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Thanks for sharing, I'm not a drinker or a fan of alcohol so staying away won't be hard for me at all[emoji4][emoji173] Sent from my SM-G925T using BariatricPal mobile app

Most surgeons want you to obtain from alcohol but it will vary. I've seen 3 months, 6 months, a year.... There isn't a hard and fast rule of one year no alcohol.

Doctors' philosophy on this vary from a few weeks to never again depending upon their experiences. The basic issues are: Healing - alcohol is somewhat corrosive to the stomach lining so one needs to give things a chance to heal first, Alcohol tolerance - rapid stomach emptying means it tends to hit faster, and with less (i.e., a "cheap drunk") so care must be taken there, Transfer addiction - we can no longer satisfy whatever addictive tendencies we have with food, so it is easy for transfer that addiction to something else, like alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling, etc. What was a casual habit of a glass of wine with dinner occasionally can easily turn into full blown alcoholism. Liver health - starting as morbidly obese, or worse, our livers are not usually in very good shape to begin with (hence the "liver shrinking" pre-op diets that are often prescribed) and the liver is further stressed from its role in metabolizing all that fat that we are rapidly losing. It doesn't need any more stress from ingesting a known liver toxin like alcohol (not a judgemental thing, just our physiology at work). My surgeon is also a biliopancreatic (livers and pancreas) transplant surgeon, so he is in the no alcohol as long as we are losing weight camp (and ideally forever) and indeed we sign a contract to that effect - he doesn't want any of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table! Those are the issues in play, and some aspects bother different surgeons to different degrees, so they have different policies. Check with what your surgeon's policy is, and decide for yourself - we are all adults here.

Hi jabs i will be 3 years out on May 15th, my new birthday, wish it was 35 years. as of today I'm 97 lbs lighter. Never had any regrets, not an instant. Nothing I can't eat or drink, except for extremely sweets, i can only have one [/url]chocolate, not half a box. i was pre diabetic, needed a knee replacement but now no problems with my knee and i have a clean bill of health. My favorite thing is being able to cross my legs in addition to wearing flattering clothes. Be sure to get your Protein or you may risk anemia so I have a Protein Drink each day, i can only palate Premier Protein at 160 cal and 30 grams of protein. You can also eat greek yogurt at 12g and you will have a good head start. I don't worry about calories anymore. if i feel like eating anything i go for it but in very small quantities, kids meals are too much but the toys are cool. I give them to the food bank. I love Soups but still hates salads. by the way if you want to fell full for free, have a free meal by eating samples at costco I'm usually full before the lasts samples. Remember, liquids first but you will learn. Sometime my eyes are bigger than my stomach but my stomach always wins. I usually share with whoever i am eating with or order an appetizer which is always too much so i eat lots of leftover. If you like to drink alcohol, be careful you get drunk real fast on very little and sober up kind of fast. I no longer like wine just light beer but very occasionally now as i was developing a habit. I now have tea in the evening as i realized i was just thirsty, i don't like Water. My only comp;location is eosophagal cramps that resemble a heart attack its noes,let common, the first time it happened i was at a hotel and had to call the emergency. The EMT tested me gave may an EKG and my heart was fine, i took a couple of Tums and it went away. I was lucky to have a dr who recognized the condition right away soI now i take an omapremazole every day, i tried nexium but it doesn't work for me. Don't expect to look great naked, actually pretty creepy but i don't want plastic surgery at my age and except for my hubby, nobody else sees me that way. I have a wonderful husband who want to see me healthy and happy. i do look great in jeans. congratulation on your decision to live longer

@@Malin - Because unlike Chantix, it's cheap. I hate to sound conspiratorial, but if there isn't any money in it, no one is going to pay to advertise it. And it is just so counter to what we think we should do..."oh you have an alcohol problem, take this and in an hour pour yourself a drink." But it only works if you drink. But from what I have read, God help you if you use it for a while and then quit. You will relapse much harder and faster than when you began because the brain increases the number of receptors to make up for the blocking mechanism of Nalterxone. That's the trade off.

