensure you get your 5 or 6 meals a day. • Plan and prepare your meals the night before • Use meal replacements (protein shakes or bars) • Select foods that are quick and easy to prepare and consume Ensure each meal contains protein. Protein is a component of all cells and makes up over half the dry weight of the human body. Furthermore, the human body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly building up and breaking down tissue. Just imagine a bath full of water. At one end of the bath the plug is pulled out and at the other end the tap is turned on full. The water level in the bath doesn't change but there are ‘new' water molecules entering the bath and ‘old' water molecules leaving the bath all the time. The human body is exactly the same. If the body breaks down more tissue than it builds up, then it is said to be in a catabolic state. This results in the metabolism slowing down due to the loss of muscle tissue. Having a portion of high-quality protein every few hours throughout the day provides the body with a constant supply of amino acids- the building blocks of the body. This prevents the catabolic state, promotes an anabolic state (tissue building) and therefore keeps the metabolism ‘fired-up'. If only carbohydrate or fat is consumed for a meal, for example a piece of fruit (carbohydrate) for the mid-morning meal, then the body will still enter a catabolic state because it doesn't have the building blocks (amino acids) to re-build body tissues. Protein, as its name suggests, is of primary importance. Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates. Most high-density carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice and cereals cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. This invokes the release of insulin from the pancreas, which in turn stores the glucose. The body stores glucose in the muscles and liver as glycogen and once these sites are full, the remaining glucose gets stored as body fat. Not only this, but insulin also stops the body from mobilising and utilising fat for fuel (burning fat). So if you want to maximise fat loss, you need to keep insulin to a minimum and the best way to do this is by reducing your intake of starchy carbohydrates without cutting them out altogether. Cutting them out totally is a philosophy of many low-carb diets on the market. However, these are very hard to sustain long-term and may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Each day, have a small amount (1-2 serves) of high density carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals); a moderate amount (2-3 serves) of medium density carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and fruits); and a large amount (5-6 serves) of low density carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables). [For a complete list of carbohydrates, see pages 136-138 of the book, ‘ Look good, feel great! ] Do not have a Treat Day. Since you are expecting an extraordinary result, it is essential that you put in an extraordinary effort. Accordingly, for the next 28 days you must follow the plan exactly as it is outlined without deviating. This means you can't allow yourself to indulge in any ‘forbidden foods'. This also means avoiding alcohol for the entire 28-day period. I know this may be hard for some people but let's face it, it is only for 28 days! By committing to the plan and disciplining yourself to see it through, you are ensuring that the results will follow. Plus, the disciplines you create to help you achieve your physical goal will have a ‘carry-over benefit' to other areas of your life as well. I wish you the greatest success in achieving outstanding results! * Before using any nutritional supplement, speak with your health care professional.

There are only a few things that are on my never again list. The most critical one is soda pop. Drinking anything while eating is a no no permanently and NSAIDs. Now keep in mind that if you have severe arthritis your Bariatric team will work with you on an NSAIDs program that will protect your pouch. I have severe arthritis in my spine and several other joints but I choose not to risk a potential ulcer. Alcohol after year 1 is fine in small amounts but realize you are drinking your calories. I have been eating raw celery once 8 weeks out, it has never bothered me. I just chop it in salads and Soups small. I use a straw everyday! It helps me drink all my liquids. You simply have to learn not to gulp. I am now 21 months post op and have tried just about everything else I once did. I just don't like things like greasy foods, sweets or heavy carb foods. I crave good quality Protein, great fruit and veggies.

