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I'm obviously sore, but all in all doing well. I have a nasty taste in my mouth and my neck is sore (I had to be intabated for surgery, not sure why). I would imagine the soreness is from that? I also got a little lightheaded in the shower this morning. I sniffed a towel with rubbing alcohol on it and felt better. I have to say, the heating pad is my bff!! It provides such comfort and relief! Gas pains are at minimum and I walk every hour.

I have had my lapband since 2005. My starting weight was 230, my lowest weight was 174 (lasted about a month) and now I am at 265! My band is unfilled because I never felt full. I just felt pain when I ate (unless it was soft foods or liquids)...this was no way to live. I had a unfill and found out my port is tilted (most painful adjustment ever!!). I really want to lose weight and live a fuller life! I have been researching the sleeve and am hoping it will work for me! Any help with these questions is MUCH appreciated! -I read a lot of people saying sleeve doesnt work after having a lapband :/ is this true? I am SO scared of making a wrong choice -Is it possible to have a band and sleeve? -Why do more surgeons not offer the "net" around the stomach to help prevent stretching? -Weight loss aside; are you able to drink a small amount of alcohol (like a glass or two of wine)? -Do you feel like you get enough energy from what you eat? -Do you find yourself craving carbs or did the sleeve help kill that “I gotta have some bread and butter!!!”. Because even when I stuff myself with other foods, I still have that mental “but you didn’t have what you really wanted” feeling. -Since this is removing some of the stomach, do you feel like some surgeons are better than others? Like it’s an art? I am curious why some people fail and some succeed. Could it be the surgeons don’t remove enough stomach or do it wrong? I also ask this because I would consider going out of state (not out of country for a surgeon more experienced with lapband to sleeve. -Do you believe WLS is like breast implants, where you should prepare yourself that you may need to have “maintenance” done on it? Whether that be revision or additional surgery to correct complications? I explained to my boyfriend I always knew it was a possibility that I may need my band fixed or removed because I saw many patients with slips and port issues. -Can someone have the sleeve done 2x if they gain weight back? -My lapband surgeon is charging 22k for band removal to sleeve. Expensive! I already paid 19k out of pocket for my lapband, and it didn't work out. And I REALLY did try. This would be a 41k investment-- sigh. Many of my question stem from my fail with my lapband. Thank you for everyones replies... I have read this site over for days and finally wanted to post!

That's awesome!!! Restriction will help so much. I find I can eat pretty much anything (except beef or dry shrimp... and I haven't attempted white breads at all) but my body tells me when to stop. The beauty of our bands Yesterday Breakfast - 6oz mango yogurt lunch - small wheat pita with 2 tbsp PB, 1 small banana snack - 6oz apple juice, Water, hot tea dinner - 3 lean cuisine Mexican egg roll thingies Snack - 6oz peach yogurt Going to cocktail party tonight. No alcohol for me though. Everything else is small portions and lots of dancing to burn cals have a good Saturday everyone.

I was severely nauseous day 2 and 3 after surgery and I found that putting a cold wet rag over my forehead and eyes helped me. I have also heard about the running alcohol thing but I did not have any so did not try it.