I received my call within a day or two from my pcp referral but I did have to wait a couple months for the orientation. It was hard for me because it took me years to be willing to do the surgery and once I decided I wanted it -I had to wait. I don't know what to recommend regarding losing weight now versus waiting until orientation. They will weigh you at that time and consider that your starting weight. I didn't receive my pre-op goal weight until two weeks later at my surgeons appt. I know some people were able to fast track a bit. I am not sure what qualifies you to do that unless they just asked. Some people had to drive further so they were able to schedule appts on the same day rather than waiting. Again, not really sure about all of that. It seemed to me as long as you were working hard and doing all they asked and not really a concern for them-they seemed to work hard to get you through. Actually for me I think it was exactly 4 months from orientation to surgery date. But I was nervous too so it was ok with me. I also worked hard to keep losing weight even past my pre-op goal weight. They really liked that. My goal is to get the weight off so I wasn't going to stop just at their goal. They said it made my surgery go much smoother. I haven't heard anything bad about any of the Drs. I had mostaedi who was absolutely wonderful. Very nice man. They told us in orientation they always have two surgeons in the room. I don't know for sure but baggs was doing surgery that day too so it may have been both of them. No matter what I have complete faith in my dr. And again, can't say enough nice things about the staff after the surgery. People were over the top nice and helpful. I know everyone has their own experiences but I really hope you guys have as nice an experience as I did. I really believe their strict program helps ensure success. They want you off caffeine, stop alcohol (I would recommend now because they will ask). No smoking, etc. really get in touch with why you overeat. Pay attention to when you are hunger versus bored etc. They will go over everything in orientation. Your binder is your lifeline and you are required to bring it to every meeting etc. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have not had a drop to drink since pre-surgery, however with the holidays approaching, I might want a small drink here or there, socially. I plan on avoiding anything carbonated (no beer or coolers). I know I need to keep sugars down, too. Any recommendations?

My dr also is under the school of thought that there's no such thing as dumping with the sleeve. Every single time I eat ice cream my stomach cramps. I would'nt think that was dumping until a few nite ago. I ate ice cream before bed (yes, I know I'm a slow learner!) and 2 hrs after falling asleep I woke up with severe stomach cramping. For 2 hrs I suffered with cramping and explosive diarrhea (sorry tmi). I promised myself I wouldn't eat ice cream again (not unlike begging God for mercy and promising never to drink again upon vomiting with too much alcohol!) if God got me thru it. I will probly eat ice cream again (when I forget about how it feels) but not anytime soon.

Biggest difference with what you are dealing with, as opposed to the drug addict, alcoholic, or someone who smokes, is We need food to survive. Its this - the need for something so basic as food...that simply drives me up the wall to. I find my thoughts continually thinking about my next meal...when am I going to eat, what am I going to eat and even something so stupid as asking myself if I am really hungry. Food completely controls my thoughts and often times actions. I have the same frustrations, as I bet nearly everyone on this site does. What makes me feel worse at times, is the mere fact that I have never truly had to worry about meals. I have never had to go without food...in fact, my family (being Italian) tends to cook as though we are expecting 100 plus people to randomly stop over. Growing up, all family gatherings, visits with neighbors involved food. In essence, everything you are feeling is Normal! You will make it, you will survive this journey. It may seem impossible, however, you have taken this situation and are being proactive with your health for not just you but for your family. Try to stay positive.....try to stay motivated....the best has yet to come!

Post-op, chewable vitamins and ones you add to water made me vomit. The reason is because they contain sugar alcohols (e.g. xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol...), which I’m now sensitive to. This may be what’s happening to you; something to consider.

Mrs. D. I too had MRSA in my port. I ended up having the port and most of the tubing removed after I developed an abdominal wall infection off of the tubing itself (i.e., not from the surgical wound). I developed a second infection along the remaining tubing about a month after the emergency surgery. At my request, my surgeon removed more tubing, sterilized the rest (as best he could) with alcohol, and I was able to overcome the infection (I am allergic to penicillins, which were the best treatment, so my treatment took longer). I insisted on keeping my band; I was self-pay and was afraid of losing everything I'd invested in. Even though it was deflated, i did have some restriction and I did not gain any weight while I waited to heal up. Just under a year later, I had tubing reinstalled and a new port sewn into my right side. I believe it had to be redone on the right because of the damage to my abdominal wall and risk of further infection. you don't want to mess around with any infection. It can travel up the tubing and cause abscess elsewhere, as was my experience. You should talk with your lap band surgeon to see if it's feasible to remove the port and a significant amount of tubing now, salvage what you can re: tubing and the band, and possibly reinstall tubing and a port later. My surgeon had to check with someone else about reinstallation on my right side, but it is feasible to do this. Please keep on top of that infection! My husband had to help pack my first wound for several months; it was quite painful and I know it was hard on him.

