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My preop diet is 1 week of full liquids. There are also some things I was told to cut 2 weeks out (NSAIDS, caffeine, alcohol. . . ) This varies for my doc based on BMI. I start my liquid diet tomorrow. I work outside sales. I drive around all day. My Surgery is on a Thursday, I go back to work the following Wednesday. My doc said some go back to work after 4 days. I am getting the sleeve done.

Hi All, I rarely come on the forums anymore. It seems that, once I got past the really tough times with my band to sleeve revision I just drifted away. Anyway, I realized that I will be 2 years post-revision in a couple of weeks and I should probably report in and let the newbies know about my experience. If you want to know specifics about my surgery, you can look through my profile posts - it is hard for me to remember all the details now. I had a lap band for 4 years and it sucked. I got my lap band at 215 pounds and ended up at about 195 pounds and was gaining slowly on top of that. I couldn't eat chicken (did I mention the band SUCKED?). I wanted the band out, but I was afraid I would baloon up higher than ever. For me, the sleeve was an insurance policy. I did not expect it to work because I had already been through weight loss surgery that did not work. Why would I expect anything different the second time around? I was 100% afraid to dream that it might be successful. And, of course, I was wrong The sleeve was everything the band promised and more. On surgery day I was somewhere between 195 and 200. I went to Dr Aceves and would recommend him without hesitation. Band out and sleeve in, took less than 90 minutes. No complications. Good pain management. That's when the tough stuff really started. I couldn't drink the Protein drinks because I couldn't handle the smell or taste. Because of this I barely ate or drank anything for weeks. Everything tasted so weird / bad. I was significantly fatigued for 3 months because could barely get any food in. I chewed my Vitamins and took my omeprazole like a good girl. The apex of my weight loss occured after about 9 months. I got down to about 127 pounds. Mind you, at no time was I ever "trying" to lose weight. In fact, I was "trying" to get enough quality calories in my body. Since I ate so little, I couldn't mess around with junk food - I only ate food with good nutritional value. I also found that Certain foods were just harder to eat. I craved chicken, but I had a hard time eating carrots (they stick!). I would say I didn't feel completely normal until about a year had passed. At this point I have levelled out in the 135-140 range and I am thrilled about it. It is easy for me to get down to 135 (and lower if I wanted to) by just cutting out one snack a day or quitting drinking alcohol altogether. I weigh myself maybe once a month and if I see myself creep towards 138-139, I start cutting out a couple of things and get back to my comfort zone. It has been hard in the last 6 months because my father committed suicide leaving me with a contentious legal battle with his wife. I started drinking a couple of drinks every day because of the stress. That has kept me in the upper end of my range, but it is still easy to maintain. I find as time goes by, I stopped drinking every day and only a couple of times a week - it made me less puffy :-) So, my lifestyle now: I don't exercise. Yes, I know - that's bad. I do have tons more energy and I walk more in my daily life than I ever did before, but I do not engage in regular exercise. I try. I do my best. I'm just being honest. I still have a hard time getting even 30 ounces of Fluid every day. The taste of Water changed for me the day I had surgery and I have had a terrible time replacing it. Sometimes I have fizzy water. Strangely, beer goes down very easily. I developed a Starbucks mocha habit after the first year, but I limit it to one a day and get nonfat most of the time. I also started drinking iced coffee. I eat 5-6 times a day (I limit it to 5 if I am actively trying to manage my weight). I eat protein and veggies. I just started liking sandwiches again, but find bread and rice both expand in my stomach and make me very uncomfortable after I eat them. Even now, I eat too fast sometimes and can be in terrible pain from fullness. I still can't drink after I eat. I drink as much as possible up to the point where I put food in my mouth and then no liquids for an hour or more - PAINFUL!! I could never have done this without the sleeve. I am completely happy with the result. My life isn't "normal" because I still have to think about carrying Snacks with me so I can have good choices while I am out of the house. I still have to eat slowly. I still have people in restaurants badgering me about why I didn't finish my food. The difference is that I wear size 8 jeans and size 4/6 dress. I can walk / run around Disneyland for 10 hours with my daughter without major breaks to sit down. I rode a bike with my kid just this week and it was awesome. I finally feel like I fit in with my world. The outside reflects the inside. I feel much happier now, also, because people are used to me being this size now. Before people were always making a big deal out of the wieght loss. I don't like talking about it. I hated the attention during the loss because I was very guarded about the surgery. Now I have been the same for a year and a half or so, people don't comment about it as much and I love it. My future: well, the biggest surprise for me is that my husband and I are thinking about having another baby. My daughter is 8 and I had my tubes tied 6 years ago. I scheduled my tubal reversal with a specialist in Beverly Hills at the end of March. I will be 39 in a couple of weeks, but the doc says my FSH level is that of a 25 year old and my husbands sperm count and motility is off the charts! I used to be super-fertile before my tubal (just look at me sideways, and I was knocked up!) so we will see if that is still the case in a couple of months. Also, I finally finished my Bachelors degree 21 years after I started :-) I graduate in June. My life rocks! I was already lucky to have a good man, a great child, good job, and overall good health. The sleeve and weight loss are the icing on the cake for me. I'm a lucky lady. With gratitude, Lara