I was banded today in Phoenix at a little past 7am. We had to get there at 5am for check-in and we were staying at a hotel about 30 minutes away so we had to get up at 4am.....that is very early. Especially early for someone who took her cpap machine out of mothballs and tried it for the first time in 2 years and couldn't sleep because it was tickling my nose hairs and pinching my face. I finally gave up and got to sleep around 2am. Got to the hospital and did the paperwork. Hubby and 7 year old son were out in the lobby and hubby put a movie on the DVD player so he could watch it and stay quiet. The nurse told me they would take me back and my family could join me after they were done poking and prodding me. This may be TMI, but of course I started my period 2 days before my surgery. They wanted me to get completely undressed and I told them I HAD to wear underwear. So they gave me these mesh panties and a brick sized pad. Well, let me tell you something, the mesh panties and not meant for big girls. I tore one pair before asking the nurse for some scissors to cut the sides a little or I would have no circulation. I had to share the pre-op room with two other people and the nurse gave the woman in the middle the remote. She put it on the news and all they were talking about was the DNC and I am so sick of politics right now. i would have rather watched QVC! They gave me a shot in my belly. It didn't hurt at first but the alcohol they used to clean it after burned like hell. After awhile, it kind of ached a little. Then they gave me my IV in my hand. It wasn't so bad. They gave me cute little socks with grippers on the bottom and the compression things for my legs but they said they would put those on right before. I was kind of bummed because I wanted to know what it felt like. In the meantime, my son is getting upset because he didn't pay attention when I went back and didn't get to kiss me goodbye. He demanded to be back there with me and they eventually got to go back. Not sure why he was so nervous. Maybe it was the fact that my husband joked to our 7 year old son that they were going to carve his momma up like a christmas turkey? Men! Finally, it was time to go back. I got my kisses and got a little choked up at leaving them. What surprised me was the fact that I kind of got freaked out as they were wheeling me into the OR. I actually considered telling them never mind! I just started praying and God took away my fear. It was incredibly cold in the OR and the bed they had me move to was really uncomfortable. That is all I remember until I woke up from the anethesia. They asked me if I wanted tea, something or something and the only thing that I could stand was tea. They brought me warm unsweetened tea(which I usually like sweetened with something) but it was the best tasting tea I ever had! I do have a bit of advice though for them: Do not hand a patient who is high as a kite and not in control of her motor skills a warm beverage. I spilled more than I drank. BTW: Doctor informed hubby I had TWO hiatial hernias. He was able to repair one but I will have to lose some weight for the other. They made me go to the bathroom and get dressed and then walked me out to the front. It was raining and Hubby busted it in his haste to get the car but he was alright. Just banged up his knee. Got home and didn't have to use the wheelchair we borrowed from the hotel at all. I just used it to kind of hold on to in order to keep my balance as I wanted down the hall. I was not in that much pain. I have four incisions and one of them has a major bruise on it. It is later in the evening now and I am really sore like someone punched me but it is not intolerable. I was even able to go out to dinner with hubby and son and I had some broth from some tortilla soup. We then went to Walmart! Blessed be: NO GAS PAIN....yet. I felt what I thought was gas so I took a gasx strip but that was it. Overall, I was pleased with my surgeon. It was sort of a wam bam thank you maam with not really a lot of fussing about but I kind of like that. I didn't really want to stay overnight and they said my surgery was perfect. To top that off, when the nurse weighed me this morning, I weighed 289!!!! That means I lost 25lbs on my pre-op diet! Believe me when I tell all of you future bandsters or even people just on a regular diet....if I can do it, anyone can! I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me. Thanks for viewing and God bless!

I was Sleeved on June 5th and so far i've lost 70lbs, so it's possible. It's hard, but it is possible. I'm proof of that. I am a big time food addict. Always have been, and just like any Alcoholic or Drug Addict, I always will be. It's a struggle daily to stay away from things I know I shouldn't be having. I would much rather be eating something way bad for me any chance I get. I just keep reminding myself why I got sleeved. I think about how my life has been the last how many years, stashed away in the house hiding from the world, watching life go by. I refuse to live like that any longer. So when I get the desire for something bad to eat instead I opt for something healthy. My go to snack of late is baby carrots and celery sticks with hummus to dip them in. When I really want to feel like I'm cheating I'll have a sugar free popsicle or fudgesicle. That's not saying we can't still eat pretty much anything we want from time to time. I've spoiled myself and had stuff I know I probably shouldn't have had. I just had it in moderation, and on rare occasions.

Thank you, I am going to find some alcohol right now! I can't wait to beable to eat something. But I'm also a litl scared too! :\

Just thinking out loud when I spoke to my therapist a Long time ago I remember she told me ppl who lose weight now have to deal with issues that got them there in the 1st place. Food has always been comforting, there with every emotion good or bad for me so now that it will change I wonder how things will be. My cousin had wls awhile ago and after losing weight she turned to alcohol not good :/ Ive heard and read alot of stories like that.I've dealt with alot of my issues prior to this point I know most of weight gain stems from being abused as a child. I'm just wishing and praying for a great outcome!! To Quote Sean Sheppard: I'm the sum of many experiences, some good, some not so good. I was a victim of sexual abuse but that hasn't turned me into a lifelong victim.

I lived through it too! It's tough and it will pass. The day after surgery I had nausea and dry heaving all day. When I was in recovery at the hospital immediately after surgery I was nauseous and dry heaving. The nurse ripped open the little packets of alchol wipes and had me smell them. They worked! Strange but true sniffing rubbing alcohol helped. Take tiny inhales and exhales. The first couple of days after surgery were the worse for me. I am 10 days post op and feeling like myself again. Getting food and liquids down with no problems (knock on wood!).

Hi DWBrown- For me, besides going over the diet plans (Pre-op, 3 weeks prior to surgery and after surgery diets), my nut. gave me some protein powders to try and some web info (MyFitnessPal- was on the suggested list if things to do- love that app.!) They also make sure we understand the procedure and what to realistically expect to eat eventually afterwards and the ramifications of not following the plan. I know a few people really struggling with losing and keeping off any lost weight who've had the lapband. We have to be educated as much as possible - insurance liability, ethics, etc. I wonder how many people get turned off by the fact they can't smoke or have alcohol for a while before and after surgery and don't go through with it. It probably weeds out those who truly aren't ready! But I am (10/11/12- date of surgery) and you will be too! Good luck!