Well, you've had a little band vacation, and now it's time to get back to work! First of all, consider getting another fill. If you don't know how many cc's you had before the unfill, ask your surgeon or the person who does the fills. Then ask for a fill that's not quite as much as that. For example, if you had 8 cc's and they took out 1 cc, ask for a fill of .5 cc (that's just an example - there's no magic fill amount that will get you going again). Then, pick one thing to change about your behavior. If you've been drinking alcohol, that would be a good place to stop since alcohol is empty calories and loosens your inhibitions so that a bag of chips or Cookies looks like a dandy idea. When you've got that behavior under control, pick another one, like exercise. It might help if you found yourself a "jalkwing" buddy who'll expect you to show up to walk/run at a given time, and keep you company while you do it. Then pick another behavior, like eating sugary stuff. Go through your kitchen, pantry, fridge, freezer, car, desk, locker, or wherever else that stuff might be stashed. Throw out opened packages and donate the unopened ones to a food bank or neighbor or friend. You can do it!

Lettuce compare bad dates ( NOT the fruit) Current mood:Sylvan Category: Blogging So, before I get started I have 2 important announcements: 1) - Our newest blog friend, Misbehaving ( I assume everybody has met MB and read his blogs? M, I'm talking to you.....don't be shy......he writes good stuff) pointed out that I've totally ignored my tradition of dedicating a blog to the newest kid on the block, so to speak. This blog is dedicated to you, MB (although the "honor" may be a little dubious). 2) - This blog has been blatantly inspired by MB's latest. Ciss kinda went into it in her comments, and I realized that the story has to be told. In all of its ugliness. To really understand how I got into this mess, everybody needs to understand 2 things about me ( side note- Is this "2 things" a recurring theme? I don't know, my friend.....I don't know): I have trouble telling people "no", and I'm waaaaay too nice. I understand your skepticism, but it's true. The "dog-eat-dog" atmosphere of Atlanta High School was so oppressive, that I had gained a reputation as a "really nice guy" (no better way to get laid in high school, right? yeah) by doing nothing more than NOT insulting people to their faces. Apparently I'd also, by my junior year, captured the attention of a senior lass (Her name is ****). Her father and my father were......not good friends, exactly, but......they knew each other really well. Throughout the year I had avoided going to ****'s Halloween party ( She told me "I'll be wearing a toga"), ****'s Thanksgiving party ( "We're gonna play seven minutes in Heaven"....I didn't know what that was, but I didn't like the sound of it), and ****'s Christmas & New Year's parties ( I knew all about the hazards of mistletoe and 12:00). Spring was rolling around fast, though, and so was prom season. At my house, hints were getting dropped that **** wanted to ask me to her prom. This was an actual conversation: Dad: "I saw Jerry ***** today." Me: "Really." Dad: "He said his daughter thinks you're a fine young man, and so does he" Me: "........." Dad: "He thought you might be a good date for her prom. She's cute." Me: "Dad, she's kinda ugly" Dad: "........." (sending out silent, powerful waves of disapproval) The very next day at school, **** cornered me and asked me to the prom. It was a little awkward, because we almost never spoke. I hemmed and hawed, but for every half-excuse I gave, she had a comeback (I cracked under pressure and couldn't think of a iron-clad excuse. Besides, I was trying to give her the opportunity to save some face, but she was having none of it). Finally, she administered the coup-de-grace: "I've already bought the tickets, and there's nobody else to go with...PLEASE?" Prom time. Everybody parked their cars at the high school and boarded a chartered bus to go to the big city of Texarkana. The whole ride down (about 45 mins) was incredibly awkward and silent. I didn't have any friends in the SR. class of 1987, and I didn't know squat about my date. Since it was a chartered bus, the chaperones were not exactly vigilant about screening for alcohol, and everybody was drinking like a fish (except.....somebody forgot to give me the memo. And I could have used a stiff drink). All throughout the night, I fought off a tipsy, dry-humping **** who was trying to kiss my neck. At one point, my date told me "You ought to take off your shirt and just wear your jacket and bowtie".....(WTF?!?). I declined. It was a looooooooong dance. The bus ride back was even worse. It was very dark, and the slobbery sounds of kissing seemed to be preternaturally amplified. I stared straight ahead, thinking how much of a good-night kiss I'd have to pony up to avoid being talked about. At this point, **** takes my arm, puts it around her shoulder, and for good measure, down the front of her dress. So now I've got a handful of boob (Another sidebar....as a commited boob man, that part wasn't so bad. It was just a little unexpected). It was time to man up and take one for the team, so I made out with her. Just for a little while. When the bus arrived back at the high school, **** and I went to my car (unluckily, like MB, it had bench seats. Because I'm a quick, quick learner, I planted my right hand firmly on the steering wheel). **** leaned over and breathlessly wispered "I don't have to be back anytime. My parents trust you....we can do anything you want.....". What I wanted to say was "Ok, then.....we're off to find some hot chicks". Instead, what came out of my mouth was "Er.....It's already a little past my curfew.....I have to go home". I thought that would get my point across. Wrong. **** was incredibly unfazed, saying "....Well, call me tomorrow and we can do something then". Wow.......I didn't call. Every so often for the rest of the year, My dad would ask if I'd seen **** around, or had heard from her. I would just look at him in stony silence. He got the message. Years later, Ciss and I saw **** at the local Super Wal-Mart ( the social nexus of Cass County) going grocery shopping. **** was loading her buggy up with frozen entreees. "Hmmmmm", said Ciss, "Dinner for one, ****?" It was the best and meanest line I had heard in a long time.