After a tremendous amount of research on the Gastric Band and Sleeve I decided to get sleeved. After going through all the approval processes, I was sleeved on May 24, 2013. I was super excited and looking forward to the new "thin" me!! After surgery the Doctor said everything went just as planned. I was feeling very nauseous and sick. I felt like my head was going to come off.. the doctors said I might be going through caffeine withdrawl?? I asked for pain medicine... they said they were waiting on my doctor to prescribe that. I asked for something for nausea and one nurse gave me alcohol pads to smell.. it actually worked. I was in a lot of pain and finally had my friend who is a nurse call the hospital and find out what was going on. The night nurses were clueless... they gave me water with a straw when I told them I had sore throat... they brought me Tylenol pills to swallow when I asked for pain meds... I told them I couldn't have that... even on the wall it said "ice chips only". They said they would cut the pill in fourths if I wanted them smaller. Again, I had done a lot of research and I knew what I could and couldn't have. My doctor came back to the hospital at 10pm because someone finally got ahold of him and told him what was going on.. he was very upset at the hospital personnel. I so sick and in pain that my doctor ordered a swallow test to make sure that the sleeve was done correctly. That test turned out good. The next day was Saturday, I was still sick and nauseous and for some reason my kidney's shut down. Not good.. and I was still so sick. On Sunday, the kidneys started working again.. thank God! I was very sick but ready to go home. I was released on Monday. I was weak and couldn't wait to get home. My next follow-up appointment with my doctor was the next Thursday. I was still feeling nauseous but I could keep down popsicles and water. At my appointment I showed my doctor a HUGE bruise on my stomach. It was as black as dark grapes and as big as a cantaloupe. I could tell my doctor was surprised. All he said was "that's were you bled out". He told me not to be concerned. By the weekend, I was puking up stomach bile and couldn't even keep down water. I called his office and he told me to come in on Monday. On Monday, he admitted me to the hospital. His exact words to me were "You look like hell". I was dehydrated, weak and nauseous. It was horrible. In the hospital they did another swallow test and an MRI. Swallow test went well... the MRI showed I had a HUGE Hematoma in my stomach. I was 15 inches long. It was bigger than any of my organs... the doctor said this is what was making me so sick. So, they put a drain in and sent me home. I felt ok for about two days then the puking and nausea started again. I was readmitted to the hospital the following Monday for dehydration and nausea. Another MRI showed that the drain was not in the hematoma anymore and the blood was still about 12 inches long. Apparently, all the heaving and puking had moved it. The doctors put two more drains in and after a few days sent me home. After about two days, I was puking and couldn't keep anything down again. After the following week I was readmitted to the hospital for surgery to remove the hematoma. By this time, the hematoma had "jellied" and the doctor said he got out most of it but not all. He said he would literally have to scoop it out with his had to get it all. What was left was like trying to slurp Jello through a straw. The next week I was back in his office still sick and nauseas. Through the whole process I had tried all types of medicine to help with the nausea. I had to wear a patch behind my ear and my two weeks vacation from work turned into a six week sick leave. It took me six weeks to work through the nausea and dehydration. It was a horrible experience and every day I wished I wouldn't have had the surgery. Night and day puking stomach bile was a nightmare. Since surgery I have lost 41 pounds... I love losing the weight and how it makes me feel. I feel tremendously better and have put the six weeks behind me and choose not to dwell on the negative. The weight loss is super slow right now and that is kind of frustrating. However, I've never lost 41 pounds in 14 weeks before so I'll take it. I've been reading about stalls so I know this his normal and the weight loss will continue... I will reach my goal eventually!!! I do appreciate that my doctor did all he could to make me feel better.. I don't blame him for what happened. I am greatfull to finally be feeling like a human again. Would I choose surgery if I know what I know now.. I am not sure?? It was the worst 6 weeks of my life... and I really felt like I was going to die. When I reach my goal I might have another opinion.. maybe it will be worth it... we will see. Nothing that's worth it is ever easy!! If you haven't had the surgery yet, do your research. Mistakes can happen... you need to be prepared and keep in touch with your doctor daily if needed. My doctor texted me almost daily to see how I was doing. Good Luck to everyone!!!