Hmm, my case was quite different. I attended my orientation on August 10, first meeting with surgeon, psych, and NUT on September 2, got approved for surgery on October 1, surgery on October 6 - entire process under 2 months. I live in California in the winter and Boston in the summer. My flight to California was booked for 11/7, so 10/6 was pretty much my go/no-go date. There were multiple reasons why I was able to pull this off: 1. I have a very good Anthem CA policy (PPO) that was grandfathered from Obamacare. Before the ass-clown destroyed the US Healthcare system, I was paying $450/mo with an $6,000 deductible. Now I pay $1300/mo with an $8,000 deductible, but they approved my surgery in 5 days without question. 2. I went to Newton Wellesley and handpicked Dr. Partridge - the head of surgery. I told her that I had to be in California for Thanksgiving in the first meeting and she said she'd do what she could to make it happen if I did everything they told me to do. I did. 3. I'm in my 60's and I've been dieting for almost 50 years. I always kept weight and diet records. I attended the first meeting with a 2 page write-up of my diet/weight history along with a 2008 diagnosis from my PCP of obesity. 4. I think I impressed the psychologist with my conviction and my logical case for why I wanted a VSG. By the time I met with the surgeon, she said "everyone on my team is very impressed with you". 5. Given my relatively low BMI (38), I ate like a pig the day of my orientation and then convinced one of the assistants do an official weigh-in after the August 10 orientation. I came in at 281 (BMI 40.2). This cleared me through insurance for comorbitities. 6. Before my first meeting, I met with my PCP (mid August) and got a strong letter of recommendation. 7. From the day after the orientation on, I dieted like crazy. I was down to 266 by 9/2 and 256 by my final session before approval, and 251 on the day of surgery. I think the fact that I lost 30 lbs in less than 2 months helped my surgical team do a very minimally invasive operation. I went to every support meeting I could and actively participated - further impressing the staff. 8. I continued being a model patient for 7 weeks after surgery. Eating exactly what they told me to eat and walking/riding my bike at least and hour/day. By Thanksgiving I was down 65 lbs and resumed a new normal but healthy lifestyle. Today I weigh 204 - down 77 pounds and 14 pounds from my goal - 5 months after my orientation and 4 months after my first meeting. I'm eating what I want, drinking alcohol in moderation, enjoying a social life, and still losing 2-3 lbs a week. The first 3 1/2 months was hell - a self imposed "biggest loser" contest (no social life, alcohol, coffee, or soda), but now I'm thoroughly delighted with the results. You can do this if you totally focus on the endgame!

I think if you had one glass of wine it shouldn't hurt. I wouldn't go out and get stupid drunk! We have friends over alot and sit out on the deck and have a cocktail or two. It is enjoyable. I was banded on 8/14/08 and haven't had any alcohol since, but I have an appt with my surgeon this week and am going to ask him if I can have a glass of wine once a week or so.

Nikki, I was self-pay as well, so I understand what you're saying about missing all the pre-reqs. I've been seeing a therapist since before surgery and we've finally found a topic that she can't help me with: body image. She's a tall, slender runner who has never had a weight issue, so she's thrown when I talk about how I see myself (still huge, even after losing 110 pounds). But, even though she's not a bariatric specialist, she has helped tremendously on my journey. I had a tendency to eat my problems and I'm learning to be more assertive. The first few times I had a problem after surgery, I was literally lost because I had no idea how to cope. I think a lot of folks here can relate to that. I think that therapy helps a ton with coping skills and helps us to not have cross-over addictions to alcohol and/or drugs.

I totally agree with all of the above....don't sweat it. I cheated a little to (in fact I drank alcohol both Saturdays before the surgery and was told none was allowed) we're not expected to be 100% perfect. You're doing great!!

Yes, at 4 months out, I was still super restricted. The adding bread, potatoes, other mushy foods to my meat really changed well after a year post-op. A lot of it was "how" I ate the food on my plate. I would only eat the meat first, add nothing to it. Once I got into maintenance, and eating more varied diet, I started eating differently. A bite of meat, a bite of veggies, a bite of meat, a bite of potatoes. Those mushy foods helped the food go through faster, and didn't take up space. I didn't touch bread for months, and for the first year, it was really difficult for me to eat breads. Now, they're a bit of a slider food. I still feel restriction with breads, but I can eat it without discomfort at this point. Just like, if I decide to drink wine before a meal, I can eat more. Sometimes, I'll have coffee or a hot tea (like at the Japanese restaurant we frequent) before my meal, I can fit a few more bites in. The alcohol and warm liquids all relax my stomach. Another reason why alcohol is so discouraged early out. Snacking and drinking go hand in hand especially in social settings. We drink, we snack, we drink some more, we snack some more etc etc. That's what led to my gain over the holidays last year.

I eat carbs - but i choose them wisely. I don't have rice, pasta or white potatoes or white bread. All vegetables have carbs. and once I'm further out, I do plan to have whole grains like oatmeal or a half slice of whole grain bread occasionally. But binging on pasta and potatoes? Not in my plan and if I do it, I will consider that as a personal failure that day on my part and get right back on track. I know what trigger foods I have that I need to avoid because they will just cause me to want more. You seem so convinced that I will never be able to avoid binging on pasta - do you think every recovering alcoholic in AA is DESTINED to stay an alcoholic? Or is it possible to mature enough to know your issues and develop coping mechanisms to prevent going down that slippery slope again? If I wanted to continue to eat the way I had been, I personally wouldn't have gotten the surgery.