I think it's just the way the alcohol is in Mexico. I went to a diff. surgeon, but I went to the store the day after surgery to buy alcohol to take the stickiness off my body from the betadine. YUCK. It smelled so sour.

Warning - reports of meth in 7up at resorts in Mexico - specifically Mexicali. Also bad alcohol as well. Just a precaution if any patients have family members traveling with them to take caution. This is not a hoax, report was on Drudge Report.

The first few weeks drinking any liquid has to be slow and careful, you are healing and this takes time. I am nearly 3 months out and can take pretty good sized gulps now. Prior to surgery, I really worried about how in the heck will I eat without drinking liquids? - but it was mostly all in my head, it's not that big of a deal, and I drink up to 15 minutes before eating solid food. The first few weeks before solids don't worry about that rule of waiting - you will need every ounce of liquids you can get down. I had one sip of champagne on NYE and it was fine. I also had half a glass of wine a week ago and it was also fine. I am however not much of a drinker anyway, and it isn't a lifestyle to aspire to when getting healthy is your goal. YOU have to decide what is most important to your well being - food and alcohol or the chance to have a healthy body that will support you for years to come. We all have the fear of the unknown, don't let that keep you from making important decisions.

Some of the worse ulcers ever were at the anastomosis of a gastric bypass patient who started drinking a little wine again - 14 year post op!!!! Many others, as well. Those surgical tissues remain fragile forever, I'm thinking. Alcohol is a terrible irritant to tissue of any kind, but for surgical areas, even worse. Everyone makes their own decisions and takes their own risks, but for me, alcohol is on the "never again" list.

My surgeon had me lose weight before he would book the surgery. He also said he may have me do a liquid diet and he'd let me know at my pre-op appointment. Since I lost above and beyond what he wanted, he did not make me do the liquid diet. He just cautioned me that if I gained the surgery could be cancelled. The way I lost pre-surgery was to start eating mostly the way I would after - protein first, then veggies. No sweets or alcohol. It was 5 months from first appointment to surgery (I was "at" goal weight at 3 months and just had to get on the schedule and keep the weigth off).

I know this sounds crazy but u start to feel sick sniff an alcohol pad... It's crazy but it works

I remind people that it's an addiction just like alcohol or nicotine or anything like that! A lot of people seem to forget this! You seem to be doing a great job on keeping yourself on track! I have no doubts you will be fine!!!