I can, and do, some. The beer makes you burp a lot more than normal. I'm a gal and don't drink too much anyway. I understand some folks lose the weight and gain an alcohol addiction! Be careful! But yes, you can still have the occasional drink with the guys! My husband is getting ready to have surgery, too, and that was one of his concerns!

@@bacon, I added an extra mile to my walking today. One down and five more to go for the week! My food was pretty good but I got yelled at by both of my daughters. After church we had lunch in a restaurant and I had a bowl of Soup and ate the chicken and hard boiled eggs out of a salad. Then I took the rest home because I'd had enough. So far, so good. Then my daughter and I shopped for her laptop and a few other items and then I came home with the overwhelming desire to fry up a dessert for everybody. I did, and had three or four of these tasty little things myself. Not a great choice but not the end of the world. Probably about 400 calories at the most. Then I had a kale salad. A few hours later I was hungry again and had another kale salad. Then I walked my extra mile for the day and here I am now. The yelling came long distance from my daughter in Madrid after I bragged about the delicious dessert I fried up. "Mom, why would you cook something like that after all the work and progress you've made? Nobody needs that stuff in the house." Then my older daughter chimed in (love group texting, don't you?) saying "Yeah, you shouldn't have made them. I didn't ask for them." So anyway, they are both right. I'm done eating the treats. They came out wonderful but I don't need them. I was proud of how they turned out and I had a few, but that kind of food will derail my weight loss. So I'm done. My younger daughter suggested that I research healthy recipes and make those kinds of foods when I get the urge to cook or bake. True. Anyway, my weight was up this morning when I woke up. It was very discouraging, especially since I had no alcohol this week and haven't gone to the movies to eat. However, the old body here is hanging on to the fat, and it's not going to let go until I up my exercise. So @@bacon's challenge came just in time. I'm going to push that extra mile each day. It's not that hard because I was a sedentary slug, so every extra bit helps. As for the 5k, I'm starting to believe it is doable. My knee pain was gone today like a miracle when the steroid shots kicked in finally. I walked the dog around the neighborhood and felt really good. My mini goal this week is to get back down to 195 by next Sunday. I'm going to walk an extra mile each day and stay away from alcohol and sweets and movie crapcorn. My daughter is in town until next weekend, and I'm taking her and her cousins out to Olive Garden Monday for dinner. I will have soup and salad and a meatball and NO breadsticks. I'm very happy to have this thread for daily check in. Thank you all. How did everyone do?