I still love my diet coke and my doctor knows I have some on occasion. He's fine with it as long as I don't overdo it - of all the vices one can have, he sees this as the least offensive (since I could be smoking or drinking alcohol instead).

Even if you are on someone else's insurance, that does not give them the right to dictate your medical care. It's illegal and HIPAA protects your medical privacy. Your father would have no rights to have sued your former surgeon, he was not the patient. Now, of course he can try to drop you from the insurance after the fact, which in my opinion is a really crappy thing to do to a child. Unfortunately, people in 12 step programs can get extremely over zealous with wanting to share the program. IT DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE! In particular, people with food addictions. As an alcoholic, he can avoid having another drink the rest of his life and live a normal productive existence. Unfortunately, never eating again is not an option. If he had to have just 1 drink a day...I wonder what his success would be? Food addicts are faced with their demon everyday. You are in a tough situation. Personally if you are prepared for the financial consequences of being dropped by the insurance and potentially losing assistance with your tuition, then go for it using the insurance. Hide it from them. Make sure your insurance knows that you will take legal action if they share your medical information with your father or anyone other than you. Laws are there to protect your privacy!! All correspondence should go directly to you if you live at a different address. Call the insurance company and make this clear with them. They can get in big legal and financial trouble for breaking the law! Good Luck...

Wow...where do I start.... I up my workout game this week. Moved from 2.5 miles to 3 miles of walking this week. I am really loving this sleeve knowing that the fruits of my workout will reflect in my body transformation. I walked into my office yesterday and one of the ladies said I looked stunning. It did wonders for my inner self. In fact, a number of people are commenting on my weight loss. I went to a BBQ on Labor Day (dat was torture) and I girl I had not seen in a few months, told me I had lost weight and looked good...Made me feel all giddy..especially since I am still about 50lbs shy of my final goal...I can only imagine what that will look like. But back to the BBQ...There was so much food and drink...I think I missed the alcohol more than I did the food. BBQ is almost a synonym for drinking and all could have was my light pink lemonade...The compliments made it better though...lol... This week also represents the week, I put on a two pair of shorts I could not wear pre-surgery and a pair of jeans...One pair of shorts was actually loose...I have this lil dress that I wore in the day that I absolutely loved. I am not sure if I would wear it again as an outfit as it is dated but I kept it because I wanted to get back into it...The day that happens....I think I am going to hit the floor....(but I also plan on taking pics to mark that day). I told my mom about the surgery this week. I had not told her before because when I tried feeling her out about it, she had so much negative stuff to say so I left her out of one of the most important decisions of my life. I felt bad and underhanded but I needed to mentally prepare for this surgery and so could not deal with her opinions. She still had some stuff to say about it but now that it is done, I do not receive her comments as hard. This Sunday I am able to start soft foods. I am so happy...These last two weeks I have really begun to miss food. I have planned about 30 first meals...lol..My body is over the protein shakes so I need some natural protein. My stomach is upset with the protein shakes. As I begin to eat, I am hoping I can once again tolerate them as they offer a good influx of protein if you are struggling to get it in. I am still not having regular bowel movements without assistance of a stool softner. Driving me crazy as I went everyday so to be only able to go once a week with assistance gets me so out of sorts. But with all that said...where I am today...I think I am beginning to see some changes..I measure next Friday so I am excited to see what those numbers reveal. VSG 08/17/12 HT 5'8 HW 232 (08/13/12) SW 227 CW 208.8 (-23.6lbs) I will take it...I had a goal (one of many) to be 205 by 09/17. I am on target to make it happen...(Sleeve don't fail me now..lol)

There are a number of reasons someone's liver can be enlarged. For us who are obese it's usually a nonalcoholic fatty liver, but it could be caused by hepatitis, autoimmune conditions, alcoholic fatty liver, cysts, gallbladder issues, mono.. It doesn't sound like she had any identified problem aside from maybe NAFLD. OP - I'm so sorry, I can imagine this is fairly traumatic. I do wonder if it's just the surgeon's level of skill, confidence, or just the liver size that determines a surgeon's plan of action. It does seem to vary widely - for example, I was 325 pre-surgery, 321 on surgery day, and only had a prescribed diet of Clear liquids the day before surgery, no pre-op diet. My surgeon didn't mention any problems with my liver. Do you have any comorbidities that might have affected it? I am surprised that on that low of calorie diet that you didn't lose more than 8 pounds. I really hope you hang in there and follow the diet again (You can do it!) and kick those 20 pounds to the curb so that you can get your surgery done. After this whole ordeal, you deserve to be dropping some weight and feeling great.

Alcohol consumption right?