I waited about 5 months. I’m nearly 9 months out and have drank about 4 times. For me, if my stomach is empty, alcohol will hit me really quickly and a little goes a long way. Now granted, it’s been a few years since I was a regular drinker, so my tolerance hasn’t been high for awhile... but yeah, strongly recommend pacing yourself to get a handle on what your tolerance is. I never drank and drove before- out of an abundance of safety- but I can 100% say that post-surgery, I do not/should not drive even after just one drink. So please be careful!

My 1st husband and I did NOTHING but argue (he was a bad alcoholic, which didn't help...pretty emotionally abusive). Money was ususally our main topic, he liked to spend LOTS of money we didn't have. He was the primary breadwinner and didn't like for me to have any control over our money...at all. My current boyfriend (soon to be DH), works and I stay home (for the past 7months). I handle all the finances and the only question he has for me is: "Do I have enough to buy electronic device (a)?" We are currently putting money back for co-pays, I told him I would probably have to put money back for PS after I reach goal. He's cool with it, he wants me to be happy. Talk to your hubby, see if you can get him to understand how important this is for you. Sounds to me like he needs a wake-up call.

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

I am a long time lurker here, just completed my surgery on Monday with Dr Illan. I had some time to kill this morning before my flight so I started writing about my experience. I have some time to kill in the airport so I am sharing it with you. Hopefully you find this helpful. If you have questions, I will do my best to help. The arrival into San Diego was uneventful. We wanted to be early, so we arrived on Saturday for Monday surgery. Rented a car and checked into our hotel, Holiday Inn Bayside. The hotel was fine and only 5 minutes from the airport. We wanted to make a date weekend out of the experience pre surgery. I booked tickets to a comedy show the week prior, so we went up to La Jolla, and laughed our butts off. There was a two drink minimum for everyone, since I was on liquids only, I enjoyed my 2 $4.50 bottles of Water. After a great evening, we stopped at Vons and picked up some Protein shakes, almond milk, and water. As a show of solidarity, my wife decided to do the liquid pre-op with me. She had the RNY procedure in the states about 9 months earlier. Once back to the room, we unpacked, and my wife whipped up another Protein shake for us with the blender she brought. Crashed for the night and made plans for a busy day for Sunday. I wanted to stay busy to take my mind off being hungry. We love our kitties, and when I found that there was a cat café in San Diego, there was no way to tell the wife no. coffee, and we hung out with all the kitties needing homes. If you like cats, I highly suggest you try it. It was a little different than the ones in Japan, but you got to meet different kitties, and relax with them. After that, there was a small farmers market set up just up the street. The food smell was killing me, it smelled amazing, as pretty much everything will when you are on the liquid diet. We walked through there for a bit, and then headed to our next activity. We wanted to do a tour of San Diego, but didn’t want to go the traditional route. So we settled on Gocars tours. Mexico before. Her phone beeped a few times and it was Bill Yanez, letting her know that some idiot tried running from the US police across the border. I guess he did not know how bad Mexican jail is supposed to be. So instead of a delay free crossing into Mexico, there was a slight 5-10 min delay. Once across the border, it was only 10 minutes or so when we arrived at florence Hospital. I would not describe the hospital like anything I have seen in the states. It appeared like a 3 story large clinic. The entrance part was not the most welcoming, and for a moment I questioned what I was doing, but as soon as we pulled in. Pedro's smiling face greeted us and happily started unloading our bags. Within 5 minutes we were in the room where Bill Yanez greeted me. We chatted for a little bit and I warned everyone that the IV would be the scariest part of the whole procedure for me. The hospital itself is rather small. The floor we were on only had 8 rooms and was not very large, perhaps 50 ft from one end to the other. The hospital was very clean. The room I was in had 2 hospital beds, a day bed, and a recliner. It had the nicest bathroom I have ever seen in a hospital, sporting new tile, and a rain style shower. Bill introduced us formally with Pedro, our personal concierge and guide while at the hospital during the day, and Rosa, the medical team leader from Florence Hospital. Fernando Jr. was our night concierge at the hospital. In only a few minutes more, I was signing paperwork. There were copies of most of the paperwork available in English, but the hospital only would process it on the Spanish paperwork. Rosa was incredibly sweet and caring. We swapped stories of my love of Mexican food. I had no longer finished the paperwork when Rosa handed me a gown and a set of compression stockings, and I was told to get ready. About that time, I got to meet Dr. Illan for the first time. Dr. Illan is very well dressed, extremely caring and understanding. He speaks English very well, and takes his time to understand your questions and make you feel comfortable. He took his time explaining the entire procedure to me and my wife. After our discussion, Rosa reminded me again to get dressed. They don’t waste time there. Once I was dressed, I was wheeled down to Radiology. The equipment seemed a bit dated, but functional. It was not the best decorated room there, in