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you are too funny! Thanks. Yes, it will be funny to bump into him in about a year from now when I'm down 100 lbs and show him!!! Do I miss him, yes, but I miss being having that "person" in the house. I must add that I watched him become an alcoholic the last 4 yrs of our marriage and he is still to this day. 2 yrs ago he got a DUI and just this past Feb got arrested for public intoxication, so he has gone downhill. Lost a corporate job over his drinking. With that being said, I'm glad its over from that aspect. He was never abusive, just was out drinking every night and it led to an affair which devastated me. I didn't have the surgery to get skinny and show him by no means, I was tired of feeling sick and tired all of the time and knew something had to change or I was going to die! I watched my dad die of heart disease from early obesity, his latter yrs he had lost his weight on his own but I didn't have the will power. I treat this Lap Band as a tool to help me. And your 3 yr old, wow, I doubt very seriously if I could haul her around, lol. Heck a sack of potatoes is hard enough, ha ha ha.

I'm an equal opportunity alcohol consumer..I plan on switching to wine or liquors, in moderation, of course!

Nurse put ice cold wash clothes on forehead & neck and had me sniff alcohol. That kept me from vomiting.

Like MM said all liquids count except alcohol & possibly caffienated drinks

geminidrive-what did they say would happen if you had alcohol too soon?

My surgeon's instructions were 6 months after the surgery for caffeine and alcohol intake. I also had to sign a disclosure advising of the negative effects of alcohol and consequences after vertical sleeve surgery. As much as I love a good cocktail, I'll wait. Not interesting in doing anything that could cause me harm.

My surgeon's instructions were 6 months after the surgery for caffeine and alcohol intake. I also had to sign a disclosure advising of the negative effects of alcohol and consequences after vertical sleeve surgery. As much as I love a good cocktail, I'll wait. Not interesting in doing anything that could cause me harm.

I was told 1 year .. no alcohol... I hope it isn't so!

You can deduct medical expenses, but only if they meet the IRS guidelines and exceed a certain percentage of your income: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc502.html: Topic 502 - Medical and Dental Expenses If, for a taxable year, you itemize your deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A, you may be able to deduct expenses you paid that year for medical and dental care for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. You may deduct only the amount by which your total medical care expenses for the year exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. For years beginning after December 31, 2012, you may deduct only the amount by which your total medical expenses exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income. You figure the amount you are allowed to deduct on Form 1040, Schedule A. IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, contains additional information on medical expenses including who will qualify as your dependent for purposes of the deduction and how you figure and report the deduction on your return. Medical care expenses include payments for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or payments for treatments affecting any structure or function of the body. Medical care expenses include the insurance premiums you paid for policies that cover medical care or for a qualified long-term care insurance policy covering qualified long-term care services. If you are an employee, medical expenses do not include that portion of your premiums paid by your employer under its sponsored group accident or health policy or qualified long-term care insurance policy. Further, medical expenses do not include the premiums that you paid under your employer-sponsored policy under a premium conversion policy; for example, a federal employee, participating in the premium conversion program of the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program, may not include the premiums paid for the policy as a medical expense. If you are self-employed and have a net profit for the year, you may be able to deduct (as an adjustment to income) the premiums you paid on a health insurance policy covering medical care including a qualified long-term care insurance policy covering medical care including a qualified long-term care insurance policy for yourself and your spouse and dependents. You cannot take this deduction for any month in which you were eligible to participate in any subsidized health plan maintained by your employer, your former employer, your spouse's employer, or your former spouse's employer. If you do not claim 100% of you self-employed health insurance deduction, you can include the remaining premiums with your other medical expenses as an itemized deduction on Form 1040, Schedule A. You may not deduct insurance premiums paid by an employer-sponsored health insurance plan (cafeteria plan) unless the premiums are included in Box 1 of your Form W-2. Deductible medical expenses may include but are not limited to: Payments of fees to doctors, dentists, surgeons, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and nontraditional medical practitioners Payments for in-patient hospital care or nursing home services, including the cost of meals and lodging charged by the hospital or nursing home Payments for acupuncture treatments or inpatient treatment at a center for alcohol or drug addiction, for participation in a smoking-cessation program and for drugs to alleviate nicotine withdrawal that require a prescription Payments to participate in a weight-loss program for a specific disease or diseases, including obesity, diagnosed by a physician but not ordinarily, payments for diet food items or the payment of health club dues Payments for insulin and payments for drugs that require a prescription Payments for admission and transportation to a medical conference relating to a chronic disease that you, your spouse, or your dependents have (if the costs are primarily for and essential to medical care necessitated medical care). However, you may not deduct the costs for meals and lodging while attending the medical conference Payments for false teeth, reading or prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, hearing aids, crutches, wheelchairs, and for guide dogs for the blind or deaf Payments for transportation primarily for and essential to medical care that qualify as medical expenses, such as, payments of the actual fare for a taxi, bus, train, or ambulance or for medical transportation by personal car, the amount of your actual out-of-pocket expenses such as for gas and oil, or the amount of the standard mileage rate for medical expenses, plus the cost of tolls and parking fees You may not deduct funeral or burial expenses, over-the-counter medicines, toothpaste, toiletries, cosmetics, a trip or program for the general improvement of your health, or most cosmetic surgery. You may not deduct amounts paid for nicotine gum and nicotine Patches, which do not require a prescription You can only include the medical expenses you paid during the year. Your total deductible medical expenses for the year must be reduced by any reimbursement of deductible medical expenses. It makes no difference if you receive the reimbursement or if it is paid directly to the doctor, hospital, or other medical provider. See Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, for additional information. IRS Publications may be downloaded from the IRS.gov website, www.irs.gov, or ordered by calling 800–829–3676.