I had my surgery January 16th with Dr Oritz and I am sooooo pleased! I am down 33 lbs and the surgery has been the answer to my problems! It has controlled my binge eating! My only complaint is that eating out is no fun! Socializing is difficult! Alcoholic beverages are not tolerated at all and since we can't eat and drink at the same time anymore it's awkward at times!! But overall I am very happy! I am in clothes that haven't fit me in years and feeling really good!!

You probably have something in the materials given to you about this, but be aware that we're supposedly a lot more sensitive to alcohol--and for me, I was pretty sensitive to it before! And, of course, it's just empty calories than can blow your eating plan out of the water, so you don't want to drink much or often. All other considerations aside, pot is probably going to be easier on your system than alcohol.

I'm so relieved to read that some people are trying 'mushies', I'm not the only one. Banded on 12-6, and feeling alot better this week. I haven't been walking too much, because I feel "protective" of my belly, just normal walking around stores, down to my local post office, etc. It's also been 22 degrees outside here in Delaware, BRRR!! I can't wait til I can horseback ride, I will clear it with my doctor next Tuesday, she's pretty conservative, so I dont know what she will say. I'm not having bread, or anything too "hard or scratchy". I've been living mainly on scrambled eggs with some ricotta cheese mixed in, soups, hot chocolate protein powders, cream of wheat, lots of fluids. It's so hard to break the habit of eating while drinking, ie washing things down. No soda, no coffee, no alcohol, no bread, no sugar. Wow I'd lose weight following that alone, based on how much sugar and bread I used to eat! I made the mistake of trying to be polite and basically "peeled" a chicken finger to eat, with some squash at TGI Fridays for lunch, and my stomach gave me hell to pay. I was so rumbley with diarrhea. I thought I'd explode like a seagull with an Alka-Seltzer. I'm terrified of "messing up" my pouch, by trying mushies too early. But I cannot stand any more full liquid diet. Everything in moderation I guess. Anyone else having this fear, of "messing up"? B

I was 234 at heaviest 118 at lightest and am now (4 and a quarter years post op) 149. Yes - lockdown but more than that it’s sugar addiction. At 114 I had no bum or tits or shape and people said I looked gaunt and old but I LOVED being skinny. I’m now a size 8-10 uk - up from a low 6 and definitely not fat or even really overweight. My bmi is maybe a tad over but I’ve always been solid - short legs long back- great build for a hod carrier an ex once told me!!! so I need to deal but it’s sugar I need to deal with. I go in and off IF and Keto but constantly relapse with sugar. I’m weaning off just now and am going to aim for IF on work days (my tummy is v hair trigger so that helps avoid leaving a classroom mid lesson. the struggle is real. I’m a recovering alcoholic and sugar hits the same button. I’m depressed, sedentary, lonely but I’m not giving up. It’s great to hear from people who’ve kept weight off and I’d like too to hear how you get it off again befor it’s all back... on a positive note I have boobs and a bum again!

I am waiting for insurance approval- doc had a 3 month pre-surgery healthy steps program, to teach me to eat and exercise, see a shrink, etc . I lost 30# already but still have 100 to go... And my diabetes hasnt really improved. I know I will never make it alone without surgery. Craving sweets. QUESTION :Will i ever be able to taste those sweet things without being horribly ill? ??(dumping syndrome scares the heck outta me) Also found out that i shouldnt drink alcohol before a meal- i forget to chew or taste anything when i am that happy.

Hey y'all. I'm a new member and this is my first time posting here. It's been an incredibly long time since I talked to ANYONE who has had RNY, and I'm just trying to reach out and find others who maybe understand what I've been/am going through. I had my surgery when I was WAY too young. I was 23, and totally confused being healthy with being thin. About a year and a half into it I had lost about 150 pounds, but became severely depressed. Then that thing none of us thinks is going to happen to us happened to me--my mysterious food addiction transferred to opiates, then to alcohol, then to alcohol AND opiates, and unfortunately I made it all the way to meth, where I stayed for way too long. I've been clean for a little over 2 years, and I'm actually making positive moves in my life, but I feel very unhealthy and not as happy as I wish I was. I've also become addicted to sugar, ugh... ANYWAY. I should probably save anything more for the "Journeys" forum, just wanted to throw a line out there and see if anyone else has experienced something similar to this? Or if maybe there is an addiction transfer forum/post someone can direct me to? I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks for reading. Have a good one <3

I am so freakin excited. I went today for another fill. I have eaten plenty of candy, drank some alcohol, and my appetite has been out of control but I managed to lose 4 pounds in two weeks. I can even feel a little bit of restriction with my new fill. Woot woot go me go me go me!