This is mostly out of curiosity. But i know you're much more likely to get drunk quicker with alcohol after bariatric surgery but what about vomiting from alcohol? Do you puke your brains out like a person normally would from excess alcohol consumption? Or does that not happen since you're consuming a much smaller quantity of alcohol. Like I have no idea if you could end up puking excessively from 6 oz of alcohol even with impaired digestion

I love the Atkins bars but they make me super gassy. It's probably the sugar alcohol that's upsetting your stomach.

No alcohol and no more diet colas. Cleaning up the act to make the best of this surgery. It works!

What has your doctor recommended? If your bone loss & calcium absorption level is poor they should have you on appropriate meds, etc. to help you better manage it. A friend was put a high calcium diet (including more dairy, oily fish, tinned fish with soft bones -salmon, mackerel, beans, etc.) to support hers. She walks a fine line though as she also has a heart condition & too much calcium cause heart issues. How are your vitamin D levels? Your body needs D to help absorb calcium. Not sure if you drink alcohol but it impedes the body’s ability to absorb calcium & vitamin D. I was prescribed Creons (pancreatic enzymes) to help with my protein malabsorption issues. I believe they can help many malabsorption issues. Worth asking your doctor.

To find out how to compare products to better understand added sugars, click on Natural vs. Added Sugars. Use the chart on the second page as a guide to compare products.The chart compares applesauce and Greek style yogurt. You will see the products with only naturally occurring sugars, products with added sugars and “light” versions of the product. You will also see that the product with the most amount of sugar has the most calories.The front part of the food label usually doesn’t have any clues that the product can have a lot of added sugars. You must be a detective and investigate the Nutrition Facts Label and the ingredients list. Start your sugar hunt by using foods and beverages in your pantry or fridge to discover where added sugars are lurking in your food choices. Like any hunting expedition, it will take some time and practice to find the healthiest products to use on your journey towards health. Sugar Comparison Chart We are born with a preference for sweet tastes. However, sugar carries calories without any fiber, vitamins or minerals. Sugar is basically empty calories. For bariatric patients, too much sugar can lead to dumping. Natural Sugars vs Added Sugars Naturally occurring sugars are in fruits (fructose) and milk and dairy (lactose). The current Nutrition Facts label doesn’t tell us the difference. A teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar. If you drink a 12 oz. can of regular pop or 12 ounces regular fruit juice, that means you’ve consumed 40 grams of sugar. This translates to 10 teaspoons of sugar. That’s almost 1/4 cup of sugar! Other names for sugar When you read the ingredient list, look for words like syrup (corn, high fructose, maple, pancake, maltose), corn syrup solids, agave, molasses, beet sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, invert sugar, cane juice, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, nectar (peach, apricot, pear), powdered or confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, maple sugar, date sugar, malted barley, honey and anything ending in “–ose” (maltose, dextrose, glucose, fructose). These are all types of sugar. When you see these words in the ingredient list, look for foods that have sugar listed after the 3rd or 4th ingredient. When you see several sugar ingredients, look at the total amount sugar. Decide if it’s worth it to eat that food. Sugar alcohols These have less impact on your blood sugars. They are more slowly digested than sugar. Sugar alcohols have anywhere from 2 to 4 calories per gram. If your weight loss stalls, check to see if your “sugar free” foods have high amounts of sugar alcohols. You may be getting more calories than you think. Caution…eating too many sugar alcohols can laxative effect! Alternative Sweeteners Artificial sweeteners include Splenda (sucralose), Sweet ‘N Low (saccharin), NutraSweet (aspartame), Sweet One (acesulfame potassium) and Neotame. Stevia is extracted from the stevia plant and is considered a natural sweetener. Monkfruit is extracted from the monkfruit and is considered a natural sweetener. Natural vs. Added Sugars: Comparison Chart How do I find the amount of added sugars in a food? One way to find out what the added sugars are is to compare similar products. Comparisons of applesauce and Greek yogurt are detailed below. The order of appearance is the unsweetened, sweetened and light or low sugar version. Use this chart to compare other products you might choose. Remember that natural sugars are in milk/dairy and fruit. Is all that sugar worth it?