fact, it was in need of a major redecoration. I was only in this room for 2 visits for no more than 10 min each, so I was not that bothered by its appearance. The radiologist, whose name I do not remember, seemed a little short on time, but was friendly. His English was the only one I had a little difficulty with. After the chest xray, it was back up to the room to wait. I cannot remember if the IV was before or after the radiology department, I reminded them that I was terrified of IVs and they were able to combine the blood draws and IV in one operation. It made 2 separate terrifying events into only one to get it over with faster. They were able to stab me in one shot. Once that was over, I was able to relax for a few minutes. It wasn't much longer that they put something in my IV to make me drowsy. I hugged my wife good bye and was wheeled to the operating area. From entering the hospital to rolling to surgery was maybe an hour or so. I remember being wheeled to a wall, that had rollers on it. The wall was the height of the bed, and the rollers made it easier to transfer me through the wall from my transportation gurney to the pre op surgical room gurney. I was pretty dizzy at this point. I could have been there for 10 minutes, or 10 hours. It was probably closer to the former. I remember being wheeled into the surgical theater and seeing three large round lights above me, and being moved onto the operating room table. I remember it not being the most comfortable on my back, but I was completely zonked out at this point. The next think I remember is waking up back in my room. I remember I had an oxygen mask on that was annoying me, and my wife right there as I was waking up. I was not even fully conscious before she was encouraging me to walk. I am pretty sure I was no that pleasant to be around. I was pretty much still in a fog. I remember taking the oxygen mask off and being grumpy. When I was more clear, I was encouraged to walk by everyone. I was in pain from the gas used to inflate you for surgery, but walked little by little. First trip was only one lap around the floor, but after day 2 in the hospital, I was able to do 10 no problem. Walking gets the gas from your stomach and your intestines out. It will be a pain in the butt, but you will need to walk as much as you can. Trust me you will feel better after walking. The rest of day 1 was spent napping, walking, and recovering. Don’t plan on sleeping too much in the hospital since you will have someone coming in every hour or 2, 24hrs a day administering meds, and checking vitals on you. Take it easy, walk, and recover. The 2 days in the hospital will be boring. Pedro took my wife for some yummy Mexican food while I was resting. The hospital has blazingly fast wifi. We were able to easily stay in communication with friends and family back home via email and facebook messenger. I didn't use the wifi too much for entertainment at the hospital, but my wife reports she was able to stream videos easily. I don't really watch tv, so I am not certain what the tv options are in the hospital. There is a tv there, but we never turned it on. Honestly the afternoon after the surgery and the following evening were a blur. I do remember some pain right after surgery, but they were there with meds to help immediately. The next day was spent back and forth with chatting with my wife, resting, and more walking. Did I mention you need to walk a lot? I met Dr Flores, the attending physician that evening. He checked the incisions, and reminded me to keep walking. He was also very attentive and answered all of our questions. Mid-morning the morning after surgery, Dr Illan came to visit. He described how the size of my liver and how the pre surgery diet helped it shrink considerably. If there is anything you can do to help yourself, PLEASE follow the diet exactly. I did not cheat once. It was difficult, but after he told me how much the diet shrank my liver, it was worth it. I wanted as little chance for complications as possible. He said he can always tell when people cheat on the diet, and could tell I was being truthful when I told him how I did. Prior to the surgery I asked him to take any videos and pictures of the procedure he could. He showed me a video of the stapling, he showed me a picture of my stomach after it was removed. It was amazing to see all the blood vessels on it. The videos were funny, because you could hear light mariachi music in the background in the operating room. Dr Illan said the surgery itself only took 34 minutes to complete. After he left, the attending nurses had me take a shower. Once cleaned up, they carefully removed my bandages, sanitized the incisions, and reapplied new bandages. My wife observed so she could do that for me in the next few days. I was wheeled back down to the strange radiology department for a leak test. They had me drink a small amount of a clear liquid and shot xrays of me. Once those were clear, I was taken back to the room. About 10 minutes later, a tray of hot tea, Gatorade, and apple juice was brought in. I was so happy to drink actual liquids again. It is hard to describe the feeling you will feel when you first drink on your new stomach, you are just going to have to experience it yourself. Take your time, small sips, don’t slurp, and do anything you can to avoid gulping air. You will be tempted to take large gulps like you were used to, but those days are over. We brought 1oz cups and poured the liquid in those. About half of one of those cups was the amount of liquid I could swallow at that time. I am up to almost a whole cup now. Your stomach capacity is obviously smaller, but the swelling in your stomach further reduces it. Try to take in too much and you will be sorry. There is no reason to rush. More rest and more