Ohhh that makes sense!! I read about the alcohols but didn't entirely "get it", but now I do. Thank you!! I actually bought a box of peanut butter chocolate Atkins bars for a snack and they're super good. (Gosh I really need a fill, I'm so freaking hungry lol)

Hi Mandi Jo, To be honest, since it seems you have been following you pre-op diet well, it would probably be fine for you to have a couple drinks just for this one night...not to the point of being drunk, of course, but just to take the edge off. I don't want to be a bad influence or anything, but the again, my surgeon didn't press the alcohol issue very much. Regardless, you should do what you think is best for you. I wouldn't stress abt the party much tho, b/c you are abt to have a life-changing experience, so be excited!!

I am having this same issue post VSG. Two days after surgery I started with two and have had between 2-6 since then with some respite when I took dexamethasone and chlorhexidine Rx rinses. When I stopped taking the rinses though, they returned. We (Doctors & I) are wondering if it is a sensitivity to sugar/sugar alcohols/stevia/monkfruit. Any one else experience this and able to resolve the sores?

I really need to get back into this.. somebody help me :help: Alcohol all weekend Mon B: small slice of steak w/ 2 eggs (thank goodness I get 3rd fill this weeK) L: D:

"finding out how much I lived to eat"... so true...when I began all of this, and of course, it had to be during the Christmas holidays, it was an eye-opener to me, too...I had been trying to get this done since May 2006 (through insurance)...I had gotten out of school for Christmas break on Friday, and on Tuesday of the following week (19th) they called and said the ins. had approved, start pre-op tomorrow, surgery will be next Thursday (28th)...BAM< BAM< BAM..It was "all of a sudden" here...I didn't have time to work up to it or get prepared for it or anything...My husband and I were basket cases (cried a lot) for that whole week, not knowing if this was the right thing for me to do, would it change me, how would it effect my kids, didn't tell anyone that I was having it done because I didn't want people to think it was a cop-out to trying to lose on my own, etc...(he worried that if I get thin, I won't like HIM anymore and will leave him...he watches too much TV I guess...), just lots of worry that we had made the right decision since it was going to be such a life change... I had a Cheeseburger that night for supper...hadn't had one since... After being on the pre-op diet for the 4th day...I started realizing how much food had ruled over me...(and my family)...it's like an addiction and when you can't have it you start going through withdrawls like a drug addict or alcoholic would...you catch yourself thinking that you need something to satisfy you and you really don't, but being used to just grabbing it and not thinking about it never seemed an issue, UNTIL NOW>>> My husband was a huge support...he did the slimfast 3-4 times a day with me, so I wouldn't be by myself...even during Christmas (and his mother is a wonderful cook), but he stuck it out right along side me... I am glad that your husband is supporting you and helping you, because that is what will get you through it all... I promise you, you will KICK THE HABIT, so to speak, and if you won't think about it, make it a way of life, tell yourself this is my routine, now...it WILL become easier and easier...

Well Beth, I hope for you a good weigh in tomorrow. Hope poor kitty gets to feeling better soon. You won't believe what I done tonight for the very first time since being banded. I lost it. I got really nervous, with this health stuff and why I just don't quit worrying is beyond me, then our son who is almost 19 has really been a handful lately and I won't even go into that but I just spazzed out. I started eating everything I could get my hands on. I even popped open a coke for the first time in 5 months. I have been like a drug addict or alcoholic that falls off the wagon. I'm sure I didn't do too much damage but that just shows that even though I'm losing weight, mentally I'm no better with weight control than I was before. I guess we all falter at one time or another and tonight was my night. Oh lord, I've got to do better tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a good week. Talk to all soon,

Alcohol sugars? I don't think I've ever seen those, well haven't noticed so I am going to check for that also!! thanks 2012! Never knew there was such a thing!