Kaiser Fremont recommendations were 3 months for caffeine and 6 months for alcohol (following a good report at the 3 and 6 month check up). I followed their guidelines because my motto is better safe than sorry. I could not drink acidic drinks at first, but now at more than 18 months out, I drink whatever I please and it doesn't bother me. I started with port wine, regular wines and liqueurs, such as Kahlua. Lynda

im not a heavy drinker but was wondering how long after surgery could yall drink? what did you drink?does it effect u differently that before the surgery. i get sleeved on 11-8 and my 30th bday in 12-17 so just trying to figure out if i can have an adult beverage

Hydrogen Peroxide is better than alcohol. But you should contact your doctor. I used my cellphone camera and took a picture and sent it to my doctors office. This saved me an hour one way trip. My redness went away after awhile.

I don't see any stitches popping out, it could possibly be a suture that didn't dissolve correctly. I had a hematoma/seroma in this particular scar. It's just been bothersome since day 1. Thank you for your reply. I've been treating it with rubbing alcohol and will call my doctor's office on Monday.

Careful of the ones with sugar alcohols. For some people they create excess gas or stomach cramps. I ended up with two days of gas. Learned the hard way.

My nutritionist says you can deduct the fiber and sugar alcohols to come up with the carbs. But be forewarned that too many pieces of sugar free candy (sometimes even just 2 or 3) can make you sick as a dog. I learned the hard way

Thanks Missy for responding. I am on a 29 carbs count for the day and I was taught to read the nutritional labels from my dietitian. I found some sugar free candy that I would LOVE to have and it say is has 15 carbs but 15 of them are sugar alcohol. I have tried the Atkins Diet before and you didnt count those as actual carbs so I didnt know if anyone else had the same issues and had discussed it with their dietician. I left a message for mine on Thurs but she was out of town and will return next week.

I had lapband with plication in May 2012. I am having STRONG cravings esp certain times of the month for sweets. How does the sugar alcohol affect the carb count???

My regular doctor had me on ranitadine. I was having problems crushing all my meds and this was a liquid. It's basically liquid zantac. The problem-it contains 7.5% alcohol. Also I'm on a very strong antibiotic for an abscess tooth. They said it would destroy a regular stomach let alone a small one. They now have me on protonics. I took it years ago. Hopefully all this will work... Jess...Surgiversary 9/19/12