walking and sipping made up day 2. At this point, I was pretty sick of the hospital. It served its purpose, but I was ready to be outta there. Dr. Flores, the attending physician came back by Tue evening and cleared me to go home wed AM, as long as there were no further problems overnight. Another night of hourly checks followed, so no real restful sleep. I normally sleep on my side, and with the IV and width of the bed, it was not easy. Before I knew it, 9am was here and was up. I showered again, had the bandages changed again, and my wife had already packed. We were loaded up with 2 others from Bariatric pal and at the recovery house by 10am. Before we left, my wife gave Pedro $40 for his assistance. Either Pedro, or Fernando Jr was available 24 hrs a day. They sat in a waiting area just outside the hospital hall waiting to get us anything we wanted, or take my wife anywhere. It was very reassuring having them there. We arrived and it looked like a typical Mexican villa. They are U-shaped block of 6 apartments surrounding an atrium. The entrance is guarded by gates and cameras for security. Bariatric Pal owns all but 2 of them currently. The other two are owned by a small dress shop, and a musician who is never there. We weren’t certain exactly what to expect. We were given the choice of the holiday inn or the recovery house. Since I travel for a living and have already spent over 20 nights this year in Holiday Inns, we chose the recovery house. When we got to the house, we were pleasantly surprised. We were introduced to Juanito (aka Johnnie) who would be our daytime guide, more about Johnnie later. We were given the choice of apartment 5 or apartment 6, our ride mates got the other one. They were both very nice. They had a leather sofa, a leather recliner, dining table, full refrigerator, microwave, stove, 2 bedrooms, each with its own air conditioner and heater. The houses were recently rebuilt after flooding destroyed the old ones. There is a market just up the street that has coffee, Snacks, etc, as well as a great stand for pozole which Johnnie kept me from visiting. He said something about ruining my new stomach or something The recovery houses were furnished with satellite tv in each bedroom, very high speed internet, a local phone, and a Vonage phone you can use to call the USA for as much as you wanted for free. Your friends and family can call you on it too. It has a California number so it won't cost them more than calling CA. Next to the phones there is a list with everyone's contact number so you will never feel alone. We promptly called family and let them know that we were doing great. I was pretty tired, but also hungry at this point. We rested for a few minutes, then Johnnie was at the door to take us to lunch. The walk was maybe 4-5 blocks. He took up to the seafood restaurant, Cabanna. They had an awesome shrimp broth that had the flavor and the warmth to make my new stomach relax. My wife had a Jicama shrimp taco, and Johnnie had Jicama and apples. While getting to know Johnnie, he explained, like everyone else, that walking is good to get out the residual gas, and the shrimp broth helps more. He said just let any burps fly, holding it in to be polite is bad, he said he is used to it. He also offered sound words of wisdom. "As you recover, don't ever trust a fart". Wiser words have never been spoken. Johnnie grew up in the neighborhood, it is evident, everywhere you go with him, people are waving. You can tell he really loves what he does. He had us laughing at every moment. He is a true character, you will love him. We stopped by the grocery store on the way back from the restaurant to pick up liquids for me and food for my wife. Remember to always keep sipping liquids. Dehydration is not something I wanted to deal with. For once, I was not the one carrying the groceries, I had a medical excuse! Johnnie asked if we got our medicine package from the hospital. We had no idea what he was talking about. He was on the phone instantly, and before we got outside the grocery store, he had it arranged to meet us at the house. We got back to the recovery house, and I was finally ready for an uninterrupted rest. About 10 minutes after arriving, Bill comes by to welcome us to our new home for the next few days, we chat a bit, and then I finally get to crash into that comfortable bed that was calling my name. A good 4 hrs later I was much more refreshed and energetic. My energy levels doubled by the day. Paola, the nutritionist was there to meet with us to discuss diet following surgery. She detailed what I could and could not eat, and laid out a plan for me to follow in the next few weeks. We discussed the progression from Clear Liquids, to shakes, to purees, to soft foods to normal foods. She stressed that I needed to take our time and not try to jump ahead. She stressed that processed carbs are not our friends. I was provided with an information sheet that detailed the first stage of the diet, full liquids, with the assurance that detailed information about the second stage, purees, would be emailed to me. Once Paola left, Johnnie introduced us to Fernando, our evening guide. Fernando is a bit more soft spoken than Johnnie, but was also very friendly and helpful. When we went for our evening broth run, it was almost like playing frogger getting across traffic, but Fernando was out there in front of the traffic blocking it for us. I don’t know how to describe broth as amazing, but it tasted amazing. Little did I know, there was even better broth to come. Later that evening I was talking to Fernando who does pretty much everything around the apartments from remodeling a new recovery apartment, to cutting the grass to maintenance, to guiding us around the area. I was chatting with him and found out that he is