Before you drink alcohol, look up the calories. You will be surprised. I've found that knowing the calorie count makes me less likely to indulge in alcoholic drinks. Before I knew the calorie count, I was more likely to have "just one" and depending on what kind that one drink was, I could be drinking up to half my entire calorie count for the day. I have had beer, wine and mixed drinks since being sleeved. I don't drink as fast or as much as I used to do. In social situations, I've found that I need to specifically tell the bartender or waiter to NOT bring me a drink if someone buys a round for the table. My drinks tend to get warm before I am able to finish them if I finish them. When I am out socially, I have a few stand bys: For beer, I usually get a Budweiser 55 because it is low in calories. It tastes OK. Water with a shot of cranberry juice (no alcohol), but it looks like a mixed drink Tomato juice (no alcohol) Arnold palmers (tea and lemonade mixed, no alcohol) Rum and coke (I've found that I tend to drink these slower than most drinks, especially if they are fixed strong.) Things I've learned to avoid: margaritas (too many calories) Girly beers like Mike's Hard Lemonade, Mojitos, blueberry/lemonade drinks, etc. These start at about 220 calories and go up from there. I can drink them too fast, and about 3 of them over several hours will make me drunk enough that I want to go to bed. The Mike's berry flavored ones also give me a headache the next day even if I only had one, and I don't usually have headaches. Fancy Shots (too many ingredients that are usually high in calorie) I tend to mix my drinks up. I might start with a Budweiser 55, but for my second round, I will get water with cranberry juice. It will be a couple of rounds before (if) I get another beer. I don't drink wine when I'm out socially. I do have it at home in the evening sometimes. I've started pouring myself half a glass instead of a full glass.

They let me leave with a low grade fever. I am not really nauseous but, the few times I've been sick feeling I smelled alcohol wipes and it cured the nausua. I kept down 30 cc of tomato soup and 30cc of pudding my water intake is the worst . It's so hard to try to get it but I'm too ful.

I had been struggling to get enough protein in, but I'm doing better now. I am on mushies now, so I'm enjoying being able to have other choices for my protein. I'm never going to have alcohol again. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my success/health. I wasn't sure if you were referring to my pina colda sugar-free popsicle comment, or the reply. Today was a great day! I felt good all day.

RNY patients have dumping syndrome due to a mechanical nature (rerouting of intestines), but anyone, sleeved patient or otherwise, can have dumping syndrome of a chemical nature (type of food eaten). If you stay away from too many high sugar foods/drinks or foods with high amounts of sugar alcohols (sugar free candy), it'll probably never happen.

I'm currently struggling with this as well. It's so easy to think: "OK, I've lost the weight, now I can eat what I want for a few days & then get back on track." It's a slippery slope...and EXTREMELY difficult to get back into the right frame of mind. I feel guilty for eating comfort foods and alcohol this past Labor Day weekend - especially after reading the boards and seeing people who have been denied surgery or can't afford it. The guilt and fear of regaining is daunting. Sometimes I feel like this is all a dream and one day I will wake up plus sized again. I'm starting that bootcamp Monday. I can't go back to emotional eating. Thanks for paying attention...

You stated that you had already had your protein shake for the evening...Do you only drink one protein shake a day? How many grams or protein are you taking in? The minimum requirement is 60 gms/day but you can have more. 60-80 gms is the basic for women. It is what makes you feel full. As for the alcohol...I would steer clear. I do occasionally have a glass of wine, but I didn't try it until I was almost a year out.

I tried to make myself vomit after imbibing too much alcohol one night and it did not work. Consequently I felt awful and my hangover lasted much longer . I now try to ensure I DON'T drink too much .

I've ony needed to once in seven years, unfortunately alcohol was involved, lol. And no, I couldnt. I retched and such but nothing came up.

I used to drink red wine with regularity, but after surgery, I don't really have a taste for red wine. But, I do enjoy a glass of white wine on occasion - on the weekend. I went on vacation for a week and there was plenty of white wine flowing. I can't drink as much as I used to and one glass is usually my max, sometimes two. I didn't gain any weight on vacation, but I didn't lose like I was either. This past weekend I had a watered down margarita which was very yummy but is very high in calories too. My surgeon said wait 8 weeks before drinking any alcohol. My nutritionist said to have a drink if I want to but make sure I count it in my daily calorie count. Also, you need to drink more water than usual if you drink alcohol since it is a dehydrating beverage, so that's what I do when I drink an alcoholic beverage. Everything in moderation, just like high calorie, high carb foods.

I would say hard liquor hits you about 3 times as fast as pre-surgery. I enjoy a nice glass of wine on occasion, but I am no longer hooked on sugar laden mixed drinks!! For the record, the drinks are easy to tolerate....but do the math...alcohol has a lot of calories, probably best for a special occasion or during maintenance stage : )