ohh my God I went to doctor Kim 4 * and I've had four bad experiences I kept thinking I would have a good 1 and maybe its time they were just busy and didn't have very much time to give me today... I am set up to see Nicholson on Monday... I want a good all around program that's going to have a lot of support for me and a lot of teaching n educating for me to help get me through this because I really have no support for this.... and all I know how to do is make poor food choices I really am clueless and I don't feel I really know what I'm getting myself into long term wise.... or can I really give up macaroni and cheese and fried chicken wings I don't know....lol.... can I really give up going out on a date and not having a couple alcoholic drinks.... that is what people do on a date I mean what am I going to do want to date now I'm sorry I don't drink.... and then we go to dinner oh I'm sorry I don't eat more than 2 bites at a time will think I'm a weirdo... I don't want the focus of the day to be what I'm eating and drinking...or lack of.... but yes need to find a surgeon I really don't know who... did you have a consult with Baylor grapevine? their website looks like they have a really good after surgery program, shrug, and I don't know how long that doctors been doing it but call me crazy I don't want someone has been doing this for only 5 years.... that is the bonus with kim he's been doing this over a decade and I really thinka good surgeon just can't speak that great for his attitude personality or his staff.... I think they just schedule way too many people each day.....idk

I'm on a 20 or below for carbs. 60 Protein. And unlimited fat & calories. It's hard to go crazy w high calories when the carb is so low, so it works for me. After a long stall when we switched it to this the scale finally started to move. Don't forget that if you have Fiber or sugar alcohols you subtract from the carbs.

Follow up from Monday's fiasco from taking Nyquil. I did not go to the ER, but I did follow up with my surgeon on Wednesday. He looked at my incisions again, and I told him about the pain wrapping around from the front to the left back, I told him how I cannot sleep in my bed now, I cannot walk on my treadmill, I cannot sit at the table for more than 2 minutes; all things I could do right after surgery. I also told him that my belly is bloated, and my stools are watery. He tried to assure me I was fine, I was just healing. I insisted that he at least check my blood levels, amylase specifically to check on my pancreas. He finally gave me a script, ordered a CBC, Chemical profile and Amylase levels STAT. I had them done there at the hospital and waited for the results, Well, my Amylase level IS ELEVATED. He had me go on clear liquids effective immediately and call him on Friday morning and if the pain is not resolved he will order at CT Scan. I feel somewhat vindicated, but if he really thought my pancreas was compromised he would have admitted me to the hospital and made me NPO (nothing by mouth) and started IVF's and antibiotics. But as I have no fever, and no active vomiting he is taking a more conservative route. He did make a comment in the office that pancreatitis only happens if alcohol is involved. I assured him the last alcohol I had was last New Year's Eve! Today I was on clears alll day, and I tried walking and decreased the Tylenol, the pain feels the same, not worse, not better. Will call tomorrow and request the CT Scan.

Used to have a cocktail at dinner on a regular basis at home or while out (may be more later too, but that is another topic) I guess if it is not causing you pain and discomfort now, you are likely okay, but at a later date you may or may not be able to change its effects if something changes. Unlike Water, alcohol especially liquor, can add up empty calories rather quickly with our knowledge. Could later contribute to stalls, gains or slow progress. It is human nature to relax on portions, intake ect and count it all the same as when we where more focused. So at this point I am staying away from cocktails. I am only 2 weeks out though. Set yourself up for a win and make it work for you Best of luck, glad u are enjoying life

I had this discussion with my surgeon yesterday as I asked about caffeine and alcohol. He said from his Medical Perspective, it's not a problem! He said he would tell a bypass patient otherwise, but since our anatomy is the same (just smaller) it's ok. He said I was a "big girl" and new if it bothered me, to just stop. He also said several Starbucks a day is not good - but I was allowed a cup or two. With alcohol, he again said, I can have a drink if I want. No Medical reason why I can't. He did say if the NUT's in the office heard him say that, they would get mad. It's the nutrition perspective they come from - but I did ask him from a Medical perspective.

thanks for this I was wondering because I see a lot of people saying don't gulp because your band will slip. My mom has been banded 3 years and she still eat slow, but she eat what she want to eat still can't really do bread and she drink carbonated drinks and alcohol.

I did drink diet soda & I decided it wasn't worth it so I gave it up all together. I'm not an alcoholic drinker but I did have 1 cup piña colada with rum over the summer time. About 1 month ago I had skinny lady rum that wasn't so bad. Haven't had any more drinks. I'm a cafe addict. I will not stop drinking cafe I don't drink it all day but I won't stop it.