a very talented artist. He shared some of his illustrations with me and my wife and we discussed his love of skateboarding. Fernando is Fernando Jr's dad. I crashed early while the wife watched TV. The next day, Johnnie was taking us to do some sightseeing. Had someone mentioned sightseeing 2 days prior, there was no way I would have gone. By this point, I was feeling energetic and ready to do something. He set up a minivan for a taxi and we went with our BPal neighbors in the next recovery house. We left about noon, and headed for Las Playas del Tijuana. I wasn't sure what to expect. As we neared the sea, the temperature dropped, and the fog started rolling in. We drove along the border fence, I was cool to see it from this side. We enjoyed the fog and the cool sea breeze. I liked watching the tough seagulls battle the ratty squirrels over pieces of day old donuts thrown to them near the dolphin statue. I watched one cholo squirrel snag a piece, and cross the border to keep a seagull from stealing it from him. We went down to the boardwalk, and enjoyed more of the sea breeze, and ocean spray. It was peaceful down there. When everyone was ready, we went back to the taxi, and went to Avenida Revolucion. I had been there a few years prior, and it was miserable. The vendors were pushy, rude, and some were downright mean. Johnnie entertained us with stories about how he nearly got into fights with some of them that were harassing his patients. No matter what you wanted to buy, from sombreros, magnets, fake purses, clothing, Cuban cigars, etc, Johnnie knew exactly where to go, and what you should pay. Johnnie really loves his town and his job, and it shows. He had his head on a swivel constantly watching us and keeping us close. I called him mama duck, since he reminded me of a mother duck leading her ducklings and keeping them safe. He told us to not buy any alcohol or pharmaceuticals on Revolucion since it was a tourist area and overpriced. We were fairly hungry at this time, so he suggested Caesar's hotel and restaurant. This is actually where the Caesar salad was invented. Obviously we had to get those, well, everyone but the patients did. They made it table side. I couldn't eat any, but tasted a tiny bit of the dressing, and whoa, was it ever good. My wife got grilled shrimp on hers, and our BP friends got bone marrow which looked delicious. After lunch, we stopped by his Johnnie's friend's store, which sells the same stuff as every other store there, and got us all set up with goodies at fair prices. He let us know what a good price was to pay for everything, and everyone came out with good deals. His friend that owns the shop, looks like the dad from Pawn Stars. All of the nonsurgical patients were offered free mezcal at the store too. There was a really cool store just outside his friend's store that sold coins that were hand cut into jewelry. They were very well done and gorgeous. After that excursion, the next stop was the farmacia. This is where you need to buy your Omeprazole. It was 240 capsules for about $17. I bought some more of the sub-lingual pain tablets that the hospital provided, as well as some ointment that required a doctor's visit in the states. After all the fun of the day, we headed back to the recovery house I was worn out at this point and took a short nap. Once up, Johnnie told me to get ready for the best broth ever. He had to go, but ordered it for us. He made a quick phone call, and about 15 min later a guy on a scooter brought a bowl of broth for me, a bowl of the normal chicken Soup for my wife, and a quesadilla we got for Fernando. The smell of the quesadilla made my knees weak, but the broth was wonderful too. My wife thoroughly enjoyed her soup, large chunks of chicken, and veggies looked delicious. This broth was by far the best of all the broths I had on my trip. The best part was that they brought it to you, and that the entire meal delivered was less than $10 US! Before Johnnie left, I gave him $40 and thanked him for all of his hospitality and assistance. I gave Fernando $15 and bought him dinner. The broth was so good that I ordered it the next day for lunch. That pretty much summarizes the trip, I wrote this while killing a few hours prior to departing for the airport. You can have surgery in Mexico from anyone, but the experience of Bariatric Pal was well worth the small amount extra it cost. Their constant supervision of everything, making sure we were comfortable, entertained, happy, and healthy was greatly appreciated. We made several friends on this trip. It is an experience I would strongly recommend to anyone. Everyone bent over backward to ensure that we were treated extremely well. A year ago, I would have never dreamed of having surgery in Mexico, with Bariatric Pal, I am not sure why I would want to go any other way. Thank you, Dr Illan, Bill Yanez, Stacy Eckel, Johnnie, Fernando, Pedro, Fernando Jr, and Paola for making this difficult decision one that I will look back upon fondly. As my mom put it, you guys went to Mexico for surgery, and ended up making friends and finding a party. One last minute addition, at the airport, for you that are in want of clear liquids, there is a Thai restaurant called Saffron that will sell you a cup of chicken broth for $3. It is not on the menu, you have to ask for it. It was the only place in the airport we could find broth. It wasn't nearly as good as what was in Mexico, but when its the only option, and you are hungry, you can't be too picky. Thank you for sticking with me to this point, hopefully this will ease any fears you may have. Post a message up with any questions and I will help as best as I can. If this helped to make your decision, contact Bill Yanez to set things up, and let him know I referred you. John S. Tampa, FL.