I am so sorry for your loss. It is a sad day when someone trying to improve her health doesn't make it. Words can't express. I was so afraid of WLS because of all the stories of people's passing. A young woman - 41 - I know died in her sleep 4 years after Gastric Bypass. It turns out she was type I diabetic and had become alcoholic - that is what really killed her, but it is still a very sobering thought because in a way it was related to her WLS.

I can identify with alot of these things mentioned in the different posts. I also come from a family that's very disfunctional. Mental illness, alcoholism, sexual abuse etc. I have used food most of my life for comfort. I love food, especially sweets (pastry, cakes, just about any kind of dessert). I have been successful a couple of times losing weight, but to keep it off, thats another story. I truly feel I use sugar the way an alcoholic uses alcohol. I've been to numerous 12 step programs and feel they did help me to a degree. I learned alot about myself through theses programs. Also through years of therapy I've learned some things too. I do know that my desire to use food as somthing other than what it was meant for will always be with me. I have to learn to live with it, because it's not going away. But I have a choice, to use or not to use. Thats where the problem comes in. I choose to use more than I choose not to. I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't think about food obsessively, whether I'm on a diet or not. I hate having this compulsion because it has caused so many problems in my life! I use to think if I could just find out why I'm obsessed with food that I would be able to stop it. It's who I am, it's a part of me. I'm really hoping that when I get my band it will help. I know that I will have to work very hard. The band gives me hope that I can lose this weight and keep it off. It sure is nice to know I'm not alone, thanks to all of you for being so honest! Patty

Because I am obsessed with food and eating. Because too much was never enough. Because I was happy or sad or angry or bored. Because I have a food addiction and ate enormous amounts of very high calorie food. Because I got virtually no exercise. Post band I realize those mental fixations don't go away. That was my biggest misconception about the band. It brought my emotional obsession screaming blindly in my face. I am working on it and am slowly getting there, thanks to the most amazing husband a woman could wish for, who has alcohol addiction issues and is almost 10 years in to winning his battle. The two are so similar and we share many thoughts and feelings about our addictions. He is a god send and is by my side every step of the way.

Why am I fat? I was a skinny kid and in high school I weighed around 135 @ 5'2". Yet I can hear my father telling me that I was getting fat. As a kid you were expected to eat whatever was on your plate, and from the south and lower middle class it was often fried foods, homemade breads, then dessert of cake or pie. After moving out and getting married, it was making big dinners then getting up late at nite and eating again. This really packed on the pounds. Add a baby and you have more weight. Divorce and eating for company and alcohol for socialization adds on a few more. I got remarried and lets begin the celebration by dragging out all of the favorite recpies. Then as the marriage got troubled food was my comforter again. Even at work we celebrated every holiday and event with a potluck. It seems like I celebrated everything with food. I have tried to loose the weight on my own only to regain it within a few months of loosing it. The band has kept me from overeating - now only a small amt of food satisfies me- no overeating. I have lost 19 lbs since the banding, and feel GREAT!!!! No regrets- except for not doing it sooner.

Your entires are great. What normal eating! Do you still measure everything or are those guesses? When you were still losing but at te point when you could stomach most foods, did you allow yourself rice and alcohol and all? Or do you ink eat that now that you're on maintenance? I ask bc I find myself stuffing to just eat Protein and want rice and fruit and all as well. Thanks and awesome work!

The biggest lifestyle change for me is exercise and alcohol. If you drink a lot you may have difficulty losing. Likewise with exercise. The more you exercise the greater the results. The food issues too. Some foods go down really easy. It will be very important for you to eat good healthy solid proteins and less junk. If you are ready to do those 3 things then you can be banded. Good luck on your journey.