You mentioned AA working for you for your alcoholism. Have you considered OA for your food addiction? Since they are both based on the same 12 steps, it might be really helpful for you. I wish you and your wife the best of luck. Your kids need you. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I understand what you are saying. Alcohol was my go to in order to escape. I try to hit an AA meeting once a week. I am coming up on 9 years sober and I am not tempted to drink, however I feel as though I am abusing food like I would abuse alcohol or drugs. I am going to see the surgeon one week from today. We will see what he has to say. I am not sure I can pass the psyche evaluation in order to be clear for surgery. I just want to get some weight off so badly, my quality of life is suffering. I am tired all the time and my knees and lower back hurt constantly.

Hi back from holiday in Cyprus and happy to say I lost weight whilst there ! Three stone thinner than when I visited in May too. So glad I had this surgery. It's great to see that you are flying along with your weight loss. I am slow but steady so I'm hoping this will continue. Dined out last night but took a container with me and brought home what I did not eat. Might as well get the value as you are paying for it! So far I have stayed away from sweet stuff and no alcohol has passed my lips since early July. Never thought I would say it but not bothered if I ever have it again. All the best to you and any other UK sleeves reading this

Hello everyone I’m six weeks out and I’ve had a few bad headaches not sure why I drink a lot of water so I’m not dehydrated can anyone relate .. someone said that maybe I’m going into ketosis .. I’ve never suffered from headaches and I don’t drink alcohol .. help

I know you don't want to hear preaching, so I am going to only tell you my experience. I am an alcoholic....I went to AA just because I wanted to slow down and learn how to control my intake of alcohol....I found out that the only requirement for membership was a desire to stop drinking.....which I had, but I had no intentions on quitting.....that was in 1996 and I haven't had a drink since then. The amount of alcohol I was consuming was about 9-10 drinks a day....everyday......at night. I had to get down to the root and cause of why I drank so much....well, it was because I was an alcoholic....and when I put alcohol in my system in any form, all bets are off and I have to have more......it sets off a phenomenon of craving that only another, another and another drink will satisfy it......some times I could control the amount and sometimes not. Usually a non-alcoholic, when they have a few too many drinks, they stop....they don't like the out of control feeling.....well, I loved it! I had finally reached a point where I wanted to be sober more than I wanted to be drunk. I have had the lapband and it is the best thing I have ever done besides quitting drinking. I wish I could have a couple of drinks sometimes, but I can't. Good Luck to you and I hope you find what you are looking for.